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

Welcome to Bari, the capital of the Puglia region of southern Italy, located in the ‘heel’ of Italy’s ‘boot’! Upon arrival at Bari Airport, you will collect your luggage in the baggage claim area, and continue to the arrival’s hall, where you will be greeted by a tour escort and driver. Make your way to the bus and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Following check-in, the group will gather together for a Meet and Greet followed by a gentle walking tour of Bari. You will visit St. Nicholas Basilica (Basilica di San Nicola). In the eleventh century, the church was built to shelter precious relics of Saint Nicholas that were in danger in their original Shrine in Turkey, which was then, Myra. Saint Nicholas made his way to Rome through Bari and chose the city as his burial place. In 1089 Pope Urban II attended the consecration of the original crypt. The edifice was consecrated in 1197, the abbot of the monastery of Saint Benedict, Bishop Elias, was the first Archbishop and his cathedra remains there for visitors to see today. Exquisite mosaics, some of the oldest in Italy, adorn the Basilica. The feast Day of Saint Nicholas is December 6th which is observed with great solemnity in Bari. Every year on this day clergy collect flasks of myrrh from his tomb for anointing all over the world. The Pontifical Basilica di San Nicola is a very well-attended Pilgrimage destination. Dinner and overnight in Bari.

Following breakfast the group will visit the captivating towns of Polignano a Mare and Alberobello. Begin your journey in Polignano a Mare, a scenic town perched atop limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Wander through its atmospheric streets and visit the Church of Santa Maria Assunta for a moment of prayer and reflection. Afterward, venture to Alberobello, renowned for its distinctive trulli houses—whitewashed stone huts with conical roofs that are a UNESCO World Heritage site. In Alberobello, enrich your pilgrimage by visiting the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian, a significant site of Catholic worship, and explore the spiritual heritage of this unique town. This day trip offers not only a visual delight through stunning landscapes but also a deep dive into the spiritual traditions and Catholic sites of the region. Return for Bari for dinner and overnight.

Today we leave Bari for San Giovanni Rotondo. After breakfast board the bus and travel along the beautiful Gargano Peninsula to the Grotto of St. Michael the Archangel. Continue on to San Giovanni Rotondo, where St. Pio of Pietrelcina (St. Padre Pio) lived for many decades and where thousands of people have flocked in order to be closer to this great saint and to Our Lord. Following the Hotel check in, the group will gather together for dinner and sharing of graces. Overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

After breakfast, you will leave for Loreto. On the way, stop in Lanciano for private Mass at the Church of St. Longinus- the site of a Eucharistic Miracle that occurred in the eighth century. At the time of the miracle, there was a Basilian monk, who struggled with the belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. During the time of Mass, the monk, with doubt in his voice, said the words of consecration and the bread and wine transformed into physical flesh and blood. Leave for the Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. Tradition holds that this is the house in which Mary first prayed the Magnificat, in which Jesus grew to manhood, and in which the Holy Family lived, before it was transported several times by angels, to its current location. Dinner and overnight in Loreto.

This morning, we leave Loreto for Assisi. Our first stop will be in Camerino, where the Capuchin Franciscan Order was founded in 1528. After a visit and lunch with the friars the group will continue to Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis and St. Clare. Enjoy some free time in prayer and reflection and end the day with dinner and a restful overnight at your hotel.

Tour the Basilica of St. Francis, where you will see the tomb of St. Francis, and have the opportunity to view a series of frescoes depicting his life, along with a few of the saint’s possessions. Next, you will visit the Santuario Della Spogliazione where Blessed Carlo Acutis’ tomb is, the first millennial to be declared Blessed. Continue the tour by walking through this picturesque town, where St. Francis and St. Clare both followed God’s call to rebuild his church. Enjoy some free time – for additional prayer, shopping, and lunch. After lunch, board the bus which will take you outside of the walls of Assisi, to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. This Basilica is made up of two structures, both of which you will visit. The first structure is the “Porziuncola” and the second is the “Capella del Transito” which is the place where St. Francis died. Return to the hotel for dinner and a restful overnight.

Today depart from Italy for your flight (s) to Medjugorje. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver, who will take you on the 2.5 hour drive to the village of Medjugorje. Dinner and an overnight.

The most beautiful features of Medjugorje are its simplicity and peace. While in Medjugorje, you may experience your faith grow, and share in the faith journey of pilgrims from all over the world. A local guide will accompany your group throughout your stay in the village.

Some activities that will accompany you in your spiritual journey:

Attend Daily Mass: Each morning at 10:00 AM, your group will assemble at St. James Church for Mass (English-Speaking). At the end of each Mass, regardless of language, there is a blessing of the religious articles that you have with you.

On Feast Days, and Sundays: English Mass is at 12 PM.

Climb Apparition Hill: This mountainous hill is where the visionaries first encountered Our Lady. At the base of this hill is a Blue Cross, where it is said Our Lady appeared to the children while they hid from the communist police in the early days of the alleged apparitions. While climbing, your group is invited to recite the Rosary, pausing five times for each decade of the Rosary. At the top of the hill, you will witness the exact location of the first alleged apparition of Our Lady to the visionaries, and enjoy private time for prayer.

Climb Mt. Krizevac (Cross Mountain): In 1933, the villagers built a 30′ high cross atop a mountain to commemorate Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. Your group will have the opportunity to climb this mountain, and venerate that very cross. While climbing, your group is invited to pray the Stations of the Cross (to meditate on Jesus’ suffering Road to Calvary), pausing fifteen times for each Station.

Apparitions: Each evening at 5:00 PM your group can join the villagers and fellow pilgrims of Medjugorje at either St James Church or Apparition Hill to commemorate the time Our Lady appears to the Visionaries. There you can pray the Rosary, as you all await that time.

*Afterward, Croatian Mass is held at St. James Church and is free to all to attend. It is broadcasted by the radio, simultaneously in order to translate the services from Croatian into many languages. Following the Croatian Mass, there is a Blessing of the Sick.
**For details about the Visionaries, please visit: www.206tours.com/visionaries

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament: Our Lady has always called us to be close to her Son. For this, you will have the opportunity to adore the Blessed Sacrament at the altar outside of St. James Church. Adoration is held on Tuesdays and Saturdays; Veneration of the Cross is held on Fridays inside the church. Additionally, there is an Adoration Chapel on the grounds of St. James Church, where Adoration is held in the afternoon hours.

Visit the Community of Cenacolo:
Pilgrims will have the opportunity to visit the Community of Cenacolo, founded by Sr. Elvira Petrozzi, for young men and women who have taken the wrong path and are on the road to recovery. You will be able to listen to their inspirational testimonies about their journeys back to Jesus Christ.

Prayer at the Statue of the Risen Christ: The bronze statue of the Risen Christ is located on the grounds of St. James Church. Many pilgrims sit and pray on the benches surrounding this peaceful statue. This statue miraculously seeps droplets of water at all times of the day, out of Christ’s right knee.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, we will transfer to Dubrovnik Airport (Split or Sarajevo) for return flights 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.