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Sample Itineraries
ROME
- 4 Days
Day 1 - Rome
Arrival in Rome; meeting, assistance and transfer to your
hotel. Balance of the day at leisure to acquaint yourself with the
"Eternal City."
Day 2 - Rome
Morning visit to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel begins
with the Corte Delta Pigna where your guide will discuss the history
of the Sistine Chapel, the Pope's official private chapel. See the
magnificent Greco-Roman statues before proceeding to the Hall of
Tapestries, with its 16th-century Flemish tapestries and the Maps
Gallery. Stand in awe at Michelangelo's Creation and the famous
Last Judgment. Afternoon drive to St. Peter's Square, surrounded
by Bernini's imposing colonnade; in the background is the Basilica,
the largest church in Christendom. In the chapel you will see the
famed Pieta by Michelangelo. Then, drive past legendary monuments,
palaces, ruins, squares and fountains to the Piazza Venezia, and
the monumental Colosseum, famed battleground of the gladiators.
Continue past the Roman Forum, heart of ancient Rome. Remainder
of the day at leisure.
Day 3 - Rome
Experience an emotional and unforgettable morning with His
Holiness, Pope John Paul II. (Special arrangements, subject to schedules.)
You will be accompanied by Swiss guards to the Papal Audience Hall,
or St. Peter's Square. Here the Pope will address the audience in
several languages and will conclude with an apostolic blessing.
Afterwards, visit San Giovanni in Laterano (St. John in Lateran)
and opposite the Lateran Palace, view a 16th-century building containing
the Scale Santa (Holy Stairs), which tradition says was brought
to Rome from Pontius Pilate's house in Jerusalem. Visit one of the
magnificent Catacombs of Rome where early Christians, persecuted
by the Romans, practiced in secret their religious rites and buried
their dead. End the day with a visit to the magnificent Basilica
di San Paolo fuori le mura (St. Paul Outside the Walls), one of
the four patriarchal basilicas and the largest in Rome after St.
Peter's.
Day 4 - En Route
Transfer to the airport for your departure flight back to
the U.S.
JORDAN
- 4 Days
Day 1 - Amman
Cross the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge into Jordan. Visit
the Decapolis city, Jerash, the "Pompeii of the East." See the Street
of Columns, Hadrian's Triumphal Arch, the Roman Forum and the Temples
of Diana and Zeus. Continue to Ajloun, Saladin's 12th-century castle.
Overnight in Amman.
Day 2 - Amman
Visit Madaba, where a 6th-century mosaic map depicts the
Holy Land. Continue past Mount Nebo where Moses gained his glimpse
of the Promised Land. Tour Amman, known as Rabbath Ammon and Philadelphia
in Biblical times. See the Archeological Museum, the Roman theatre
and the Citadel containing the remains of the massive Temple of
Hercules. Overnight in Amman.
Day 3 - Petra
Your desert adventure visits the 2,000-year-old Nabatean
city of Petra, the "rose-colored city half as old as time." Travel
through a narrow "siq" flanked by towering cliffs. At its end, see
Petra's most spectacular monument, the Khazneh. Also visit the Roman
Theatre, the High Place and the Royal Tombs. Overnight in Amman.
Day 4 - En Route
Transfer to the airport for return flight(s).
ATHENS - 4 Days
Day 1 - Athens
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Athens. Meeting,
assistance and transfer to hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure.
Overnight - Athens.
Day 2 - Athens/Corinth
Visit the Temple of Zeus, Omoma Square, Constitution Square
and the Presidential Palace. Travel along the coastal road of the
Saronic Gulf to Corinth; visit the Museum, the Bema of Apostle Paul,
the Temple of Apollo and the Agora. Overnight - Athens.
Day 3 - Athens
In-depth visit to the Acropolis and Mars Hill. Remainder
of the day at leisure. Farewell Overnight - Athens.
Day 4 - En Route
Transfer to the airport for return flight(s). |
