Marian Shrines & the Way of St. James
14 days | 16 days with Lisbon extension |
Trace the route devout pilgrims have walked since the middle ages.
Follow in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims as you make your way through France, Spain, and Portugal on this immersive tour. As you go, admire some of the holiest sites in Christendom and step inside soaring churches where people have prayed for centuries. From bustling Toulouse and historic Lourdes to the ancient streets of Santiago de Compostela, spirituality comes to the forefront on this memorable journey.
Your tour package includes
- 12 nights in handpicked hotels
- 12 breakfasts
- 5 dinners with beer or wine
- 7 sightseeing tours
- Expert Tour Director & local guides
- Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
- Basilica of St. Sernin
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
- The Way of St. James
- Burgos Cathedral
- Santiago de Compostela Cathedral
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Toulouse today.
Toulouse2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Toulouse
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to France! Meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
Reviews
Hotels
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
Toulouse - Novotel Toulouse Centre Compans Caffarelli
This contemporary hotel is located in Toulouse. Guests enjoy a refreshing outdoor swimming pool, a gourmet restaurant serving local cuisine, and a relaxing lounge bar. Nearby, you'll find the beautiful Jardin Japonais, the...
Lourdes - Mercure Lourdes Imperial
This contemporary hotel is located in downtown Lourdes. Guests enjoy a restaurant, bar, and lounge. Nearby, you’ll find the Gave de Pau River, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, and the railway station.
Zaragoza - Hotel Exe Boston
This elegant hotel is located in the vibrant city of Zaragoza. Guests enjoy amenities such as a fitness center, a piano bar, and an on-site restaurant. Nearby, you'll find the Museo de Zaragoza, the Cathedral of the Savior, and...
Burgos - Abba Burgos Hotel
This well located hotel is right next to the historic center of Burgos. Guests enjoy the indoor pool, fitness center, and bar. Nearby you'll find Burgos Castle, Parque de la Isla, Palacio de la Isla.
León - AC Hotel Leon San Antonio
This modern hotel is located in León City Center. Guests enjoy bicycle rentals, a Turkish bath, and fitness center. Nearby, you'll find The Cathedral Of León, Museo Etnográfico Leonés Ildefonso Fierro, and the Convento de San...
Santiago de Compostela - Compostela Hotel
This modern hotel housed in a historic building is located in Santiago de Compostela's Plaza de Galicia. Guests enjoy the on-site restaurant, bar and coffee house. Nearby you'll find the Cathedral, the Museum of Pilgrimage, and...
Fatima - Mercure Fatima Hotel
This modern hotel is located in Fátima, Santarém District. Guests enjoy a fitness center, an on-site restaurant, and a bar/lounge area. Nearby, you'll find the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima, the Museum of the Apparitions, and...
Lisbon - Turim Iberia Hotel
This sophisticated hotel is located in the vibrant city of Lisbon. Guests enjoy amenities such as a fitness center, a reading room, and an on-site bar. Nearby, you'll find the Gulbenkian Museum, the Campo Pequeno, and the...
Flights
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
- Round-trip flight for your tour
- Airport transfers at your destination
- A great price locked in today
- 24/7 support from our dedicated service team
- Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
- Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
FAQ
- This tour visits France, Spain, and Portugal. In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
- We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
- Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
- Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
- If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
- You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code SJM.
- You will walk for at least 1.5 hours daily across mostly flat terrain and paved roads, with some hills and stairs.
- Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
- You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
- Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
- If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
- Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Toulouse and depart from Lisbon. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
- Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
- All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
- Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
- Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
- Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
- Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
- We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
- A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
- You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
- It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
- At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
- If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
- If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
- You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code SJM.
- For a picnic with French flair, stop at a small grocery store for cheeses, pâtés, cured meats, fresh-baked bread, and fruit. In the cities, sidewalk vendors are known for their steaming crepes, while mouthwatering pastries and hot café au lait beckon from cafes. In restaurants, the prix fixe option is a popular way to enjoy a set three- or four-course menu for a good price.
- Although lunch is generally served from noon until 2pm in France, dinner is served from 7:30pm onward. Those wishing to eat earlier can stop at a cafe, where light entrées and sandwiches are available throughout the afternoon and evening.
- In Spain, breakfast like a local with just a pastry and coffee. Then, tuck into a three-course lunch featuring a Spanish staple like savory seafood paella or grilled meat and fried potatoes. Dinner is less hearty than lunch and is served late, between 9pm and midnight. Snack on small plates called tapas any time of day.
- Portuguese food is fresh, hearty, and delicious. Try seafood stew cooked in a cataplana, a shell-shaped copper pan, or the national dish, bacalhau (salted cod). A couvert, or simple plate of bread, butter, and olives, is often served when you sit down to a meal—while it is free in many restaurants, some will add a charge to your bill for it.
- All destinations visited on this tour operate on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins.
- We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
- The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
- Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
- Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
- There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
- Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
- France and Spain are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
- Portugal is on GMT, which is five hours ahead of ET.
- When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm in France and Spain and 5pm in Portugal.
- You will use the euro on this tour.
- Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
- We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
- You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
- Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
- International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
- At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
- We recommend tipping the equivalent of $8USD to $10USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
- If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
- Tips can only be paid in cash.
- Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
- Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
- Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
- Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
