WITH FR JOSELITO ‘LITOY’ ASIS
OCTOBER 5-21, 2015

Day 1/ Monday, Oct 5

Depart Melbourne

 

Day 2/ Tuesday, Oct 6

Arrival Warsaw – Czestochowa

 

• 11:30am Arrival Warsaw
• Upon arrival meeting and assistance by an English-speaking tour escort.
• Transfer to Czestochowa.
• En route lunch on your own.

17:00 Visit the Jasna Gora Monastery (entrance fee included),) where we will see the Treasury, the Knight’s Hall, the Refectory and the Basilica of the Holy Cross and the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. The highlight of our visit will be a viewing of the famous icon of the Black Madonna to which miraculous powers are attributed

• Check into your hotel.
• 19:30 Dinner at the hotel in Czestochowa.
• Overnight at the hotel in Czestochowa. (D)

 

Day 3/Wednesday, Oct 7

Czestochowa – Auschwitz – Wadowice – Krakow

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of the hotel.
• Celebrate morning mass at one of the chapel in Jasna Gora Monastery.
• Depart Czestochowa to Krakow.
• En route lunch on your own.
• Visit Auschwitz (entrance fee included), the Nazi concentration Camp of Auschwitz where St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) faced martyrdom and St. Maximilian Kolbe died in the Death Block from starvation after volunteering his life for that of a fellow prisoner.
• Continue to Wadowice.

Visit Wadowice the birthplace of Pope John Paul II and his childhood home which is now a museum (entrance fee included), and the Church of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary where he was baptized.

• Continue to Krakow.
• Check into your hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel in Krakow.
• Overnight at the hotel in Krakow. (B,D)

 

Day 4/Thursday, Oct 8

Krakow – Divine Mercy – Wieliczka – Krakow

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• 8:00 Following breakfast, proceed to Wawel Hill to see Wawel Royal Castle and visit the Cathedral (entrance fee included), which is one of the most beautiful renaissance residences in central
• Continue to Krakow’s Old Town to see the main Market Square, Cloth Hall and visit the Church of St. Mary (entrance fee included)
• 12:00 Lunch on your own and some free time in the Old Town.
• After lunch continue to Lagiewniki to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine, where Saint Faustina, the Apostle of Divine Mercy, lived and died.
• Enjoy a guided tour of the shrine.

 

• Mass at Sanctuary.
• Then drive to Wieliczka and visit Wieliczka Salt Mine (entrance fee included),
• Return to Krakow.
• Dinner at the hotel in Krakow.
• Overnight at the hotel in Krakow. (B,D)

 

Day 5 / Friday, Oct 9

Krakow – Kalwaria Zebrzydowska – Prague

 

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• 7:30 Depart Krakow to Prague.
• 8:30 Visit Kalwaria Zebrzydowska which was a popular pilgrimage place for Pope John Paul II when he was a young man and where in the 17th century the Palatine of Krakow founded a Franciscan Monastery. On the slope of the hill and the valley is an architectural ‘Way of the Cross’ made up of 40 chapels set on the surrounding hills.
• Celebrate mass at Shrine.
• Lunch on your own en route.
• Continue to Prague.
• Upon arrival check into your hotel.
• Dinner at the hotel in Prague.
• Overnight at the hotel in Prague. (B,D

 

Day 6/Saturday, Oct 10

Prague

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Mass at Our Lady of Victory Church.
• Prague ranks as one of the most beautifully preserved cities in Europe. Pass the Loreto Shrine and St. Vitus Cathedral. Visit Prague Castle (entrance fee included), Then proceed to the Church of Our Lady of Victory to see the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague.
• Lunch on your own.

After lunch we will visit the Old Town, which is considered to be one of the best historical city centres in Europe. Visit the Old Town Square, the Town Hall with its famous Astronomical Clock, which comes alive when the hour strikes and the twelve disciples appear to bless the crowd, the Church of Our Lady before Tyn.

• Return to the hotel.
• Dinner at a local restaurant in Prague.
• Overnight at the hotel in Prague. (B,D)

 

Day 7 /Sunday, Oct 11

Prague  – Vienna

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Celebrate Mass at a local church.
• Depart to Vienna.
• Lunch on your own en route.
• Continue to Vienna.
• Upon arrival tour of the famous ring then a walk of the old town between the University and Opera house passing major monuments to include donners fountain, Belwedere Palace gardens, Hofburg palace, Spanish horses training place, St Steven Basilica. (no entrances)
• Dinner at the hotel in Vienna.
• Overnight at the hotel in Vienna. (B,D)

 

Day 8/ Monday, Oct 12

Vienna – Budapest

 

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Celebrate Mass at a local church.
• Depart to Budapest.
• Upon arrival have lunch on your own.
• Enjoy sightseeing tour of Budapest includes the older section: Buda, located on the right bank of the Danube River where the Royal Castle, the Matthias Church (entrance fee included), and the Fisherman’s Bastion (entrance fee included), can be found. Enjoy views of the Neo-Gothic Parliament, Hero’s Square and the Church of St. Stephen.
• Enjoy evening Danube cruise.
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight at the hotel in Budapest. (B,D)

 

 

Day 9/ Tuesday, Oct 13

Budapest –  Marija Bistrica – Zagreb

 

• Breakfast at the Hotel
• 7:30 Depart Budapest to Zagreb.
• En route stop at Marija Bistrica
• Celebrate Mass here.
• Lunch on your own.
• Drive to Zagreb.
• Meet your English-speaking guide and have a short city tour of Zagreb
• Check-in to your hotel.
• Dinner at hotel in Zagreb.
• Overnight at the hotel in Zagreb. (B,D)

