Christmas Pilgrimage to Italy with Father Augustine Tran

Dates

December 27, 2011 – January 3, 2012

Cities

Florence, Rome, Pompeii

Itinerary

Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Overnight flight from ATL to Rome.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Florence: After landing in Rome, we’ll head north through Tuscany to Florence. This is the art capital of Europe and we’ll begin with the trophy of the Renaissance, Michelangelo’s David. Next we’ll visit the Duomo and celebrate Mass in the cathedral of Florence. Just outside, we’ll see Ghiberti’s famous doors of the Baptistry. We’ll have an early dinner tonight before returning to our hotel.

Thursday, December 29, 2011
Florence: This morning we’ll journey back into the Renaissance with a visit to Santa Croce to visit the ‘Who’s Who’ of Florence. Here we’ll see the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo with funerary monuments to other hometown heros, Machiavelli and Dante. We’ll celebrate Mass here. You’ll have a few hours of free time to explore Florence before we meet up and tour the impressive Uffizi Gallery. Here we’ll see works by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and many more.

Friday, December 30, 2011
Rome: We’ll depart early this morning and travel to the Eternal City. We’ll first experience early Christian Rome with a visit to the San Callisto Catacombs. Our guide will lead us deep underground to where so many early Christians, including six popes and Saint Cecilia, were laid to rest. Then we’ll visit the burial place of Saint Paul, the ancient basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. We’ll celebrate Mass here. Then we’ll get settled in to our hotel. After a short break for lunch and rest, we’ll dig in to Ancient Rome with tours of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Capital Hill. We’ll also visit Mamertine Prison, which once held Saints Peter and Paul. We’ll end at the Pantheon.

Saturday, December 31, 2011
Rome: We’ll start with an early Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica. After breakfast, we’ll tour the Vatican Museums. Here we’ll see masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Leonardo, and more. We’ll spend some prayerful time in the Sistine Chapel before crossing over into Saint Peter’s to tour the basilica. We’ll end inside the basilica, giving you the opportunity for prayer or even adventure, in climbing Michelangelo’s dome. Tonight we’ll attend the Vespers and Te Deum with the Holy Father.

Sunday, January 1, 2012
Rome: We’ll start the new year with Mass with the Holy Father! After breaking for lunch, we’ll reflect on the Passion of our Lord. We’ll begin at Santa Croce in Gerusalemme which holds relics of the Passion, including two thorns from the crown of thorns, a nail from the crucifixion, a portion of the Titulus, and splinters from the cross. Next we’ll walk to Scala Santa, the stairs Christ climbed the day he was sentenced to death. You’ll have the opportunity to climb the stairs on your knees. From here we’ll visit the Cathedral of Rome, Saint John Lateran.

Monday, January 2, 2012
Rome: This morning we’ll celebrate an early morning Mass at Saint Mary Major. Then we’ll hop aboard a train as we travel south to Ancient Pompeii. We’ll hug the coast of Italy surrounded by the Mediterranean sea and an active volcano! We’ll tour the ancient ruins and see what life was like nearly 2,000 years ago! Once back in Rome, we’ll see city in a different light – floodlight – as we walk a path from Piazza Navona to the Pantheon to the Trevi Fountain to the Spanish Steps. We’ll have dinner along the way.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Return to ATL from Rome.

Included

Flight
Roundtrip airfare from Atlanta to Rome. All fuel taxes already included in the price.

Accommodations for 6 nights
Centrally located hotels.

“The hotels Mountain booked us in were wonderful. The staff in each hotel spoke English, were warm, personable and very helpful. The hotels were clean and centrally located to area.” – Dee H.

Breakfast daily plus 5 additional meals
Who travels to Italy to eat at a hotel? All our meals are in authentic Italian restaurants. All family owned and operated. And, of course, drinks are included in your price.

“The little corner restaurants and old delis are where the true Italian food is made and that’s where we went! Also, we got gelato every day, sometimes twice a day!” – Lauren M.

All group ground transportation
We’ll be traveling by train, metro and private motor coach. If we do it as a group, the price is already covered.

Full time service of a guide
Visiting new countries can be intimidating! That’s why you will have an experienced American guide with you at all times.

