Shrines of Italy - Faith-Based Travel

14 days
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USTOA

Group Tour
On this comprehensive affordable journey through Catholic heritage in Italy, witness the most visited shrines of the country, from north to south. Discover the inspiring Catholic Italian icons of northern Italy: From Milan’s St. Ambrose to Turin’s St. John Bosco and Padua’s St. Anthony, you’ll collect unforgettable memories and inspiration. Visit the Holy Shr...
From$3,099
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Overview

Trip type
Group Tour
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Strenuous
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

What's this trip about?

    On this comprehensive affordable journey through Catholic heritage in Italy, witness the most visited shrines of the country, from north to south. Discover the inspiring Catholic Italian icons of northern Italy: From Milan’s St. Ambrose to Turin’s St. John Bosco and Padua’s St. Anthony, you’ll collect unforgettable memories and inspiration. Visit the Holy Shroud Museum in Turin and the Gothic Duomo in Milan, and marvel at the unique beauty of the Carthusian Monastery of Pavia. Discover the history of musical notes at the Abbey of Pomposa and admire the early Christian artwork of the Byzantine era in Ravenna. Spend two full days in Rome, dedicating your attention to the Papal legacies. Attend the Papal Audience (subject to availability), visit the four major Basilicas of Rome, attend Mass, and collect in prayer at many inspiring places of worship instilling a sense of solemnity and serenity. Enjoy a special treat as you visit the Papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo and its gardens, the perfect spot to meditate surrounded by beauty. From here, your spiritual experience continues to the places of some of Italy’s most beloved saints, like St. Pio in Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo, and to the Marian Sanctuaries of Loreto and Lanciano. You’ll also feel the magic atmosphere of Assisi, home to St. Francis and St. Clare, immersed in the enchanting green hills of Umbria.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age range6 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start City MILAN, ITALY
End CityROME

Travel Themes

  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Religious

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Italy

Attractions

  • Assisi
  • Milan
  • Padua
  • Puglia
  • Rome
  • Turin

Activities

  • Culture

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: ARRIVE IN MILAN, ITALY

Check into your hotel and spend free time exploring this busy city on your own before meeting your tour companions and Tour Director for an included welcome dinner at your hotel. (Dinner)

Day 2: MILAN

Dedicate the morning to Milan's most important Catholic churches: St. Ambrose Basilica and the Gothic Duomo. St. Ambrose is the patron saint of beekeepers, beggars, learners, and Milan. Celebrate [M] Mass and discover the treasures of the Basilica and the Duomo with a Local Guide. (Breakfast)

Day 3: MILAN–TURIN

Turin is known in the Catholic community worldwide as the home of the Holy Shroud, only available to the public on very special occasions. The city was also home to St. John Bosco, the priest who founded the Salesian religious institute to help poor children with the...

Day 4: TURIN–PAVIA–PADUA

Pavia boasts a beautiful Carthusian Monastery, built in the 1400s by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The monastery is one of Italy’s “hidden treasures” with lavish decorations and it is inhabited and looked after by monks who still live a traditional life of seclusion and prayer. Today's Distance: 245 mi / 395 km (Breakfast,Dinner)

Day 5: PADUA–POMPOSA–RAVENNA

Attend morning [M] Mass and visit St. Anthony Basilica in Padua with a Local Guide, then enjoy a short city sightseeing tour and time on your own. In the afternoon, on the way to Ravenna, we’ll stop to see the Abbey of Pomposa, where the Benedictine monk Guido d’Arezzo invented modern musical notation in the 11th century. Today’s Distance: 85 mi / 137 km (Breakfast)

Day 6: RAVENNA–ROME

UNESCO declared the early Christian monuments of Ravenna as having “outstanding universal value.” Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian mosaics and place...

Day 7: ROME

Today you have the unique chance to attend the Papal Audience in the Vatican (subject to availability). Afterwards, enjoy an included city tour with a Local Guide to see the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where St. Paul was buried after his martyrdom, St. Jo...

Day 8: ROME

A special treat today: Visit the Papal Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo. Wander through its manicured gardens, an opportunity to reflect and meditate in quiet and relaxing surroundings. Walk through the rooms where many Popes have spent the summer months in the co...

Day 9: ROME–PIETRELCINA–SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO

On your way south, stop in quaint Pietrelcina to visit the house where the beloved St. Pio was born. Then, head towards San Giovanni Rotondo on the east coast, the Saint’s home from 1916 until his death in 1968. Today’s Distance: 258 mi / 415 km (Breakfast,Dinner)

Day 10: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO. EXCURSION TO MONTE SANT’ANGELO

Attend [M] Mass this morning at Santa Maria delle Grazie (Old Church), then visit St. Pio's friary, including his tomb, cell, confessional, and St. Pio Pilgrimage Church (New Church). Afterwards, take a short drive to the nearby Shrine of Monte Sant’Angelo, one of Ch...

Day 11: SAN GIOVANNI ROTONDO–LANCIANO–LORETO–ASSISI AREA

Visit St. Francis Church in Lanciano, home of the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle, and attend morning [M] Mass. Continue to the famous Marian Sanctuary of Loreto for a guided visit including the Holy House, where, according to tradition, angels transported the h...

Day 12: ASSISI

Today, learn more about St. Francis, patron saint of animals and the environment. Attend early morning [M] Mass at St. Francis Basilica, famous for its 14th-century Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Meet your Local Guide and visit the Upper and Lower...

Day 13: ASSISI AREA–CASCIA–ROME

Travel to Cascia, a scenic town located in Umbria and home of St. Rita, the “Patron Saint of Impossible Causes.” Visit the Sanctuary and see the Major Basilica, housing the chapel with St. Rita's tomb. Stop in prayer at the Minor Basilica, site of the Eucharistic Mir...

Day 14: ROME

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,099
Price per day$221
Last Updated: 3/13/2024
Start Date
Finish Date
Base Price
Availability
18 Apr 2024
01 May 2024
$3,449
Please Call
11 Jun 2024
24 Jun 2024
$3,199
Available
29 Aug 2024
11 Sep 2024
$3,179
Sold Out
14 Sep 2024
27 Sep 2024
$3,179
Available
03 Oct 2024
16 Oct 2024
$3,099
Available
01 May 2025
14 May 2025
$3,799
Available
11 Jun 2025
24 Jun 2025
$3,519
Available
28 Aug 2025
10 Sep 2025
$3,499
Available
14 Sep 2025
27 Sep 2025
$3,499
Available
02 Oct 2025
15 Oct 2025
$3,399
Available

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The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

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Accommodation

Ramada Plaza MilanoHoliday Inn Corso FranciaHotel NH PadovaNH RavennaIbis Styles Roma AureliaParco Delle RoseCasa LeonoriBV Oly Hotel,
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Age Requirements
6 years and up
Trip ID
COSMOS-5365

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