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Visiting Fátima, Portugal's Pilgrimage Shrine

Researched and written with AI tools from official sources. How we make our guides

When the big pilgrimages happen, the daily timetable, what to see at the Shrine and in Aljustrel, how to get there, and the walking routes.

The Portugal Brief 8 min read

Visiting Fátima, Portugal's Pilgrimage Shrine

Last verified: October 2026.

Who this is for

  • You live in Portugal, or are visiting, and want to see the Shrine of Fátima, whatever your beliefs.
  • You want to join, or avoid, one of the big pilgrimages on the 12th and 13th of the month.
  • You are thinking of walking to Fátima.

Not for you if: you want the full calendar of Portuguese festivals and holidays. Read Portuguese Festivals and Public Holidays through the Year instead.

The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima (Santuário de Fátima) is in the Ourém municipality, in central Portugal. It marks the place where three shepherd children said they saw the Virgin Mary in 1917. It holds Masses and prayers every day, from early morning to late evening. The largest crowds come for the International Anniversary Pilgrimages on 12 and 13 May and 12 and 13 October. Smaller anniversary pilgrimages follow on the same dates from June to September. For a quiet visit, avoid those dates.

What happened at Fátima

In 1917, three children from the village of Aljustrel, Lúcia de Jesus and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, said a Lady appeared to them six times. Five of the apparitions happened at the Cova da Iria, where the Chapel of the Apparitions now stands. They took place on the 13th of May, June, July, September, and October.

The August apparition was different. On 13 August the local administrator held the children in Ourém. They were sent home on 15 August, and the fourth apparition took place on 19 August at Valinhos, near Aljustrel.

Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta in 1920. Both are now saints. Lúcia became a Carmelite nun and died in 2005.

The big pilgrimages

The Shrine holds International Anniversary Pilgrimages on the 12th and 13th of each month from May to October. They follow the same pattern:

  1. The evening of the 12th. At 21:30, the international Rosary at the Chapel of the Apparitions, followed by the candlelight procession (Procissão das Velas) and a celebration at the altar of the Prayer Area.
  2. The night. Many pilgrims stay for a vigil.
  3. The 13th. The morning celebrations take place in the Prayer Area. The Shrine streams them live on its website.

The May and October pilgrimages are by far the largest. Roads, coaches, and accommodation fill up for days around them. The Shrine says that during these pilgrimages it is hard to find places and times even for organised groups, because its own programme comes first.

The Shrine publishes the programme for each pilgrimage on its website in the weeks before.

The daily timetable

On an ordinary day the Shrine follows a set programme. On 2 October 2026, for example, it was:

TimeWhatWhere
07:30Mass in PortugueseBasilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
08:00Mass in ItalianChapel of the Apparitions
09:00Mass in PortugueseChapel of the Death of Jesus
11:00Mass in PortugueseBasilica of the Most Holy Trinity
12:00RosaryChapel of the Apparitions
12:30Mass in PortugueseChapel of the Apparitions
14:00Hour of ReparationChapel of the Apparitions
15:00Mass in PortugueseChapel of the Death of Jesus
15:30Mass in EnglishChapel of the Apparitions
16:30Mass in PortugueseChapel of the Death of Jesus
18:30RosaryChapel of the Apparitions
18:30Mass in PortugueseBasilica of Our Lady of the Rosary
19:15Mass in SpanishChapel of the Apparitions
21:30Rosary and candle processionChapel of the Apparitions and Prayer Area

Times and languages change with the day and the season. Check the Shrine's online schedule before you go. The 18:30 Rosary from the Chapel of the Apparitions is also broadcast on radio and television.

What to see at the Shrine

The Chapel of the Apparitions (Capelinha das Aparições). The small chapel is the heart of the Shrine. It stands where the children said the Lady appeared, over a small holm oak that no longer exists. It holds the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima. The statue's crown, worn only on the great pilgrimage days, holds the bullet removed from Pope John Paul II after the 1981 attack in Rome.

The Prayer Area (Recinto de Oração). The large open square links the two basilicas. It holds the big crowds on pilgrimage days. Some pilgrims cross part of it on their knees as a personal act of devotion. Give them space.

The Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. This is the older basilica at one end of the Prayer Area, dedicated in 1953. Its bell tower is 65 metres high. The tombs of Jacinta and Lúcia are in one arm of the transept. Francisco's tomb is in the other.

The Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity. The modern basilica at the other end of the Prayer Area was dedicated on 12 October 2007. It is round, 125 metres across, with no interior columns, and seats 8,633 people. Beneath it, the underground gallery leads to more chapels, including the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, open all day for prayer.

The Large Holm Oak. This old tree near the Chapel of the Apparitions is where the children prayed the Rosary with the first crowds. It was classed as a tree of public interest in 2007.

The Berlin Wall monument. A piece of the Berlin Wall stands near the Prayer Area, unveiled in 1994.

Aljustrel and the Way of the Cross

Aljustrel is a village about 2 km from the Shrine. You can visit:

  • Lúcia's house, where she was born and lived. The fig trees in the yard are where the children played.
  • Francisco and Jacinta's house, about 200 metres from Lúcia's.

The Way of the Cross along the Shepherds' Way starts at the south roundabout near the Shrine. It follows the path the children used and passes Valinhos, the site of the August apparition. It ends at the Hungarian Calvary and the Chapel of St. Stephen. The Loca do Cabeço, where the children said an angel appeared to them in 1916, is nearby.

The Shrine's museum. The Shrine says its permanent exhibitions, Fátima Light and Peace and the House-Museum of Aljustrel, are currently unavailable. Temporary exhibitions continue. Check before you go.

Getting there

By car. Fátima lies just off the A1 motorway between Lisbon and Porto. The A1 is a toll road. See Paying Tolls and Using Via Verde in Portugal. On pilgrimage days, many people walk along the roads into Fátima, so drive slowly and expect traffic and full car parks.

By coach. Long-distance coaches run to Fátima from Lisbon, Porto, and other cities. See Long-Distance Buses in Portugal for how to find routes and fares.

Organised groups. If you lead a group or parish pilgrimage, register it in writing with the Shrine's Pilgrims Service (SEPE). Send the group's name, the person in charge, any priest travelling with you, the dates, accommodation, and the number of pilgrims. Phone: 249 539 608.

Walking to Fátima

The Caminhos de Fátima are marked walking routes to the Shrine. The National Culture Centre (Centro Nacional de Cultura) has developed them since 1996 with councils, the Shrine, and other partners. The main routes are:

  • Caminho do Tejo (Tagus Way) from Lisbon, through Santarém. Turismo de Portugal gives about 141 km.
  • Caminho do Norte (Northern Way) from Valença on the Spanish border, through Porto and Coimbra. In places it shares markers with the Camino to Santiago.
  • Caminho da Nazaré from the coastal shrine at Nazaré.
  • Rota Carmelita (Carmelite Route) from Coimbra, about 111 km in six stages.

Most stages are 25 to 30 km. The routes try to avoid main roads. Where the full signs are not yet in place, you may see simple blue arrows.

Plan your stages around your fitness and where you can sleep. Carry water and sun protection. Walk facing the traffic on any road without a footpath, and wear something bright at dusk. If you also want to walk to Santiago, see Walking the Portuguese Camino to Santiago.

Visiting with respect

The Shrine is a working place of worship. It asks visitors for respect, silence, and cleanliness in the prayer areas, and to look after their belongings.

  • Dress modestly, especially inside the basilicas and chapels. Cover your shoulders and avoid beachwear.
  • Keep your voice low in and around the Chapel of the Apparitions, and avoid flash photography during services.
  • Do not photograph people at prayer up close, especially those on their knees.
  • Light candles only at the candle burner, the area set aside for them.
  • Bring sun and rain protection. The Prayer Area is open to the weather.

Where to stay

Fátima has many hotels and religious guest houses. The Shrine also runs its own accommodation houses and takes bookings online. For the May and October pilgrimages, book well ahead. On ordinary weekdays, especially outside summer, rooms are easy to find.

Contacts

Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fátima, Rua de Santa Isabel, 360, 2495-424 Fátima. Phone: 249 539 600. If you cannot travel, the Shrine streams the Chapel of the Apparitions live all day on its website and YouTube, and the pilgrimage nights of 12 to 13 May to October on all its channels.

This guide is general information. Timetables change; check the Shrine's website before you travel.

Sources

This guide is written from official sources and, where relevant, organisations' own websites.

Last verified October 2026. Rules and fees change; check the official source before acting.

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