Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages

What Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages does

Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages is a privately held UK tour operator founded in 1983 and headquartered in Basingstoke. It sells escorted pilgrimage holidays, biblical and cultural itineraries, Camino walking pilgrimages, festive and concert tours, and retreats to individual travellers, couples, families, church groups, and parish communities across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and other worldwide destinations. Its operating proposition combines packaged logistics, destination guidance, worship and reflection, and engagement with local Christian communities.

The product set includes core Pilgrimage Holidays, small Fellowship Tours, customizable Group Tours, Oberammergau Passion Play holidays, Camino routes, Seven Churches of Revelation tours, and a Travel Club. Group tours typically contain 15-25 pilgrims and can be tailored by denomination and itinerary; the company also uses clergy or experienced tour leaders. Its disclosed technology is a conventional consumer booking website with enquiry, My Bookings, and Tour Leader Login functions, and no proprietary platform, public API, or SDK is disclosed.

McCabe makes money through one-time per-person package-tour sales, with disclosed prices from £720 to £6,600 depending on destination, duration, and inclusions. Bookings generally require a £500 deposit, with £200-£300 early-booking deposits, and final balances are due 12 weeks before departure; sales are handled directly through the website, phone, email, and church or group organizers. The company also covers the administrative and running costs of the separately governed McCabe Educational Trust, allowing pilgrim donations to be directed to grant projects.

Name

Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages

Legal name

McCabe Travel Ltd.

Website

https://mccabe-travel.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages is a UK specialist tour operator arranging escorted faith-based pilgrimages, walking holidays, cultural tours, and retreats for individuals, families, and church groups worldwide through direct website and sales channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Pilgrimage Travel

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Group Travel (Church/Mosque/Temple) Organizers (THAKAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Christian Pilgrimage & Holy Land Tour Operators (THAKAHAB), Religious Heritage, Sacred Sites & Genealogy/Faith Roots Tour Operators (THAKAHAO), Religious & Sacred Sites Tours (THAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Pilgrimage tour operator
• Faith-based group travel
• Religious pilgrimage holidays
• Holy Land tours
• Christian walking pilgrimages

Headquarters

HQ city

Basingstoke

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Tour Sales: McCabe Travel generates revenue by selling fully packaged pilgrimage and faith-based tours to individual pilgrims and group bookings. Tours are sold at per-person price points ranging from approximately £720 to £6,600 depending on destination, duration, and inclusions. The revenue is one-time transactional per booking, with deposits (£500 per person standard, £200-£300 for early bookings) collected at confirmation and final balances due 12 weeks before departure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

McCabe Travel organises and sells fully packaged, escorted pilgrimage and faith-based tours to destinations including the Holy Land, UK, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, and South Asia. Each tour is led by an experienced McCabe Tour Leader (often clergy) and includes flights, accommodation, transfers, local guides, spiritual leadership, and structured opportunities for worship and reflection. The company serves individual pilgrims, couples, families, and church/parish groups, with a parallel Group Tours programme that tailors bespoke pilgrimages to denominational needs.

Product overview

McCabe Travel is a specialist pilgrimage and faith-based travel operator founded in 1983, offering escorted tours to Holy Land, UK, Europe, and worldwide destinations. The product portfolio consists of core Pilgrimage Holidays and Fellowship Tours (for regular travellers), Group Tours (tailored for parish communities), and specialized products including Oberammergau Passion Play Holidays and Camino de Santiago walking pilgrimages. The company also operates the McCabe Educational Trust as its charitable arm, which distributes grants to Christian communities encountered on pilgrimages. Tours typically include experienced Tour Leaders providing spiritual direction, local guides, accommodation, and opportunities for worship and reflection. The company works with all Christian denominations and has been arranging faith-based journeys for over 40 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• McCabe Educational Trust: The charitable wing of McCabe Pilgrimages, a registered charity (No. 1020058) that supports Christian communities in the Holy Land and other regions through grants and donations from pilgrims.

