France, Spain, and Portugal: “On the Road to the Great Sanctuaries”

May 1 to May 15, 2025 (15 days / 13 nights)

Experience a guided group pilgrimage led by Father Fernando Ferrera to the major sanctuaries: Our Lady of Lourdes, Santiago de Compostela, and Fatima in spring 2025.

THIS JOURNEY IS GUIDED IN FRENCH

5,999.00$7,221.00$


Type : Aux sources de la foi
badge Groupe sur mesure
Profil : voyages culturels

CULTURAL TRIPS

Profil : Pèlerinage chrétien

CHRISTIAN PILGRIMAGES

Description

The Marian Sanctuaries of Lourdes, Montserrat, the Sagrada Familia, Our Lady of the Pillar, and Fatima have always sought to be signs of God. They are holy places where one comes to meet God, in a spirit of worship, praise, and gratitude. The pilgrimage is “a journey of conversion,” mirroring the experience of the “prodigal son,” who knows sin, the hardship of trials, the sacrifice of the journey, but also the joy of the embrace of the Father, rich in mercy, who awaits him, goes to meet him, and brings him back to life. Come and walk with us…! Such is the invitation extended to you by Jesus and His mother, the Virgin Mary. This experience, this encounter, is because they desire to welcome you and show you their home, but above all, they want you to allow yourself to be visited, touched, and transformed. In these places, you will feel your heart “on fire,” and it is thus that you will receive the blessings and graces prepared for you. Hand in hand with the Virgin Mary, “star of evangelization,” let us embark on a journey to turn the physical trip into a “journey of the soul” with a heart and mind attuned to listening.

Highlights

– Candlelight processions at the sanctuaries of Lourdes and Fatima
– Optional walk of the last 5 or 10 kilometers of the Camino de Santiago
– Discovery of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona

The Extras

– Exploration of the most beautiful sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage
– Visit to Porto’s wine cellars with tasting of this famous wine
– Pilgrimage supported by prayer for the entire community
– Prayer at the church

  • Father Fernando Ferrera

    Father Fernando Ferrera

    Father Fernando Ferrera, cmf, is a Claretian missionary. He is of Honduran origin and has been a Canadian citizen since 2008. He has been a priest for 25 years and holds a master’s degree in biblical sciences. He served as the pastor of the Latin American Catholic Mission of Montreal for ten years and is currently the pastor of Notre-Dame-de-Protection Parish and in charge of the Latin American Catholic Mission of Sherbrooke.

  • DAY 1 | THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 | DEPARTURE FROM MONTREAL

    Meet in the afternoon at P.E. Trudeau Airport (Montreal). Overnight international flight to Toulouse with Air Transat.

  • DAY 2 | FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2025 | ARRIVAL IN TOULOUSE – LOURDES

    Arrive in Toulouse. Transfer to Lourdes. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Panorama 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 3 | SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2025 | LOURDES

    After breakfast, visit the sanctuary town: from the famous Grotto of the Apparitions to the St. Bernadette Church, passing by the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, let’s discover the sanctuaries of Lourdes, which include 22 places of worship and gathering. Morning mass. To better understand the message of the grotto, it’s worthwhile in the afternoon to follow in the footsteps of Bernadette Soubirous, the little girl from Lourdes who has “made the world run” for more than a century and a half, as reproached by the guardians of public order: the prison, her family home, the Boly Mill, the St. Bernadette Hospice. Free time for the rest of the day. Dinner and overnight. Marian procession in the evening. Overnight at Hotel Panorama 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 4 | SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025 | LOURDES – MONTSERRAT

    Early departure for Montserrat. Arrival in the afternoon, check into accommodation, free visit of the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Abat Cisneros 3* (or similar).

  • DAY 5 | MONDAY, MAY 5, 2025 | MONTSERRAT – BARCELONA – MONTSERRAT

    After breakfast, depart for Barcelona, guided tour of the Basilica of Sagrada Familia and Gaudi’s Park Güell. Free time on Las Ramblas. Return to Montserrat in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Abat Cisneros 3* (or similar).

  • DAY 6 | TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2025 | MONTSERRAT – SARAGOSSA

    After breakfast, depart for Saragosse. Visit the Marian sanctuary of Our Lady of the Pillar, the first sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to the Apostle James the Greater in the year 40 AD, to support him in his mission of evangelization. A statue of the Virgin was then erected on a column (“pillar”), displayed in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar in Saragosse. This sanctuary is the most important in Spain and attracts many pilgrims each year. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Exe Boston 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 7 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 7, 2025 | SARAGOSSA – BURGOS

    After breakfast, depart for Burgos, the capital of the province of Castile-Leon. Mass at Burgos Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Free time to stroll in the city center of Burgos. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Ciudad de Burgos 3* (or similar).

  • DAY 8 | THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025 | BURGOS – SAINT-JACQUES DE COMPOSTELLE

    After breakfast, depart for Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle via the coastal route along the Atlantic. Stop in Ribadeo to see the cathedral-shaped rocks. In the late afternoon, we will go to Lavacolla to allow those who wish to walk the last 10 kilometers to Saint-Jacques de Compostelle. We will attend the pilgrims’ mass at the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques de Compostelle at 6 PM. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Los Abetos 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 9 | FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2025 | SAINT-JACQUES DE COMPOSTELLE

    One of Spain’s most remarkable cities and a major pilgrimage site since the Middle Ages. After breakfast, guided tour of the Cathedral of Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, an architectural gem, featuring its beautiful portal, the Portico of Glory, gathering around Christ the four evangelists, the apostles, and the 24 elders of the apocalypse. Free afternoon for personal discoveries. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Los Abetos 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 10 | SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2025 | SAINT-JACQUES DE COMPOSTELLE – BRAGA – PORTO

    This morning, depart for Porto. Stop along the way in Braga, known for its heritage and religious events. Guided tour of the city of Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Discover its spectacular train station with frescoes painted on the walls, the Clerigos Tower, the Cathedral, etc. Then, an essential stop in Vila Nova de Gaia to visit a wine cellar and taste the wonderful Port wine. Evening free. Overnight at Hotel Cristal 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 11 | SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2025 | PORTO – COIMBRA – FATIMA

    This morning, depart for Fatima. Stop en route in Coimbra with its well-preserved medieval old town and historic university. Arrival in Fatima, check into the hotel, orientation tour near the hotel, and mass at the sanctuary. Possibility to participate in the procession at 9 PM. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Cruz Alta 3* (or similar).