“If Jack Bauer was a Catholic tour guide, he’d be Mountain.” – John S.

Local guides per itinerary
Some places command the knowledge of a scholar. That is why we employ professional local guides for Ancient Rome, the Vatican Museums Ancient Pompeii and the Uffizi.

“Our guides were excellent, great people, personalities, kept us on time so we did not miss a thing, well informed providing us with a wealth of information.” – Barbara B.

No hidden costs
If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price! You are responsible only for a few meals you have on your own and any souvenirs you wish to buy. Tips, fuel, air taxes, drinks? Already included!

Guaranteed cost
Once we receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up, even if the Euro increases!

All tips for group meals, local guides and drivers
Would you believe that many tour companies require you to tip as you go? Not only does that add to the advertised sticker price of a tour, it’s also a huge hassle to you! No need to worry about that here. Tips are already included and we take care of that behind the scenes.

Entry fees and tours
Entry fees and tours to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Catacombs, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint Paul, Saint John Lateran, Saint Mary Major, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Santa Croce (Florence), Duomo, Baptistry, Uffizi, Ancient Pompeii.

“The price was very affordable for everything that was provided. Just the flight alone cost more than the whole tour. The meals provided were EXCELLENT. The tours were well worth the admission fees and the churches that we visited were priceless.” – Rena V.

Social planning
Plan your trip with your traveling companions before you leave! We set up private Facebook groups for each tour. If you don’t already know everyone on the trip, this gives you a chance to meet before you meet!

“The Facebook group has been a really fun part of preparing for our trip. I’ve been able to really get to know my fellow pilgrims, sharing our lives (and fun stories!) through our various interactions on the group. I’ve been able to meet 5 fellow pilgrims in person because we became friends on the Facebook page – this would not have happened if Mountain didn’t set it up for us. It’s actually made me more excited for the trip!” – Sarah V.

You time
We have a lot planned, but this is a pilgrimage and time on your own is important. We take our time in churches to give you the opportunity for prayer and reflection. We also include free time for you to explore, shop and relax on your own.

“Mountain was also very helpful during the “free time” of the trip. He gave us great recommendations on food and places to see. He has been to these places so many times that he had an answer to almost any question we threw at him. – Sarah D.

Price

$2,900
$500 deposit secures your spot
Final payment of $2,400 due Nov. 1

Small group! Space is limited!

Understanding Tour Prices
Tour prices can be very deceiving, making it difficult to compare. Here’s a short list to consider when comparing prices:

Does the price include all fuel and taxes for your flight? Usually it does not! This can add $300 – $400 on top of that ‘low’ sticker price! The Catholic Traveler always includes air, fuel and departure taxes in the advertised price!

Where is your hotel located? Outside of town? If it’s not in the heart of the city, factor in transportation cost for free time activities! Not only does this add to the cost of the trip, but it also costs you valuable time! Our groups always stay in convenient, centrally located hotels!

Where are you eating? Most tour companies stick to the hotel dining room. Did you really go to Italy to eat at a hotel? Our groups always dine in local, family owned restaurants!

Are drinks included? Not usually! And wine at a three hour dinner can really add up! Our group meals always include unlimited water and wine!

Are tips included? Most of the time, travelers are expected to provide daily tips for meals, drivers, guides and hotel staff. That’s fun to keep up with! The Catholic Traveler always includes all tips in the advertised price!

Sign Up

Is this tour for you?

Please review the following before committing to this trip!

You must be able to carry your own luggage. You are responsible for your luggage and buses are not always able to pull right up to our hotels. Keep this in mind when trying to decide how many pairs of shoes to bring!

You should be in good physical shape. We will do a lot of walking, much of it outside. Somedays we may cover two to three miles at a decent pace. In the Vatican Museums alone, we can cover several miles! Assisi is a hill town and, at times, we will literally be going up hill both ways!

You must be flexible! This is Italy, things may close without notice, a protest could spring up without warning. But, it’s not all negative, great things come up unexpectedly as well. Being flexible is the key for happy travels!

Questions? Please call 404.717.2460 or email The Catholic Traveler to discuss!

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