Great Pilgrimages of Europe 2025
The Joe Walsh Tours Pilgrimages experienced travel team has designed a detailed programme of religious ceremonies and guided visits for our Great Pilgrimages of Europe escorted tours, departing regularly and combining different shrines and destinations.
Led by a spiritual leader, each tour and pilgrimage programme has been designed by our experienced team and includes a detailed schedule of religious ceremonies and visits.
With hand picked hotels, luxury air-conditioned coach transport and the assistance of a pilgrimage coordinator, our Great Pilgrimages of Europe escorted tours are the perfect travel experience for those looking to explore the spirituality and history of the most sacred shrines of Europe and the rich heritage of the continent’s most beautiful cities.
Our Great Pilgrimages of Europe tours will bring you to some of the most sacred sites and spectacular cathedrals in Europe, all places of worship as well as fascinating history.
We have fantastic tours combining different shrines and destinations, including Lourdes, Lisieux and Rocamadour in France, Fatima in Portugal; Burgos, Avila, Salamanca and Santiago de Compostela in Spain; San Giovanni Rotondo, Assisi, Padua and Rome in Italy; and Medjugorje in Bosnia.
Tours & Departures
Shrines of France Pilgrimage | Paray-le-Monial, Nevers, Tours, Lisieux & Paris
Shrines of France | Paray-le-Monial, Nevers, Tours & Lisieux
Shrines of Italy | Padua, Assisi, San Giovanni and Benevento
Shrines of Europe Pilgrimage | Lourdes, Burgos, Avila & Fatima
Shrines of France Pilgrimage | Lourdes, Rocamadour, Nevers, Paris & Lisieux
GREAT PILGRIMAGES OF EUROPE TOURS
Our Great Pilgrimages of Europe travel packages generally include:
- Direct return flights
- Support from our local guides and representatives
- Private transport in luxury coach
- Hand picked hotel accommodation throughout the trip
- Breakfast and dinner each day
- Lunch also included in Lourdes and Fatima
- Detailed schedule of visits, guided tours and sightseeing
- Detailed programme of religious ceremonies and special masses
See all our departures below and contact our travel experts for advice or assistance booking your place.
THINGS TO DO: SACRED SHRINES OF EUROPE
FRANCE
LOURDES
Located at the foot of the Pyrenees, Lourdes is the world’s most famous Marian Shrine. Visit the basilicas, grotto and baths; learning about the life and work of Saint Bernadette.
NEVERS
The Chapel of Saint Gildard in Nevers is the resting place of Saint Bernadette, who in order to fulfill her religious life joined the Sisters of Charity in 1866.
ROCAMADOUR
The monastic city in Rocamadour, perched on a clifftop over the river Alzou, has been a pilgrimage destination since 1166 when the body of St Amadour was discovered.
LISIEUX
In Normandy, we visit the places where Sainte Thérèse of Lisieux lived and worked, including Les Buissonnetts and the Carmel Chapel as well as the basilica with her name.
PARIS
A city of extraordinary beauty, art and culture. Notre Dame Cathedral is an absolute must-visit for pilgrims as well as its iconic monuments, from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe.
SPAIN
AVILA
‘The City of Stones and Saints’ is a UNESCO site since 1985 and has one of the highest numbers of Romanesque and Gothic churches in Spain. The beautiful old town in Avila is wrapped by an impressive medieval wall.
TOLEDO
Known as the ‘City of Three Cultures’, Toledo has a rich cultural heritage and fascinating history where Christians, Muslims and Jewish people lived together in harmony.
SALAMANCA
A stunning UNESCO city, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe, stunning architecture in the Plaza Mayor and two magnificent cathedrals.
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
The city of Saint James is home to an iconic cathedral and stunning medieval old town, and destination for thousands of Camino pilgrims.
ALBA DE TORMES
A small town near Salamanca once the seat of the Dukes of Alba in the 15th century and the resting place of Saint Teresa of Avila.
ITALY
ROME
The Eternal City is a magnificent open air museum rich in history, art and religious tradition. Rome is home to the Vatican City and St Peter’s Square, residence of the Pope and cradle of Catholic faith. A must-visit for pilgrims.
SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO
San Giovanni in Puglia is the place where Saint Padre Pio spent most of his life and where pilgrims can visit the most important shrines and sites related to his life and work, as well as the Saint’s tomb.
ASSISI
A place of magnificent art and history, Assisi is the homeplace of Saint Francis. The main sights of this wonderful medieval city include UNESCO-listed Basilica of Saint Francis, the Basilica of Saint Clare and the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels where pilgrims can visit the Porziuncola, the small chapel where Saint Francis lived and where he founded the Franciscan Order.
PADUA
Padua is one of the prettiest cities in Italy and the resting place of Franciscan monk Saint Anthony. The Basilica of Saint Anthony, built in 1232 in honour of Saint Anthony, has been an important pilgrimage destination for many centuries with pilgrims writing and placing prayers and petitions on the Saint’s tomb.
POLAND
KRAKOW
Karol Wojtyla lived in this stunning historic city for four decades before becoming Pope John Paul II in 1978.
LAGIEWNIKI
The Divine Mercy Sanctuary in Krakow is the resting place of Saint Faustina.
WADOWICE
The hometown of Pope John Paul II, where pilgrims can visit his childhood home which is now a museum and the church where he was baptised.
CZĘSTOCHOWA
This 15th century Chapel of the Blessed Virgin is home to the ‘Black Madonna’, believed to have been painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist.
LITHUANIA
VILNIUS
Lithuania’s stunning UNESCO capital is known as the Baroque Beauty of the Baltics, Jerusalem of the North or City of Mercy. The historic old town is home to hundreds of shrines of various faiths.
HILL OF CROSSES
A symbol of the country’s devotion and identity, the hill has 200,000 crosses of all shapes and sizes which have been placed by locals since 1831, challenging opposition by authorities particularly during the Soviet period.
ŠILUVA
A must-visit on a pilgrimage to Lithuania. This is the oldest Marian apparition site in Europe has celebrated the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for 500 years.
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