Fátima Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Fátima. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Fátima, Nazaré, and Óbidos Small-Group Day Trip From Lisbon

• Fátima, Nazare, Obidos 8-People Small-Group Day Tour From Lisbon

• From Lisbon: Fátima, Nazaré, Batalha, and Óbidos Guided Tour

• From Lisbon: Fátima, Batalha, Nazare, & Obidos Small Group Day Trip

• Lisbon Super Saver: 2-Day Sintra, Cascais, Fátima, Nazare, and Obidos Small-Group Day Trips

Both the town of Fátima and the shrine that makes it famous are free to visit. However, many travelers choose to visit on tours from Lisbon that include other sights on a loop route. Many popular options combine Fátima with surfing mecca Nazaré and medieval Óbidos, with prices starting at US$80.

Yes, Fátima is well worth visiting—it's home to one of the world's largest churches and draws more than 6 million pilgrims a year to honor the Virgin Mary, who Catholics believe appeared here in 1917. For non-pilgrims, the town is unlikely to occupy a full day. Consider joining a tour that visits other notable nearby sights, such as Nazaré's waves, the Batalha Monastery (Mosteiro da Batalha), the walled town of Óbidos, or Coimbra with its UNESCO World Heritage–listed university, while saving you the hassle of driving, parking, and research.

Per one customer who booked the Fátima, Nazare, Obidos 8-People Small-Group Day Tour From Lisbon, "My family and I had a wonderful time on this day trip!  A visit to Fátima was on our "bucket list" for decades and we finally did it! Lilliana (Lily), our tour guide, was spectacular! Her knowledge of Fátima, Nazare and Obidos was unbelievable! She even knew what type of trees we were looking at as we passed them on the highway! I highly recommend this day trip to anyone who wants to do a pilgrimage, visit 3 historic and beautiful towns or just wants a relaxing day away from Lisbon!"

The main attraction and religious site is the Sanctuary of Fátima, a marble-white complex of chapels and basilicas including the newly built Basilica of The Most Holy Trinity and The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. The latter was built of limestone in the early 20th century. The most important chapel is probably the Chapel of the Apparitions, where three children claim to have witnessed the Virgin Mary. Don’t miss out on seeing the monument near the eastern entrance of the prayer area. It’s made of a large piece of the former Berlin Wall.

Yes, there are lots of tours of Fátima—while most depart from Lisbon, some also provide round-trip transportation from Porto. These day trips typically combine a couple of hours in Fátima with a visit to Nazaré, a coastal town home to some of the world’s biggest waves and the Batalha Monastery.

Yes, you can attend Mass or a religious service at the Sanctuary of Fátima. Mass services take place throughout the day in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian. On most evenings, there’s a candle procession in the Chapel of the Apparitions. Up-to-date service programs are on the sanctuary’s website.

Yes, there are many special events and religious ceremonies. The most significant is on May 12, the evening before the children allegedly first saw the apparition, and is a procession featuring thousands of candles. Pilgrims travel on foot from all over Portugal via four main religious routes known as the Fátima Ways.

While there are no trains between Lisbon and Fátima, you can take a direct bus from Sete Rios bus station in Lisbon—the journey takes 1.5 hours, and there are up to 30 daily departures during peak times. Buses also depart regularly from Terminal Intermodal de Campanhã in Porto.

Yes, there are plenty of restaurants and hotels in Fátima. The town is well-equipped to support the millions of visitors it sees every year. Accommodation options range from luxurious 4-star hotels to traditional budget rooms. During religious events in May, August, and October, hotels book out months in advance.

There are tons of fun things to do when you're done visiting Fátima. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in and around Lisbon:

• Sintra

• Miradouro da Senhora do Monte

• Belém Tower (Torre de Belém)

• Alfama

• Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio)

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in and around Lisbon.