YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip
air from New York (JFK) to Rome
(special
Add-on Airfares from all
other US gateways) 6
nights at hotel:
~Hotel Pacific or
Casa Bonus Pastor
Breakfast
daily at your hotel Dinner
on two nights Transfers
by deluxe motorcoach Sightseeing
and admissions fees
Papal Audience (provided as long as the Pope is
Lunches, some dinners, drinks with
dinners, optional excursions on free days
Travel Insurance
optional at $99-$225. Tips to your guide & driver
(Euro
6-8 per day)
Items of a personal nature.
"Land
Only" does not include airfare or airport transfers.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA - Italy
Depart USA for our overnight flights to Rome.
Day 2 - Arrive Rome
Upon arrival your escort will
warmly greet you this morning and welcome you to Italy. Transfer to your
hotel and enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration.
You tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy
Day 3 -
Rome
(Papal Audience-
if available and half day tour of Christian Rome) Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization
and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for
all the Catholics around the world. Today
is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This
morning we go to Vatican City to attend the weekly Papal Audience or Blessing
given by His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI
(pending papal schedule).
Following the audience visit
we depart for a sightseeing tour with focus on "Christian Rome" Touring we will see many
important cultural and monumental sights around Rome. Stop for a visit at three major Basilicas: St Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus. The Basilica of the St John in Lateran, is the former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377. St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar. We will also see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus, Chapel "O'Domine Quo Vadis?" the remains of imperial tombs, Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St Callixtus where the early
Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. We will also enjoy a visit to the Trevi fountain.
Day 4
- Free Day
Free for Optional Excursion
(options tours to Assisi,
Florence, Pompeii, Capri for an additional cost)
Day 5 -
Rome
This morning we depart for
a half day tour of the
Vatican Museums, a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries
filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest church in Christendom St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's is the grandest of the world's churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican (time permitting). Before dinner, we'll have some time at leisure, to explore your own paths, to shop, or just to sit in one of the outside cafes and watch the world go by.
Day 7 -
Free Day
Free for Optional Excursion (options tours to Assisi,
Florence, Pompeii, Capri for an additional cost)
Day 8 -
Free Day
Free Day for exploration, rest, prayer, or shopping!
Day
9 - Rome
- USA
We bid farewell to our new friends and to a
pilgrimage which will be in our memories and heart for a long time to
come. Early departure from Rome Airport for our
return flight to the USA. We fondly say, Arrivederci Italia!
For Additional Information & Travel Tips Please
Visit:
Dinner
on two nights
