Price: $4,100 (land-only)
Included: Accommodations for eight nights, seven meals, all tips for meals and local guides.
The priest: Father Michael Baggot
The Passion Play
The Oberammergau Passion Play dates back to the 17th Century. During the Thirty Years War, the people of Oberammergau vowed to celebrate the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord every ten years if their village would be spared from the plague that was ravaging the area.
During the five-hour-performance, more than 2000 participants bring the story of Jesus to the open-air stage of the Passion Play Theater.
2022 marks just the 42nd time the Passion Play has been offered.
Itinerary
Friday, May 27th
Your overnight flight to Vienna.
Saturday, May 28th
This afternoon we’ll stroll through the neighborhood to get aquatinted with the area. We’ll celebrate Mass before dinner together in a local restaurant.
Sunday, May 29th
This morning we will have a walking tour of Vienna. We will see the Opera House, Parliament, Donner Fountain, and Hofburg Palace. We will tour the cathedral and visit the Weeping Madonna. After lunch we will tour the Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens, the residence of the Hapsburg emperors. We will end the day with Mass in the Carmelite Convent near the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Bowed Head. Dinner together at a local restaurant.
Monday, May 30th
Today we travel through the Austrian countryside to the Basilica of Maria Taferl, overlooking the Danube River. We will celebrate Mass here. Next we will visit the Milk Abbey. After a lunch break we will take a short 90 minute cruise on the Danube from Melk to Durnstein (weather permitting). Dinner on your own once we get back to Vienna.
Tuesday, May 31st
Today we visit the Shrine of Mariaplain, where we will celebrate Mass. When we arrive in Salzburg we will tour the city. Dinner together at a local restaurant.
Wednesday, June 1st
This morning we’ll visit the village of Oberndorf where “Silent Night” was written. We’ll celebrate Mass in the chapel. Then we travel to Hallstatt in the Austrian Lake District. Dinner on your own.
Thursday, June 2nd
Today we visit Marktl am Inn, the hometown of Pope Benedict. We’ll visit his birthplace and the church of Saint Oswald, where he was baptized. We’ll make a stop at the village of Altotting and celebrate Mass in the Shrine near the Smiling Madonna. We’ll have dinner together this evening back in Salzburg.
Friday, June 3rd
Today we travel to Oberammergau. We’ll have Mass and lunch on arrival. This afternoon the Passion Play begins at 2:30 PM and runs until 5:00 PM. We will have a dinner break before the second act of the play begins at 8:00 PM and ends at 10:30 PM.
Saturday, June 4th
Today we head to Munich, stopping to visit the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein. We’ll have a tour of Munich on arrival. Mass and dinner together this evening.
Sunday, June 5th
Your flight home from Munich.
Price
$4,100 per person (land only)
$1,000 deposit secures your spot. Tour deposit is fully refundable for 14 days from the time you make your deposit.
Final payment of $3,100 is due April 1st, 2022. Final payment is nonrefundable.
This cost is for double occupancy. Traveling alone? No problem! You’ll have a chance to ‘meet’ the other solo travelers before the trip and pick a roommate. This usually works out well. If you really prefer to have your own single room, there is a single supplement of $800.
Included in the price
Accommodations for 8 nights
Vienna: Hilton Vienna Park
Salzburg: Imlauer & Brau
Oberammergau: Posthotel and Arnika (this is a really small town, so the group is evenly divided into two hotels for the night)
Munich: Courtyard City Center
Breakfast daily plus 7 additional meals
Drinks, including beer and wine, is included in our five restaurant meals. The lunch and dinner in Oberammergau do not include beer and wine as they are part of the Passion Play experience.
All group ground transportation
We’ll be traveling in a private motor coach.
Full time service of a tour director
Visiting new countries can be intimidating! That’s why you will have an experienced Catholic American tour director (me!) with you at all times.
Local guide
We will have local experts with us throughout the pilgrimage.
No hidden costs
If we do it as a group, it’s included in the price! You are responsible only for the meals you have on your own, souvenirs you wish to buy, and anything you want to do in your free time. Tips, air taxes, drinks with meals? Already included!
Guaranteed price
Once I receive your deposit, your tour price will not go up!
All tips for group meals, 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
All entry fees and tours to our included group activities.
Social planning
Plan your trip with your traveling companions before you leave! We set up private Facebook groups for each tour to give you a chance to meet before you meet!
You time
We have a lot planned, but 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.
Is this trip for you?
You should be in good physical shape.
We will do a lot of walking, much of it outside, and much of it on uneven ground. We average around 5 miles per day. Please do consider this before signing up.
You need to be able to carry your own luggage.
You are responsible for your luggage and getting it from the plane to the bus and the bus to your hotel rooms. I will provide a thorough packing list to help you pack lightly and efficiently.
You must be flexible.
This is Europe, 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!
Cancellations
When Oberammergau moved from 2020 to 2022 I offered full refunds to everyone who had signed up. Most pilgrimage companies did not because the trip was technically “postponed.”
For all my 2021 pilgrimages I am offering full refunds for any reason up to three weeks before departure.
I assume things will be back to normal by summer 2022, but I am going to continue offering a very generous cancellation policy. If you should need to cancel for any reason on or before March 1st, you’ll get a full refund. After March 1st, and until May 1st, you can still cancel for any reason and be refunded the full price minus the $1,000 deposit.
As countries reopen and get back to normal, we will keep a watch on requirements for entry and rules for visiting. If something comes up that makes you uncomfortable with how a country is handling things, refer to the cancellation policy dates, so you can get your money back.
Sign up
Use the form below to sign up for this pilgrimage. If you have any questions, email me at mtn@thecatholictraveler.com
Optional Trip Insurance
If you think there is any chance you may need to cancel, I recommend you purchase travel insurance. A “Cancel for Any Reason” plan will let you, well, cancel for ‘most’ any reason. Most plans should allow for at least a 75% refund should you need to cancel at any time before departure. I have a friend who specializes in trip insurance, you can contact him directly, but you are under no obligation to use him and I don’t get any sort of kick backs, so shop around and find what is best for you.
Deposit Info
You’ll be able to pay by credit card or check. Payment info will be emailed to you once you sign up.