Day 1
Departure from the United States
Our pilgrimage begins as we depart the United States on our overnight flight to Rome, Italy. Dinner and breakfast will be served during the flight.
Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Florence, Padua and Venice
Twelve days from Rome through Orvieto and Assisi to Florence, Padua and Venice, with daily Mass at the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul, St. Francis and St. Anthony.
Upcoming departures to Italy. Each group has its own host, dates, and itinerary. The route below is our standard.
By motorcoach from Rome through Orvieto to Assisi, then north through Florence to Padua, finishing across the lagoon in Venice.
OvernightVisit
Five nights in Rome with a Papal Audience, then the road north through Orvieto, Assisi and Florence to Padua and Venice. Your group travels on its own dates, and the itinerary can be adjusted to fit the time you have and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
“Canterbury treats you like family! They handle everything, from creating exciting itineraries to managing calls, registrations, and payments.”
Patrick Madrid
Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your pilgrims.
These inclusions can be easily tailored to the individual needs of your group
Every group earns complimentary places. The more pilgrims you bring, the more you earn. How complimentary places work
If the group does not fill, deposits are returned. You owe nothing and neither do your pilgrims. What happens if a group does not fill
Flyers, a registration page, and what you need to invite your people. Our guide to promoting a pilgrimage
Registrations, rooming lists, payment plans and the phone calls. How leading a pilgrimage works
Every pilgrim in your group gets the app. Their itinerary, hotels and flights, the prayers of the day and a way to reach one another, all in one place and kept current as the pilgrimage unfolds.
Your whole group in one thread, so a change of plan reaches everyone at once.
The full day-by-day schedule, always current, in every pilgrim’s pocket.
Where the group is staying each night, with addresses and dates.
Flight details kept alongside everything else, not in a separate email.
The prayers of the day, including the Liturgy of the Hours.
A keepsake record of the shrines your group visits along the way.
Times and meeting points pushed to everyone the moment they change.
“They’re big enough to handle any problem that arises, and small enough to craft truly unique experiences.”
Chris StefanickApril through early June and mid-September through October are the most comfortable months, with warm days, mild evenings and thinner crowds at the shrines. July and August are hot, and Rome empties of Italians and fills with visitors. Winter is quiet and better priced, and Assisi in the cold is a serious pilgrimage.
Moderate. Most days involve two to four hours on your feet, with walking on uneven ground, ancient stone, and steps at archaeological sites. Pilgrims who can manage a full day of sightseeing at their own pace do well. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us early and we will adapt the days around them. What activity level means.
Travel insurance, lunches, drinks beyond those served with included meals, personal expenses, and gratuities for your tour manager and driver. Any of these can be built into your package on request, so tell us what you would like covered and we will arrange it. Passports and visa fees are the one exception and remain the responsibility of each pilgrim.
US citizens need a valid passport and do not currently require a visa for Italy on a trip of this length. Italy is in the Schengen area, which allows stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. We recommend at least six months of validity beyond your return date and a couple of blank pages. Europe’s ETIAS travel authorisation is expected to begin during this period, and we will tell your group what is needed well before departure.
Yes. Daily Mass is built into the itinerary, and we arrange times and locations in advance with each church. Your priest should travel with a celebret or letter of good standing from his bishop or superior. We handle the scheduling.
Most of our groups are between 20 and 50 pilgrims, and we can arrange smaller tours as well. We have also organized pilgrimages for groups as large as 2,500, so whatever size your group turns out to be, we can build for it. Minimum group size for a group flight.
Dioceses, parishes, schools and Catholic ministries plan their pilgrimages with Canterbury.
A pilgrimage consultant replies within one business day. No deposit or commitment.