Portugal, Spain, and France Pilgrimage with Father Jim Romanello
Ten days from Lisbon to Toulouse, by way of Fátima, Coimbra, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos and Lourdes, with Mass each day. An optional extension continues to Paris.
Your chaplain
Fr. Jim Romanello
“I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Our Lady to St. Bernadette, Lourdes, March 25, 1858
The name Our Lady gave at the Grotto of Massabielle. We spend two nights in Lourdes, celebrating Mass at the Sanctuary, praying at the Grotto and joining the candlelight procession each evening.
The Grotto of Massabielle · Lourdes
Portugal, Spain & France, April 27 to May 6, 2027
Ten days, eight nights in Fátima, Santiago de Compostela, Burgos, Lourdes and Toulouse, with Coimbra along the way, and Mass each day.
Begins in Lisbon and ends in Toulouse
OvernightVisit
Nights: 2 Fátima, 2 Santiago de Compostela, 1 Burgos, 2 Lourdes, 1 Toulouse.
Departure
Our pilgrimage begins as we depart the United States on our overnight flight(s) to Lisbon, Portugal.
Arrival in Lisbon & Fátima
Upon arrival in Lisbon, we meet our professional tour guide and board our motor coach for the journey to Fátima, one of the world’s most beloved Marian pilgrimage sites. After checking in to our hotel, we enjoy a welcome dinner and rest in preparation for the days ahead.
Fátima
After breakfast, we begin at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima, where the Blessed Virgin appeared to shepherd children Francisco, Jacinta, and Lúcia in 1917, calling for prayer and the conversion of sinners and culminating in the “Miracle of the Sun.” We celebrate Mass at the Shrine and visit the tombs of Saints Francisco and Jacinta Marto and Sister Lúcia, followed by the children’s home village of Aljustrel and Valinhos, site of another apparition. After lunch on our own, the afternoon is free for private devotions and reflection at the Sanctuary. Following dinner at the hotel, we join pilgrims from around the world for the moving Evening Candlelight Procession.
Fátima, Coimbra & Santiago de Compostela
After breakfast and hotel check-out, we depart for Coimbra, the historic university city where Fátima visionary Sister Lúcia lived as a Carmelite nun until her death in 2005. We visit the Discalced Carmelite Convent and celebrate Mass at the New Cathedral of the Holy Name of Jesus, a 1543 Jesuit church adorned with statues of Jesuit saints. We then cross into Spain, arriving in Santiago de Compostela, one of Christianity’s great pilgrimage destinations.
Santiago de Compostela
Today we spend a full day in Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of St. James the Apostle and patron saint of Spain. After breakfast, a guided walking tour leads us through the medieval streets to the Plaza del Obradoiro and the magnificent Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, one of the world’s most important pilgrimage churches. We venerate the relics of St. James and celebrate Mass at the Cathedral. The remainder of the day is free for reflection, shopping, or exploring the old quarter.
Santiago de Compostela & Burgos
After breakfast, we depart for Burgos, in the beautiful region of Castilla y León. Upon arrival, we visit the breathtaking Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Spain’s most remarkable Gothic masterpieces. We admire its 15 chapels, including the Chapel of St. Enrique, home to the renowned Ecce Homo statue. We celebrate Mass here before checking in to our hotel for dinner.
Burgos & Lourdes
After breakfast and check-out, we journey through scenic countryside into France, arriving in the sacred town of Lourdes, one of the world’s most famous pilgrimage destinations. Upon arrival, we check in at our hotel and later gather to celebrate Mass at the Lourdes Shrine. After dinner at the hotel, we join pilgrims from around the world for the Evening Candlelight Procession.
