Private Fátima Pilgrimage Tour from Lisbon: Aljustrel, Valinhos & Via Sacra
- (Private Tour with Vehicle and Driver/Guide just for you!)
8 Hours
Private
Max. 8px/Van
Lisbon city centre (outside centre on request)
Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, Basilica of the Holy Trinity
From €320 per private vehicle (see pricing below)
Tour at a Glance
- Duration: 8 hours.
- Departure: 09:00–09:30 from Lisbon city centre.
- Return: Approximately 17:30–18:00 to Lisbon city centre.
- Tour Type: 100% private — your group only.
- Group Size: Up to 8 passengers.
- Vehicle: Air-conditioned private van.
- Guide: Licensed driver-guide available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
- Destinations: Fátima Sanctuary, Aljustrel, Valinhos, and the Via Sacra.
- Total Driving Distance: Approximately 260 km round trip (~130 km each way via the A1 motorway).
- Price From: €320 per vehicle.
- Tripadvisor Rating: 5.0/5 based on 3,387 reviews.
- License: RNAAT 119/2013.
- Cancellation Policy: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Tour Overview
Most Fátima tours from Lisbon spend 2 hours at the Sanctuary and move on. This tour spends 8 hours – the difference between seeing the chapel and understanding the full pilgrimage geography.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima received 6.2 million pilgrims in 2024, making it the most-visited tourist destination in Portugal. Between 13 May and 13 October 1917, three shepherd children from Aljustrel village reported six Marian apparitions in the Cova da Iria field. The Miracle of the Sun – witnessed by an estimated 30,000–100,000 people on 13 October 1917 – drew international press coverage and set in motion a sanctuary complex that grew over the 20th and 21st centuries to include two basilicas, a 540 m esplanade, and a worldwide pilgrimage tradition.
This tour covers all seven major pilgrimage sites in the Fátima area: the Chapel of the Apparitions (exact site of the first apparition, 1917), the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary (completed 1953), the Basilica of the Holy Trinity (inaugurated 2007, capacity 9,000), the Via Sacra (3.5 km Stations of the Cross, 15 stations), Valinhos Sanctuary (4th apparition, 19 August 1917), and Aljustrel village (birthplace of all three visionary children).
This tour differs from the Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré & Óbidos Tour – that itinerary spends approximately 2 hours at the Sanctuary before moving to three additional destinations. This pilgrimage tour stays within Fátima and its surrounding geography for the full day.
The tour is 100% private. Your group, your vehicle, your guide. No other travellers join at any point. Total driving approximately 260 km round trip via the A1 motorway.
Why Travellers Choose This Tour
- 3,387 verified reviews · 5.0 Tripadvisor – highest-rated private Fátima tour operator from Lisbon on the platform.
- The only private tour from Lisbon covering all 7 Fátima pilgrimage sites in one day: Sanctuary + Aljustrel + Valinhos + Via Sacra.
- 8 hours at Fátima – 4× longer than the time allocated on multi-destination northern circuit tours.
- All Fátima religious sites are free to enter – tour cost covers vehicle, guide, and hotel pickup only.
- Suitable for non-Catholic visitors: the 1917 events and the architectural development of the Sanctuary complex are presented as history; religious participation is optional.
- The Via Sacra follows the exact path the three children walked from Aljustrel to Cova da Iria on each apparition day — historical and devotional context provided by the guide.
- Hotel pickup in Lisbon city centre included; guide in English, Spanish, French, or Portuguese.
Tips for This Tour
- Avoid 12–13 May and 12–13 October unless you are attending the pilgrimage. These are the anniversary dates of the first apparition and the Miracle of the Sun. Attendance reaches up to one million pilgrims on each date. Access to Aljustrel and Valinhos is difficult; parking is restricted within a wide radius. For pilgrims attending the candlelight procession or anniversary Mass, book 4–6 weeks in advance.
- All Fátima sites are free. No entrance fees, pre-bookings, or timed entries are required at any religious site on this tour. The guide handles all logistics.
- This tour welcomes non-Catholic visitors. The majority of pilgrims are Catholic, but the site is also visited by travellers interested in the history of the 1917 events and the architectural evolution of the Sanctuary. The level of devotional participation is entirely up to your group.
- Via Sacra involves outdoor walking. The Stations of the Cross route is 3.5 km total. The guide walks a section with the group – the distance covered adapts to available time and mobility. Comfortable closed-toe shoes are essential; the path crosses open fields and uneven terrain. In summer, bring water and sun protection.
- Dress modestly. The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Chapel of the Apparitions are active places of worship. Covered shoulders and knees are required inside any building. A light scarf or jacket is sufficient for all stops.
