Join Father Benedict Wonganant in his exciting pilgrimage to Italy & Greece With extension to Istanbul-Turkey A 13 days 11 nights Pilgrimage (October 5-17,2025)

Join Father Benedict Wonganant in his exciting pilgrimage to Italy & Greece With extension to Istanbul-Turkey A 13 days 11 nights Pilgrimage From October 5-17 of 2025 St. David of Wales Catholic Church, Richmond, CA -USA

START TIME

10/05/2025

END TIME

10/17/2025

PRICE

$5090 Double Room $6140 Single Room

INCLUDED

NOT INCLUDED

Download Contract in English

Download Itinerary in English

ITINERARY

1

Oct. 05: USA – ROME (ITALY)

2

Oct.06: ROME (ITALY)

Arrival at Rome International Airport. Meet with your and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

3

Oct. 07: ROME

Buffet breakfast. Transfer to St. Peter Square and meet with your local guide to begin a tour to the Vatican Museums starting by Pigna Square, the Galleries of Roman Busts, the Candelabra, the Tapestries, and the World Map Gallery. Then to the Immaculate Room, the Sistine Chapel with the Universal Judgment of Michael Angelo, the interiors of the Basilica of St. Peter with the statue of LA PIETA. The tour ends at Piazza St. Peter with a visit to the Basilica. In the afternoon we will have a panoramic city tour of the eternal Capital passing by the Colosseum, the Roman Arena Theater. Then to Vittorio Emmanuele Memorial Monument. Walk through the ancient streets to the Piazza Spagna (Square of Spain), the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and many other monuments and squares. Dinner and overnight.

4

Oct. 08: ROME – ASSISI – ROME

Buffet breakfast. Leave for Assisi, the hometown of St. Francis. Walk through the city and visit the Basilica of St. Francis with the Crypt which hosts the Tomb of the Saint. Also visit the Church of St. Mary where the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis is located inside. since January 2007. Return to Rome, dinner and overnight.

5

Oct. 09: ROME – ATHENS (GREECE)

Buffet breakfast and transfer to Rome International Airport to board your flight to Athens (Greece). Arrive, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

6

Oct. 10: CRUISE THROUGH THE GREEK ISLANDS – MYKONOS

Buffet breakfast. Transfer to the port of Lavrio. Arrival and embarkation on the 3-night cruise to Mykonos. Lunch. Arrival, disembarkation, and free time to enjoy this cosmopolitan island on your own. We recommend getting lost in its narrow streets to discover different corners and some of the most beautiful places in the city, such as the old town, Little Venice, the Windmills, and the port. Return to the ship. Dinner. Night sailing.

7

Oct. 11: SANTORINI

Arrival to Santorini Island Port. This is one of the Cyclades islands in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by a volcanic eruption in the 16th century BC, forever shaping its rugged landscape. The whitewashed, cubiform houses of its 2 principal towns, Fira and Oia, cling to cliffs above an underwater caldera (crater). They overlook the sea, small islands to the west and beaches made up of black, red and white lava pebbles. Free time to scroll through the charming and narrow streets of the Island. Return to the cruise ship for sailing to Kusadasi (Turkey)

8

Oct. 12: KUSADASI – PATMOS

Arrival in Kusadasi for a visit to Ancient Ephesus, related to the apostolic activities and preaching of St. Paul and St. John. Also, according to tradition, the city hosts the House of St. Mary. It is the best-preserved ancient city of Asia Minor, an authentic open-air museum. We will visit the Temple of Hadrian, the Roman Baths, the Library, the Odeon, and the Theater. Return to the ship. Lunch and departure for Patmos. Arrival at the sacred island of the Apocalypse, disembarkation, and visit to the Monastery of St. John the Theologian and the Cave of the Revelation where the evangelist wrote his prophetic book. Return to the ship. Dinner. Night sailing.

9

Oct 13: LAVRIO PORT – ANCIENT CORINTH

Early breakfast on board and disembark from the Cruise Ship. Meet with your guide and Departure for Corinth. On the third day of arduous and long walking, Paul reached the isthmus of Corinth, now crossed by a 6-kilometer canal. Coinciding with the Apostle’s death, Emperor Nero, fifteen years later, gave the first blows with a golden mattock. Paul must have been greatly impressed, not only by its artistic beauty but also because the date of its construction coincided with the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem by the King of Babylon. Paul spent two years with the Corinthians, leaving among them one of the most flourishing Christian communities he founded. Continue to the famous Corinth Canal, a Roman work of the first century to connect the Ionian Sea with the Aegean Sea. Return to the hotel in Athens, dinner, and accommodation.

10

Oct 14: ATHENS

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Then visit ATHENS. The cradle of European culture, the source of arts and ideas, pride of the Ancient Age. Founded in the 15th century BC, when the Apostle entered its streets around 50 AD, it had been under Roman rule for two centuries. Overwhelmed and astonished by the luxurious buildings, Paul mingled with the people and ascended to the Acropolis, where he finally discovered the wonder of the Temple to the Patron of Athens. It is presumed that he did not enter the Temple and left the sacred site head down and thoughtful, sure that “his spirit was consumed seeing the city full of idols” (Acts 17:16). We will visit the ACROPOLIS. This hill, fortified during the Minoan period, was transformed into a sanctuary around the 5th century BC, becoming the heart of all Greek culture based on the worship of the gods. We will admire the majesty of the PARTHENON and the elegance of the ERECHTHEION. We will end with the AREOPAGUS, a hill existing below the Acropolis, where Paul addressed the Athenians, speaking to them and presenting the new doctrine of which he was a bearer and minister. Then we will pass by the PANATHENAIC STADIUM, the TEMPLE OF ZEUS, SYNTAGMA SQUARE with the ROYAL PALACE. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

11

Oct 15: ATHENS – ISTANBUL (TURKEY)

Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to Athens International Airport to board your flight to Istanbul – Turkey. Arrival, meet your guide and transfer to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

12

Oct 16: ISTANBUL

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Visit the well-known Basilica of Agia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 532 AD and then converted into Mosque after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 AD. It represents the beauty of the Roman Byzantine Architecture. Continue to visit the Blue Mosque also known by its official name, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, is an Ottoman-era historical imperial mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I and remains a functioning mosque today. We proceed for a visit to the famous Museum of Top Kapi Place or the Seraglio, is a large museum and library in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul. From the 1460s to the completion of Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, it served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and was the main residence of its sultans. We will end our tour by visiting the picturesque Grand Bazaar (Turkish: Kapalıçarşı, meaning ‘Covered Market) also Büyük Çarşı, meaning ‘Grand Market in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops[ on a total area of 30,700 m2 (1406332 sq ft) attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily. In 2014, it was listed No.1 among the world’s most-visited tourist attractions with 91,250,000 annual visitors. The Grand Bazaar is often regarded as one of the first shopping malls of the world. Return to your hotel. Dinner and overnight.

13

Oct 17: ISTANBUK – USA

Buffet breakfast at the hotel. In due time, transfer to Istanbul Airport to board your flight back to the USA.

PHOTOS

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