Day 1 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 2 Paris
Sightseeing with a Local Guide features Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower. Visit 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 3 Paris
The morning is dedicated to the architectural wonders of NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, where the relics of the Passion of the Christ can be seen. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (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. 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 At Leisure in Lourdes
Full day at leisure to further explore Lourdes on your own or join an optional excursion to the nearby Pyrenees. (B)
Day 8 Lourdes�Carcassonne�Avignon
First stop in Carcassonne, a medieval town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, continue to Avignon. Enjoy a walk through this pretty town where the papacy resided in the 14th century. (B,D)
Day 9 Avignon�Paray-le-Monial�Nevers
This morning, there is time to explore the little shops of Avignon or you may wish to visit the Palace of the Popes before continuing to 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 Paris
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B) |
follow in the footsteps of the devoted through France. Start your trip in Paris with a welcome dinner and a guided sightseeing tour featuring all major sights: Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral; the Basilica of Sacré Coeur; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Shrine, where the Virgin Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830; and St. Vincent de Paul Shrine. During an excursion to Lisieux, visit Les Buissonnets, family home of St. Therese, and the basilica. St. Therese was known as "The Little Flower" and for her charming autobiography The Story of a Soul. Also visit St. Peter's Cathedral, where her family attended Mass, and the Carmelite Convent, where she lived as a nun.
