DAY 1: Sunday 12th November
Today, the group will depart from Dublin Airport in the afternoon and a Joe Walsh Tours representative will meet us on arrival in Rome. We will then be transferred to the Hotel Ponte Sisto where we will be staying for the next 6 nights and enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.
DAY 2: Monday 13th November
After breakfast we will attend the Holy Mass at ‘Chiesa Santissima Trinita’ dei Pellegrini’. We will then continue our visit to St Mary Major, Saint John Lateran, Mother Church of Roman Catholics; the Holy Stairs as well as the catacombs of San Sebastiano and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls. Built in the 4th centuryon the burial place of the Disciple Paul, the Basilica's crypt is home to the remains of Saint Paul.
DAY 3: Tuesday 14th November
This morning after breakfast and Holy Mass we will visit some of the many beautiful churches of Rome.
We will start with 17th century San Girolamo della Carita’, followed by the Basilica of ‘San Giovanni dei Fiorentini’. The Basilica is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist and is the national church of the Florentines in Rome.
We will also visit ‘Chiesa Nuova’ and 17th century Baroque ‘Sant’Agnese in Agone’. Facing onto the Piazza Navona it is the site where Early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian.
DAY 4: Wednesday 15th November
Today we will visit the Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and destination for pilgrims from all over the world. The Vatican is home to the Pope and as well as housing important art and architecture. The Vatican Museums are home to ancient Roman sculptures, as well as Renaissance frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel, famous for the work of Michelangelo.
We will then continue to the impressive Castel Sant’Angelo, in Parco Adriano; which was commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the Popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum and the ‘Sacro Cuore del Suffragio'.
DAY 5: Thursday 16th November
Today after breakfast we will attend Holy Mass before a full day of sightseeing in Rome. We will be visiting ‘Sant’Andrea delle Fratte’, the iconic ‘Fontana di Trevi’, the church of ‘San Marcello al Corso’ and the Pantheon, a former Roman temple and a Catholic church since 609 AD.
DAY 6: Friday 17th November
After breakfast we will have a full free day to explore Rome further. Our tour guide will be available to provide you with suggestions and tips on where to go and what to do.
DAY 7: Saturday 18th November
This is our last day in Rome. After breakfast you will have plenty of free time to enjoy your last few hours in Rome or sit in one of the many coffee places before our flight back to Dublin in the evening.
