Arrive at Fiumicino International Airport - Leonardo da Vinci 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 Tours Travel guide and driver, who will accompany you throughout the pilgrimage. Transfer to Assisi (2.5 hours) from the airport with lunch en route to the hotel where check-in begins at 3:00 pm.

Check-in, dinner and overnight in Assisi.

Following breakfast at the hotel, we begin the day with a walking tour of Assisi. We tour The Basilica Santa Chiara, honoring St. Clare, the foundress of the Poor Sisters of Clare.  This basilica houses her incorrupt body and many of the saint’s relics.  St. Clare is considered the spiritual sister of St. Francis and followed his teachings closely, also living a life of profound poverty and humility. We proceed to Santuario della Spogliazione to venerate the tomb of  St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial to be deemed Blessed and to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Our tour continues as we walk through this picturesque medieval village, seeing the birthplace and home of St. Francis, and then on to the majestic Basilica of St. Francis.  At this basilica, we see the magnificent frescoes of Giotto which depict the life of the humble saint. In the lower basilica, we visit the tomb of St. Francis and have time for personal prayer and reflection.  Mass time and location to be confirmed. Lunch on your own and free afternoon to explore Assisi!

Dinner & overnight in Assisi.

An early breakfast and we travel a short way outside the walls of Assisi to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, 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.  A visit to the beautiful Rose Garden, where St. Francis and other friars lived, as well as the cave where the saint retired to pray.  Mass location and time to be confirmed.  Free afternoon for lunch and leisure in Assisi!

Dinner & overnight in Assisi.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we ride through the beautiful surrounding areas of Assisi to visit the deeply spiritual town of La Verna. We visit the Sanctuary of La Verna, where St. Francis received the stigmata in 1224.  Mass is celebrated here this day. A memorable day trip with charming Italian countryside along the way. Dinner and overnight in Assisi. 

Following an early breakfast and a fasting hour, Mass is celebrated in Assisi prior to our day trip to Norcia, in the province of Perugia, birthplace of Sts. Scholastica and Benedict (1 hour).  We visit the Church of St. Benedict which has been rebuilt after the nave was destroyed in the earthquake of 2016.  We drive uphill to Monte to visit Monastero di San Benedetto, perched above the ancient town of Norcia. This monastery is home to the Monks of Norcia who continue to live by the rule of St. Benedict: Ora et Labora (“Pray and Work”). Living by prayer and the work of their hands, the monks helped fund the reconstruction of the church through the sales of their award-winning beer at the brewery of  “The Birra Nursia”!  An unforgettable lunch (included) and beer tasting here and time to walk the serene hilltop grounds – confirmation pending.

We travel to Rome this afternoon (3 hours).

Check-in, dinner & overnight in Rome.

After a very early breakfast at the hotel, we attend the Papal Audience in

St. Peter’s Square, celebrated at 9 a.m. each Wednesday by The Holy See, Pope Leo IX (papal schedule permitting).  Pilgrims are encouraged to bring special medals, rosaries, and other religious items to be blessed, as following the pope’s themed speech, prayers and homily, he offers a general blessing.

Lunch on your own nearby before a tour of the magnificent Vatican Museum (Tapestry Gallery, Raphael Rooms, and the Sistine Chapel) and we end the afternoon at St. Peter’s Basilica, where we visit several iconic Catholic treasures including Michelangelo's Pieta and the tomb of St. Pope John Paul II prior to a 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 and overnight in Rome.

After breakfast, we drive the Appian Way, the earliest road of Ancient Rome, to visit the ancient Catacombs and Basilica of St. Sebastian, where Mass is celebrated this day.  We stop at the Church of Domine Quo Vadis, where according to tradition, St. Peter, fleeing the city to avoid martyrdom, met the Resurrected Christ to whom he addressed the following words, “Domine, quo vadis?” (Lord, where are you going?) and the Lord replied, “Venio Romam iterum crucifigi” (I am coming to Rome to be crucified again). Peter, understanding the rebuke, went back to face his fate and Jesus disappeared but, in disappearing, left his footprints on the road. As evidence of what happened,  a stone with the imprints of Jesus’ “Holy Feet" lies on the floor inside the church. (The stone is a copy; the original is kept in the Basilica of San Sebastiano.)  We then visit the magnificent Papal Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls. This basilica stands over the site where St. Paul was buried after his beheading under Emperor Nero and was originally founded by Emperor Constantine in the late 4th century. Lunch on your own at the basilica’s café with time to browse the adjoining gift shop.  We end the day with a walking tour of the Imperial Rome area. Starting at the Colosseum (outside visit), we continue to the Roman Forum: the religious, political, and commercial center of ancient Rome, and for centuries, of the entire civilized world. We will see the Arches of Constantine and Titus and visit the Church of St Francesca Romana, also known as Santa Maria Nova.

Dinner & overnight in Rome.

Following breakfast, we begin our day in Rome with a visit to the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major. Here, we celebrate Mass near the high altar (pending confirmation), under which lies the Crypt of the 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. 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 Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Pope. Known as the “Mother and Head of all Churches in the World”, it is the oldest of the four papal basilicas, established by Emperor Constantine in 324 AD. Within its grand interior are colossal statues of the Twelve Apostles, standing as timeless witnesses to the Church’s foundation on their faith. Notably, St. Paul is included in place of St. Matthias, reflecting his foundational role in the spread of the Gospel. The two “holy heads” of Sts. Peter and Paul are enclosed in 2 ornate reliquaries high above the altar in this magnificent basilica.  Across from the basilica, 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.  In the afternoon, we enjoy leisure time in the heart of Rome, visiting iconic landmarks such as the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, and the beautiful Piazza Navona.

Dinner and overnight in Rome.

After breakfast, we travel to Castel Gondolfo, “the Pope’s City”, the summer and holiday home of Holy Fathers for nearly 400 years (one hour).  Mass is celebrated at the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, designed by Bernini and located in the town’s central piazza. We visit the Apostolic Palace and Papal Gardens, overlooking the natural beauty and peace of Lake Albano.

Lunch on your own with some free time for prayer and reflection prior to returning to Rome for our final night.

Dinner & overnight in Rome.

Following our final breakfast at the hotel, we bid farewell to this beautiful, holy part of the world having walked in the footsteps of some of her great saints!  Transfer to Fiumicino International Airport for departure to the USA. Ciao Italia!

A note from Trinity Tours Travels:

We are honored to have you travel with us and appreciate your trust in

Trinity Tour Travels! Though every effort will sincerely be made to follow the above itinerary, it should be considered as a template of the journey, rather than a “contract” of sites to be visited.  There are times when local religious or national holidays, weather, traffic challenges, etc., may cause us to have to make changes in our schedule.  This MAY result in a change in the sequence of sites visited or, on the rare occasion, the missing of some certain site visits entirely.

As with all in life, we encourage the acceptance of possible change with a cheerful heart…after all, it is sometimes the unexpected that often makes the most beautiful memories!  Enjoy your trip to the fullest and relish every moment!