Lourdes Holidays

Lourdes is one of the world's most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites, set at the foot of the Pyrenees with mountain scenery and properly French food.

Highlights of your Holiday to Lourdes

• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes – Around six million visitors come every year to the Grotto of Massabielle, the basilicas, and the nightly candlelight processions.

• Pyrenees on the doorstep – Mountain views from town and easy access to hiking trails, glacial lakes, and the Pic du Jer funicular for the full panorama.

• Properly French food – Garbure stew, duck confit, Pyrenean cheeses, and bakery-fresh everything, a trip to France is never complete without a good trip to the bakery after all.

• Old town and Château Fort – Cobbled streets, riverside cafés, and everything you need to stroll around pretending you're in an old film.

• Spa towns and thermal baths nearby – Argelès-Gazost and Cauterets are both within day trip distance for pampering thermal spa days in the Pyrenees foothills.

Good to Know

☀️ Weather – Mild and green rather than scorchio: summer highs around 22°C, winters around 8°C, and proper rain at any time of year (this is the Pyrenees, not the Med). May to September is the warmest, driest window.

💶 Money – A sit-down lunch runs around €15–€20, a beer is €4–€5, and a coffee at a café is €2–€3.

🕯️ Fun Fact – The water at the Sanctuary spring has been flowing continuously since 1858, and the candlelight procession through the Sanctuary grounds happens every night from April to October. It's free, open to everyone, and worth seeing whether you're there for the faith or just the atmosphere.

🏨 Hotels

See all hotels in Lourdes at the full hotels page or browse our top picks below...

💑 Couples

• Mercure Lourdes Impérial is the standout, an Art Deco property from the late 1940s with a panoramic rooftop terrace looking out over the castle, Pic du Jer, and the Sanctuary. The restaurant leans into local farm produce and it's a 10-minute walk to the Sanctuary itself.

• Hôtel Padoue is a calmer pick with private terraces on the rooms and an easy stroll to the Sanctuary and Grotto. Decent on-site restaurant, free parking, and quieter than the busiest pilgrim-quarter streets.

• Hotel Miramont brings panoramic dining-room views, a bright lounge, and a properly central location. Twelve to fourteen minutes on foot to the Sanctuary, with the bus and train station 50 metres from the door.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• La Solitude is a heated indoor pool, a wide range of room types including ones with reduced-mobility access, and a 10-minute walk to the Sanctuary. Family-friendly with a serious capacity, and the breakfast spread is generous.

• Hotel Mediterranee has a garden, terrace, and a city-break-style central setting near the Lourdes Wax Museum and Le Petit Lourdes (a miniature village, kid-friendly). Bike rentals available on-site and the airport is 14km away.

• Hotel Saint Georges sits bang in the middle of town with spacious rooms, a panoramic restaurant with views over the Gave de Pau, and easy access for older kids who want to wander independently to the Château Fort and the museums.

💰 Value

• Hotel Continental is cosy and central, a short stroll from the Grotto, with a proper continental breakfast buffet and a no-nonsense friendly feel. Solid for solo travellers and couples doing a short pilgrimage stay.

• Hotel Agena puts you 0.2km from the Lourdes Wax Museum and within an 8-to-9-minute walk of both the Sanctuary and the Grotto. Two on-site bars, a café, a restaurant, and good value for the central location.

• Saint Louis de France is a comfy mid-range stay with two on-site restaurants, a lounge bar, and proper central positioning near the Basilica of St. Pius X.

👉 All hotels in Lourdes

Local Lingo

French is the language everywhere, and while plenty of staff at hotels and the Sanctuary speak good English given the international pilgrim crowd, locals genuinely appreciate the effort of a few words.

• Bonjour, bohn-ZHOOR, Hello / Good day

• Merci, mair-SEE, Thank you

• S'il vous plaît, seel-voo-PLAY, Please

• Une bière, s'il vous plaît, oon bee-AIR seel-voo-PLAY, A beer, please

• L'addition, s'il vous plaît, lah-dee-see-OWN seel-voo-PLAY, The bill, please

Travel Guide - Things to do on your Lourdes holidays

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families

• Pic du Jer funicular – Ride the funicular to the top of Pic du Jer for the full Pyrenees panorama, with a kid-friendly walking trail at the summit and the option of paragliding for older teens.

• Parc Animalier des Pyrénées – Around 12km from Lourdes in Argelès-Gazost, this wildlife park houses bears, marmots, lynxes, otters, and birds of prey.

• Lac de Lourdes – A short bus or drive from town, this glacial lake covers 50 hectares with paddle boats, walking paths around the shore, and a picnic-friendly setting.

• Le Petit Lourdes – A scale-model village recreating Lourdes in miniature, set in landscaped grounds. Absolute catnip for younger kids, or anyone who loves tiny houses, or feeling like a giant.

💑 Couples

• Candlelight procession at the Sanctuary – From April to October, the nightly procession through the Sanctuary grounds is one of the must see experiences of Lourdes, regardless of faith. Free and open to all.

• Château Fort de Lourdes and the Pyrenean Museum – The hilltop fort houses the Pyrenean Museum (history of the region, Pyreneism, mountain culture) and has cracking views over the town and out to the mountains.

• Day trip to Cauterets – A spa town about 50 minutes south of Lourdes, all wooden balconies and mountain air, with thermal baths and big ol' walking trails for exploring the world together.

• Pyrenean cheese tasting at the covered market – The Lourdes covered market (Halles de Lourdes) has the regional cheese stalls, charcuterie, honey, and wine producers in one spot. Go along, have a taste, discover your new favourite French cheese.

🎉 Groups

• Hiking in the Pyrenees National Park – Trails from gentle waterfront walks to serious mountain ascents, all within easy reach. The Cirque de Gavarnie (UNESCO-listed glacial amphitheatre) is the big-day-out option, around 90 minutes south.

• Canyoning and white-water rafting – Several operators run guided canyoning and rafting trips on the Gave de Pau between June and September.

• Wine and Madiran tasting tours – Madiran wine country is a short drive away, and several local operators run tasting tours combining cellar visits with regional food. Pyrenean wines are properly underrated.

• Scenic Pyrenees railway – The Petit Train d'Artouste runs through high mountain terrain south of Lourdes (around 90 minutes' drive to the start point), one of Europe's highest open-air railways and a stand-out group day-trip.

More Destinations

• France – Everything from the French Riviera and the Côte d'Azur to Euro Disney, the Atlantic coast, and the wine regions. No wonder this country is so popular.

• Paris – The city of Light. The Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Seine, Montmartre, and of course the Eifel Tower.

• Nice – The best value gateway to the Côte d'Azur, Mediterranean beaches, a proper old town, and easy access to Monaco and Cannes.

• Toulouse – France's "pink city" has a lively student population, riverside cafés, and the Cité de l'Espace aerospace museum.

• Perpignan – On the Mediterranean side of the Pyrenees, giving you easy access to both beaches and the Albères mountains for those who want to sunbathe one day and hike the next (variety is the spice of life!)

• Bordeaux – France's wine capital, a UNESCO-listed city of grand 18th-century squares, riverside walks, and more wine than you could taste in twenty trips.