[email protected] 800-206-TOUR (8687)   mon - fri 9am - 5pm EST   YOUR TRIP INCLUDES: † Round Trip Airfare        *Fares from other US or Canada Airports        *You may book without airfare (land only option) † All Airport Taxes & Fuel Surcharges! † 8 nights at 3 star hotels/religious houses as follows: (or similar)        ~ 2 nights | April 20-22 | Mercure Torino Crystal Palace, Turin        ~ 2 nights | April 22-24 | Hotel Arizona, Florence        ~ 1 night | April 24-25 | Hotel Dei Priori, Assisi        ~ 3 nights | April 25-28 | Hotel Twenty One, Rome † Transfers as per itinerary on a group basis † Tour escort to accompany the group for duration of the trip † Breakfast and Dinner daily † Wine and mineral water with dinners † Transportation by deluxe motor coach † Assistance of a professional Christian guide(s) † Sightseeing and admissions fees per itinerary † Mass daily with Msgr. Gier & Spiritual Activities † Luggage handling (1 piece per person)    † Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents Not Included: Lunches and Beverages not mentioned, Travel Insurance (www.206tours.com/insurance), Extended Cancellation Protection Plan @ $299 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection), Tips to your guide & driver, Items of personal nature.

Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1, Sun Apr 19: Tulsa – Turin

Depart USA for your overnight flight to Turin. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.

Day 2, Mon Apr 20: Arrive Italy

Upon arrival your escort will warmly greet you this morning and welcome you to Italy. Transfer to your hotel and enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration. You tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy.

Day 3, Tue Apr 21: The Shroud of Turin and the Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice on the 200th Anniversary of the birth of St John Bosco

This morning we’ll visit the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin, one of the world’s most famous relics. There have been few expositions of the shroud in the 20th century. The Shroud, a piece of herringbone twilled linen cloth measuring 14.5 feet by 3.9 feet, is believed by many Roman Catholics to be the cloth in which Christ’s body was wrapped after his crucifixion. It bears the faint imprint of a man and the apparent signs of wound marks that correspond to those Christ sustained during his crucifixion. After our visit, we will continue to the Sanctuary of Maria Ausiliatrice, The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians, completed in 1868. This Church in Turin was originally part of a home for poor boys founded by Saint John Bosco, which now contains his remains with the relics of other saints. In 2015, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Saint John Bosco, who had a vision of the Virgin Mary and revealed the site of the martyrdom of the Turinese saints, Solutor, Adventor and Octavius. The Basilica dell' Ausiliatrice was built on the site of their death and the Church also houses the relics of these saints. We will continue our day with touring of this beautiful city. In sight of the Italian Alps, see Turin’s promenades and historic buildings. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 4, Wed Apr 22: Turin – Florence

After breakfast, we are off to the beautiful town of Florence. Enjoy the beautiful Italian Country side. We’ll stop for lunch (on your own), and continue toward our final destination for the day, our hotel in Florence. A true paradise for culture and art lovers, Florence drew to itself the greatest artists of the Renaissance: Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many others. You will have a free afternoon to stroll the streets of this city. Enjoy some of the best shopping in Italy, visit a museum, or just relax in a café in the Piazza della Signoria. We gather for dinner to share stories of our day.

Day 5, Thu Apr 23: Florence

After breakfast, we are off to Enjoy guided tour of Florence which includes magnificent Franciscan Church of The Holy Cross or Santa Croce with the beautiful facade, Church is a burial place of nobles, among which is Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. Walking tour through Piazza Signoria, pass by Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi and Ponte Vecchio. Continue through Republic Square to the Santa Maria del Fiore 13th century Cathedral. After lunch we will visit L'Accadamia where we will view Michelangelo's "David" as well as other works of art. You will have free time to explore the museum and city before we return to the Hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6, Fri Apr 24: Florence – Assisi

After breakfast we depart for Assisi. Once there, we will spend the balance of the day touring the home of the Saint that inspired our Holy Father. Pope Francis chose his name in admiration of the Saint of Nature and Servant to the Poor. Known for being a humble man himself, Pope Francis spent most of his life denying the luxuries of life, and preferring to live in simplicity and humility. Following breakfast, we will begin a tour of Assisi. Visit the tomb of St Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His Church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. You will have some free time to shop or eat lunch at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St. Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner and retiring for the evening.

Day 7, Sat Apr 25: Assisi – Siena – Rome
After breakfast we will head south to Siena, the birthplace of Saints Catherine (Doctor of the Church, and one of the two patron Saints of Italy, with St. Francis of Assisi) and Bernardine (known as the “Apostle of Italy” for his efforts to revive the Catholic faith in the 15th century). Siena is also one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. Here we will stroll the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous consecrated hosts that remained intact since 1730.
After Siena we are off to the beautiful city of Rome for dinner and overnight.

