Classic Italy

Day 1: Depart USA
Depart the USA from your local airport. Enjoy a full meal and inflight entertainment (movies, music, etc.) on your overnight flight to Rome, Italy.

Day 2: Arrival in Rome

Benvenuti in Italia! Arrive at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport-Fiumicino in Rome, where you proceed to Baggage Claim and to the Arrivals Hall. Outside of the Arrivals Hall, you will be greeted by our local Trinity Tour Travels guide and driver, who will accompany you throughout the pilgrimage. Contingent on arrival time, our journey begins at the one of the 4 papal basilicas, The Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where a Mass of Thanksgiving is celebrated. We enjoy an unforgettable tour of the basilica (consecrated in 324 and built over the tomb of St. Paul) where we see the series of mosaic portraits of every pope in history, learn about the history of this magnificent structure, see the chain that bound St. Paul during his imprisonment in Rome, and see his final resting place. Lunch is on your own at the basilica’s cafe, followed by time at the gift shop (for the purchase of affordable religious items to be blessed by the pope the following day). We visit Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis nearby where tradition holds St. Peter met the Risen Christ asking, “Lord, where are you going?”  Jesus replied, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again.”  What makes this location particularly amazing is that Jesus is said to have left behind a marble slab with His footprints, which have been venerated by pilgrims for centuries.  

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Rome. 

Day 3: Rome - Papal Audience  |  Vatican Museums  |  St. Peter's Basilica

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we attend the Papal General Audience in St. Peter’s Square, celebrated at 9 a.m. each Wednesday by His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV (pending the papal schedule). Pilgrims are encouraged to bring special medals, rosaries and other religious items to be blessed. Following the pope’s themed talk and homily, he offers a blessing!  

Lunch on your own before a tour of the magnificent Vatican Museum (Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel) and we end the day with a tour of St. Peter’s Basilica, where we first see Michelangelo's Pieta and the tomb of St. Pope John Paul II.  We walk through the basilica, which ends underground at the Tomb of St. Peter. Mass this day at church near St. Peter Square (time and location to be confirmed).  

Dinner & overnight in Rome.

Day 4: Rome - St. Mary Major  |  St. John Lateran  |  Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
After breakfast at the hotel, we visit the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.  Here near the altar lies the Crypt of Nativity. Encased in a crystal reliquary are the relics traditionally believed to be fragments of the wood from the Holy Crib in which the Infant Jesus was laid in Bethlehem. The basilica also holds the tomb of St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church, who translated the Bible into Latin. It was in this sacred church that St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, offered his first Mass as a priest in 1538. St. Mary Major is also associated with the remarkable Miracle of the Snow and is also the final resting place of Pope Francis. We continue to the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme.  Built to house relics of the Passion of Our Lord, this basilica contains an extraordinary collection: a piece of the True Cross, a nail from the Crucifixion, thorns believed to be from Christ’s Crown, the titulus (the sign placed above Jesus’ head), and even the finger of St. Thomas, the Apostle who touched the Risen Lord’s wounds. We then visit the Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope. Known as the “Mother of all Churches in the World”, it is the oldest of the 4 papal basilicas, originally established by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. Within its grand interior are colossal statues of the Twelve Apostles, standing as timeless witnesses to the Church’s foundation on their faith. The two “holy heads” of Sts. Peter and Paul are enclosed in 2 ornate reliquaries high above the altar in this magnificent basilica. Crossing the street, we visit the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), believed to be the very staircase that Jesus ascended during His Passion to face Pontius Pilate. These marble steps were brought to Rome by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. Today, they are encased in wood to protect them, but pilgrims can ascend them on their knees as a powerful act of penance and devotion. Small openings in the wooden risers allow glimpses—and sometimes physical contact—with the original marble. Mass time and location to be confirmed.  Lunch on your own nearby and leisure time in the city center for visiting The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Navona Square (schedule permitting). Mass time and location to be confirmed. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

