Compare Shrines of Northern Italy & Rome - Faith-Based Travel by Cosmos vs A Taste of Italy by Sarracini Travel
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4 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 9 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 2,099 | $ 1,331 |
| Price Per Day | $ 233 | $ 166 |
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| Trip Style | Group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Premium |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
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| Meals Included |
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Daily Breakfast, 2 Lunches & 2 Dinners |
| Description | Catholic heritage in Italy extends well beyond the Vatican. Discover the inspiring Catholic Italian icons of northern Italy. From Milan’s St. Ambrose to Turin’s St. John Bosco and Padua’s St. Anthony, you’ll collect memories and inspiration that will remain with you for life. Visit the Holy Shroud Museum in Turin and the Gothic Duomo in Milan, and marvel at the unique beauty of the Carthusian Monastery of Pavia. Discover the history of musical notes at the Abbey of Pomposa and admire in awe the early Christian works of art of the Byzantine era in Ravenna. Spend two full days in Rome, focusing on the Papal legacies. Attend the Papal Audience (subject to availability), visit the four major Basilicas of Rome, join Mass, and collect in prayer at many inspiring places of worship instilling a sense of solemnity and serenity. Enjoy a special treat as you visit the Papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo and its gardens, the perfect spot to meditate surrounded by beauty. |
Like a creamy gelato or hot espresso, one taste of Italy can linger for a lifetime. Travelling from eternal Rome and up through the hazy hills of Tuscany, you’ll spend eight days sampling the best of Assisi, Siena, Florence, Bologna, Padova, Venice, and Montepulciano. Catch the spirit of La Vita Bella as you explore elegant Florentine piazzas, rummage through handcrafted artisanal treasures, sip world-class wines, and float down intimate Venetian canals. Extend your visit by 2-3 days to discover the treasures along Italy’s Amalfi coast, from charmingly gritty Naples to sun-bleached Capri! |
Day 1: ARRIVE IN MILAN, ITALY
Check into your hotel and, if you have time, start exploring this busy city on your own before meeting your tour companions and Tour Director during the included welcome dinner at your hotel. (Dinner)
Day 2: MILAN
Dedicate the morning to Milan’s most important Catholic churches: St Ambrose Basilica and the Gothic Duomo. St Ambrose is the patron saint of beekeepers, beggars, learners, and Milan. Celebrate [M] Mass and discover the treasures of the Basilica and the Duomo with a Local Guide. (Breakfast)
Day 3: MILAN–TURIN
Turin is known in the Catholic community worldwide as the home of the Holy Shroud, only available to the public on very special occasions. The city was also home to St. John Bosco, the priest who founded the Salesian religious institute to help poor children with their education during the industrial revolution. Your visit includes the Holy Shroud Museum, the Basilica of St Mary Ausiliatrice, and St John Bosco's rooms. You’ll have time to appreciate the elegance of this city and former capital of Italy before attending [M] Mass. Today's Distance: 90 mi / 145 km (Breakfast)
Day 4: TURIN–PAVIA–PADUA
Pavia boasts a beautiful Carthusian Monastery, built in the 1400s by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The monastery is one of Italy’s “hidden treasures” with lavish decorations. It is still inhabited and looked after by monks who still live a traditional life of seclusion and prayer. Today's Distance: 245 mi / 395 km (Breakfast,Dinner)
Day 5: PADUA–POMPOSA–RAVENNA
Attend morning [M] Mass and visit St. Anthony Basilica in Padua with a Local Guide, then enjoy a short city sightseeing tour and time on your own. In the afternoon, on the way to Ravenna, we’ll stop to see the Abbey of Pomposa, where the Benedictine monk Guido d’Arezzo invented modern musical notation in the 11th century. Today’s Distance: 85 mi / 137 km (Breakfast)
Day 6: RAVENNA–ROME
UNESCO declared the early Christian monuments of Ravenna as having “outstanding universal value.” Ravenna was the seat of the Roman Empire in the 5th century and of Byzantine Italy until the 8th century. It has a unique collection of early Christian mosaics and places of worship. The Neonian Baptistry, the Basilica of St. Apollinare Nuovo, St. Vitale Church and the Archbishop’s Chapel of St. Andrew were all constructed in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show great artistic skill, including a wonderful blend of Greek-Roman tradition, Christian iconography, and Asian and Western styles. The morning is dedicated to discovering these masterpieces and focusing on the Byzantine-style mosaics with a Local Guide. In the afternoon, travel to Rome. Today’s Distance: 221 mi / 355 km (Breakfast,Dinner)
Day 7: ROME
Today you have the unique chance to attend the Papal Audience in the Vatican (subject to availability). Afterwards, enjoy an included city tour with a Local Guide to see the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, where St. Paul was buried after his martyrdom, St. John Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of Rome, and seat of its Bishop (the Pope) and the Holy Stairs. Said to have led Jesus to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate, the stairs were transferred to Rome by Empress St Helena. Finally, visit St. Mary Major Basilica, where a reliquary contains wood from the Holy Crib. Attend [M] Mass here before returning to your hotel.* (Breakfast)
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Day 8: ROME
A special treat today: visit the Papal Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo. Wander through its manicured gardens, an opportunity to reflect and meditate in quiet and relaxing surroundings. Walk through the rooms where many Popes have spent the summer months enjoying the cooler countryside on the hills outside Rome. Later, you can join one of the optional excursions available.* Today's Distance: 50 mi / 80 km (Breakfast)
* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Day 9: ROME
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)
Day 1: Rome
Welcome to Rome! After a meet and greet at the airport with your driver, you will be transferred to your hotel. At 8:30 pm reach the meeting point to be ready for the departure of the Rome by Night Tour. The local expert guide will lead you to discover the wonders of the Eternal City, charming by day, absolutely romantic by night. The tour ends in the Colosseum area. Enjoy on your own the rest of the night. Return to the hotel on your own and overnight stay.
Day 2: Rome > Assisi > Siena > Florence
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Early morning departure for Assisi. Visit the Basilica of St. Francis featuring masterpieces by Giotto and Cimabue. Continue to Siena, home of the Palio. End the day in Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Florence
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast, you will spend the day venturing around beautiful Florence, the “Cradle of Renaissance, where, with the help of Michelangelo, Italian art reached its pinnacle. Spend the afternoon strolling the cobblestone streets of Florence on your own or take a short trip to Pisa (optional).
Day 4: Florence > Bologna > Padova > Venice
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Depart for Bologna after breakfast in Florence. Wander through some of the city’s many, elegant arcades (or porticos), for which Bologna is famous. In the afternoon, continue toward Padova, with its original Sant’Antonio Basilica. In the early evening, we will arrive in Venice. Check-in to your hotel, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Venice
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast, enjoy your private water-taxi transfer to Piazza San Marco, with “Skip the Line” tickets to visit the splendid St. Mark’s Basilica and, after this, check out the most iconic places of the “Floating City”. Spend the afternoon roaming along Venice’s canals at your leisure and then return to the hotel and overnight.
Day 6: Venice > Montepulciano (Tuscany) > Rome
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
After breakfast, depart for Tuscany, known for its romantic churches, castles and beloved wines. Proceed to Val di Chiana with a stop in Montepulciano, a Medieval town rich with history and art. That evening we will arrive in Rome.
Day 7: Rome
Meals: Breakfast
After breakfast depart from the hotel for the included tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St.Peter’s Basilica with our exclusive “Skip the Line” access. The tour ends in St. Peter’s Square. Afternoon and evening at leisure. Meals: B
Day 8: Rome
Meals: Breakfast
Final breakfast followed by check-out. Arrivederci!
