Tour Description

On this comprehensive affordable journey through Catholic heritage in Italy, witness the most visited shrines of the country, from north to south. 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 unforgettable memories and inspiration. 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 the early Christian artwork of the Byzantine era in Ravenna.

Spend two full days in Rome, dedicating your attention to the Papal legacies. Attend the Papal Audience (subject to availability), visit the four major Basilicas of Rome, attend 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. From here, your spiritual experience continues to the places of some of Italy’s most beloved saints, like St. Pio in Pietrelcina and San Giovanni Rotondo, and to the Marian Sanctuaries of Loreto and Lanciano. You’ll also feel the magic atmosphere of Assisi, home to St. Francis and St. Clare, immersed in the enchanting green hills of Umbria.

Traveller Notes
- Adventure is knocking with everything you need for perfectly affordable touring. Cosmos includes hand-selected accommodations, guided sightseeing, and seamless transportation between destinations—with value-minded travelers in mind. Explore with expert Cosmos Tour Directors and Local Guides, complimentary headsets, and private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi. Enhance your free time to explore like a local with your CosmosGO mobile app!
- The Papal audience at the Vatican is subject to availability.
- Mass services may be in local language and venues are subject to change.
- September 14 departure falls on the anniversary of St. Pio’s Passing. Papal audience not available on this departure.
- June 11 departure : Papal audience not available on this departure

* For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.
Special Departures
Departure September 14 celebration of St. Pio’s passing in San Giovanni Rotondo.

Priced From:

$ 5699pp ^*

Start Location: Milan, Italy

End Location: Rome, Italy

Major Destinations: Saint Peter's Square Rome Italy ,Duomo Square, Milan,Mole Antonelliana Turin Italy,Padua Italy,Ravenna, Italy

Breakfast Meals Included: 13

Lunch Meals Included: 0

Dinner Meals Included: 6

Tour Advisors

Tiffany McCrea-Lennon

Managing Director

Russell Mein

Travel Specialist

Caitlin Lennon

Travel Coordinator

Michelle Baldwin

Travel Specialist

Gaylyn Murdoch

Administration Manager

Holly Skene

Travel Co-ordinator

Kim Thomas

Broker

Itinerary

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. (D)

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. (B)

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'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 (B)

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 live a life of work, seclusion and prayer. Today's Distance: 245 mi / 395 km (B,D)

Attend morning [M] Mass and visit the spectacular 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 (B)

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 (B,D)

This morning, attend the Papal Audience (subject to availability) for the chance to see the Pope and receive the Papal Blessing. Later, with a Local Guide, visit two of Rome's major Papal Basilica's. First visit the Basilica of St John Lateran, the cathedral church of Rome where the Pope has his seat as Bishop of Rome. Experience the Scala Sancta (Holy Stairs), transported from Jerusalem to Rome around 326 AD by St. Helena, Emperor Constantine's mother. These 28 marble steps are traditionally ascended in a kneeling position with a prayer recital dedicated to Jesus Christ. Then, visit the impressive St. Mary Major Basilica, where a reliquary contains wood from the Holy Crib, and attend [M] Mass. * (B) * For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.

A different, quite unique experience is offered today. We will take an included excursion to Castel Gandolfo, a quaint village in the hills outside Rome, to visit the Papal summer residence and its manicured gardens with a Local Guide. This is a unique chance to see the rooms that have been occupied by many Popes over the centuries. Enjoy the opportunity to reflect and meditate in the garden's quiet and relaxing surroundings. En-route back to Rome, stop and visit the Papal Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls. Later this afternoon, enjoy time to relax in Rome or select an optional excursion, perhaps with a deeper look at Roman history by exploring the early Christian site of secret worship and burials in the underground catacombs. * Today's Distance: 50 mi / 80 km (B) * For operational reasons, changes to the Rome program cannot be excluded.

On your way south, stop in quaint Pietrelcina to visit the house where the beloved St. Pio was born, before heading towards San Giovanni Rotondo on the east coast, the Saint's home from 1916 until his death in 1968. Today's Distance: 258 mi / 415 km (B,D)

Attend [M] Mass this morning at Santa Maria delle Grazie (Old Church), then visit St. Pio's friary, including his tomb, cell, confessional, and St. Pio Pilgrimage Church (New Church). Afterwards, take a short drive to the nearby Shrine of Monte Sant'Angelo, one of Christendom's most celebrated, where St. Michael the Archangel appeared in 490, 492, and 1656. Tonight, attend the candlelight procession in San Giovanni Rotondo. Today's Distance: 43 mi / 70 km (B,D)

Visit St. Francis Church in Lanciano, home of the Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle, and attend morning [M] Mass. Continue to the famous Marian Sanctuary of Loreto for a guided visit including the Holy House, where, according to tradition, angels transported the house of the blessed Virgin Mary. Arrive at the hilltop village of Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis and St. Clare. Today's Distance: 298 mi / 480 km (B,D)

Today, learn more about St. Francis, patron saint of animals and the environment. Attend early morning [M] Mass at St. Francis Basilica, famous for its 14th-century Giotto frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. Meet your Local Guide and visit the Upper and Lower Basilicas of St. Francis and the Basilica of St. Clare, founder of the Order of Poor Clares. Next, visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, situated at the foot of Assisi's hills and protecting the Porziuncola, where St. Francis is said to have founded the Order of Friars Minor in 1209, and the Cappella del Transito, where the saint died in 1226. (B)

This morning, travel to Cascia, a scenic town located in Umbria and home of St. Rita, the "Patron Saint of Impossible Causes." Visit the Sanctuary and see the Major Basilica, housing the chapel with St. Rita's tomb. Stop in prayer at the Minor Basilica, site of the Eucharistic Miracle, commemorated each year with the Feast of Corpus Christi. Return to Rome for a final overnight stay. Today's Distance: 149 mi / 240 km (B)

Your holiday ends with breakfast this morning. (B)

Dates & prices

Dates

Prices

Status

Departure Date :

2025-09-14

Return Date :

2025-09-27

Single : 7269 NZD

Triple : 5989 NZD

Twin : 5989 NZD

Sold Out

Departure Date :

2025-08-28

Return Date :

2025-09-10

Single : 6779 NZD

Triple : 5699 NZD

Twin : 5699 NZD

Open

Departure Date :

2025-05-01

Return Date :

2025-05-14

Single : 6779 NZD

Triple : 5699 NZD

Twin : 5699 NZD

Sold Out

Shrines Of Italy

Tour Advisors

Itinerary

Dates & prices