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Use this form to send us all information concerning your travel to France, our team will get back to you rapidly and send you a personalized quoteLourdes Guided Walking Tour Private
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activities
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Walking Tours
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02 hours
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Small Groups ( 1~15 )
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Relaxed
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English
- Highlights
- Program
- Gallery
- Know before
- Meeting point
- Inc. / Exc.
- FAQ
Select options and Book
Check availability
Highlights
- 2-hour private tour with an expert licensed tour guide
- Visit the Most Important Churches of Lourdes
- Get to Know the Historical Places of Bernadette’s Life
- Time for personal discovery / prayers at the Grotto
Program & Itinerary
Learn the History of the Marian Apparitions
Following the reports that Our Lady of Lourdes had appeared to Bernadette Soubirous on a total of eighteen occasions in 1858, Lourdes has developed into a major place of Roman Catholic pilgrimage and of miraculous healing. The 150th Jubilee of the first apparition took place on 11 February 2008 with an outdoor mass attended by more than ten thousand pilgrims.
Today, around six million people visit Lourdes each year. Due to the consistent stream of pilgrims and tourists, Lourdes has become the second most important center of tourism in France, following Paris. It is now the third most important international Catholic pilgrimage site.
Enjoy a walking tour of the Sanctuary of Lourdes with your guide. You’ll learn about the history of the Marian apparitions and visit the mains shrines of the Sanctuary, as well as other locations that played an important role in Lourdes’ history. Visits include the Crypte, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the Rosary and the impressive underground Basilica Saint Pius X.
Meet your English speaking Licensed Tour Guide
Meet your English speaking local guide at a dedicated meeting point in Lourdes. By default we will set the meeting point in front of the Lourdes Tourism Office, but if you wish we can agree to another meeting point if that suits you better. Then you will have different options concerning your walking tour. You can either make your way to the Sanctuary where your guide will take you to the most important sites. Or, if you are interested in the life of Bernadette, there is also an option to follow a tour that will take you to the place where the young girl lived in Lourdes. At the beginning of your walking tour, don't hesitate to let your guide know which options you would be interested in.
Visit the Sanctuary
Begin your 2-hour guided walking tour with the visit of the Sanctuaries of Lourdes. The ensemble is the largest pilgrimage site of the town. Here, all the major churches are located as well as the grotto where the apparitions of the Virgin Mary took place. Visits include the Crypte, the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Basilica of the Rosary and the impressive underground Basilica Saint Pius X.
Stop at the Grotto
Walk towards the Grotto of the apparitions and enter beneath the rock. See the spring and the famous statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, an unforgettable experience. The Grotto is the site of the extraordinary events which took place in 1858. The niche where the statue is placed marks the place where the Virgin Mary most often stood. Iit is like a window that opens onto the kingdom of God.
The Grotto is a place of prayer, hope, peace, respect, unity and silence. When passing through the Grotto or standing in front of it, each person has his or her own personal understanding of what it means. There, it is possible to fill bottles of the water of Lourdes and take time to meditate near the Grotto.
On the footsteps of Bernadette, visit the Boly Mill
During this walking tour in town, visit the house of Bernadette, the Boly Mill and then reach the ‘Cachot’, the small room where the family lived in the most difficult times. Bernadette Soubirous was born in this millhouse on the 7th of January of 1844. She lived in the water-mill with her parents for ten years. At that time, it was part of the numerous water-mills located on the edges of the river called “the Lapacca” and flowing into the river Gave de Pau. Inside you will discover the bedroom where Bernadette was born, the kitchen and the ancient water-mill with its grindstones. After 10 years of a happy life in the Mill, a set of tragic events will force the family to leave the Mill, not able to pay the rent anymore.
Visit the Cachot
By 1857, the Soubirous family fell on hard times and were obliged to move from the Boly Mill to what was a former prison, 'Le Cachot' (the cell). This small 16 square meters room (170 square feet) became the home of the family that was composed of the parents, Bernadette, her sister and her two brothers. It is at this time that the apparitions took place the first of which takes place on February 11, 1858.
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Pick up at your hotel, accommodation or dedicated meeting point in Lourdes
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Guided visit of the Sanctuary of Lourdes
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Walking tour following the footsteps of Bernadette if this option was chosen
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End of the tour in Lourdes after the visit
Gallery
Know before you book
- Tour available all year round (except May 1st, Dec 25th and Jan 1st)
- Tour requires minimum 2 passengers (adults) to operate
- Optional visit of Sites linked to Bernadette
- Group size of 1 to 15 participants maximum
- Tour is operated in English, other languages on request
- Tour involves some walking, comfortable shoe recommended
- This tour is wheelchair accessible
Meeting point
Departure
Return
Included / excluded
Included
- 2-hour private walking tour of Lourdes
- Meet your guide at your hotel or dedicated location
- Services of a licensed tour guide
- English tour, other languages on request
Excluded
- Personal insurance and expenses
- Meals and drinks
- Entrance fees to monuments & museums
- Gratuities for the guide
FAQ
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Where will we meet our licensed tour guide in Lourdes?
Your guide will meet you directly at your hotel or accommodation in Lourdes. If you are coming from outside, we will set a convenient meeting point for you. The end of your guided walking tour in Strasbourg will take place in the city center. We can also pick you up at the Lourdes train station. -
Is your Lourdes guided Walking tour adapted to everyone?
Yes, if you are visiting the sanctuary in Lourdes the whole area is completely adapted to everyone. The Sanctuary is totally accessible with wheelchairs. If you are traveling with a person that needs a wheelchair please let us know so that we can make the necessary arrangements. -
Can you make arrangements for a special Mass in Lourdes?
Yes, let us know what exactly you are looking for and our team of travel experts will be happy to help you organize your perfect stay in Lourdes. They will either have you join a scheduled mass that takes place during the day in your language or make the necessary arrangements if you would like a more private ceremony. -
Is the price per person or per group?
Price for this private guided walking tour is per group of 2 to maximum 15 persons. -
Can we adapt the tour to fit our wishes?
Aboslutely, since this is a private tour we will customize the walking tour to your wishes. Let our team of travel professionals know what are your main points of interest and they will design the tour accordingly. -
Is this Guided Walking tour of Lourdes available in winter?
Yes, this private guided tour of Lourdes is available all year round except on French National Holidays such as Christmas, New Years Day and on the 15th of August due to the large crowds present in Lourdes. -
Is this Guided Walking Tour of Lourdes only availble in English?
No, our talented, in-house multi lingual guides will be happy to conduct the tour in French, Spanish, German or Italian. If you would like to take the tour in another language, reach out to our team of travel experts and they will let you know rapidly if this is possible. -
Is it possible to have some water from Lourdes shipped back home?
First of all, it is possible for you to bring or buy containers that you can fill up for free once in the sanctuary. The water of Lourdes is available to everyone and you should not pay anything for it. The other way to obtain water, if you need larger quantities, then you can send an email to lourdes.water@lourdes-france.com or send a letter to Sanctuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes - "Service expédition d'eau" - 1 Avenue Monseigneur Théas, 65108 LOURDES CEDEX FRANCE.
This is the official administration that takes care of all water shipping requests.
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