Sample Itinerary
What You Can See
Chapel of the Apparitions (Capelinha das Aparições)
This is the exact location of the first apparition – 13 May 1917, in the field of Cova da Iria. Our Lady of the Rosary reportedly appeared to three children and asked: “I want you to make a chapel here in my honour.” Construction of the first chapel began on 28 April 1919, completed by 15 June 1919. The building was destroyed by anti-clerical activists on 6 October 1922 – dynamited at night. It was rebuilt the following year. The present open-air canopy shelters the site of the apparition, marked by a carved oak column. Mass is celebrated here continuously throughout the day. An estimated 6 million people pass through the Cova da Iria annually; attendance on the 13 May anniversary reaches up to one million. Entry is free.
Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
The tombs of all three Fátima visionaries are inside this building. Construction began in 1928 under Dutch architect Gerardus Samuel van Krieken. The building was consecrated on 7 October 1953 and granted the title of Minor Basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1954. The tower is 65 m tall, surmounted by a bronze crown weighing 7,000 kg and a crystal cross. The interior contains 15 side altars, each dedicated to one of the 15 mysteries of the Rosary; the stained glass depicts scenes from the 1917 apparitions.
Francisco Marto (died 4 April 1919, aged 10) and Jacinta Marto (died 20 February 1920, aged 9) – beatified 13 May 2000, canonised 13 May 2017 before 500,000 people – are buried in the nave. Lúcia dos Santos (died 13 February 2005, aged 97) was transferred from Coimbra on 19 February 2006. The colonnade extending from the facade is modelled on Bernini’s colonnade at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Entry is free.
Basilica of the Holy Trinity
Not many Catholic churches in the world seat more than 9,000 people. The Basílica da Santíssima Trindade was the result of an international design competition won in December 1998 by Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis. Construction was completed and the basilica was dedicated on 12 October 2007 – during ceremonies marking the 90th anniversary of the apparitions, in the presence of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State of the Vatican.
The structure is circular, 125 m in diameter, capacity 9,000 (8,633 seats). The exterior is clad in Portuguese limestone; the interior was decorated with mosaics and artwork from Catholic artists in over 50 countries. In 2009 the building received the Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). Entry is free.
Via Sacra – The Stations of the Cross
Hungarian Catholics in exile built this in prayer for liberation from Communist rule. The Via Sacra follows the 3.5 km route from the South Roundabout of Fátima (Rotunda Sul) to the Hungarian Calvary at Valinhos – retracing the path walked by the three shepherd children from Aljustrel to Cova da Iria on each of the six apparition days.
The 14 stations were a gift from Hungarian Catholics living outside Communist Hungary. The first stone was blessed on 21 June 1959; construction continued through 1962. The stations were designed by sculptor Ladislau Marec. A 15th station – representing the Resurrection – was added on 13 October 1992, gifted by the Hungarian parish of Lajosmizse in gratitude for the end of Communism. The route passes through open landscape and takes approximately 45–60 minutes to walk at pilgrimage pace. The guide covers a section of the route on foot with the group.
Valinhos Sanctuary
The fourth apparition happened here because the children were arrested. On 13 August 1917, the local mayor, Artur de Oliveira Santos, detained the three children and brought them to Ourém for interrogation -threatening them with death to force disclosure of the July secret. They refused. They were released on 15 August. Four days later, on 19 August 1917, the apparition occurred at Valinhos – a field approximately 500 m west of Aljustrel – rather than at the usual Cova da Iria. Our Lady asked the children to pray the Rosary, announced the October miracle, and asked them to “pray a lot, a lot for the sinners.”
The sanctuary today contains a stone chapel and a large stone cross. The Via Sacra terminates here, at the Hungarian Calvary. Less visited than the main Sanctuary, Valinhos provides a calmer and quieter devotional environment. Entry is free.
Aljustrel — The Village of the Three Shepherds
Two of the three canonised children were born in the same house in this village. Aljustrel is a small hamlet approximately 2 km south of the Fátima Sanctuary, where the three visionary children were born and lived at the time of the apparitions.
Lúcia’s house – built 1885, the birthplace and childhood home of Lúcia dos Santos (born 22 March 1907; died 13 February 2005, aged 97). Lúcia later became a Carmelite nun (Sister Maria Lúcia of the Immaculate Heart) at the Monastery of Santa Teresa in Coimbra, where she lived from 1948 until her death. Her canonisation process is ongoing.