Day 5: Rome  |  Assisi

After breakfast and check-out, we travel through Tuscany to Assisi (2.5 hours). The birthplace of St. Francis, this charming town’s atmosphere has not changed much since the humble saint began his ministry here in the early 13th century. We start our tour at the Basilica of St. Francis, which contains a series of frescoes depicting the “Life of St. Francis” as well as several of the saint’s personal possessions and most notably, his tomb. We visit Santuario Della Spogliazione to visit the tomb of St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be canonized! St. Carlo is best known for his love of the Eucharist and his computer cataloging of eucharistic miracles throughout the world.  We continue our walk through Assisi to the birthplace of St. Francis and then tour the Basilica di Santa Chiara, where the incorrupt remains of St. Clare are contained. St. Clare founded the Poor Clare Sisters and closely followed the teachings of St. Francis while also living a life of poverty, humility, and great holiness. Free time this afternoon for more strolling, private prayer, shopping, and a late lunch on your own. By bus, we travel a short way to outside the walls of Assisi to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. This is where St. Francis spent most of his life. The basilica is made up of two structures: 1) The Porziuncola, where St. Francis first understood his vocation and renounced the world to live in poverty, and 2) The Capella de Transito, the small room where St. Francis died in 1226. Time follows to visit the beautiful Rose Garden (where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the humble saint retired to pray) and the gift and bookshop. Mass time and location to be confirmed. 

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Assisi.

Day 6: Assisi  |  La Verna  |  Assisi
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we travel through one of the most beautiful and peaceful routes in central Italy to visit the profoundly sacred town of La Verna (2 hours). We visit the Sanctuary of La Verna, where St. Francis received the stigmata in 1224 during his 40-day fast in honor of St. Michael. He is the first recorded saint in history to receive the stigmata. Lunch in LaVerna with Mass is celebrated here this day.  Dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Day 7: Assisi  |  Siena  |  Florence
Following breakfast and check-out, a scenic drive to the Tuscan city of Siena, the birthplace of St. Catherine of Siena, Doctor of the Church (2.5 hours). It is also the birthplace of St. Bernardine, the Apostle of Italy. We visit the Basilica of St. Catherine, known as the Basilica of St. Domenico, where St. Catherine spent much of her life and where the saint’s incorrupt head can be venerated (within a reliquary). St. Catherine’s family home is now the Shrine of St. Catherine, which is also visited and which contains her small bedroom, religious art and other relics. We stroll through the majestic medieval town of Siena and conclude at one of Italy’s best-known squares, the Piazza Del Campo. Free time for shopping, leisure strolls and lunch on your own before our travel to Florence, home of most of the world-renowned artists: Michelangelo, Raphael, DaVinci, Botticelli, and many, many others (1.5 hours). Free time this evening as schedule allows to explore the charming, winding streets of Florence and take in all its charm and beauty!  Mass time and location to be confirmed. Check-in, dinner & overnight in Florence.

Day 8: Florence

After breakfast, our day tour begins at the Basilica di Santa Croce, the Church of the Holy Cross. This magnificent basilica houses the tombs of Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, and other well-known figures in history. We walk the charming streets of Florence by Piazza Signorina, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio and the Republic Square to the magnificent Santa Maria del Fiore, the Florence Cathedral. We visit the L’Accademia, the gallery which contains the works of some of the world’s most famous artists, such as Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Pontormo. It is here that Michelangelo’s David is showcased. This afternoon, leisure time for lunch on your own, exploring, and shopping in this most memorable city.  Mass time and location to be confirmed. 

Dinner & overnight in Florence.

Day 9: Florence  |  Padua

Following breakfast and check-out, we travel to Padua (3 hours). Padua is most famous as the burial place of the Patron Saint of Lost Things and Causes, St. Anthony. Although born in Lisbon (1195), he became a Franciscan and died in Padua (1231). St. Anthony is a Doctor of the Church, known for his powerful preaching, excellent knowledge of scripture and his undying devotion to the poor and sick. His teachings are so captivating; it is not surprising that when exhumed in 1263, his tongue was found to be incorrupt. He was canonized less than a year after his death, making him one of the most quickly canonized saints in church history. We visit the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony where his tomb is located and where his incorrupt tongue and jaw can be venerated. Our day includes a sightseeing tour of the city with a stop at the Basilica of Santa Giustina (known as the patron saint of Padua) where her relics are housed, and where tradition maintains the relics of St. Luke kept as well. Lunch on your own with time to explore as schedule permits. Mass time and location to be confirmed. 

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Padua.

Day 11: Departure -  Venice  |  USA
Early breakfast and check-out and we transfer to Venice Marco Polo Airport for our return flight home. Ciao Italia e grazie per questo tempo di grazia e di benedizione!