Make your way to your local airport, where you will board your overnight flight(s). Meals will be served on board.

Welcome to Rome, also known as “The Eternal City”. Upon landing at Rome airport, claim your baggage and proceed to the Arrivals Hall, where your tour guide and/or driver will greet you. Following check-in at the hotel, enjoy some free time to unpack, relax or explore Rome on your own. Your tour escort may suggest places to visit. Later this afternoon, between 3:00 PM and 3:30 PM, your group will meet in the hotel lobby for a meet and greet with fellow pilgrims and your priest. You will depart together for Mass, and following Mass, you will attend a welcome dinner. After dinner you have to opportunity to join in a walk to St. Peter’s Square for the Rosary (optional).

This morning, we will attend the Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square or at the Audience Hall (depending on the weather). The Audience is typically celebrated each Wednesday by His Holiness, the Pope, but may vary depending on the papal schedule. (During the month of July 2025, Papal Audiences are cancelled while the Holy Father resides in Castel Gandolfo. For tours occurring during this time, the Audience will be replaced with an excursion to Castel Gandolfo with the itinerary below: Upon arrival in Castel Gandolfo, we will visit Piazza della Libertà. Here, we will take a moment to admire the impressive facade of the Papal Palace, the Pope’s summer residence. Our visit continues with an exploration of the Papal Palace itself, including the Vatican Observatory and the breathtaking Barberini Gardens, which offer panoramic views of Lake Albano.) After the Papal Audience, we will head to the Trevi Fountain area for some free time and lunch (on your own). This afternoon, visit the oldest of the four major Basilicas in Rome: The Archbasilica of St. John the Lateran, which is the cathedral church and seat of the Bishop of Rome. Cross the street to the very steps that lead up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem which Jesus climbed on His way to trial during his Passion. Holy Mass will be celebrated by our priest at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. Dinner and overnight.

Today, we will tour St. Peter’s Basilica, built on the site where St. Peter the Apostle was martyred. Here, you will have the opportunity to view Michelangelo’s Pieta sculpture, pray at the tombs of Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II, and much more. Next, you will visit the Vatican Museum, where you can see the Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms, and Sistine Chapel. After lunch, continue down the Appian Way, one of the earliest roads built in ancient Rome, which leads to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls and the Catacombs. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

We will begin this morning with breakfast and then Holy Mass. After, we will visit the Pantheon, an ancient Roman building that is renowned for its large concrete dome. It is now a Catholic Church called the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs. After lunch, visit the Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, which was built in the first century AD and was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire. Christians were often persecuted in the Roman Empire, and many of them were martyred in the Colosseum. Some of the most famous Christian martyrs who died in the Colosseum include Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Saint Polycarp, Saint Perpetua, and Saint Felicitas. The Colosseum is a reminder of the persecution that early Christians faced, and it is also a symbol of their faith and courage. The Roman Forum was the heart of ancient Rome, and it was the site of many important government buildings, temples, and shops. It was also the place where public meetings were held, and where laws were debated and passed. The Roman Forum was a busy place and was home to a wide variety of people. From wealthy aristocrats to poor laborers, it was a place where people from all walks of life came together. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

This morning, you will ride through the beautiful Umbrian mountains to Orvieto. This incredible town sits on a volcanic high rock formation. Here we visit one of the most beautiful and renowned Cathedrals in Italy. Because of its strategic location, Orvieto’s Christian history officially started in 1004. The town was built over preexisting Etruscan-era cave tunnels dating back 2,500 years, which some historians believe Christians used to celebrate Mass during a time when Christianity was forbidden. Continue to Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis and St. Clare. Upon arriving, check in to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, travel to Bevagna, a charming town in the heart of Umbria. Bevagna is not only a treasure of historical and artistic gems, but also a place of profound religious significance. Its rich Catholic heritage is evident in its numerous churches, monasteries, and religious institutions, each bearing witness to the town’s deep-rooted faith and devotion. Visit the Church of San Francesco, which is in Bevagna’s historic center. The Church of San Francesco is a haven for Franciscan spirituality. Its simple yet elegant architecture reflects the Franciscan Order’s values of humility and simplicity. Inside, the church houses a beautiful fresco depicting the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. Continue to the Monastery of San Silvestro, on a hilltop overlooking Bevagna. The Monastery of San Silvestro offers a tranquil retreat for those seeking spiritual solace. Founded in the 13th century, the monastery has been a center of religious life for centuries. Its serene atmosphere and panoramic views of the surrounding countryside provide an ideal setting for contemplation and prayer. After lunch, visit the Sanctuary of Madonna delle Grazie. This Sanctuary is a beloved pilgrimage site for Catholics in the region. The Sanctuary, dating back to the 15th century, is home to a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be miraculous. Visitors come from far and wide to seek blessings and pray for Our Lady’s intercession. Return to Assisi for dinner and overnight.

Enjoy an early breakfast, followed by a full day of touring the hometown of St. Francis. St. Francis is the “Patron Saint of Animals and the Environment.” He founded the Franciscan Order and has inspired millions with his life of simplicity and humility. The atmosphere of Assisi has not changed since St. Francis began his ministry in the early 13th Century. We will start our tour at the Basilica of St. Francis. Visit his tomb and view a series of frescoes depicting his life and a few of the Saint’s possessions. From there, we will continue on a walking tour through this picturesque town, including the birthplace of St. Francis. Visit the Santuario Della Spogliazione where St. Carlo Acutis is entombed. Carlo is the first millennial to have been declared a Saint. He had a great love for Jesus in the Eucharist and died of leukemia at the young age of 15. Our tour ends at the Church that honors St. Clare, the foundress of the Poor Clare Sisters. This Saint followed the teachings of St. Francis very closely by also living a life of poverty and humility. Enjoy some time for prayer, shopping, or a nice lunch. After lunch, we will board the bus, which will take us outside the walls of Assisi to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. This Basilica is where St. Francis spent most of his life, and it is made up of two structures. The first is the “Porziuncola”, where St. Francis founded his order of the Friar Minor (Franciscans). The second is the “Capella del Transito”, where St. Francis died. You will have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Rose Garden where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the Saint retired to pray. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, you will drive through the beautiful Umbrian mountains to Gubbio. This town has a great devotion to St. Francis due to an incident that occurred while the Saint was still alive. At the time, there was a vicious wolf that was terrorizing the townspeople. St. Francis came and confronted the wolf, and to the great amazement of the town, the animal became completely docile from that point on. Celebrate Mass at the Church of St. Francis in this town which loves him deeply. After lunch on your own, continue to La Verna, which is a place St. Francis visited many times. It was here, in 1224, that he received the stigmata. Here you will be able to pray in the Chapel of the Stigmata, the Basilica, and the Chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels. You will also be able to admire the beautiful artworks of Andrea della Robbia. Return to Assisi for dinner and your last overnight.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, you will head to Rome Fiumicino airport for your return flight home.

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Occasionally local religious and national holidays, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of events or the missing of certain events/places. Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of events and places to be visited.