Francisco and Jacinta’s house – built 1888, birthplace of Francisco Marto (born 11 June 1908; died 4 April 1919, aged 10) and Jacinta Marto (born 11 March 1910; died 20 February 1920, aged 9). Both died of complications from the 1918–1919 influenza pandemic. They were beatified together on 13 May 2000 and canonised on 13 May 2017 – the first non-martyr children canonised in the history of the Catholic Church. The house was acquired by the Sanctuary in November 1996 and later restored. A House-Museum displaying objects from the early 20th century was inaugurated on 19 August 1992.
The path between Aljustrel and the Cova da Iria through the agricultural landscape is the same route the children walked on each apparition day – now part of the Via Sacra. Entry to the houses is free.
The Six Apparitions of 1917
- 13 May 1917 – Cova da Iria: First apparition. The three shepherd children were asked to return on the 13th day of each month and to pray the Rosary.
- 13 June 1917 – Cova da Iria: The Virgin Mary told Jacinta and Francisco they would be taken to Heaven soon and emphasized devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
- 13 July 1917 – Cova da Iria: The Three Secrets of Fátima were revealed: a vision of hell, the consecration of Russia, and the third secret later disclosed by the Vatican on 26 June 2000.
- 19 August 1917 – Valinhos: The apparition took place in Valinhos instead of Cova da Iria because the children had been detained by the local mayor on 13 August. During this apparition, the October miracle was foretold.
- 13 September 1917 – Cova da Iria: Approximately 30,000 people witnessed the apparition. The promised October miracle was announced again, and reports of healings emerged.
- 13 October 1917 – Cova da Iria: The Miracle of the Sun took place during the final public apparition. It was reportedly witnessed by between 30,000 and 100,000 people.
The Miracle of the Sun (13 October 1917)
According to numerous witnesses, including journalists and members of the secular press, the sun appeared to spin, change colours, and descend toward the earth before returning to its normal position. Contemporary newspaper reports documented the event, and independent estimates place the crowd size between 30,000 and 100,000 people. The phenomenon remains one of the most widely discussed and debated events associated with the Fátima apparitions.
Return to Lisbon
Finally, after a day filled with faith, history, and reflection, we return to Lisbon. Your heart will be full, and your mind enriched by the powerful connection.
This carefully designed itinerary invites you to reflect deeply. However, the experience is yours to shape. The suggestions are ours—but the choice is always yours.
Yellow Cab TT Tours – always at your service, with the care and quality our clients know and trust.
What’s Included
- 8 hours with private licensed driver-guide
- Private air-conditioned vehicle (up to 8 passengers)
- Pick-up / Drop-off at the place you are staying in Lisbon city centre (outside of Lisbon city centre requires analysis)
- Mandatory Insurances
- Car expenses
Not included
- Meals and drinks
- Tickets to Monuments
- Tips (optional)
- All Fátima religious sites — free, no tickets required
Tour Prices
Prices are per vehicle, not per person.
Pickup outside Lisbon city centre is available on request and may require an additional fee (confirmed before booking).
Contact us and Book your Tour
Best Time of Year for This Tour
The two key variables for this tour are crowd levels at Fátima Sanctuary and the temperature at the outdoor sections – Via Sacra and the walk through Aljustrel. Both depend heavily on the travel month.
March–May (recommended outside 13 May): Temperatures 16–22°C. Normal visitor levels throughout – except 12–13 May (up to one million pilgrims). Outside those dates, Fátima in spring is accessible and calm.
June–August: Temperatures 25–32°C. The Via Sacra and the outdoor route through Aljustrel are exposed to direct sun. Morning departure (09:00–09:30) places the outdoor sections in cooler temperatures.
September–October (recommended outside 13 October): Temperatures 18–26°C. Avoid 12–13 October (one million pilgrims for the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun). The rest of this period is mild, with reduced summer crowds.
November–February: Temperatures 10–16°C. The Sanctuary and Aljustrel are near-empty outside major pilgrimage dates. The esplanade in winter has a quieter, more contemplative atmosphere.
FAQ
Is the Fátima pilgrimage tour only for Catholics?
Are entrance tickets required at Fátima?
What is the difference between this tour and the Fátima, Batalha, Nazaré & Óbidos Tour?
How far is Fátima from Lisbon?
Can we attend Mass during the tour?
What happened at Valinhos in August 1917?
Who were the three shepherd children?
Should we avoid visiting on 13 May or 13 October?
If you are not attending the pilgrimage, yes. These dates bring up to one million pilgrims each, access roads are restricted, and reaching Aljustrel and Valinhos is difficult. For pilgrims attending the anniversary celebrations, book 4–6 weeks in advance.
Is the Via Sacra suitable for all mobility levels?
What languages does the guide speak?
Can we customise the itinerary?
What is the cancellation policy?
How far in advance should we book?
What Our Guests Say
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