Shrines of Portugal, Spain and France

From $6236
Including air fares
Product Number: LUMGTM

Book or enquire about this tour

Much like Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia Basilica– the architectural masterpiece still under construction more than a century after the laying of the cornerstone – one’s journey of faith is unique, inspirational, and ongoing. This religious tour to Portugal, Spain, and France invites you to enlighten your personal journey as you visit some of Europe’s most treasured shrines, pilgrimage sites, and spiritual places. From Lisbon to Barcelona, you’ll enjoy both city and sacred sightseeing as you visit history’s most revered cathedrals, basilicas, monasteries, and sanctuaries – with ample free time for appreciation and reflection. Visit Fatima and stand in the same spot where the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children. In Lourdes see the grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Bernadette, and have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Healing Baths. Overflowing with spirituality, you’re also invited to participate in mass, rosary prayer, and a candlelight procession along the way.

 

Highlights:

  • Santarem
  • Fatima
  • Burgos
  • Loyola
  • Lourdes

Departure Dates

Low Season

OCT 9th
AUG 12th

Tour Map

Depart Australia for the commencement of your spiritual journey.

Lisbon Portugal

Welcome to Lisbon! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Lisbon’s famous funicular – photo by Matthew Foulds (Unsplash)

LISBON Guided sightseeing includes St. Anthony’s Church and the Cathedral La Se. Free time the remainder of the day. (B)

Lisbon
Our recommendation: Dine in Bairro Alto

Lisbon is also known for its very lively and busy nightlife. After an afternoon shopping in the elegant Chiado district, there’s nothing like a late afternoon at one of the viewpoints of Santa Catarina or São Pedro de Alcântara, then staying for dinner in the Bairro Alto. It’s the place to be for those who enjoy a night out having fun.

If possible, catch a little of the local music, called Fado. It feels like every song tells the tale of a young maiden gathering water and her unrequited love for a young shepherd boy. Perhaps the Portuguese equivalent of country music!

 

SANTAREM Visit the Church of the Holy Miracle. Free time for lunch. FATIMA Visit Our Lady of Fatima Shrine and the Chapel of the Apparition. Attend Mass at the Basilica. This evening, join the Rosary and candlelight procession at the Shrine. (B, D) 99 mi / 160 km

Turn your sound on and what this fascinating video:

VALINHOS Visit the Parish Church. FATIMA Free afternoon and evening to pray or join the Rosary and candlelight procession. (B) 25 mi / 40 km

Scenic drive to Avila. AVILA Walking tour with a Local Guide including the Monastery of the Incarnation and the Convent of Santa Theresa. (B, D) 329 mi / 530 km

BURGOS Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Cathedral. Free time for appreciation and meditation. (B, D) 186 mi / 300 km

LOYOLA Visit the home and Sanctuary of St. Ignatius de Loyola. Attend Mass in the Basilica. Free time for lunch before driving to Lourdes. LOURDES Attend the Candlelight Procession. (B, D) 280 mi / 450 km

LOURDES Attend Mass. The guided walking tour includes visits to the Grotto, Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, and the family home and birthplace of St. Bernadette. (B)

The 70th Miracle

A miracle was officially recognized at the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, the 70th Lourdes miracle recognized by the Catholic Church.

The miracle was officially declared by Bishop Jacques Benoit-Gonin of Beauvais, France on Feb. 11, the World Day of the Sick and the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. During Mass at the shrine’s basilica, Bishop Nicolas Brouwet of Lourdes announced the miracle.

The miraculous event involved a French nun, Sister Bernadette Moriau, who went on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in 2008. She had been suffering from spinal complications which had rendered her wheelchair-bound and fully disabled since 1980. She also said she had been taking morphine to control the pain.

Moriau’s case was brought to the attention of the International Medical Committee of Lourdes, who extensively researched the nun’s recovery. They eventually found that Moriau’s healing could not be scientifically explained.

After a healing is recognized by the Lourdes committee, the paperwork is then sent to the diocese of origin, where the local bishop has the final say. After the bishop’s blessing, a healing can then be officially recognized by the Church as a miracle.

The shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France is a popular pilgrimage destination for individuals with special devotions to Mary and for those seeking miraculous healings. It is the site where young Bernadette Soubirous witnessed Marian apparitions, beginning on Feb. 11, 1858. The shrine also holds a spring of water which is said to have miraculous healing properties.

While there have been more than 7,000 miraculous recoveries attributed to the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes at the French shrine, only 70 cases have been officially recognized by the Catholic Church. A miraculous recovery must generally be a complete, spontaneous, and immediate healing from a documented medical condition.

When Sister Moriau visited the Lourdes Shrine almost a decade ago, she said she “never asked for a miracle”.

However, after attending a blessing for the sick at the shrine, something began to change.

“I felt a [surge of] well-being throughout my body, a relaxation, warmth…I returned to my room and there, a voice told me to ‘take off your braces,’” recalled the now 79-year old nun.

“Surprise. I could move,” Moriau said, noting that she instantaneously walked away from her wheelchair, braces, and pain medications.

ZARAGOZA Guided sightseeing includes the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. (B) 168 mi / 270 km

Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar

 

MONTSERRAT Visit the Shrine. (B) 205 mi / 330 km

 

BARCELONA Sightseeing with Local Guide features the Columbus Monument and Plaza de Catalunia. Visit the Sagrada Familia Basilica. The drive up Montjuic Hill features panoramic views. Farewell dinner at your hotel this evening. (B, D) ENHANCE YOUR FREE TIME in Barcelona with an optional Spanish dinner and live Flamenco entertainment. This and other options throughout your tour are available for purchase, in advance. Get local maps and tips for free time on your complimentary mobile app.

Segrada Familia – one of the most famous sites of pilgrimage

 

Our recommendation: Gaudi’s house

If you can possibly fit it into your schedule, you should not miss the madness and fascination of the home of Gaudi

 

Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning, and we will transfer you to the airport for your return flight. (B)

Home sweet home!

Inclusions

  • Economy return airfares
  • First-Class or Superior First-Class hotel accommodation
  • 13 breakfasts, 6 dinners
  • Private, air-conditioned motorcoach. Free Wi-Fi (where available)
  • Hotel tips and charges included

Exclusions

  • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Discretionary tips
  • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal spending money

Book or enquire about this tour

Use the form below to book this tour. Alternatively, call us on 02 9947 1284 to speak to one of our travel consultants.
What People Say

Testimonials

5/5
"Travel documents in hand ready to kick off 2018. Thank you to Steve and Alex at Liberty Tours Pty Ltd for the excellent service and for helping to make the trip a reality. Anyone looking for a great business to organise your next trip, we highly recommend Liberty Tours."
Leanne Patterson
Nov 2017 | Sydney NSW
5/5
"Liberty Tours organised a good deal for us. The paperwork was always done properly and arrived on time, and the costs were correct. Everything on the ship was as Steve (from Liberty Tours) had promised us."
Gabriella Skrtic
Jan 2018 | Orange NSW
5/5
"Have just returned from the 18 day Western Europe and Mediterranean cruise absolutely impressed with Liberty tours. we were well taken care of from the time we booked the trip to the time we stepped of the plane until we returned home every detail was taken care of we will be booking again our next adventure very soon"
Tineke Mcgee
May 2019 | Brisbane Qld

REVIEWS

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