VIRGILIO TRAVEL
DETAILED ITINERARY
(Subject to Change)
Friday
October 4
Depart your home airport for the journey to Spain! The group flight (i.e. the one those purchasing LAND + AIR will be flying on) flies out of Newark on United Airlines and arrives at 9:00 AM on Saturday.
Saturday,
October 5
Upon arrival at Madrid airport you’ll meet Lino, Fr Dave, Tyler, Brett, and our tour guides and hop on the bus to drive into Madrid. We’ll begin with a walking tour of Plaza Mayor, visit a few churches, and have a delicious lunch together.
After that, we’ll check into our 5-star hotel and shower off those nasty airplane germs. Following that, we’ll have our opening Mass at a nearby church and a great welcome dinner at a nearby restaurant to officially kick off the pilgrimage.
Sunday,
October 6
We’ll leave the hotel at 9am (because OUR pilgrimages don’t start too early) and visit the beautiful Cathedral of Almudena where we’ll have Mass. We’ll then visit two
more amazing churches - the Real Basilica de San Francisco el Grande and San Jeronimo el Real – before heading to the San Miguel Food Market to sample local delicacies. After lunch, we’ll do a walking tour of more of the beautiful churches and monasteries of the city. We’ll then have time to go to the hotel to freshen up and have dinner at another great local restaurant (just remember, Spaniards eat dinner late – so even when we go to dinner at 8pm…they’ll consider that early!).
Monday,
October 7
This morning we board the bus to head to Avila – hometown of Saint Theresa of Avila. Upon arrival, we’ll celebrate Mass at the site of her birthplace and we’ll visit the convent where she became a nun. We’ll also visit the convent she founded all before lunch at a nice local restaurant.
We’ll then visit the Cathedral of Avila, as well as the Basilica of St Vicente, before heading back to Madrid. Tonight you can catch your breath and have a relaxing evening with dinner on your own.
Tuesday,
October 8
Today we head out to Toledo. We’ll celebrate Mass at Toledo Cathedral, and then get a tour of this beautiful church. After that, we’ll stroll the narrow cobblestone streets, visiting several more churches. You’ll then have free time to have lunch, go shopping, or even visit the El Greco Museum. We’ll then return to Madrid for another great dinner together.
Wednesday,
October 9
This morning, we say goodbye to Madrid and take the Renfe Train to Barcelona (a roughly 3-hour ride). Upon arrival, we’ll meet our local guides who will take us on a walking tour of Barcelona Old Town. We’ll have Mass at Santa Maria Del Mar as well as visit San Jaime. We’ll return by seeing the most famous street in Barcelona, La Rambla. We’ll then check into our 5-star hotel, freshen up, and go out for yet another delicious group dinner.
Thursday,
October 10
We start our day with Mass at the Catedral Basilica Metropolitana de Barcelona. After some free time for lunch, we visit one of the most incredible churches in the world: La Sagrada Familia. We’ll get a tour of this fascinating church along with plenty of time for free time, prayer, and exploring. We then have a very fun late afternoon/early evening treat of snacks and drinks. The rest of the evening will be free time and dinner on your own.
Friday,
October 11
This morning we visit Montserrat with its Marian Shrine located on top of a mountain. Saint Ignatius of Loyola had a powerful conversion experience in front of the statue of the Virgin here. We’ll take the cable car up, visit the monastery grounds, and celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Montserrat. After lunch, we’ll return to Barcelona with a little time to do last minute shopping, freshen up, and pack before our amazing farewell dinner along the sea.
Saturday,
October 12