YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: Round-trip air from New York (special Add-on Airfares from all US gateways) Airline FUEL SURCHARGES INCLUDED (up to $330) 27 nights at centrally located three and four-star hotels as follows: (or similar) 3 nights: Hotel Moderne , Lourdes, France
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
Not Included: Airport taxes (approx. $120-$180, subject to change), Lunches. Travel Insurance optional at $99-$229 (www.206tours.com/insurance), Cancel for Any Reason Protection @ $199 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection), Tips to your guide & driver (€7-9 per day). Items of a personal nature.
Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - USA - Rome
Depart from New York, JFK or from your hometown for the overnight flight to Italy. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Arrive Lourdes Upon arrival in Rome you will be met by your driver and transfer to the hotel where you will meet the rest of your group. Relax or explore before dinner, followed by a candlelight procession before retiring. Dinner and overnight.
Days 3 & 4 - Lourdes
Today you will have Mass at the Grotto, enjoy a video presentation telling the story of Lourdes, and walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette. See Boly Mill where St. Bernadette was born and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette's impoverished family lived. Join your prayers with pilgrims from around the world as you pray for the sick, drink water from the miraculous spring or submerge yourself in the healing baths. Experience Christ's love as you walk the life-sized Stations of the Cross overlooking the holy Grotto. Kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto, in obedience to the request of the "Immaculate Conception." Evenings are for Blessed Sacrament Proces-sion before dinner. Your role in the universal church will have new meaning as you join the candlelight procession (April through October only) and group rosary.
Day 5 - Lourdes - Paris
After breakfast leave on the flight to Paris. Upon arrival, you will meet your driver and transfer to your hotel in Paris. Enjoy free time to rest, relax and explore before we depart for Mass at the Sacre Coeur. Dinner and overnight in Paris.
Day 6 -Paris
Wake up in Paris and depart for mass at Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. View the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labouret whose guardian angel led her to the chapel where the Blessed Virgin displayed a vision of the miraculous medal and, later, the green scapular. The Virgin promised bountiful graces for all who wore these. Our sightseeing tour includes some of the most beautiful and important churches in the world, such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Sacre Coeur, see the Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, drive through the Champs Elysees, and many other sights on this mostly panoramic tour. Return to the hotel for dinner.
Day 7 - Excursion to Rouen & Lisieux
After breakfast we depart for Rouen where on May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was burnt at Place du Vieux Marche. We will visit the Joan of Arc museum and Rouen church. We continue on to Lisieux, the home of St. Therese whom Pope Pius X called "the greatest saint of modern times." Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity comes alive as you visit the Basilica of Saint Therese, one of the biggest and most magnificent religious structures built in the 20th-century. During our stay in Lisieux a mass will be celebrated. We will stop at Les Buissonets, St. Therese‟s family home. There on display are relics, clothing, and personal objects belonging to the "little flower." Before leaving tour the ancient Cathedral of St. Peter and the Carmelite Convent. We return to Paris for dinner and overnight.
Day 8 - Paris - Nevers After breakfast we depart for Nevers by way of the picturesque Loire Valley. After taking the veil in 1867, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Nevers. At least three times during her short life-time, she received the last Sacra-ments. In addition to asthma, she was gradually struck by other illnesses, among them was tuberculosis of the lung and a tubercular tumor in her right knee. St. Bernadette eventually died at the age of 35. See St. Bernadette's incorrupt body at the convent of St. Gildard, miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. Dinner and over-night in Nevers.
Day 9 - Nevers - Paray-le-Monial - Ars - Lyon
After breakfast we journey to Paray-le-Monial where we will visit the Chapel of the Visitation where Jesus exposed His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque during a number of apparitions, Reliquary of St. Margaret containing her relics, located underneath a wax figure of the saint. We continue on to the pretty little town of Ars, best known for St. Jean-Marie Vianney, the patron saint of priests. There are several sights of special importance such as: Church (Église), a 12-century church where the saint preached; Basilica (Basilique), a newer basilica built next to the church that displays the saint‟s incor-rupt body; Heart Chapel, which contains the saint‟s heart; Home of St. John Vianney preserved the way he left it; Underground Church constructed for pilgrim groups; La Providence, an orphanage founded by St. John Vianney. We continue to Lyon for dinner and overnight.