Day 8, Sun Apr 26: Rome (Vatican museums & Papal Blessing)
Wake up in Eternal City, one of the greatest centers of Western Civilization and the first truly cosmopolitan city on earth! It is also spiritual capital for all the Catholics around the world. Today is truly a day we will have in our minds for many years to come. This morning we go to Vatican City to attend a special Papal Blessing given by His Holiness, Pope Francis (pending papal schedule). Following the blessing, visit of the Vatican Museums (pending museum schedule), a group of most impressive edifices with hundreds of galleries filled with art treasures. See awe-inspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We'll cover The Tapestry Gallery, The Raphael Rooms and the most overwhelming Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Masterpiece, restored mural of the Last Judgment. Later, enter the largest Church in Christendom, St Peter's Basilica, built on the site where St Peter was martyred. Unsurpassed in beauty, a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims come from around the world, St Peter's is the grandest of the world's Churches. Marvel Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. Pope Francis visited the tomb of St. Peter, following his elevation, for a visit of devotion that lasted 45 minutes. He is the first pontiff to visit the necropolis since extensive archaeological excavations were conducted at the ancient site decades ago. We will also visit the grave of Pope John Paul II located at the Vatican. Stop for lunch, and then we will have the remainder of the day free to spend at your own leisure. Dinner and overnight.

Day 9, Mon Apr27: Rome (Christian Rome tour)

This morning we depart for a sightseeing tour entitled "Christian Rome" which includes: the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest Shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, a Shrine that contains a relic from the manger of the infant Jesus. We continue on to the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), famous for being the steps that led up to the praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, which Jesus Christ stood on during his Passion on his way to trial. Sixtus V had the steps transferred in 1589, to their present site, before the Sancta Santorum (Holy of Holies). Next, we will visit the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, the former residence of the popes prior to their return to Rome in 1377. It is also the where Pope Francis was formally installed as Bishop of Rome, and honored the Blessed John Paul II by arriving a half hour early to bless a plaque renaming a corner of the piazza outside the Church after him. Stop for lunch, and then we will continue on to visit St Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St Paul under its main altar; and the Appian Way -- the oldest road from Roman times--plus the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel; see the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus; Tomb of Celilia Metella, and the catacombs of St Callixtus where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution. We will also enjoy a visit to the Trevi fountain. Farewell Dinner and overnight.

Day 10, Tue Apr 28: Rome – Tulsa
Following breakfast, we will transfer to Rome Airport for our return flights home. We will bid farewell to our new friends and to a Pilgrimage which will be in our memories and hearts for a long time to come. We depart for Rome Airport for our return flights home. We fondly say, Arrivederci Italia!

*206 Tours Disclaimer:
Though every effort will be made to follow the itinerary, it should be considered as an indication, rather than a contract of places to be visited. Occasionally local religious holidays, national days, weather, traffic conditions and other events may necessitate changes in the sequence of visits or the missing of certain visits.

*Optional Post Stay in Rome
  April 28 - 30, 2015   |   $799 per person

Day 10, Tue Apr 28: Rome (Scavi) *pending availability/early booking

After breakfast, you have some free time to explore. After lunch, we will have a very special visit to the necropolis underneath the Basilica, where the tomb of St. Peter is located. *This Scavi tour is specially arranged and extremely limited. We return to the hotel for Dinner and overnight.

Day 11, Wed Apr 29: Rome (Ancient Rome Tour)

Following breakfast, we will depart and go back in time to explore the landmarks of Ancient Rome. Some of the stops will include: Michaelangelo’s Renaissance Palace built on the ruins of the Acropolis and dating back to the 16th century. Capitol Square is marked by several notable works of art including two colossal statues of Castor and Pollux that stand guard on the magnificent staircase leading into the palace. We will also visit the Coliseum, and the Roman Forum, which was the center of the Roman empire’s political, military and social world. The ruins of the Forum consist of the Temple of Julius Caesar, Basilica Emilia, the Arch of Titus and the Holy Road. Finally, you will see the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli that houses Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of Moses. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight at your Hotel.

Day 12, Thu Apr 30: Rome – Tulsa

After breakfast, we will transfer to Rome Airport for our return flights home. We will bid farewell as we depart for Rome Airport for our return flights home. We fondly say, Arrivederci Italia!

aaa DATES SELECT AIRPORT  REGISTER

Options:   Post Stay in Rome $799 Post Stay in Rome - Private Room $150 Single Supplement / Solo Traveler $659 Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (one-way) - pending availability $1,750 Business Class Trans-Atlantic Upgrade (round trip) - pending availability $3,500 First Class available upon request Children's discounts for children under 12 upon request              *All Upgrades & Options will be available to you after you press the button above*

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Additional Information & Travel Tips: 

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Piazza San Carlo, Turin, Italy
His Holiness, Pope Francis, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome, Italy
Basilica di Santa Maria Cathedral, Fflorence, Italy

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