Lourdes & Shrines of France

Day 1
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2 Arrival in Paris, France
Transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director, then enjoy this evening's welcome dinner with your traveling companions. (D)

Day 3 Paris
Sightseeing with a Local Guide features Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower. Visit the architectural wonders of NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL and the BASILICA OF SACRE COEUR on Montmartre. Afterwards, visit OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL SHRINE, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830. Then, visit the ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SHRINE, where you can see the reliquary of the saint who has inspired thousands of charities and volunteers. (B)

Day 4 Paris. Lisieux Excursion
Travel to Lisieux and visit LES BUISSONNETS, family home of St. Therese. Afterwards, visit the BASILICA OF ST. THERESE. St. Therese was known as "The Little Flower" and for her charming autobiography The Story of a Soul. Next, visit ST. PETER'S CATHEDRAL, where her family attended Mass, and the CARMELITE CONVENT, where she lived as a nun. Return to Paris. (B)

Day 5 Paris - Lourdes
Journey aboard the high-speed "TGV" TRAIN to Lourdes, one of the world's most famous places of pilgrimage. Visit the GROTTO where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernardette in 1858. Join this evening's memorable rosary and candlelight procession. (B,D)

Day 6 Lourdes
Your walking tour with a Local Guide includes visits to OUR LADY OF LOURDES SHRINE and ST. BERNADETTE'S BIRTHPLACE and FAMILY HOME. Balance of the day is at leisure. You may wish to bathe in the healing waters or attend the "Blessing of the Sick." Also, you may wish to join this evening's rosary and candlelight procession. (B)

Day 7 Lourdes - Carcassonne - Avignon
First stop in Carcassonne, a medieval town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, continue to Avignon. Walk to the Palace of the Popes, where the papacy resided in the 14th century. (B)

Day 8 Avignon - La Salette - Lyon
Journey to the mountaintop of OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE SHRINE, where the Virgin Mary appeared to two shepherd children in 1846. Visit the CHURCH, APPARITION SITE, and miraculous SPRING. Depart for Lyon. (B,D)

Day 9 Lyon - Ars-sur-Formans - Paray-le-Monial - Nevers
In Ars-sur-Formans, visit the ST. JOHN VIANNEY SHRINE. See the saint's incorrupt body, walk through his HOME, and explore the CHURCH where he preached and heard confessions. Depart for Paray-le-Monial, home to the CHAPEL OF THE APPARITIONS and where Jesus revealed his Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. Also, visit the BASILICA OF THE SACRED HEART. Arrive in Nevers. (B,D)

Day 10 Nevers - Chartres - Paris
Visit ST. GILDARD in Nevers, where St. Bernadette spent her life as a nun. See the beautiful and miraculously incorrupt body of St. Bernadette. Continue to Chartres and visit the CATHEDRAL, one of Europe's most celebrated shrines and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Return to Paris and enjoy this evening's farewell dinner. (B,D)

Day 11
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)