Oct 28, 2024
GREAT TOUR EXPERIENCE!! - Joseph was very knowledgeable, thorough and entertaining. He was on time, super professional, Great tour experience with Joseph!
The one thing that I was not happy with was the lack of response from viator directly; they never replied to my text messages nor forwarded them to Joseph.
Review provided by Viator
Oct 15, 2024
Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine. - Our guide was awesome! So knowledgeable of the Shrine. Definitely approached from the spiritual perspective - which is what it should be given the location.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 7, 2024
An amazing experience! - Our guide Joseph was knowledgeable, and easy to understand. The tour was small, only four of us, and he managed to make each one of us feel special! I learned so much more than I could have ever learned on my own.
Review provided by Viator
Sep 20, 2024
Lourdes Walking Tour 2024 - Joseph was very knowledgeable- shared both insights and his opinions! His Cosmopolitan experiences were appreciate!
Review provided by Viator
Sep 16, 2024
The walk around the... - The walk around the sanctuary and Joseph's explations were great. I definitely recommend any first time visitor to lourdes take Joseph's tour
Review provided by Viator
Oct 26, 2024
Unforgetable - Amazing Church, top ten.
The envioroment is according the great religión and the water washing performance it is awesome
Review provided by Viator
Sep 19, 2024
Good tour, but… - It was a good tour. We were able to get some history of the sanctuary. I think the tour itself was over priced. There was no information about the surrounding area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Oct 8, 2024
Worst tour we have ever taken and we’ve taken a great man - Make sure you do not have Joseph for your guide. The tour description says he will tell you stories about the site and the history and lore regarding healings etc. The only thing he told us was that he was taking us to see the grotto where Bernadette saw the apparition and then to the baths. He was in a hurry to get there as the lines apparently got bigger later and led us to believe there would be move of the touring after. We saw the grotto successfully and then he took us to the next site. The ticket says there is priority admission to skip the lines. This is apparently an informal arrangement between him and one of the men who works at the site. That man was not there and he had a bit of trouble getting us in. When the finally allowed us to pass I tried to ask where we were going but he yelled at me to get in as they had opened the gate and he couldn’t spend time talking as it was not allowed. We had no idea what the experience ws that we were waiting in line for once inside or what to expect. He yelled to us from outside the fenced area (I guess yelling is allowed but talking is not) that “when the people start to move, go quickly” We took this to mean that we were to leave quickly when the people started moving and leave … assuming we were to avoid the flood of people trying to get out. We did not understand a word being said in the ceremony being performed before the doors were opened so had no idea what people were being told. He was not near enough to be able to interpret. He came running up to us when we left the area as we thought we had be instructed to do and told us we had missed the most important part of the tour by leaving but that he could not get us back in now. We asked what else was left of the tour and were told that was it. In total a half hour with no explanation of the site at all. He is. gruff man who is not suited to be a tour guide and ruined our day. We ended up waiting in line on our own and getting the experience of the pouring of water on our hands & face and drinking from it., but of course waited a long time to do so. The reason we paid for a tour was to get the detailed stories of the site and we got none You can go to the grotto and the baths on your own with no need of a tour guide if he is not going to enhance your experience by telling you tales that you can not otherwise find out. This is the worst tour we have ever taken and we implore Viator to find another guide if they are to continue this tour. They only have to look at the one star reviews to see that he is not competent. We have made an official complaint asking for our money back but have not yet had a reply
Review provided by Viator
Oct 4, 2024
Horrible experience - I would give this tour a 0 but it was not an option. I did not want to write such a negative review for such a sacred place but unfortunately I have no other choice. Joseph, our tour guide, yelled at myself, my mother and the two other people on tour- Suzy & Tony within 5 minutes of meeting. We were 5 minutes early, not 15, met on the wrong corner and wanted to see the grotto and bath. He yelled at us THE ENTIRE TIME. He did not/would not let us wait in line for the grotto or the bath. When I asked what the lines were for (I didn’t realize it was the bath) he yelled at me again, followed me, yelled at me for taking a picture. Yelled and berated us more than left. This was our ten minutes with Joseph. We requested a refund and viator refused, stating Joseph said he fulfilled our tour. Lourdes is a sacred place and I was looking forward to Joseph’s knowledge but I did not book a tour to not see the grotto/baths or to be verbally abused with a hostile tour guide (he also yelled at the bath guards). I am extremely disappointed in viators handling of this after being a consistent customer for a decade. Do not take this tour and enjoy the serenity of Lourdes on your own…in peace.
Review provided by Viator
Oct 3, 2024
Joseph should be fired. He was the worst! - oseph was the most inept person / tour guide I've ever seen. OBNOXIOUS IS A COMPLEMENT. First of all it took walking for 5 mins, before I said BTW what is your name? Joseph! The worst. A mother and daughter joined us, Bernadette and Katlyn from NY, we are from NJ so we bonded. We get down to the Grotto and there's a huge line? Joseph says, " I'm not waiting on this line. I say, "this is what I came for!" So he leaves my husband and I there. After a few mins the line keepers says this is for parties only you can't be here!!!!! So we go find Joseph and he's at the area where you can get blessed with the waters...again there's a line. He's says. I'm not waiting here!!! What the hell, those are the 2 main attractions. That's what I came for. .So we start talking to Bernadette and Katlyn and they are in shock...have never seen anything like this. Joseph says, " Are you talking about me". It was the most ridiculous and unprofessional thing I've ever seen. We were with him for maybe 20 mins and then he left in a huff. PLEASE REFUND OUR MONEY AND Bernadette'S.
We've used you in the past and have been happy but this was a joke. You need to get rid of him. Suzy and Anthony DiMeglio
Review provided by Viator