General

We are more than willing to organize on request tours for our guests throughout Italy to discover more of the spectacular and enriching art, culture, food experience that you will never find anywhere else in the world. Please check out our itineraries, and make sure to ask us for any possible customization. We are here for you.

Day 1

Arrival in Rome Airport. Pick up from the airport with a tour bus and guide who will take you to your hotel.  Meeting with our guide for a welcome appetizer and explore the option to organize a light walking excursion in Rome the same day/evening. You will have the opportunity to meet, greet and converse with your Italian guides. We hope to meet all of your travel needs, so please feel free to ask your guide as many questions as possible about touring Rome: the eternal city. You will also be given the option to book a table in one of our selected speciality Roman restaurants.

Day 2

Pick up by tour bus and guide.  Today, we will follow the steps of the Apostle Paul in his last two years on the earth.  First stop: Mamertine Prison.  Both Paul and Peter were believed to have been imprisoned here before their execution.  Paul was executed at Aquas Salvias, and Peter in Nero’s circus on the Vatican Hill. Paul wrote about his imprisonment several times in his letters, for an example see Philippians 1:13.  It is also believe that Paul wrote the entire book of 2 Timothy in this prison.  Our next location will be the Tre Fontane Abbey.  Legend tells that Apostle Paul was beheaded by Emperor Nero’s order. His head struck the earth in three different places in which fountains sprang forth. Our final destination for the day will be the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls. The Basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine over the burial place the Apostle Paul, where it was said that, after the Apostle Paul’s execution, his followers erected a memorial. You will have free time at night for dinner at the restaurant of your choosing.

Day 3

Pick up by tour bus and guide.  We will begin our day by following the steps of Apostle Peter.  We will first visit St. Peter’s Basilica and Square.  Apostle Peter was crucified upside down in the center of the square as prophesied in John 21:18-19, and it is believed that he is buried deep beneath the Basilica in the original cave. St. Peter is considered the first Pope. Many Christians were crucified in this square. We will then climb to the top of St. Peter’s dome “cupola” and enjoy a breathtaking view of Rome.We will end our tour in the Vatican by visiting the world reknown and breathtaking Sistine Chapel. We will then visit the Arch of Titus, constructed in AD 82 by the Emperor Domitian.  The arch celebrates the older brother’s Titus’ victories.  It also shows Roman soldiers carrying off treasures from Jerusalem as the temple was destroyed in AD 70.  Jesus predicted this destruction in AD 33 (Matthew 24:1-2).  We will return to our hotel for a special dinner together.

Day 4 

Pick up by tour bus and guide. Our destination will be the Catacombs of St. Callixtus, where many early Christians and Popes are buried.  The catacombs is on approximately 90 acres of land, layered with tunnels and hidden chambers, the catacombs were used as a burial ground and hideout for the early Christians. We will then visit the Santa Scala, the Holy Stairs climbed by Jesus to his trial in Pontus Pilate’s palace, and brought to Rome by Constantine’s mother Helen in 326 AD. Martin Luther heard God’s voice and made his stand against indulgences on this very staircase.  Our final destination for the late day will be the Appian Way, the famous ancient Roman road, where St. Peter saw a vision of the risen Christ (near the Chapel of Domine Quo Vadis).  You will have free time at night for dinner at the restaurant of your choosing.

Day 5

Pick up by tour bus and guide.  Make sure your bags are packed and your luggage is in tow because we will be heading South to Monte Cassino Monastery, the monastery of St. Benedict 480-543, the patron saint of Europe and the founder of western monasticism.  Here Benedict drew up his famous RULE. Benedict died here, forty days after his sister Scholastica. Both are buried here. The monastery has had a difficult past, suffering from pillage, and natural disasters and total destruction 4 times. It was the site of a terrible battle during World War II that resulted in great loss of life and complete destruction of the buildings.  It was rebuilt using the original blueprints and the relics of Saint Benedict survived the turmoil.  We will the stop in quaint Pietralcina, birthplace of the beloved St. Pio, before heading towards San Giovanni Rotondo on the eastern coast, the location of St. Pio’s home from 1916 until his death in 1968.  We will check in late at night and we have a quick dinner on the way back.

Day 6 

Pick up by tour bus and guide.  We begin with service at the Church of Santa Marie delle Grazie. We then visit the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes and St. Francis of Assisi have knelt in prayer at this Grotto, seeking the protection of St. Michael. This is one of the most celebrated shrines of early Christianity. And it is believed that the Archangel Michael visited this location 490, 492, and 1656. Free afternoon to hang around in Rome city streets.

Day  7

Pick up by your tour bus and guide.  Make use you have your luggage… as we will be spending the next two days in the town of Assisi, the home of St. Francis and St. Clare.  We will check into a hotel in the town of Assisi. We will first visit the Eremo delle Carceri hermitage, secluded a few miles outside of Assisi.  We will travel there by car service, as the roads are too narrow for buses.  Here, we will experience God’s nature as St Francis.  Please come with journals in hand as you will have time for silent prayer and meditation. We will then visit the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, which contains the Porziuncola, built by St. Francis.  We will also visit the location of St. Francis’ death.  We will visit the Basilica of St. Francis and take walking tours visiting the sites associated with St. Clare and St. Francis.  We will also visit the Church of St. Clare.  You will be given free time to explore these sites on your own.  Evenings, we will have dinner together at our hotel.

Day 8

We will spend this day in the blessed atmosphere of Umbria region. With its beautiful surroundings, the small churches set in green fields and the presence of St. Francis under each rock… we will discover two small towns enriched of history and art. Orvieto and Spello are two precious gemstones out of normal touristic routes and that give to our guests the feeling of being just unknown strangers in a holy land. The day will include a lunch in a typical italian restaurant and the dinner in the hotel where you will be lodged.

Day 9

Check out from the hotel and pick up with the bus and guide that will take you Rome.  In Rome, you will check into your hotel and enjoy a meal on your own with your traveling companions.  You will spend your last day in Rome at the Vatican Museum or if you wish to go around for souvenirs. Please ask our staff for places to buy special praying gifts.

Day 10

Then the following day you will check out of your hotel and be taken by tour bus to the airport.  We thank you for giving us the opportunity to share these sacred moments and spaces with you.  May your hearts and minds be awakened… We welcome you back to Italy with wide arms whenever you deem fit…

The tour includes:

• car and guide everywhere it s mentioned in the tour program
• entrances where indicated
• Audio guide in Vatican museum
• meals where indicated
• transfer from/to airport

The tour does not include:

• tips for your driver and for the guides
• meals where not indicated
• transportation where not indicated