Tour Description

Your pilgrimage begins upon arrival in the Venice Region of Northern Italy. Your luxury coach sets out for the picturesque city of Padua. Your pilgrimage begins in Padua, at Mass in the Basilica of St. Anthony, and will continue accompanied by this beloved Saint. Explore for full day in Venice where walking around the backstreets reveals the “real” Venice. Open your eyes to a treasure chest of art history and culture in Ravenna, a living mosaic. The Renaissance city of Florence, with its overwhelming art treasures will take your breath away. Visit Assisi, where the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare will permeate your soul. The perfect ending to this uplifting pilgrimage is your visit to Rome. Tour Christian Rome, Ancient Rome, Vatican City, attend a papal audience, and tour St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Your visit to Italy culminates in the cradle of our Catholic faith.

Your Package Includes:

• Round-trip airfare from New York. (Please inquire about airfares from other cities in the U.S. or Canada)
• Eight (8) nights’ accommodations in tourist class hotels with private.
• Hotel upgrades are available upon request.
• Breakfast daily plus five dinners, including a farewell dinner.
• Meeting and assistance upon arrival and departure.
• Transportation in private motor-coach including airport transfers.
• Sightseeing as per itinerary with a professional licensed English-speaking guide.
• Porterage at hotels.
• Entrance fees to all sites on itinerary.
• Services of a Passages Tour Manager from arrival to departure in Rome.
• Coordination of all Liturgies.
• Portfolio of travel documents, including a Passages Flight Packet.

One FREE package for group leader for every 25 participants (based on a minimum of 30 participants)

10-Day Pilgrimage priced from $2,595
	from New York, double occupancy + departure taxes/fuel surcharge November 15 - March 15, excluding holidays For other travel seasons, please inquire. Contact us today for your custom designed pilgrimage program and detailed proposal!

10-Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Tuesday | Depart for Italy

Day 2 | Wednesday | Venice Region | Padua | Mestre

Upon arrival, you will be on your way to the lovely town of Padua. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Anthony. Visit the Shrine, whose famous Chapel of the Relics contains the actual tongue and lower jawbone of the Saint. Continue to Mestre for hotel check in.

Day 3 | Thursday | Half-day Tour of Venice | Afternoon at Leisure | Evening Mass at St. Mark’s Basilica

Begin the day with a motor launch transfer to St. Mark’s Square, lined with galleries, shops and charming cafés. Tour the Piazza San Marco. See the Campanile, the Clock Tower, and the Bridge of Sighs, which connects to the Doges Palace and the Piombi Prisons. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Mark.

Day 4 | Friday | Ravenna | Florence

We leave Mestre for the city of “mosaics.” Marvel at the magnificently decorated Churches of San Vitale and San Apollinare Nuovo. Celebrate Mass in Ravenna. Travel to Florence through the harmonious hills of Tuscany region.

Day 5 | Saturday | Academy of Fine Arts; Highlights of Florence | Afternoon at Leisure

Highlights of Florence include the Accademia; Michelangelo’s “David;” Piazza Del Duomo; the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore, crowned with its magnificent Dome by Brunelleschi; Giotto’s Bell Tower, and the Baptistry of St. John with the “Gates of Paradise.” Celebrate Mass at the Church of Santa Croce. Enjoy free time to find Florentine treasures for family and friends.

Day 6 | Sunday | Assisi | Sites of St. Francis | Rome

Bid farewell to Florence and continue on to the charming Umbrian town of Assisi. Visit the Basilica of St. Clare with its miraculous crucifix. Tour St. Mary of the Angels with its famous Porziuncola and Capella Del Transito. Take a leisurely stroll to the Shrine of St. Francis. Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. Pray in the Shrine, inspired by Giotto’s frescoes of the life of St. Francis. Visit the Basilica of St. Clare, and see the miraculous Crucifix. Return to Rome.

Day 7 | Monday | Tour of Christian Rome & Ancient Rome

Celebrate Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major. Visit the Cathedral of St. John Lateran, and the Basilica of "Santa Croce in Gerusalemme." Following an independent lunch, visit the Church of St. Peter in Chains, Roman Forum, Arch of Titus, the Arch of Constantine and the Trajan Column.

Day 8 | Tuesday | Tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel | Afternoon at Leisure

View the vast art collections of the Vatican. See the famous “Pinacoteca,” housing religious works by the Masters. Marvel at Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and his renowned “Pieta,” enshrined at St. Peter’s Basilica. Celebrate Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica or the Church of St. Philip Neri. This afternoon, as you explore… you will adore the city and sites of Rome!

Day 9 | Wednesday |
Papal Audience | St. Paul’s Basilica, Appian Way & Catacombs | Farewell Dinner

The highlight of your pilgrimage to Rome is the Papal Audience. Following an independent lunch, tour Rome and her outskirts: Tiberina Island, the Aventine Hill, the pyramid of Caius Cestius, and St. Paul's Gate, part of the Aurelian Wall. Visit the magnificent Basilica of St. Paul on the site of his tomb. Celebrate Mass at the Catacombs. This evening enjoy a charming and festive Roman atmosphere for your farewell dinner.

Day 10 | Thursday | Return to the USA