Rome • Assisi • Tuscany • Florence • Venice • Barcelona • Zaragoza • Madrid
- 13 Days - Airfare included from anywhere in the U.S.
There are no trip dates scheduled at this time.
Trip Includes
- Flights from anywhere in the United States and flights between countries as per your itinerary. (all necessary flights on your trip are included)
- Daily Mass is available but not mandatory. Proximo Travel always has one or more Catholic Priests accompanying the group as chaplain(s).
- Airport Taxes, Security Fees & Fuel Surcharges Saving you an average of $400-$600!
- Transfers as per itinerary.
- 4 or 5 star hotels in downtown areas.
- Transportation with luxury bus.
- All breakfasts and all dinners. Wine included with all dinners.
- All tips to driver, hotel, and tour guide.
- Guided Tours and Tour Fees ~ Our tour guides are very caring, licensed, and well educated. Many of our guides have their PhD's.
- Luggage handling (1 suitcase and 1 carry-on per person)
- Single Supplement (as long as the passengers is willing to room with someone and allows us to provide them with a roommate. If the passenger wants a guaranteed room to of their own, then they have to pay the $900 single supplement)
- Remember: Our trips are not more expensive during high season ~ Passengers will never be expected to pay extra for anything while on the trip ~ We always wait for passengers and never leave anyone behind.
Trip Does Not Include
- Lunch
- Trip Insurance
Day 1: Departure from USA.
Day 2: Arrival. Depending upon your arrival time, we may visit the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Wall where the body of St. Paul is buried. It is the 2nd largest basilica in Rome and the 5th in the world. Check in the hotel and rest for a few hours if time permits. In the afternoon, we will be visiting St. Mary Major, the main Basilica dedicated to Mary in Rome. We will see the remains of Jesus' manger, the tomb of Bernini, the remains of St. Matthew the Evangelist, the tomb of St. Jerome, and the oldest icon in the world of the Virgin Mary painted by St. Luke: the famous Salus Populi Romani. We may immerse ourselves in the local culture by attending an Italian mass at St. Mary Major as well. Casual dress. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Day 3: Start around 9:00am. Visit the Colosseum, the symbol of the city of Rome; a great building that has been standing since 80 A.D. Then visit St. John Lateran, the first Basilica ever to be built in the Roman Empire. In the afternoon, go to the breathtaking Catacombs where 500,000 people were buried. After the Catacombs our private bus will take us to enjoy a wine tasting and free time in Santa Maria in Trastevere, the most famous quarter of Rome for its beauty and quaintness. Dinner and overnight in Rome.
Day 4: Start the day around 9:30 am, by visiting St. Peter's in the Vatican, the largest Basilica in the world. There will be time for private devotion and shopping before lunch. In the afternoon we will see the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel (the Pope's private Chapel). Long pants, capris, or skirts below the knee, shoulders covered. Time to rest before dinner in the area of the hotel. Red and white wine included. Overnight in Rome.
Day 5: We will have an early start as our private bus leaves around 7:00 am to the Vatican to experience the 10:00 am Audience with the Pope. We will see the Pope very closely; sometimes we even shake his hand. There will be time for lunch in the area of the Vatican, before we visit the Spanish Steps. This is the place where the Romans hung out. From there we will walk to Trevi Fountain, and have time for shopping. Followed by a walk to the Pantheon, the oldest functional building in the world, and then to the great artistic place of Piazza Navona around 4:30 pm. Dinner at Piazza Navona. Red and white wine included. Casual Dress throughout the day. Overnight in Rome.
Day 6: En route to Florence stop in Assisi. See the tombs of St. Francis and St. Clare; enjoy a peaceful walk on the streets of Assisi. Dinner in Tuscany. Overnight in Florence.
Day 7: Tour of Venice: an amazing city built on water. Leave for Venice in the morning on our private bus. Estimated time of arrival is 12:00 noon. Visit St. Mark's plaza. Optional: Gondola ride and shopping. Dinner in Tuscany at a local restaurant. Red and white wine included. Back to hotel 10:00 pm. Long pants if you intend to go inside St. Mark's. Casual dress if you intend to go on a Gondola ride or spend time shopping and visiting the beautiful streets and bridges of Venice. Dinner in Florence, red and white wine included. Overnight in Florence.
Day 8: Tour of Florence in the region of Tuscany. Tour of the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizzi, Michelangelo's masterpiece, The David, Flea Market, Duomo (Cathedral), and the Baptistery. Tour Guide will show to those interested the location of the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapel (where the Medici family was buried), and Basilica della Santa Croce (where Michelangelo and 15 other glorious Italian artists and thinkers were buried). Dinner in Florence, red and white wine included. Casual dress throughout the day. Overnight in Florence.
Day 9: Our private bus brings us to either the airport in Florence or Rome to fly to Barcelona, Spain. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our tour guide. Transfer to the hotel where you will have some free time to rest and refresh before dinner. Overnight in Barcelona.
Day 10: After breakfast, we will enjoy a tour of Barcelona including: panoramic views of the Harbor area, Montjuic, Plaza de Espana, and Plaza de Catalunya. Afterwards, continue on a guided walk through the Gothic Quarter to visit the cathedral and to view Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, a beautiful, unfinished Roman Catholic Basilica of impressive proportions. Spend the afternoon at leisure exploring the colorful markets of Las Ramblas. Dinner and overnight in Barcelona.
Day 11: After breakfast, we will depart towards Zaragoza where we will visit the magnificent Basilica del Pilar, built in the place where our Lady appeared to Saint James. Tradition says that in the early day of the Church, Saint James the Great was spreading the Gospel in Spain, but making very little progress. He was dejected and questioning his mission. About 44 AD, the Virgin Mary, who was still living in Jerusalem at the time, bi-located and appeared to him in a vision to boost his morale. In it, she was atop a column or pillar, which was being carried by angels. That pillar is believed to be the same one venerated inside the Basilica. We will also visit the Cathedral of Zaragoza and we will do a walking tour of the city. Dinner and overnight in Madrid.
Day 12: After breakfast, we will enjoy a tour of Madrid including the Prado Museum, Puerta de Alcala, Royal Palace and Plaza Mayor. In the afternoon take a tour of the Cathedral. Closing dinner at a restaurant with a Flamenco show and overnight in Madrid.
Day 13: Return flight from Madrid to the US.
Please note: We do our best to ensure that all sites listed in this itinerary will be seen. However, due to scheduling conflicts, or other circumstances beyond our control, sites may be visited on a different day than listed. If this happens it will also necessitate a change in the restaurant for dinner. However, we will never sacrifice the quality of the meal, all restaurants will meet Proximo Travel's very high standards. Since we have several different trip configurations touring at the same time, it is likely that groups on different tours will be combined when their itineraries overlap in certain areas.