Lourdes
After breakfast, we celebrate Mass at the Basilica and tour the Sanctuary, including the Grotto of Massabielle and the Upper Basilica, with an opportunity to participate in the Water Gesture Ceremony. We then follow “In the Footsteps of St. Bernadette,” visiting her birthplace and the Cachot, the former jail cell where her family lived during the apparitions. After lunch on our own, the afternoon is free for private devotions, shopping, or quiet time at the Grotto. Following dinner at the hotel, we join pilgrims from around the world for the Evening Candlelight Procession.
Lourdes & Toulouse
After breakfast and hotel check-out, we travel through the French countryside to Toulouse, where we visit the Convent of the Jacobins, burial place of the great theologian St. Thomas Aquinas. After lunch on our own, we celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Sernin, one of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in France, and visit the Cathedral of St. Étienne, an extraordinary blend of Gothic, Romanesque, and Baroque styles.
Return home
After breakfast and hotel check-out, we transfer to the Toulouse Airport for our return flights home, filled with the peace and blessings of our pilgrimage through Portugal, Spain, and France.
Optional Paris extension, May 6 to 9, 2027
Thursday, May 6: Train to Paris, panoramic tour & the Eiffel Tower. After breakfast and hotel check-out, we transfer to the Toulouse train station and board our train north to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris we will take a panoramic tour of “La Ville Lumière” (the City of Light), ending with a stop at the Eiffel Tower. In the evening we will return to our hotel for dinner. Overnight in Paris.
Friday, May 7: Miraculous Medal & Église Saint-Sulpice. Today we will visit the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal on the Rue du Bac and celebrate Mass. Our Lady appeared to St. Catherine Labouré and asked her to have a medal made with the inscription, “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Next, we’ll visit Église Saint-Sulpice, the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Saturday, May 8: Sacré-Cœur, Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle & the Louvre. Following breakfast, we will celebrate Mass in the Romanesque and Byzantine Sacré-Cœur Basilica on Montmartre Hill. We’ll also visit the famous Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, with its Gallery of the Kings, its many chapels, and the Rose Window. This afternoon, we will visit Sainte-Chapelle and the Louvre Museum. Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Sunday, May 9: Return home. After breakfast and hotel check-out, we transfer to the Paris airport for our return flights home, filled with the peace and blessings of our pilgrimage through Portugal, Spain, and France.
What’s included
Everything below is covered by the package price.
Your hotels in Portugal, Spain and France
Four-star hotels throughout: two nights in Fátima, two in Santiago de Compostela, one in Burgos, two in Lourdes and one in Toulouse, plus three in Paris on the optional extension. Hotels are subject to final confirmation; if a hotel changes, it is replaced with one of the same standard.
“Everything was on time and well done, from the hotels to the food, to the places we visited, everything went off without a hitch.”
“We felt very safe and well cared for.”
“Each one has been beautifully arranged and managed from start to finish.”
Questions pilgrims ask
Short answers to what most people want to know before they put down a deposit.
It is a touring pilgrimage by motorcoach, with several long coach days between Fátima, Santiago, Burgos and Lourdes. Expect about 1 to 2 miles of walking on a typical day. Days usually start around 7am and end back at the hotel between 5pm and 6pm. The walks to Aljustrel and Valinhos at Fátima and the cobbled streets of old Santiago are the longest stretches on foot.
You can have a room to yourself, with a single room supplement of $999, or share a room with two beds with another pilgrim. On the optional Paris extension, the single room supplement is $450. If you would like to share, we will do our best to match you with a roommate. If we cannot find a match by January 27, 2027, the single room supplement applies. Couples, families, friends and singles are all welcome, and plenty of pilgrims come on their own.
Lunches, donations at Masses, souvenirs and laundry, and the cost of a passport if you need one. A typical lunch costs about $15 to $20. Tips for your tour manager, local guides and driver: the recommended amounts are in your final travel documents. Travel insurance if you choose it, and a 3% fee if you pay by card. Abroad, we recommend paying for most things by credit card, which is accepted almost everywhere and comes with protection that cash does not; bring a couple hundred U.S. dollars in cash for emergencies. When a card machine or ATM asks whether to pay in dollars or in the local currency (euros in Portugal, Spain and France), choose the local currency; it is almost always cheaper.
