Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Meals will be served on board.

Upon arriving at Pau or Toulouse Airport, make your way to the baggage claim area and collect your luggage. Proceed to the arrival hall, where your tour guide and/or driver will greet you. Embark on the scenic drive to Lourdes. Check into your hotel, and then relax or explore before dinner. Following dinner, you will have free time to attend the candlelight procession and pray the Rosary (April – October only). Following this prayerful experience, you will return to your hotel for a restful overnight.

Over the next two days, you will stay in a small town in the Pyrenees Mountains. During your time in Lourdes, you will pray and meditate at the site of Our Lady’s apparitions. Our Lady first appeared to Bernadette in 1858 and announced herself as “The Immaculate Conception” near the Grotto of Massabielle. Little Bernadette prayed the Rosary with Our Lady during the first two apparitions and left without exchanging words. During the following apparitions, Our Lady emphasized God’s love for us and the necessity of performing acts of penance for sinners. Throughout your time in Lourdes, you will have the opportunity to attend Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. Watch a video presentation that explains the story of Lourdes in detail. Participate in the gesture of the miraculous spring. Wash your hands and face, and drink the water. Finish with a short prayer: “Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. St. Bernadette, pray for us. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Additionally, you will have the opportunity to experience Christ’s unconditional love as you meditate upon the “life-size” Stations of the Cross that overlook the Grotto of Massabielle. In Lourdes, you will walk in and meditate upon the footsteps of St. Bernadette. Your group will have the opportunity to see Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the “Cachot,” an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. Following dinner, you may attend the candlelight procession and pray the Rosary before a restful overnight.

Today, you will enjoy breakfast before departing for Pau or Lourdes Airport for your short flight to Paris. Upon arrival in Paris, attend Mass at the magnificent Sacre Coeur Basilica atop Montmartre Hill. The Basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was originally built in 1914 as an act of penance for infidelity that France experienced during that time. See the beautiful mosaic of the Risen Christ and the remarkable Grand Organ. Celebrate Mass at the Crypt, which contains the Tombs of many notable Cardinals. Time permitting, you may have the opportunity to ascend a staircase to the Dome, where you will take in a breathtaking panoramic view of Paris. Following this visit, you will enjoy lunch on your own and then depart for Lisieux. According to Pope Pius X, St. Therese of Lisieux was the “greatest saint of modern times.” Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity will come alive as you walk in the great Saint’s footsteps. During your visit, you will see the beautiful Basilica of St. Therese and its magnificent mosaics and stained glass windows. Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Lisieux.

Upon waking up in Lisieux, enjoy breakfast, and then your group will celebrate Mass. After Mass and following a visit to the Basilica, you will have the opportunity to view relics, clothing, and personal objects that belonged to St. Therese when you visit her family home, Les Buissonnets. Additionally, you will tour the Carmelite Convent, which she entered in 1888 and where she is now buried. This afternoon, you will transfer to the Normandy Landing beaches. The Normandy landings were the landing operations, which took place on Tuesday, June 6, 1944 (termed D-Day) by the Allies of Normandy during World War II. As the largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the liberation of German-occupied northwestern Europe from Nazi control and contributed to the Allies’ victory on the Western Front. Continue to visit The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, a World War II cemetery and memorial in Colleville-Sur-Mer, Normandy, France, honoring the American troops that died in Europe during World War II. Many of the brave American soldiers of World War II are buried here, and it is encouraged to say a prayer in thanksgiving for their courage. Return to Lisieux for dinner and overnight.

This morning, your day begins with an early breakfast before we depart for Chartres, known worldwide for its massive Cathedral Notre Dame and incredible stained-glass windows from the 12th and 13th centuries. The Cathedral is a World Heritage site that UNESCO calls “the high point of French Gothic art” and a “masterpiece”. You will have some free time for lunch in the quaint town of Chartres. After lunch, we will continue to Paris to check into your hotel, followed by some free time before a delicious dinner and overnight.

We begin our tour of Paris, with our favorite spot Our Lady of Miraculous Medal. After celebrating Holy Mass, we will have the opportunity to view the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Laboure. The Saint’s guardian angel led her to the chapel where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her. During the apparitions, Our Lady repeatedly instructed the making and purpose of the Miraculous Medal. According to the Blessed Virgin Mary, those who wear the Miraculous Medal will receive special protection and abundant graces. Following this prayerful and reflective experience, we will walk to nearby Saint Vincent de Paul Church. We continue our tour of Paris with stop at one of the most incredible churches in the world – Notre Dame Cathedral, which has recently reopened to individual visitors, group guided tours are scheduled to resume in June 2025. The panoramic bus tour will take us to other most recognizable symbols of the city of Paris including the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides, the L’Arch de Triomphe, and the Champ-Elysees, the world’s most famous boulevard. We will stop at La Madeleine, with the statue of Mary Magdalene carried to heaven by angels. Your busy day ends with a lovely meal and a comfortable overnight.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, your group will leave by motor-coach and transfer to the Paris airport for return flight(s) home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.