Day 10 - Excursion to La Salette After breakfast we depart for La Salette located in a high alpine pasture in the French Alps, La Salette is the site where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1846 to two shepherds, Melanie Matthew and Maximin Gird. Our Lady appeared to these shepherds crying, lamenting over the lack of observance of Sundays and the profaning of her Son's holy name. A spring forever marks the spot where the Virgin appeared and where millions of pilgrims come to in order to drink the fresh spring water and to pray. The stunning mountain scenery and lush mountain trails make La Salette one of the most spectacular pilgrimage site in France, with a beautiful Basilica built to honor the Virgin Mary. In 1996 La Salette celebrated the 150th anniversary of Our Lady's first appearance. We return to Lyon for dinner and overnight.
Day 11 - Lyon - Lisbon
After breakfast you will be tranferred to the airport for your short flight to Lisbon. After an orientation drive through Lisbon, we stop and visit St. Anthony's Church. Despite what might be assumed from his name, Saint Anthony was born and grew up in Lisbon. Traditionally, the invocation of his name is considered the best means of locating lost objects. Dinner and overnight in Lisbon.
Day 12 - Lisbon - Santarem - Fatima
After breakfast depart Lisbon for Santarem, where one of the oldest cities in the world is located. We will walk through its narrow streets to the Church of St. Stephen, containing the oldest recorded Eucharistic Miracle. This miracle has been on continuous display since 1269. We then continue on to Fatima, the place where the Blessed Mother appeared in 1917 to three simple shepherd children and exhorted mankind to pray for world peace. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.
Day 13 - Fatima
Six times, from May 13 to Oct 13, 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children in the diocese of Leiria. A new church is under construction, however just as beautiful, an older church was constructed here in 1928 and millions of pilgrims visit each year. Fatima is one of the most visited holy places for Catholics from around the world. The atmosphere of intense spirituality and the importance of Fatima have been attested to by the visits of two Popes: Paul VI and John Paul II. Touring Fatima, see the Little Chapel of the Apparitions, Basilica, the site of Francesco and Jacinta's graves, the Hamlet of Aljustrel, where the children lived, and Valinhos, the site of Our Lady's appearance after the children's return from prison. Follow the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacra (The Sacred Way) culminating in the Chapel of Calvary, which overlooks all of Fatima. Join pilgrims from around the world in an evening candlelight procession to pray the rosary. Dinner and overnight in Fatima.
Day 14 - Fatima - Tel Aviv
Depart from Fatima for Lisbon Airport for your short flight to Ben Gurion Airport. Exit terminal at the sign marked "groups" and meet your local guide who will escort you to our hotel on the coast. Dinner and overnight.
Day 15 - Galilee
We travel via the coast to Caesarea, where the Romans held Paul prisoner. Visit the Roman and Crusader ruins. Drive through the Carmel Mountains heading for Galilee. In Haifa, visit Stella Maris, a Carmelite Monastery with the Madonna of Mt Carmel. Continue to Mukhraka where Elijah confronted the false prophets of Baal and where the Carmelite Order was started. Drive to Cana, the village of Jesus' first miracle of changing water into wine; here couples may renew their wedding vows. Continue to the Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth where we will celebrate Mass and visit Mary's Well and the Church of the Angel Gabriel. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.
Day 16 - The Ministry of Christ in the Galilee
Some of today's highlights are a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum to see the synagogue and St. Peter's house, a visit to the Mount of the Beatitudes where the Sermon on the Mount was given, to Tabgha to see the splendid mosaic about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, and to the nearby Church of Peter's Primacy where Peter was told "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep." There will be an unforgettable Mass near the shores of the Sea of Galilee at the Primacy or Mt. Beatitudes. In the afternoon we visit Caesarea Philippi, location of the testimony of St. Peter and where Jesus answered him "You are the Rock and upon this rock I will build my Church." Dinner and overnight at your hotel in the Galilee.