Cancel in writing. Up to January 27, 2027 (90 days before departure), everything you have paid is returned except $200. After that date, the $450 deposit and any costs we cannot recover are kept. Travel insurance may cover a cancellation, depending on the reason.
Fr. Jim Romanello leads the group as chaplain.
More answers in the FAQ below and in our Support Center, or call us at +1 (800) 653-0017.
Price per person
Per person, including roundtrip group airfare from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG). Flying from another city? We can arrange air from your airport; call or email us for a quote. Prices for the optional Paris extension are added to the pilgrimage price.
$200 per person is non-refundable.
Final payment is due 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
Check
ACH bank transfer
Zelle
Cash, money order or cashier’s check
Protect your pilgrimage
Your pilgrimage is paid for long before you leave. After you reserve, your booking confirmation email has our Allianz Travel Insurance plans and a link to buy one directly. Classic is the plan we recommend for most pilgrims.
- Covers your trip cost. Classic reimburses 100% of the trip cost you insured if you cancel for a covered reason, and adds emergency medical care and baggage cover.
- Buy within 14 days of your first deposit to keep Cancel Anytime and pre-existing condition cover. The plans stay available until departure.
- Buy it from your confirmation email. Prefer to add it by phone? Call us at +1 (800) 653-0017.
Frequently asked questions
This is an active program that covers a good amount of ground each day. Expect a wake-up call around 7am, departure by 9am and a return to the hotel between 5pm and 6pm. You should be able to walk 1 to 2 miles a day at a moderate pace, with uneven surfaces, stairs, cobblestones and some slopes. There are several long coach days: Fátima to Coimbra and Santiago, Santiago to Burgos, and Burgos to Lourdes.
Spring weather is usually mild, with cool mornings and evenings and warmer afternoons. Rain is common in Santiago de Compostela and Lourdes, so bring a light rain jacket or umbrella, layers for the evening processions and comfortable walking shoes.
Yes. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the return date, and passport cards are not accepted for international travel. We need your passport details at least 90 days before departure. Entry rules for Europe can change, so we will let you know before departure if anything new applies to your trip.
Yes. The price includes group airfare; if you book your own flights, the price is reduced by $1,000. Send us your flight details once booked, so we can line your arrival up with the group’s in Lisbon on April 28 and its departure from Toulouse on May 6. Group air from other airports can be arranged; call or email us for a quote.
The extension is optional and is added to the pilgrimage price. On May 6, while the main group flies home from Toulouse, extension pilgrims take the train to Paris for three nights, with Mass at the Rue du Bac and Sacré-Cœur, and fly home from Paris on May 9.
Final payment is due on January 27, 2027, 90 days before departure. Payment plans are available if you would like to make smaller payments before then.
We strongly encourage travel insurance for all of our pilgrims, and we partner with Allianz Travel Insurance to offer affordable coverage. Most of our pilgrims choose the Classic Plan. Insurance can be quoted and purchased after registration.
A pilgrimage is not a vacation or excursion but a unique spiritual journey that provides many opportunities to deepen your relationship with God and enrich your Catholic faith by bringing Scripture to life. Pilgrimages offer the opportunity to let Christ draw you near.
More questions are answered in our Support Center, covering booking, payments, travel insurance, passports and what to expect on pilgrimage.
Couples, families, friends, singles, all are welcome!
Some pilgrims come as a couple, some bring the whole family, some come with a friend from the parish, and plenty come on their own. Everyone is welcome.
Fátima, Santiago, Lourdes and Toulouse
April 27 to May 6, 2027, with Fr. Jim Romanello. Reserve today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.
Questions? Call +1 (800) 653-0017 or email hello@canterburypilgrimages.com.
Secure your spot today with a $450 deposit per pilgrim.