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• 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 will be scheduled.
• Airport taxes, security fees & fuel surcharges saving you an average of $400-$600!
• Transfers as per itinerary.
• Mostly 5-Star Hotels, sometimes 4-Star Hotels.
• Transportation with luxury bus.
• All breakfasts and all dinners. Wine Included with all dinners in Greece Only.
• All tips to driver, hotel, and tour guide. If you feel that the tour guide did a great job, offering them extra tips is greatly appreciated.
• Guided tours and tour fees ~ Our tour guides are very caring, licensed, and well educated. Many of our guides have their PhDs.
• Luggage handling (1 suitcase and 1 carry-on per person)
• Single Supplement If the passenger wants a guaranteed room of their own, they have to pay $1400 for a single supplement. As long as the passenger is willing to room with someone and allows us to provide them with a roommate the single supplement does not apply.
• Remember: Our trips are not more expensive during high season ~ Passengers will never be expected to pay extra for anything while on the trip.
• NOTE: If you wish to deepen your knowledge of the Catholic Faith as a preparation for this pilgrimage, we recommend the following book as it is faithful to the teachings of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church (Imprimatur by ARCHBISHOP FELIPE AGUIRRE FRANCO): The Catholic Faith in Easy Terms. Introduction, Nihil Obstat, and Imprimatur by Archbishop Felipe Aguirre Franco.

• Lunch
• Trip Insurance. Work directly with Travel Guard to protect your investment and insure your money. There are different packages to choose from depending on your travel needs. Use the above link or the link right below the picture of the Pope on our home page to visit their site.

1. Call us (855) 842-8001 or register online with a credit card and pay your $500 deposit per person to save your spot. The $500 deposit is part of the total price of the trip.
2. A $1,000 Additional Deposit (AD) per person is due one month from the registration. The AD is paid ONLY in the form of check (personal, money order, or bank check).
3. The balance is due 4 months before the trip departure date. The balance is paid ONLY in the form of check (personal, money order, or bank check).

Proximo Travel
PO Box 561
Auburn, MA 01501

July 14, Day 1: Departure from USA.

July 15, Day 2: Arrival. 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. GO THROUGH THE HOLY DOORS. 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. GO THROUGH THE HOLY DOORS. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

July 16, Day 3: Start around 9:00am. Tour of the Colosseum from the outside, 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 and the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. GO THROUGH THE HOLY DOORS. Visit the Scala Santa, the stairs on which Jesus walked on Good Friday in the residence of Pontius Pilate. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

July 17, Day 4: Start the day around 9:30 am, by visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (the Pope's private chapel). Proceed to St. Peter's in the Vatican, the largest Basilica in the world. GO THROUGH THE HOLY DOORS. There will be time for private devotion, lunch and shopping for religious items that will be blessed by the Pope next day during the Audience. Long pants, capris, or skirts below the knee will be required and shoulders covered. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

July 18, Day 5: We will have an early start as our private bus takes us to the Vatican to experience the Audience with the Pope. There will be time for lunch in the Vatican area. After lunch we will visit the Spanish Steps known for the area where the Romans gathered to meet followed by a walk to the Trevi Fountain. We will continue on from there to the Pantheon, the oldest functional building in the world. We will conclude by visiting the great artistic Piazza Navona. Dinner and overnight in Rome.

July 19, Day 6: On the way to Sorrento we will visit of the archeological area of Pompeii and tour Positano in Amalfi Coast. Dinner and overnight in Sorrento or Pompeii.

July 20, Day 7: The Island of Capri is the greatest place for many people. Optional: visit the extraordinary beautiful Blue Grotto with its shining bottom, tour the Island, swim or go shopping. Casual Dress throughout the day. Dinner and overnight in Sorrento or Pompeii.

July 21, Day 8: Fly to Catania. Some sights to enjoy are the Piazza Duomo ~ Elephant Fountain, The Cathedral with the Chapel of Sant'Agata containing the saint's treasures. Choose to walk the famous Via Crociferi where you can see some wonderful examples of 18th century Baroque buildings: Jesuits' Church, Church of San Giuliani and the Benedictine Monastery, and walk on the Via Etnea, an elegant street lined with Baroque-style buildings and shops that crosses the city from Piazza Duomo to Piazza Stesicoro where you can see the Vincenzo Bellini Monument, the imposing Roman Amphitheater, and the Church of Sant'Agata alla Fornace. Dinner and overnight in Catania, Sicily.

July 22, Day 9: Visit the incredible city of Taormina and enjoy the famous volcano of Mount Etna. It is considered by many the most beautiful city of Italy. Dinner and overnight in Catania.

July 23, Day 10: Drive to Syracuse. We will visit the archaeological area and the famous Greek theater. We will visit the Duomo (Cathedral), the building contains influences from various cultures within its walls: Greek, Byzantine, Arabic, and the Norman Church of Santa Lucia. The church stands on the site where, so the legend goes, Syracuse's patron saint was martyred. Dinner and overnight in Catania.