Products and services

• Pilgrimage Holidays Fully packaged, escorted faith-based tours to the Holy Land, UK, Europe, and worldwide destinations. Each journey is accompanied by an experienced McCabe Tour Leader who provides insight into the Christian heritage of the destination and includes opportunities for worship and reflection. Targeted at individual Christian pilgrims, couples, families, and church groups across denominations.
• Fellowship Tours A portfolio of escorted pilgrimages aimed at regular travellers, featuring groups of 15–25 pilgrims from across the UK and overseas. Each tour typically runs 8–14 days and combines spiritual leadership, cultural discovery, and opportunities for worship and reflection. Pricing per person ranges from approximately £2,550 to £4,890.
• Group Tours (Organise a pilgrimage) Bespoke group pilgrimages for parish communities and church groups, with itineraries tailored to the needs of each denomination — including frequency of Eucharists and Holy Land focus areas. Designed for parishes and church communities that want to travel together as a fellowship.
• Oberammergau Passion Play Holidays One-week escorted tours combining 5–6 nights in an Austrian resort hotel with 1–2 nights in the village of Oberammergau, including a top-category performance ticket to the Passion Play (performed every five years by villagers since 1634). Groups travel with an escort, usually a member of the clergy.
• Camino de Santiago Pilgrimages Walking pilgrimages along the Camino Portugués route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela, offered in sections (Porto to Baiona and Baiona to Santiago). Includes daily walking stages, pilgrim passports, and cathedral services, with single supplements of £450–£475.
• Seven Churches of Revelation Tours (Turkey) 8-day pilgrimages through western Turkey tracing the route of the Seven Churches addressed in the Book of Revelation, including visits to ancient sites and historical locations. Priced at £2,550 per person.
• Travel Club A McCabe programme of pilgrimages and tours welcoming small groups and individual travellers, designed to provide unique travel experiences through connection with local cultures, spiritual leadership, and exploration of faith.
• Short / Weekend Pilgrimages Short-duration pilgrimage itineraries including Advent Journey to Canterbury (£720 pp, 4 days) and Advent & Christmas Markets in Krakow (£1,510 pp, 4 days), targeting pilgrims seeking a brief faith-based getaway rather than a longer tour.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than £4 million distributed in grants to Christian communities through the McCabe Educational Trust
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Holiday ExtrasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMcCabe Travel has partnered with Holiday Extras as its preferred travel insurance provider. Holiday Extras offers McCabe Travel guests favourable rates for single trip, multi-trip and annual travel insurance policies. McCabe recommends Holiday Extras to all travellers and provides a discount code (AG628) for a 10% discount when booking through their call centre.
• McCabe Educational Trust (MET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe McCabe Educational Trust is the charitable wing of McCabe Pilgrimages, set up in 1991 to support Christian communities encountered on pilgrimage. It functions independently with its own board of Directors and is a registered charity (No. 1020058). McCabe Travel contributes all administrative and running costs of the MET, ensuring 100% of pilgrim donations go directly to projects. The MET supports Jeel al Amal Boys Home (Bethany), Al Shurooq Blind School (Bethlehem), Dr Graham's Homes (India), and Dadhuwa school (Nepal).
• ChildAidEEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCabe organises pilgrimages to Moldova that support ChildAidEE and its project partners, including the Tony Hawks Centre (rehabilitation for children with disabilities), Phoenix Centre (rehabilitation and day care), Esther House (support for vulnerable families), and Family Love (preventing family abandonment in Transnistria). McCabe travellers visit these projects and contribute through the pilgrimage programme.
• Jeel al Amal Boys Home (Bethany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the primary projects supported by the McCabe Educational Trust. McCabe pilgrimages to the Holy Land include visits to this boys home as part of their 'Living Stones' programme, providing encouragement and practical assistance to the local Christian community.
• Al Shurooq Blind School (Bethlehem)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by regular, sustainable grants from the McCabe Educational Trust as part of the MET's Holy Land support programme. Included in McCabe pilgrimage itineraries.
• ABTOT (Association of British Travel Operators)minorOthersMcCabe Travel is a member of the ABTOT bonding scheme, which provides financial protection for monies paid for holidays without flights. This is a regulatory/membership partnership ensuring consumer financial protection.
• AITO (Association of Independent Tour Operators)minorOthersMcCabe Pilgrimages is a member of AITO and abides by the Association's Code of Conduct and Quality Charter. This membership provides industry recognition and quality assurance.
• ATOL (Air Travel Organisers' Licence)minorOthersMcCabe Travel holds ATOL licence number 2920 issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, providing financial protection for package holidays that include flights.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Intrepid Travel: Global small-group adventure tour operator with a broad portfolio including cultural, walking, and faith-adjacent itineraries. Broad incumbent because it competes for the small-group escorted traveller segment McCabe serves, particularly on walking Camino-style products, but at much greater scale and breadth.
• Cox & Kings: Historic heritage and cultural tour operator with strong presence in India, Middle East and Europe group tours. Broad incumbent because it overlaps with McCabe's heritage and escorted-group travel category but operates across many more destinations and customer segments.
• Exodus Travels: UK-based adventure and cultural tour operator offering walking, cultural, and faith-adjacent small-group tours worldwide. Broad incumbent because it overlaps with McCabe's walking Camino product and cultural itinerary category, but operates across a much wider portfolio beyond Christian pilgrimage.

Direct peers

• Tangney Tours: UK-based Catholic pilgrimage tour operator offering pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Lourdes, Rome and other Catholic destinations. Direct peer to McCabe because both are UK specialist Christian pilgrimage tour operators serving church communities with escorted, clergy-led itineraries.
• Holy Land Tours: US-based Christian tour operator specialising in Holy Land and biblical destination pilgrimages. Direct peer because of overlapping Christian pilgrimage product, escorted tour model, and church-group focus; differs in primary geographic market (US vs UK).
• Lightline Pilgrimages: UK-based Christian pilgrimage tour operator offering Holy Land, Lourdes, Rome, Iona and other faith-based tours. Direct peer because of overlapping Christian pilgrimage product, UK customer base, and escorted tour model very similar to McCabe's.
• Nativity Tours: Holy Land specialist Christian pilgrimage tour operator offering escorted biblical and Holy Land itineraries. Direct peer because both compete in the Christian Holy Land pilgrimage category with similar clergy-led escorted group tours.
• Select Israel: UK-based specialist tour operator focused on Holy Land and Israel itineraries. Direct peer because both compete in the UK Holy Land pilgrimage market with escorted group tours and a comparable pricing structure.
• Faith Journeys: UK Christian pilgrimage tour operator running escorted Holy Land and other faith-based tours, often partnering with churches and clergy leaders. Direct peer because both target UK church communities with clergy-escorted pilgrimages and similar destination mix.

Emerging players

• Travels of Discovery: UK-based small-group cultural and heritage tour operator offering escorted itineraries across Europe and beyond. Emerging player because it competes for the escorted small-group cultural traveller that overlaps with McCabe's Travel Club and fellowship-style itineraries, but at smaller scale and without McCabe's faith-led specialisation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebooken-gb.facebook.com/McCabe-Pilgrimages-969341136481372
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccabe-travel-pilgrimages

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mccabe Travel & Pilgrimages