WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE FÁTIMA TOUR FROM LISBON – APPROX. 8 HOURS

About this Wheelchair Accessible Fátima Tour from Lisbon

This wheelchair accessible tour is specially designed for wheelchair users, scooter users, and anybody who needs a bit of extra support. Your day starts at the cruise port of Lisbon or your city centre accommodation, where your private driver-guide picks you up for a scenic drive through the Portuguese countryside.

Your destination is Fátima, one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world and the largest centre of veneration to the Virgin Mary anywhere on earth. It was here, on 13 May 1917, that three young shepherd children reported seeing the Virgin Mary above an oak tree in Cova da Iria for the first time. Today, the site welcomes around five million visitors each year.

The Sanctuary of Fátima

Your first stop is the sanctuary square. At roughly twice the size of St Peter’s Square in Rome, it is one of the largest religious gathering places in the world. The square is flat and wide with smooth stone surfaces, making it easy to navigate by manual wheelchair, electric wheelchair, and scooter. The square connects all the main landmarks without steps or barriers, so you move easily between the Basilica of Our Lady of Fátima, the Chapel of Apparitions, and the Pope John Paul II Statue.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Fátima, completed in 1953, holds the tombs of the three children who witnessed the apparitions. The Chapel of Apparitions marks the exact spot where the Virgin Mary first appeared above the oak tree in 1917.

During your visit, you also have the chance to light a candle and make a wish at the sanctuary, as millions of pilgrims do every year. Nearby The Sanctuary is the statue of Pope John Paul II, who visited Fátima three times and credited Our Lady with saving his life after the 1981 shooting in Rome, stands openly accessible on the flat square.

Santíssima Trindade Basilica

At the opposite end of the square stands the Santíssima Trindade Basilica, completed in 2007 and one of the largest Catholic churches in the world. It was designed with accessibility in mind: many staircases were replaced with gentle ramps during construction, and the building has 76 dedicated spaces for visitors with disabilities. If you would like to attend Mass during the tour, you are welcome to do so here. Mass is held daily and is free to attend.

After the sanctuary, you have time to explore the centre of Fátima. The streets are broad and flat, lined with shops selling religious souvenirs and local Portuguese products.

Aljustrel and Valinhos

The final part of the tour takes you to Aljustrel, the small village where the three shepherd children grew up. This is where the story of the apparitions really began, long before the sanctuary existed.

From Aljustrel, your driver takes you to Valinhos, a stretch of open countryside that the children passed through every day on their way to graze their sheep. It was here, on 19 August 1917, that Our Lady appeared to them outside of the usual apparition dates, because the local authorities had prevented them from reaching the sanctuary. The site is quiet and open, with a cobbled path lined with the fourteen stations of the cross.

Accessibility note: The path to the Via Crucis is cobbled. The chapel at the end of the path has steps, which means it is not reachable for wheelchair and scooter users. The Via Crucis path itself offers clear views of the site throughout.

Return to Lisbon

After Valinhos, your driver-guide returns you to the Lisbon cruise port or your city centre accommodation. Fátima leaves a lasting impression on visitors of all faiths, and this tour ensures that every part of the experience is open to you.