 

Day 10/ Wednesday, Oct 14

Zagreb – Split – Medjugorje

• Open buffet breakfast at the hotel.
• Check out of the hotel.
• 7:30 Depart to Medjugorje.
• Lunch on your own en route.
• 14:30 stop at Split for walking tour of split to explore Diocletian Palace (entrance fee included), – one of a kind Imperial Palace that was enlisted in UNESCO’s World Heritage since it’s one of the most significant original structures of the late ancient
• 16:00 Mass at a local church in Split.
• 17:00 Depart to Medjugorje.
• Arrive Medjugorje.
• 19:30 Upon arrival check in
• 20:00 Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight Medjugorje. (B,D)

 

Day 11/ Thursday, Oct 15

Medjugorje

• Open buffet breakfast at the hotel.
• The group can join the Mass in English at St. James Church in Medjugorje held at 10:00 am.
• After mass, visiting of Medjugorje. Take a leisurely climb up the Hill of Apparitions, the sight of the first Apparition
• Lunch on your own
• Return to the hotel.
• This evening, join the local people of Medjugorje as they pray the Rosary, be present when Our Lady appears to the visionaries, and take part in the evening Croatian Mass celebrated by the local people for all the pilgrims in Medjugorje
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight in Medjugorie. (B,D)

 

Day 12/ Friday, Oct 16

Medjugorje

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Drive to Siroki for short visiting. Thousands of pilgrims visit the thirty Franciscan Martyrs of Siroki Brijeg every year, On 7th February 1945 the Communist soldiers arrived and said “God is dead, there is no God, there is no Pope, there is no Church, there is no need of you, you also go out in the world and work.” The communists asked them to remove their habits. The Franciscans refused. One angry soldier took the Crucifix and threw it on the floor. He said, “you can now choose either life or death.” Each of the Franciscans knelt down, embraced the Crucifix and said, “You are my God and my All.” The thirty Franciscans were taken out and slaughtered and their bodies burned in a nearby cave where their remains lay for many years. Today they are buried inside the Franciscan church.

Celebrate mass at Siroki Birjeg.

• Lunch on your own.
• Return to Medjugorje.
• Afternoon free for prayer and reflection.
• Dinner at the hotel.
• Overnight in Medjugorie. (B,D)

 

Day 13/ Saturday, Oct 17

Medjugorje – Zadar – Rijeka

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Mass at the local church
• Depart to Rijeka
• En route stop in Zadar. Enjoy panoramic tour of the city.
• Lunch on your own in Zadar.
• Continue to Rijeka.
• Dinner at the hotel in Rijeka.
• Overnight at the hotel in Rijeka. (B,D)

 

Day 14/ Sunday, Oct 18

Rijeka – Padua

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Depart Rijeka for Padua.
• En route stop for lunch on your own.
• Check-in to your hotel upon arrival.
• Afternoon visit St. Anthony
• Breakfast at the hotel.
• After breakfast drive for a full day excursion to Venice. Drive to the dock and board a private boat to central Venice.
• Celebrate mass at St. Anthony (subject to confirmation)
• Enjoy sightseeing with a local guide. Visit St. Mark’s Basilica (entrance fee included), Doges Palace (entrance fee included).
• Lunch on your own.
• Afternoon free at leisure for shopping and exploring the city on your own.
• Drive back to Padua.
• Dinner at the hotel in Padua.
• Overnight at the hotel in Padua. (B,D)

 

Day 16/ Tuesday, Oct 20

Padua – Milan Departure

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• After breakfast drive to Milan.
• Meet your local guide and enjoy Milan city tour including visit the Duomo (entrance fee included),
• Afternoon at leisure for last minute shopping.
• Transfer to the airport.
• 22:20 flight back home. (B)

 

Day 17/Wednesday, Oct 21

Arrive Melbourne

Proposed Itinerary or similar

 

EK 407  05 OCT   MEL DXB         2225   0530      06 OCT

EK 179  06 OCT   DXB WAW       0725  1130

EK  92   20 OCT   MXP DXB         2220   0625      21 OCT

EK 406  21 OCT   DXB MEL         1015   0635      22 OCT

 

 Complete Itinerary with Hotel    

• Czestochowa: Mercure City Center 3* or similar (1 night)
• Krakow: Holiday Inn 4+* or similar (2 nights)
• Prague: Ramada City Center 4* or similar (2 nights)
• Vienna: Roomz 4* or similar (1 night)
• Budapest: Novotel Centrum 4* or similar (1 night)
• Zagreb: Panorama 4* or similar (1 night)
• Medjugorje: Pension 1 or similar (3 nights)
• Rijeka: Jadran 4* or similar (1 night)
• Padua: Sheraton 4* or similar (2 nights)

Includes:

• Hotels on Half Board basis ( Breakfast & Dinner +No drinks Included)
• One dinner with folklore show at a local restaurant in Prague (unlimited drinks) on day 6.
• Tour escort from day 2 – day 16
• Air conditioned bus from day 2- day 16
• Entrance Fees as indicated
• Local Guides:

Poland: Jasna Gora Monastery, Auschwitz HD Krakow, Wieliczka Salt Mine

Czech: FD Prague

Austria: HD Vienna.

Hungary: HD Budapest.

Croatia: Walking tour of Zagreb (2h), Walking tour of Split (1.5h).

Medjugorje: FD Medjugorje

Italy: HD Padua, HD Venice, HD Milan.

• Porterage In/Out

 

Doesn’t include

• Anything not mentioned above.
• Lunches.
• Personal expenses.
• Drinks at meals.
• Gratuity for hotel’s staff.