Day 2 • Lyon
Day 5 • Lourdes
Day 9 • Paris
Day 1 • Departure from the USA
We begin our journey as we board our plane for our flight to Lyon, France, traveling over the Atlantic Ocean.
Day 2 • Arrival Lyon
Upon arrival, we are met by Signature Tours International representatives who take us to our motor coach. We take a guided tour, visiting the Basilica of Notre Dame of Fourviere and its Marian Museum, where one hundred statues of the Madonna are on display. Then we go to our hotel for dinner and the night.
Day 3 • Ars
Day 3 • Lyon/Paray-Le-Monial/Ars
We depart Lyon for Paray-Le-Monial. In 1673, in the Convent of the Visitation, a young nun, St. Margaret-Mary, received an apparition of Christ in which He revealed the “inexplicable secrets of His Sacred Heart.” Until her death in 1690, she continued to report other revelations in which Christ asked for special devotion to His Sacred Heart here in Paray-Le-Monial. The Sacred Heart Devotion spread around the world starting in this little town of 9,000. We then continue to Ars to visit the Basilica of St. John Vianney and then return to Lyon for dinner and the night.
Day 4 • Lyon/Lourdes
We travel to Lourdes to take part in the marvelous candlelight procession. We have dinner and stay the night in Lourdes
Day 5 • Lourdes
We first have Mass at the famous Grotto where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. Then we have a guided tour of the gorgeous Basilica and the largest underground church in the world, St. Pius X. We visit Bernadette’s family home, where she lived during the apparitions, and then we have time on our own for devotions, to bathe in the miraculous baths, or to explore the religious shops. You have the option to take part in the evening candlelight procession again. Dinner and overnight are in Lourdes.
Day 6 • Lourdes/Paris
Today we depart Lourdes and travel by train over to Paris. We have the afternoon for free time on our own to explore. Then we have dinner at a local restaurant and stay overnight in Paris.
Day 7 • Eiffell Tower
Day 7 • Paris
We tour the highlights of this City of Lights. We first see the Sacre Coeur Church on Montmartre, inspired by the Sacred Heart Devotion, and have Mass. Then we visit the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Ile-De-La-Cite, the Palace Vendome, Rue de Rivoli, Les Halles, the Louvre Collandes, St. Germaine, the Palace de la Batille, and the Arc de Triumph. We have dinner at a local French Bistro and stay the night again in Paris.
Day 8 • Chartres/Lisieux
Today we take an excursion to Chartres and the “Earthly Palace of the Queen of Heaven.” We visit the Cathedral that contains over 1,000 gorgeous stained glass windows dedicated to Our Lady. Then we travel to Lisieux, the home of St. Therese, the Little Flower. We visit the great Basilica and tomb of St. Therese and the Chateau of St. Germain Delivel. We have dinner and stay another night in Paris.
Day 9 • Paris
We have a free day to explore on our own. You can visit the museums, see the churches, shop in the Paris boutiques, climb up the Eiffel Tower, or eat a delicious crepe. You can also take an optional tour to Never to visit the convent of St. Gildarad, where St. Bernadette’s incorrupt body reposes. We have dinner on our own and then stay in Paris for the night
Day 10 • Paris/Hometown, U.S.A.
We go to the airport for our return flight back to the U.S., taking with us many wonderful memories to share for a lifetime.