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

Upon landing at Lisbon Airport, head to baggage claim and collect your luggage. Proceed to the arrival hall, where you will be greeted by your tour guide and/or driver. Board the bus and begin a panoramic sightseeing tour of Lisbon. We will stop at St. Jerome’s Monastery, built to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for guiding Vasco da Gama on his voyage that linked Europe and Asia. Continue to drive by the Belem Quarter, which contains the iconic entryway to the Lisbon harbor, the Belem Tower. This important historic structure has many beautiful sculptures, such as depictions of St. Vincent and Our Lady of Safe Homecoming. The next stop is St. Anthony’s Church, built upon the site of Saint’s birth; it is here that we will celebrate Mass. Although the patron Saint of lost things is known as St. Anthony of Padua (Italy), he was born in Lisbon, Portugal. This Church is built upon St. Anthony’s birth site and is also where Saint John Paul II visited in 1982. After Mass, we will drive to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today, we will travel north to the old city of Santarem. We will attend Mass at the Church of St. Stephen, which holds a 13th-century Eucharistic Miracle. Continue to Fatima and visit the Hamlet of Aljustrel, the home of the three shepherd children. Visit the Parish Church and Fatima Parish Cemetery. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Today will be a memorable experience as you pray and meditate upon one of Our Blessed Mother’s apparition sites. Our Lady appeared to three shepherd children: Lucia (age 10), Jacinta (age 7), and Francisco (age 9). These apparitions occurred monthly from May until October of 1917. Historically, as the entire world was in turmoil, Our Lady’s most prominent message was to pray for world peace. The destruction of the world at that point in history was also mentioned by Our Lady, particularly in her second secret to the children. Our profoundly reflective day begins with a visit to the Little Chapel of the Apparitions. This simple yet modern chapel is where the Virgin Mary first appeared on May 13, 1917. Next, you will see the stunning neoclassical church, the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary. This Sacred space contains the tombs of Blessed Francisco, Blessed Jacinta, and Sister Lucia. View the monument that commemorates the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the square. In honor of Our Lady’s requests to pray the Rosary, the Basilica also features fifteen altars each dedicated to a mystery of the Rosary. Visit the Museum with the “Fatima: Light and Peace” exhibition. Continue with a visit to the Holy Trinity Basilica. After free time for lunch, we will experience Christ’s unconditional love by participating in the Stations of the Cross along the Via Sacra. The “Sacred Way” marks the path taken by the shepherd children of Fatima to their first apparition with Our Lady. It is composed of fifteen small chapels commemorating the Passion of Our Lord. The fifteenth station, the Resurrection, can be found close to the Chapel of Calvary, dedicated to St. Stephen, King of Hungary. Ending the day with a visit to Valinhos, the site of Our Lady’s August 1917 apparition and the first and third apparition of the Angel. Your night will conclude with private devotions and a candlelight procession, as requested by Our Lady in 1917. Enjoy dinner and a comfortable night’s rest in Fatima.

Depart Fatima and head to Salamanca, following a full breakfast at the hotel. Salamanca is a city in the Castilla y Leon region known for its large university. It is the oldest university in Spain that is still active. Our walking tour will take us to many famous sites. Visit the grand Plaza Mayor, an iconic square filled with food, shopping, and city events. See La Clerecia, a church and college of the Jesuit Order that was constructed in the 17th century. Next, visit La Casa de las Conchas, which is currently a public library and a monument decorated with shells, which symbolizes the ever-famous pilgrimage to Santiago (El Camino). Walk by the University of Salamanca, the oldest University in Spain and the third oldest in Europe. Walk across the Roman Bridge, which extends along the River Tormes and is a national monument. See La Iglesia de San Marcos, which is constructed in the Romanesque style and contains breathtaking paintings that portray many scenes of Our Lady’s life. You will also see La Iglesia de San Martin, a Church devoted to St. Martin of Tours, the patron saint of beggars and those most in need. Visit the inside of the two joint Salamanca Cathedrals (old and new). The first is a Romanesque style, and the other is a Gothic style. Following this eventful day, you will return to your hotel for a delicious meal with your group and an overnight at your hotel in Salamanca.

This morning, after breakfast, you will board the bus and enjoy a short transfer to the village of Alba de Tormes. This town is home to the Carmelite Monastery that Saint Teresa founded in 1571. Upon arrival in Alba de Tormes, your group will celebrate Mass at this Monastery where the Saint died and is buried. Following Mass, you can visit the museum dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila, which also holds her incorrupt heart and left arm. Your group will enjoy free time for lunch on your own before continuing to the medieval city of Avila. Upon arrival, you will immediately notice the perfectly preserved 11th-century walls surrounding the old town. The conservation of architecture in this city, to which St. Teresa was born, deems its shrines, convents, and churches necessary to visit on any Catholic pilgrimage. The Cathedral de Avila encompasses the Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance styles of its time within its artwork and architecture. La Basilica de San Vicente in Avila stands on the site of the martyrdom of St. Vincent. Visit the Incarnation Convent, where St. Teresa became a nun. Saint Therese convinced Saint John of the Cross to reform the male Carmelite order, the reform she started when she met Saint John in Medina del Campo. After walking in the footsteps of St. Teresa, continue your journey to Burgos. Upon arrival in the historic capital of Old Castile, enjoy dinner. Following dinner, you will have the opportunity to explore the city of Burgos and admire its magnificent limestone Gothic-style cathedral. Late this evening, you will return to your hotel for a restful overnight.

