Day 1
Depart the United States
We depart on our overnight flight to Chennai. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.
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hello@canterburypilgrimages.com
Upcoming departures to India. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.
Chennai, Pondicherry, Vailankanni, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam and Goa.
Twelve days, arriving in Chennai and departing from Goa, travelling down the Coromandel coast and across the tip of the peninsula before an internal flight carries the pilgrimage north to three nights in Goa. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
“Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”
Patrick MadridTell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group
Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work
If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill
Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage
Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works
Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.
Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.
The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.
Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.
Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.
The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.
A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.
Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.
“They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”
Chris StefanickGroups travel to South India and Goa from November through to March, when the heat is bearable and the rains have passed. December through February is the most settled stretch and the season most groups choose. April and May are very hot, and the southwest monsoon reaches Kerala and Goa from June into September. The great feast at Vailankanni falls in the first days of September and draws immense crowds.
Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days around them. What activity level means.
Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.
A United States passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date is required, with at least two blank pages. India does require a visa of United States passport holders, and most pilgrims use the electronic tourist visa applied for online before departure. We send each group the current instructions and the application window well ahead of travel.
Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.
Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.
A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.