Catholic Pilgrimage Tour to France – The Treasures of Our Lady

Our 24-hour Tour Director will meet us at the airport and remain with us until our final airport departure. Our private coach will be waiting to transfer us to our hotel in Paris. Paris is one of the most iconic cities in the world, filled with culture and history, monuments and museums. Known as the City of Light, Paris is a million things to a million people. No writer has ever been able to truly capture Paris in words, and only the experience of being there can begin to express the grandness and magic of this incredible city. For the next two evenings we will enjoy the convenience of our centrally-located Paris hotel, where daily breakfast will be included. In Paris, the cost of public transport is included for all group sightseeing. Escorted by our Tour Director, we will be able to experience the city in the same manner as the local people.

Experience the perfect introduction to the beauty of Paris on a Seine River Cruise. We will pass under many graceful bridges and view important landmarks on both banks during our trip.

Ascend to the top of Paris’ most recognizable landmark, the Eiffel Tower, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889. The wrought-iron tower was not meant to be permanent, and the first permit was only for 20 years. But by that time, it had proved to be a valuable communication device for radio. It is now France’s global icon and has hosted over 200 million visitors. This evening, dinner will be provided in a local restaurant.

During the course of our tour we will gain from the knowledge and insight of four half-day local guides while we are here in France.

This 19th century church holds relics of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Catherine Laboure, the young nun who witnessed the Marian apparitions that revealed the Miraculous Medal.

Work began in 1163 on a spot that had been a holy shrine since Roman times. Over the centuries, the cathedral has been the scene of some of France's most momentous occasions, including the coronation of Napoleon.

Visit this huge white church that dominates the Parisian skyline. Construction of the church began in 1875 and ended in 1914, just before WWI. Inside, we can admire the stained glass and some of the world’s largest mosaics. This evening, dinner will be provided in a local restaurant.

We will have use of a private coach and driver, while touring for the next five days. We continue on our journey from Paris to Nevers. En route we will stop in Orleans.

The French city of Orléans is an attractive community located on the banks of the Loire River. Among its many tourist attractions, is the beautiful old Sainte-Croix Cathedral that closely resembles Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. In 1429 Joan of Arc liberated Orléans from a seven-month siege by the English and then took Dauphin Charles VII to Reims to be crowned.

Visit the Maison Jeanne d’Arc, a small museum dedicated to Orléans’s favorite mademoiselle. It is housed in a reproduction of the 15th century house where Joan of Arc stayed during her local heroics. Joan of Arc Tour includes: the equestrian statue of Joan in La Place du Martroi; Rue Royal; Pont George V; the Cross that marks the site of the Fort des Tourelles; and the Hotel Groslot, where we will view the statue of Joan of Arc praying.

The Burgundian town of Nevers does not have great historic significance, but it is still an interesting town full of beautiful architecture and an extensive art tradition. The town is associated with St. Bernadette, who came here to join religious life following her Marian visions at Lourdes.

Visit the Tomb of St. Bernadette, the visionary to the Marian apparition at Lourdes. Her body remains in an incorrupt state and is kept in a glass casket for the faithful to view.

We will continue to the Nevers area, our base for one night. Breakfast will be included at the hotel. We will enjoy our evening meal together in a local restaurant.

Today we continue on our journey from Nevers to Rocamadour. En route, we will stop in Clermont Ferrand.

Ranking among the oldest cities of France, Clermont roots both as a spa and a communications & trading center, going back to Roman times. In the Middle Ages, it was the starting point of the First Crusade from the Christian world to free Jerusalem from Muslim domination. Pope Urban II preached the crusade here in 1095 at the Second Council of Clermont. Today, it remains home to the famous French tire manufacturing company Michelin.

It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1896, in a dominating position in the city. It features fine mosaics, superb stained glass, and a crypt of St. Joseph, and contains a Museum of Sacred Art.

Is the second most visited place in France after Mont St Michel. Once a revered Christian site, it is still a holy place for many pilgrims, especially those on the Way of Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy a Walking Tour of Rocamadour and view the Grand Stairway, the Chapel of St. Blaise, St. Anne’s Chapel, the Basilica of St-Sauveur, the Chapel of St. John the Baptist, and the château.

Reputed to have been carved by St Amadour himself, this is a special place of devotion that attracts thousands each year.

This will be our base for this evening. Breakfast will be included at the hotel. This evening, dinner will be provided in a local restaurant.

En route we will stop in Toulouse.

Is the most important city in southwestern France, and is the country’s fourth largest metropolis. It has steadily grown since Roman times and gained wealth through its Renaissance trade routes. The old town still retains many of its historical buildings and is a wonderful place to explore on foot.

A stopping point for medieval pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

This will be our base for the next three nights. While here, we will enjoy breakfast at the hotel. The small market town of Lourdes is surrounded by the beauty of the Pyrenees. After a tumultuous history following its founding in the 8th century, the city has grown to prominence as a pilgrimage site as a result of the Marian visions of St. Bernadette. We will dine this evening in a local restaurant.

See the Grotto where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous 18 times in 1858. It is a place of beauty and the waters that run through the Grotto are also believed to have healing powers.

The place where where St. Bernadette was born, and to the “Cachot” which is where she was living when she saw the Apparitions.

Where St. Bernadette had her first Holy Communion and the Parish Church where she was baptized. Our visit includes the Hospital Oratory.

Walk the Stations of the Cross, before participating in the Candlelight Rosary Procession. The Way of the Cross weaves along a steep wooded area, on a hillside. Constructed by Raffl of Paris between 1898 and 1911, it is built to the same scale as the Sanctuary of Lourdes with 115 figures represented in brightly painted cast iron at 15 stations along the 1,500-meter path. We will dine this evening in a local restaurant.

We will have some free time to explore the area and dine in the evening in a local restaurant.

Our rewarding and enjoyable tour comes to an end as our Tour Director accompanies us to the airport on our final day.