  • DAY 12 | MONDAY, MAY 12, 2025 | FATIMA

    This morning, walking guided tour of Fatima including the famous sanctuary of the Virgin, the basilica, and the Capelinha where Our Lady appeared to the three children. Free afternoon for personal reflection and enjoyment of the site. Evening free. Possibility to participate in the procession at 9 PM. Overnight at Hotel Cruz Alta 3* (or similar).

  • DAY 13 | TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025 | FATIMA – BATALHA – LISBON

    Free morning in Fatima. Depart for Batalha, known for the Monastery of Santa Maria da Vitória, better known as the Monastery of Batalha. This monument has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built to commemorate the Portuguese victory over the Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385. The construction of the monastery was the project of the Portuguese monarchy for two centuries, where a unique national Gothic style developed, influenced by the early Renaissance, perfectly illustrated by the royal cloister. Continue to Lisbon, check into the hotel, dinner and overnight at Hotel Czar 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 14 | WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2025 | LISBON

    This morning, you will discover the Hieronymites Monastery, an absolute masterpiece that bears witness to the opulence of the Age of Discovery. In the afternoon, walking tour of Lisbon, where you can discover the Avenue of Liberty, Baixa – a section of the city that was completely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1755. Then, an essential stop to savor the famous Pastéis de Nata, these small Portuguese pastries! Evening free. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Czar 4* (or similar).

  • DAY 15 | THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 | LISBON – MONTREAL

    After an early breakfast, transfer to Lisbon airport for your return flight to Montreal. ***Itinerary subject to change***

PRICE

  • Early booking: $5,699 / pers. (double occupancy). Early-bird discount of $100 if booked before June 10, 2025.
  • Regular price: $5,799 / pers. (double occupancy)
  • Single room supplement: + $1,150 / pers.

*Spiritours offers the possibility of pairing, but exceptionally, Spiritours cannot assume the additional costs for single occupancy if we are unable to match you.

* All prices are based on the exchange rate in effect on September 1, 2025.

PACKAGE INCLUDES

  • Flights Montreal/Toulouse and Lisbon/Montreal with Air Transat
  • 12 nights’ accommodation in 3 & 4 star hotels, double occupancy
  • 2 meals per day in accommodations (12 breakfasts and 12 dinners)
  • All transfers in air-conditioned coach
  • All visits mentioned in the itinerary
  • Services of a local French-speaking guide, a Spiritours accompanist and a spiritual leader
  • All taxes

PACKAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE

  • Travel insurance
  • Gratuities (approx. 12 euros per day)
  • Additional meals (lunch)
  • Personal expenses
  • Contribution to the Fonds d’indemnisation des clients des agents de voyage (currently free of charge)

REGISTRATION

Registration deadline: August 10, 2025 (60 days before departure or when the maximum number of passengers is reached). Possibility of registering after this date, but a supplement may apply.

To register: you can register on our website (see top right of the trip web page) or download and fill in the PDF form and send it to us with your $750 deposit. Please register as soon as possible, as places are limited. Please enclose a photocopy of your passport with your registration (international travel only).

Travel insurance: for travel insurance, contact us to find out your premium.

Number of participants

Minimum 30 – Maximum 47

Documentation required: All Canadian travelers to Europe must be in possession of a passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned return date.

For further information, please contact
Shaina-Solange Louis-Jean
(514) 374-7965, ext. 200
shaina.LJ@spiritours.com

Read this article on pilgrimages to France.

  • Lourdes: May 2 to 4 | Hotel Panorama 4*
  • Montserrat: May 4 to 6 | Hotel Abat Cisneros 3*
  • Zaragoza: May 6 to 7 | Hotel Exe Boston 4*
  • Burgos: May 7 to 8 | Hotel Ciudad de Burgos 3*
  • Santiago de Compostela: May 8 to 10 | Hotel Los Abetos 4*
  • Porto: May 10 to 11 | Hotel Cristal 4*
  • Fatima: May 11 to 13 | Hotel Cruz Alta 3*
  • Lisbon: May 13 to 15 | Hotel Czar 4*

“This pilgrimage has forever marked my life. It is impressive to tread the soil of these places rich in history and culture. Throughout this spiritual journey, I lived in wonder and I give thanks. Furthermore, the experience allowed me to meet new people whom I will keep in my thoughts and prayers.”
– Robert J., Qc

Video testimony from Father Emmanuel Zetino, who made this pilgrimage with Spiritours in May 2018. At the end of his testimony, he shares beautiful video images of his experience: [Watch here]

Travel SAFELY

Travel insurance is undoubtedly a PEACE OF MIND that allows you to live and fully enjoy your trip. It allows you to deal with the unexpected without finding yourself with a financial burden. Travel insurance allows you to travel in complete SAFETY. Did you know that when you take a group trip with Spiritours, you automatically get a 10% discount on your insurance? Check with your agent for more information, or click below to shop for an individual insurance premium with Blue Cross.

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