July 24, Day 11: Fly to Athens. Enjoy a free time in Athens. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

July 25, Day 12: Athens ~ Start 3-day Cruise (Luis Hellenic Cruise Lines or Gimini) Mykonos Our first port-of-call is Mykonos. It is the most cosmopolitan of all Greek islands and attracts many visitors from all over the globe, including large numbers of artists and intellectuals. Your coaches will take you to Hora the island's capital where you'll enjoy a walking tour in the narrow cobbled streets of the town, passing by chic boutiques, elegant nightclubs and white washed houses till reaching Alefkandra. Alefkandra is a charming corner of Hora, known also as the "Venice" of Mykonos. You'll return then to Mykonos Town (Hora) from where you'll take the ship's shuttle service back to the port. Return back to the ship.

July 26, Day 13: Kusadasi and Ephesus (Turkey) and Patmos ~ we begin our day arriving at Kusadasi which is a lively Turkish port. Drive through the colorful town of Kusadasi to reach Mt. Koressos. Situated in a small valley, it is here where you will visit the humble chapel which lies on the site of the little house where The Virgin Mary is believed to have spent her last days. This site has been sanctioned by the Vatican for pilgrimage. Continue on to Ancient Ephesus and accompanied by your guide, walk through the Magnesian Gate which is the entrance to the ancient city of Ephesus. See the Odeon (concert hall), the Fountain of Trajan, the steam-heated Baths of Scolastika, the Temple of Hadrian and the Latrians, the Library of Celsus and The Great Theatre, where St. Paul preached, which is the largest theatre in antiquity having a capacity of 24,000 people. Walk back to your motor coach along the Arcadian Way, where Mark Anthony and Cleopatra once rode in procession. While driving back to Kusadasi and just outside Ephesus, view the Basilica of St. John, which was erected over his grave in the 6th Century AD by the Emperor Justinian. Before returning to the ship, enjoy free time in Kusadasi. Continue our journey to Patmos, where we will enjoy a short journey to the village of Chora, where the monastery of St. John is built within the walls of a strong fortification. As you walk uphill towards the entrance of the monastery marvel at this magnificent structure, which was build 900 years ago, exceptional in its architecture. View the courtyard, the monk's dining room and the old bakery before you visit the main church noting its outstanding frescoes and interior decoration. Next, see the priceless ecclesiastical treasures housed in the beautiful but small museum: books and manuscripts, mosaics, Icons, splendid medieval textiles and vestments as well as jewelry. Return to your motor coach to continue on to the nearby Grotto of the Apocalypse, where above stands the Monastery of the Apocalypse, a sub-unit of the main monastery. Walk down the steps to visit the Grotto of the Apocalypse. Here you will see the silver niches in the wall that mark the pillow and ledge used as a desk by the author of the Book of the Revelation as well as the three-fold crack made by the voice of God emphasizing the honor of the Holy Trinity. Afterwards, drive back to the port of Scala and enjoy some free time in this quaint and picturesque harbor.Return back to the ship.

July 27, Day 14: Heraklion and Santorini ~ in the morning we will visit Heraklion. Heraklion is just three miles away from the fantastic ruins of the Palace of Knossos. Discovered in 1899 and partially reconstructed, the elaborate Palace is believed to be the mythical Labyrinth of King Minos and the seat of ancient Minoan culture. It is in Heraklion where Paul met the owner and captain of the ship who warned him of continuing his journey to Rome. In the afternoon we will cruise on to the idyllic island of Santorini. Santorini is perhaps the most breathtaking of all the Greek Islands. In the town of Thira, white-washed houses, narrow streets, open-air cafes and glittering boutiques cling to steep cliffs, accessible by cable-car or mule. Return back to the ship.

July 28, Day 15: Athens - Excursion to Corinth ~ we will visit the Acropolis to see the ruins of the Parthenon, Erechtheum and Propylae. For twenty five centuries, the panorama of this city is dominated by the rock of the Acropolis; we see the ruins of the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Propylae. Afterwards, we will ascend Mars Hill where Paul spoke to the ancient Athenians about the one and only God. From here we have an excellent view of the ancient agora; former center of the Athenian public life. We then drive through the city to see the House of Parliament on Syntagma Square, the Evzones in their picturesque uniforms guarding the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We also see the Library, the University, the Panathenaic Stadium where the first Olympics of the modern era were held, the temple of the Olympian Zeus and Adrian's Arch. Continue our tour to Ancient Corinth where, under the shadow of the towering Acropolis, St. Paul preached and lived for two years. The vigorous and mostly Gentile Church he founded here in 50 AD caused him much grief and prompted him to write, at least, four letters to them. Visit the ruins of the ancient city where Paul worked with Aquila and Priscilla. See the remains of the first century shops, the agora where Paul's trial by Gallio took place, the Fountain of Peirene, Temple of Apollo and the Bema. Dinner and overnight in Athens.

July 29, Day 16: Fly back home.

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.

General Trip Information