YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York to Italy (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) ALL AIRPORT TAXES & FUEL SURCHARGES! 7 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar) ~ 3 nights: Hotel Cicerone or Quirinale, Rome, Italy
~ 2 nights: Hotel Biri, Padua, Italy Transfers as per itinerary Breakfast and Dinner daily Wine with dinners Transportation by air-conditioned motor coach Assistance of a professional local Catholic guide(s) Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction Mass daily & Spiritual activities Luggage handling (1 piece per person) Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA - Italy
Make your way to your hometown airport where you will board your overnight flight(s) to Rome. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Arrive Rome
Upon arrival in Rome Airport you will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by your tour escort and/or driver. After a warm welcome to Italy, you will be escorted to your transportation to your hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon for rest or exploration. Tonight we will enjoy a delicious Italian dinner!
Day 3 - Christian Rome
This morning we awake in the Eternal City, one of the centers of Western civilization! After a filling breakfast we depart on our sightseeing tour which will offer insight into the most significant Catholic sites in Rome. We will have an opportunity to see the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus. We will see the Holy Stairs and visit the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, which was the residence of the popes prior to returning to Rome in 1377. We also explore St. Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St. Paul under its main altar. We will see the Appian Way, the oldest road from Roman times, as well as the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel, the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus and the Tomb of Celilia Metella. Our day ends with a special visit to one of the catacombs, such as St. Callixtus, where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution for their devout faith. Time permitting we will also visit the Trevi Fountain to take part in the tradition of throwing 3 coins into the fountain in hopes of returning to Rome. After a day filled with faith and beauty we enjoy a tasty dinner before retiring for the night.
Day 4 - Rome (Papal Audience and Vatican Museum Tour)
After an early breakfast we depart for Vatican City, the spiritual capital for all Catholics around the world. Vatican City is it's own city-state nestle within Rome, and it even has it's own currency and postage! Today is truly a day which will live in our hearts for many years to come. We make our way to St. Peter's Basilica where we will attend the Papal Audience given by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (pending papal schedule). Following the audience we will visit the Vatican Museums, an astonishing series of galleries which contain the most impressive spiritual and art treasures. You will see awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We will visit the Tapestry Gallery, the Raphael Rooms and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel where we will see Michelangelo's masterpiece the Last Judgment. We continue our exploration of the Vatican as we enter the largest church in Christendom - St. Peter's Basilica. Built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. St. Peter's is unsurpassed in beauty; a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims from around the world flock. You will have time to marvel at the Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the tomb of Pope John Paul II located in the Vatican. After a day exploring the home of our Catholic faith, we gather together to dine and reminisce about our day with our fellow pilgrims. We return to our hotel to settle in for a restful sleep on our last night in Rome.
Day 5 - Rome - Florence
We feast on a fulfilling breakfast before we depart for Florence. A true paradise for culture and art lovers, Florence drew to itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. You will have a free afternoon to stroll the streets of this beautiful city. Enjoy some of the best shopping in Italy, visit a museum, or just relax in a café in the Piazza della Signoria. We gather for dinner to share the stories of our afternoon.
Day 6 - Florence
After enjoying breakfast and a delicious cappuccino, we depart on our guided tour of Florence. We begin with the magnificent Franciscan church of Santa Croce with it's intricate façade, the church is a burial place of nobles, among which is Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. As we walk through Piazza Signoria, we pass by Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Repubblica. We arrive at the Santa Maria del Fiore, a 13th-century cathedral, and the site of Brunelleschi's Duomo, as well as Giotto's Bell Tower. Enjoy free time before dinner to explore Santa Maria del Fiore.
Day 7 - Florence - Padua
After breakfast, we depart for Padua, where St. Anthony, patron saint of lost things is honored. We celebrate Mass at the Basilica built in his honor. Following Mass, begin our sightseeing tour including one of the oldest universities in Italy, the Tomb of St. Anthony and we have an opportunity to see several of his relics. We will pass by Pratto Della Valle, and see the Basilica of Santa Giustina. We arrive at our hotel in time for dinner and a restful overnight.
Day 8 - Full day excursion to Venice
After breakfast depart for nearby Venice, the iconic city where the streets are paved with water! We will enjoy a tour and visit of some of the greatest sights you will ever see: St. Mark's Square, The Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs, and we will even have an extraordinary visit of Dodges' Palace. After the tour you will have free time to explore Venice on own, shop and perhaps take an gondola ride. Don't forget to enjoy a cappuccino and gelato at one of the cafes in St. Mark's Square, a must do for any visit to Venice. We return to Padua in time for our dinner and our final night in Italy!
Day 9 - Venice - 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. After breakfast depart from the hotel to Venice Airport for our return flight to the USA.
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Travel Dates
Land Only (no airfare)
*Air & Land
# of Pilgrims
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Lorenzo Ghiberti Gates of Paradise
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