EUROPEAN PILGRIMAGE: FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE SAINTS

17:40 pm - Arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport, France – you complete immigration procedures, then the coach takes the group to sightsee Paris, the capital of France, famously known as the City of Light. Paris is a major cultural centre of the world and one of the most attractive tourist cities.

The coach takes the group to dinner, then to the hotel to rest. You spend the night in Paris.

You have breakfast, then the coach takes the group sightseeing:
• Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris – the cathedral church and one of the famous symbols of the capital Paris.
• Climb up Montmartre Hill to take photos outside the Sacré-Cœur Basilica. The group attends Mass here.
Then the group has lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, the group continues sightseeing:
• Arc de Triomphe – L’Arc de Triomphe of Paris, built in 1806 to celebrate victory, one of the largest war memorials in the world. (photos from outside)
• Champs-Élysées Avenue – one of the most famous avenues in the world, linking the Place de la Concorde and the Étoile.
• Eiffel Tower – one of the main symbols of Paris, built in 1887, 320 metres tall, and one of the great engineering marvels of the 19th century. (photos from outside)
• A romantic cruise on the Seine River to admire the city of Paris
Continuing the journey, the group travels by TGV train to Our Lady of Lourdes
Expected train: 18:06 – 22:55
On arrival in Lourdes, the group checks into the hotel and spends the night there.

After breakfast, the coach takes the group to pay their respects:
• Basilica of Our Lady of Lourdes (Sanctuary of Our Lady in Lourdes) where the group attends Mass.
• Rosary Basilica (Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary) – designed by Leopold Hardy in 1899, with capacity for more than 1,500 worshippers at each Mass.
• Pray at the place where Our Lady appeared to Saint Bernadette, known as the Grotto of Massabielle.
• Visit the house where Saint Bernadette was born and grew up (Boly Mill)
• Underground church named after Pope Pius X with capacity for 20,000 people
You have dinner at a local restaurant and spend the night in Lourdes.

You have breakfast and check out of the hotel. The group then travels to Barcelona – the dazzling seaside city of Spain, famous for the unique architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and its lively Mediterranean rhythm of life. It is a perfect blend of ancient history and modern artistic culture.
The group visits:
• Basilica de la Sagrada Família: Regarded as the masterpiece of the famous architect Antoni Gaudí from Catalonia for its grandeur and unique style, this church is one of Barcelona's most attractive tourist sites and a symbol of Spain. The Sagrada Família is also famous as the only church in the world whose construction has taken so long – more than a century – and it was officially completed only in 2026.
The coach takes you to dinner and then back to the hotel to rest. You spend the night in Barcelona.

After breakfast, the group checks out and continues its journey to the capital Madrid, Spain by TGV train.
Expected train: 10:08 – 13:25
In Madrid, you visit:
• Almudena Cathedral (Madrid Cathedral): home to the famous statue of Our Lady of Almudena and a sacred symbol of the capital Madrid. Legend has it that the statue of Our Lady was once hidden within the old city walls of Madrid to avoid destruction during a period of historical persecution, and was later found intact. During his official apostolic visit to Spain, Pope Leo XIV visited and led a prayer service here.
You have dinner and return to the hotel to rest. Overnight in Madrid.

You have breakfast at the hotel. Then the coach takes the group to Assisi – an ancient, small yet very beautiful town, 203 km north of the capital Rome, famous as the homeland of the saints Francis and Clare. There, the group visits:
• Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, on the plain at the foot of Assisi hill. Inside the church is the "Portiuncula", regarded as the first mother house, where Saint Francis founded the Order of Friars Minor.
• Basilica of St. Clare – built in the Italian Gothic style between 1257 and 1265. The church contains precious frescoes dating from around the 12th to the 14th century. The group visits and goes down to the crypt to pay respects at the tomb of St. Clare.
• Cathedral of Our Lady Major – Assisi, where the remains of Blessed Carlo Acutis are placed.
• Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi – a complex of churches, chapels and especially the crypt of St. Francis. It is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Italy for Christians. The church was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
You have dinner at a local restaurant and check in to spend the night in Assisi.

You have breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, the group checks out and travels to Lanciano – the site of the Eucharistic Miracle. Legend has it that in the 8th century a priest doubted the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. One day during Mass, after the consecration, the bread and wine visibly transformed into flesh and blood. The Catholic Church recognises this miracle as credible.
In Lanciano, you will visit and pray at:
• Santuario del Miracolo Eucaristico (Sanctuary of the Eucharistic Miracle): where the relics of the world-famous Eucharistic Miracle of the 8th century are now preserved.
• Lanciano Cathedral: Lanciano's cathedral church, famous for being built directly on the arches of an ancient Roman bridge and for housing a revered statue of the Virgin Mary.
The group has lunch. Then the group continues to San Giovanni Rotondo – a town in the province of Foggia, in the Puglia region of southern Italy. It is a world-famous Catholic pilgrimage centre, closely linked to the life and mission of Saint Padre Pio (Saint Pio of the Five Wounds), who lived and rests here.
On arrival, the group visits and prays at:
• Santuario di Padre Pio (Shrine of Padre Pio): where the incorruptible body of Saint Pio of the Five Wounds is kept.
You have dinner and check in to rest. Overnight in San Giovanni Rotondo.

You check out of the hotel. The coach takes the group to attend the Pope's fourth weekly general audience with pilgrims at St. Peter's Square.
After the audience, the group has lunch and sightseeing:
• St. Paul Outside the Walls Papal Basilica – one of the four most important ancient churches in Rome, built by Emperor Constantine over the burial place of St. Paul.
• Trevi Fountain – a gathering place for many locals and tourists, where visitors throw a coin into the pool to make a wish come true.
Then the coach takes the group to Fiumicino Airport for departure formalities and the return flight to Vietnam.
Expected flights:
CA 940 24FEB FCOPEK 2005 1315 25FEB
CA 903 25FEB PEKSGN 2040 0110+ 26FEB

Arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport, the group says goodbye and looks forward to seeing you again.
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PILGRIMAGE TO: GETTING TO KNOW AND LOVING JESUS CHRIST