DAILY ITINERARY
May 12 - 23, 2008 (12 Days)
$2,799 from Toronto
(plus
current fuel charge, taxes, tips)
Monday, May
12 - Day 1 – DEPART U.S.
– Today, we
depart Toronto for our connecting flight to Prague. We are
served complimentary beverages, in-flight movies, dinner and
breakfast aloft.
Tuesday, May
13 - Day 2 – PRAGUE
– This
morning, we arrive in Milan and make our short connection to
Prague. We board our motorcoach and enjoy a delightful
orientation tour of the city. Later, we check into our hotel for
dinner and overnight and the balance of the day is at leisure.
(D)
Wednesday,
May 14 – Day 3 – PRAGUE
– After
breakfast, we begin our tour of Prague at Castle Hill and visit
St. Vitus Cathedral, Wladislav Hall and Golden Lane. We visit
the famous Infant Jesus of Prague at the Church of Our
Lady of
Victory, where we celebrate Mass*. Our afternoon tour of Prague
includes the Old Town with Astronomical clock, Jewish Quarter
and Charles Bridge. We return to our hotel for dinner and
overnight. (B, D)
Thursday, May
15 - Day 4 - VIENNA
– This
morning, we depart Prague and travel south to Vienna where our
afternoon orientation tour of the Ringstrasse passes by City
Hall, the Burg Theater, Houses of Parliament, two State Museums,
and the Opera and visit the Gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We
celebrate Mass* here. Later we proceed to our hotel for dinner
and overnight. (B, D)
Friday, May
16 - Day 5 - VIENNA - BUDAPEST
– Leaving the
city and foothills of the Alps, we travel through the Burgenland
onto the sweeping Hungarian plain. A stop is made at Györ, where
the Irish Madonna attracts many Pilgrims. We celebrate Mass*
here. We also visit the cathedral and the tomb of blessed Vilmos
Apor, Bishop of Györ. We travel to the famous Danube Bend for a
short time to Esztergom, main diocese of Hungary, here we visit
the Cathedral visit tomb of Cardinal Mindszenty in the crypt. He
visited Buffalo, NY in 1974 and a local high school was named
after him. This evening, we enjoy a boat ride on the Danube.
Commentary includes the history of the city’s most important
buildings situated along the river. Dinner and overnight at our
hotel. (B, D)
Saturday, May
17 - Day 6 – BUDAPEST
– This
morning we drive to the Royal castle in Buda, where we visit
Fishermen’s Bastion and the beautiful Gothic St. Matthias
Church. Afterwards, we continue to the Citadel, where we enjoy
the best view over the Danube and the lower city of Pest. Later,
we cross the Elizabeth Bridge to the Market Hall and the
pedestrian center, where we have free time for lunch on our own.
In the afternoon, we drive through the City Park to Hero’s
Square, then past the Opera and Parliament. We conclude our day
with a visit and Mass* at St. Stephen’s Basilica.This evening,
we enjoy a special dinner at the Gypsy Tavern with folkloric
entertainment. (B, D)
Sunday, May
18 - Day 7 – BUDAPEST/KRAKOW
– Today we
head north out of Budapest and soon cross the border into
Slovakia. By way of Banska Bystrica and crossing the Lower Tatra
Mountains, we reach the border and enter the southern region of
Poland to arrive at Krakow for dinner and overnight. Sunday
Mass* en route. (B, D)
Monday, May
19 - Day 8 – KRAKOW - “THE POLISH ROME”
– Today we
meet our local guide and begin our sightseeing tour. Our first
stop is the courtyard of 16th century Royal Castle, and Wawel
Cathedral, where generations of Polish Kings are buried. We then
take a walking tour of Old Town, visiting some of the treasures
of this wonderful old city. We view the Town Hall Tower and the
Cloth Hall, located on the same site since the 14th century, the
15 century Collegium Maius in the oldest university
area and St. Mary’s Church. Here we enjoy the ancient tradition
of the “Hejnal” or bugle call from the Tower, which warned
residents of the coming of an enemy. During the day, we visit
the newly built Basilica of the Divine Mercy, the home of St.
Sister Faustina. We celebrate Mass* and see the convent and
visit with the Sisters there. Dinner and overnight at our hotel.
(B, D)
Tuesday, May
20 - Day 9 – KRAKOW –
Today we are
free for personal adventure, shopping or optional excursions
(i.e., Auschwitz, Wieliczka, Wadowice). We have the opportunity
to explore the culinary delights of Krakow tonight as dinner is
on our own. Overnight at our hotel. (B)
Wednesday,
May 21 - Day 10 - CZESTOCHOWA/WARSAW
– After breakfast, we board our motor coach for a two-hour
ride to Czestochowa where we make our way to the monastery
complex of Jasna Gora to visit the Marian Shrine. Jasna Gora
consists of a Gothic/Baroque church, a Baroque monastery and
fortress. This is where the miraculous picture of Our Lady of
Czestochowa (Black Madonna) has been preserved. We tour this
shrine and celebrate Mass* . Afterwards, we continue to Warsaw
where we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,
D)
Thursday, May
22 - Day 11 - WARSAW
- This
morning we can participate at Corpus Christi Mass and procession
at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, Warsaw’s oldest architectural
monument dating back to 1338 and rebuilt from the ruins of
W.W.II. Following Mass*, we visit Old Town, where each historic
building has been painstaking and lovingly reconstructed ,after
the destruction during W.W.II, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
the Memorial of the Warsaw Uprising, the Memorial of the Ghetto
Heroes, Lazienki Park to view Chopin’s Monument, and the Royal
Castle. We have some free time before we enjoy our early
farewell dinner in a local restaurant this evening. (B, D)
Friday, May
23 - Day 12 - WARSAW/TORONTO -
This morning,
we transfer to the airport for our return flight to the Toronto
via Milan, where we arrive later today with memories of a
lifetime. (B)
