Depart the USA today on board our overnight transatlantic jet flight to Rome, arriving the following day. Enjoy a full meal service as well as in-flight entertainment such as movies, music, etc.

Welcome to Italy! After collecting our luggage, we will be met by our local guide who will bring us to our nearby private motorcoach for our journey into the city. Check in at our guesthouse with time to freshen up and unpack. After, we will have Mass in our guesthouse chapel, followed by lunch on our own. Next, we will make our way to the side entrance of the Vatican where the Swiss Guard will permit us to enter to participate in the Scavi Tour, a privately guided tour of the Necropolis underneath the Basilica. This guided tour experience will take us to the excavations of the ancient Roman ruins located beneath the present St. Peter’s Basilica. The tour culminates with the veneration of the bones of our first Pope, the Blessed Apostle Peter. After the tour concludes, we will visit the tombs of the deceased popes in the crypt, including the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI (1927 - 2022). This will afford us the opportunity to “skip the line” to enter the main Basilica. Free time to rest. In the evening we will gather for our festive welcome dinner, served with local wine. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)

After an early breakfast we will make our way to St. Peter’s Basilica for morning Mass. After Mass, we will participate in a guided tour of the Basilica above, before having free time to explore the Basilica and enjoy lunch on our own. Following lunch, we will make our way to Vatican Museums for a private tour of the Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We will have VIP “skip the line” group entrance privileges. Highlights of the tour will include the Raphael Rooms and the mighty Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling and sanctuary wall by Michelangelo. Following the tour, we will have a free evening for rest and exploration followed by dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After an early rise and quick breakfast at our religious guesthouse, we will depart early to get ahead of the crowds for the Wednesday General Audience with the Pope. Remember to bring your religious items to be blessed! Afterwards, we will take a leisurely guided walking tour to the heart of downtown Rome for lunch in the historic city center. During our afternoon stroll, we will visit some of Rome’s most beloved sites, including Piazza Navona, the Pantheon (exterior view), Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, Sant’Ignazio, and the Gesu where we will have Mass. In the evening we will have dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast we will board our bus for a guided tour of Catholic Rome with stops at some of the major religious sites of the city. We will first celebrate Mass at St. Mary Major, the largest church in Rome dedicated to Our Lady. Afterwards, we will walk to the Basilica of Santa Croce to see the relics of the Passion of Christ, taken from Jerusalem to Rome by the Empress Helena. Next we will walk to the Scala Santa to ascend the Holy Steps, the very stairs that Christ walked atop to meet with Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. Following lunch, we will enter the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome. After, we will board our bus and transfer to the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Here we will pray before the tomb of St. Paul, with time to visit the gift shop. After, we will transfer back to our guesthouse for dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B)

After breakfast and Mass in our guesthouse chapel, we will set out for a private, guided tour of ancient Rome. This will include a guided tour of the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Colosseum. Our highlight will be the Colosseum, completed in 80 AD. This majestic building, the largest amphitheatre in the world, witnessed the martyrdom of countless early Christians, including the last Christian who perished inside its arena in 391 AD, a monk named St. Telemachus. Afterwards we will enjoy lunch followed by a casual afternoon walk through downtown Rome that will include two iconic sites: the monumental Trevi Fountain and the equally majestic Spanish Steps. Don’t forget to bring a coin to throw in the Trevi! In the evening, dinner on our own. Overnight in Rome. (B) 

After breakfast and hotel check out we will board our bus and enjoy the scenic drive to Assisi. Upon our arrival, we will visit and celebrate Mass in the breathtaking Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels built atop the beloved Portiuncula chapel that was restored by St. Francis. It is here that Francis lived and built his community. Following Mass, we will enjoy lunch on our own and venture up to the hilltop medieval city of Assisi where we will check into our hotel followed by dedicated free time for unpacking, resting, and shopping. Dinner on our own. Overnight in Assisi. (B)

After breakfast, we will start the morning with a visit to the Basilica of St. Clare where we will celebrate our morning Mass. While here, we will have time to pray at the foot of the San Damiano Crucifix, the very crucifix that God used to speak to Francis instructing him to “Rebuild My Church.”  We will conclude our visit with prayer before the incorruptible body of St. Clare of Assisi. After, we will walk to the Chiesa Nuova, built over the birthplace of St. Francis. Next we walk down to the nearby church of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the body of the newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis is entombed. Then we will visit the vast upper and lower sections of the Basilica of St. Francis. While here, we will have the blessed opportunity to visit and pray in the lower crypt at the tomb of St. Francis. We will also make time to visit the gift shop. Lunch in the heart of Assisi followed by free time to explore the boutique shops. We close the evening with a spectacular winery tour, tasting, and 4-course Umbrian dinner (included) at our favorite winery, Tili Vini. Enjoy the local wines and majestic sunset! Overnight in Assisi.  (B, D)

Following breakfast and hotel check out, we will board our bus and depart for the scenic journey to Rome. Upon arrival, we will have a guided tour of the Catacombs of St. Callixtus. These Catacombs were the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century AD. Around half a million Christians were buried here, among them many martyrs and 16 popes. Following our guided tour, we will celebrate Mass in one of the chapels in the Catacombs. Following Mass, we will board our bus and transfer back to our guesthouse for check in. Lunch on our own and free afternoon for last minute shopping, exploring on our own, or packing. In the evening, we will gather for our final farewell dinner, served with local wine. Overnight in Rome. (B, D)

Following an early breakfast and guesthouse check out, we will board our bus and transfer to the Rome International Airport for our return flights home. (B)