Follow the Footsteps of a Saint Through This Prized Pilgrimage Town

Meet your English speaking local guide

Depart for the town of Lourdes on this full day trip from Bordeaux. In the morning we will come and pick you up at your centrally located hotel in Bordeaux. Meet your English speaking local guide who will go over the itinerary and program of the day. Then it will be time to board your premium air conditioned minivan and depart for Lourdes.

Arrive in the town of Lourdes

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 marian 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, the sanctuary of our lady of Lourdes has become the second most important center of tourism in France, following Paris. It is now the third most important international Catholic pilgrimage and religious site.

Visit the Sanctuary

Upon arrival, your private tour will begin 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 Crypt, 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.

Free time for lunch (at own expense) in Lourdes

After the morning visit, it will be time for lunch. There are numerous opportunities in Lourdes so don't hesitate to ask your guide for suggestions or recommendations.

On the footsteps of Bernadette

Your full day guided tour continues in the afternoon as you follow your guide on the footsteps of Bernadette. 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.

Visit the Boly Mill

Bernadette Soubirous was born in this mill house 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.

After the visit, it will be time to return to Bordeaux and that will be the end of our services. Please note that this tour requires 2 adults minimum to operate.

The baths

It is possible to take part in a bathing experience in Lourdes. “Go and drink in the spring and wash yourself there!” These words of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette during one of the apparitions inspired the creation of the baths near the Grotto in which the pilgrims are immersed. Whether a believer or not, you are all invited to this very profound experience. Enter a bath filled with water from the spring that flows in the Grotto of the apparitions and experience something unique.

If you would like to experience the bathing in Lourdes, please let our team of travel experts know and they will organize your Lourdes travel program accordingly. Please note that opting for the bathing experience in Lourdes requires some organization.

The bathing experience takes place in the early afternoon and ideally you will need to be there early to be certain to participate. On some days, the queue can be quite long. There are separate waiting lines for women and men as well as bathing cubicles.