Day 17 - Jordan River & Mt. Tabor
We start the day by remembering our Baptism at the Jordan River. Continue to Mount Tabor, scene of the Transfiguration, where we will have Mass. Drive down the Jordan Valley and head towards Jerusalem. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 18 - Jerusalem and Bethlehem
On the first day in Jerusalem we present an overview for a better understanding of its geography and some of the key sites surrounding the area. This includes a dramatic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives, revealing a city with 4000 years of history. From this vantage point see much of what makes Jerusalem such a unique city to the three major religions- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We then head to the village of Ein Karem, the birthplace of St. John the Baptist and to the Church of Visitation where the Blessed Virgin Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth, and proclaimed the 'Magnificat'. In the afternoon we drive to the Shepherd's Fields where the angels announced the birth of Jesus. Then we visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that stands upon the site where Jesus was born. Mass in Bethlehem or the Shepherds Fields. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 19 - Jerusalem, The Passion of Jesus' Last Hours
We begin our day with a visit to the Mt. of Olives to walk the Palm Sunday route stopping at Dominus Flevit, where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. Then to Gethsemane, the Rock of Agony where Jesus prayed His last prayer before his arrest. Visit the cave of betrayal then the cave of Assumption of Mary to heaven. Back on the Mt of Olives we visit the Pater Noster with the Lord's Prayer in many languages, and the Ascension from where ascended to Heaven. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 20 - Stations of the Cross
Early in the morning we retrace the last steps of Jesus. As we walk along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrow), through the markets of the Old City praying the Stations of the Cross, we reflect on the greatness of His sacri-fice. Finally we arrive at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Mass. After breakfast at our hotel we return to the Old City of Jerusalem to visit St. Anne‟s Church, the home of the Virgin Mary and her parents Saints Joachim and Anne. We pass the Ecce Home where Pilate proclaimed "Behold the man"; then the Western Wall, the most holy place for Jews. We exit at Mt Zion. At the Cenacle we visit the Upper Room of the Last Supper. Next we go to Dormition Abbey where we believe the Blessed Mary died. We end the day at St. Peter in Gallicantu where Peter denied Him thrice. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 21 - The Wilderness
We begin our day with a visit to Bethany where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The desert east of Jerusalem is rich in Christian tradition. Further east, just off the Roman road that Jesus 'walked', is Wadi Qelt gorge, site of the Monastery of St. George. At the oasis town of Jericho, visit the excavations of the oldest city in the world and view Mt. Temptation where Jesus fasted and was tempted by Satan. On the way back there is time for a swim (or rather a float!) in the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea, renowned for its healing properties. In the afternoon, there will be time for you to revisit some of your favorite sites and time for last minute buying of gifts for your loved ones. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Jerusalem.
Day 21 - Jerusalem- Medjugorje
Early morning departure from Jerusalem for your flights to Medjugorje. Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver who will then take you on the 2 1/2 hour drive by private coach to the village of Medjugorje. Once there, you'll be introduced to your host family in whose modern and comfortable house you will be staying for the next seven nights.
Days 22 to 28 - Medjugorje
During your stay in Medjugorje you will have the opportunity to share faith with pilgrims from all over the world. Our local guide will accompany us throughout your stay. Here are some of the activities you'll be sharing with our fellow pilgrims: Each morning at 10:00 am we assemble at St. James Church for the English language Mass (Feast days and Sundays English Mass is at noon). Follow the path up Apparition Hill where the visionaries first encountered Our Lady. Touch and pray before the cross that commemorates the spot where Mary first appeared to the visionaries. Each evening at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm daylight savings time, we will join the villagers and pilgrims to pray the rosary. The apparition takes place at 5:40 pm or 6:40 daylight savings time, and then stay on for Croatian Mass. Don‟t miss Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesdays and Saturdays and Veneration of the Cross on Fridays in the Church. Each evening during Croatian Mass there is the Blessing of the Sick and blessing of the items you have with you. Our guide will arrange meetings with the visionaries at their own homes, provided that they are in Medjugorje during your trip, and pending their availability. We will have the opportunity to climb Krizevac Mountain, where in 1933 the villagers built a 30' high cross on the anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion. Visit and pray at "Blue Cross," which is a place of great healings and grace near the base of Apparition Hill. We will visit the Community Cenacolo. * This part of your trip in Medjugorje is meant to provide you with time for a personal retreat. As such, your time in Medjugorje is not designed to be a "tour," but rather to provide you with time to pray, reflect, and explore on your own as you feel called. You will have a local Catholic guide to offer you an orientation tour on your first full day in Medjugorje. Your local 206 Tours representative will be available to assist you with any questions throughout your trip.
Day 29 - Medjugorje - USA
After an early breakfast, we leave by motor coach for Dubrovnik Airport (Split or Sarajevo) for return flights home.
333 Marcus Blvd 