Following breakfast, transfer from Burgos to Loyola to visit the birthplace of St. Ignatius, founder of the Jesuit Order. St. Ignatius dedicated himself to becoming a soldier of the Christian faith, and as a result of many tribulations, he wrote the ever-famous Spiritual Exercises. You will see the 17th-century Basilica dedicated to this remarkable Saint in Loyola. The Basilica is part of a series of buildings surrounding the “Holy House,” the birthplace of St. Ignatius. When you visit these Holy places, you will also have the opportunity to pray in the most venerated room, where St. Ignatius prayed and began his conversion. After meditating on the life of this founder of the Jesuit Order, you will enjoy free time for lunch and board the bus for the next destination. We will continue to Lourdes with a spectacular view of the Pyrenees Mountains. Upon arrival in Lourdes, you will check in to your hotel and enjoy a splendid dinner and peaceful overnight.

Over the next two days, you will stay in a small town in the Pyrenees Mountains. During your time in Lourdes, you will pray and meditate at the site of Our Lady’s apparitions. Our Lady first appeared to Bernadette in 1858 and announced herself as “The Immaculate Conception” near the Grotto of Massabielle. During the first two apparitions, little Bernadette prayed the Rosary with Our Lady and left without exchanging words. During the following apparitions, Our Lady emphasized God’s love for us and the necessity of performing acts of penance for sinners. Throughout your time in Lourdes, you will have the opportunity to attend Mass at the Grotto, where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette. Watch a video presentation that explains the story of Lourdes. Wash your hands, wash your face, and drink the water of the miraculous spring. Finish with a short prayer: “Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. St. Bernadette, pray for us. O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Experience Christ’s unconditional love as you meditate upon the life-size Stations of the Cross that overlook the Grotto of Massabielle. In Lourdes, you will walk in and meditate upon the footsteps of St. Bernadette. Your group will have the opportunity to see Boly Mill, the birthplace of St. Bernadette, and the “Cachot,” an abandoned prison where Bernadette’s impoverished family lived. Each evening, following dinner, you can attend the candlelight procession and pray the Rosary before a restful overnight.

This morning, you will enjoy breakfast followed by a transfer to the airport for your short flight to Rome. Upon arrival at Rome airport, collect your luggage in the baggage claim area and continue to the arrival hall, where you will be greeted by a tour escort and/or driver. You will make your way to the bus and transfer to your hotel. Following check-in, you will have free time to unpack, relax, or explore Rome on your own. Your tour escort may suggest places to visit. Later in the afternoon, your group will meet in the hotel lobby for a “Meet and Greet” with your fellow pilgrims and depart for Mass. Following Mass, you will attend a welcome dinner. After dinner, you can walk to St. Peter’s Square as a group for the Rosary (optional).

After a nice breakfast at your hotel, your first sightseeing day in Rome starts! The tour begins with the Papal Audience in St. Peter’s Square! The Audience is celebrated each Wednesday by His Holiness, the Pope (pending the papal schedule). Following the Audience, there will be free time for lunch, shopping, or to mail a postcard from the Vatican Post Office. This afternoon, you will visit the oldest of the four major Basilicas in Rome: The Basilica of St. John the Lateran. This Basilica houses the relics of Peter and Paul. It is where the Pope was installed as Bishop of Rome and where he officiates as the Bishop of Rome. Next, we will cross the street to visit the Holy Staircase. Tradition states that this Staircase is from Pontius Pilate’s palace in Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. It was brought to Rome by St. Helen in the 4th Century. If time permits, you may climb the steps on your knees while meditating on Christ’s agonizing Passion. Proceed to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. This Basilica contains a relic from the Manger of the Infant Jesus. Return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight.

This morning, you will enjoy an early breakfast before making your way to the largest Church in Christendom: St. Peter’s Basilica. This Basilica was built on the site where St. Peter, the first Pope and Bishop of Rome, was martyred. Here, you can view Michelangelo’s Pieta. This stunning marble sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary holding Christ after His crucifixion, death, and removal from the cross before being placed in the tomb. Proceed to the Vatican Museum, where you will see the most impressive edifices, galleries, and awe-inspiring relics. Observe the Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms, Sistine Chapel, and the restored mural of the Last Judgment. The final stop on your Vatican tour is at the tomb of Saint John Paul II. After, head to the Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain), where you may enjoy some free time on your own for lunch. Continue on your short journey down the Appian Way, the earliest road of Ancient Rome. This road leads to the Domino Quo Vadis Chapel, the Baths of Caracalla, the Arch of Drusus, the Tomb of Cecilia Metella, and the catacombs of St. Callixtus. The day concludes with a visit to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Originally founded by Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century, this Basilica is the burial place of Saint Paul the Apostle. We will make our way to a local restaurant for dinner. Following dinner, feel free to explore the streets of Rome or return to the hotel for the evening.

After an early breakfast and heartfelt farewells, your group will leave by motor coach and transfer to the Rome Fiumicino airport for your return flight(s) 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.