2025 Jubilee: The Holy Year

Become “Pilgrims of Hope” during the Holy Year 2025. Join a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, experiencing some of the most fascinating religious sites and relics in the world. Take part in the Jubilee, a tradition with biblical roots and re-established in AD 1300. Renew your Faith and join the multitudes of pilgrims who have been traveling to Rome for centuries for the chance to receive the plenary indulgence.
Hotel Name: UNAHOTELS Decò Roma

Arrive in Rome, the spiritual center of the Catholic faith during the Holy Year. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome dinner at your hotel, featuring regional delicacies and Italian wine.
Dinner Included

Visit Area: Rome
Rome is the capital of modern Italy and the historical home of one of the great civilizations in history, the Roman Empire. The historical city was founded in 753 BC and has grown to a size of over 3 million inhabitants today. The city is home to major monuments like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and many more. The city was built on the seven ancient hills along the Tiber River. Today it is a collection of neighborhoods with vibrant shops, restaurants and museums just waiting to be explored.

This morning, begin your pilgrimage of the Seven Jubilee Churches with a visit to Rome’s cathedral: the Basilica of St. John Lateran – the former residence of the popes. After celebrating Mass, continue to the Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs which tradition believes are the steps that Christ climbed when he appeared before Pontius Pilate. This afternoon, visit the Basilica of the Holy Cross, which enshrines relics from Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Return to the hotel for an evening at leisure. Or opt to enhance your Roman sojourn with a half-board dinner supplement at your hotel.*

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Basilica of St. John Lateran & the Holy Stairs

Today, venture beyond ancient Rome’s city limits, though still within the modern city center. Visit the Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls, built over the shrine of Saint Lawrence, one of the earliest martyrs of the Catholic Church. Continue to St. Sebastian Outside the Walls where you celebrate Mass. Then, follow the steps down to the catacombs underneath the basilica, for a touching visit to the tombs of early Christians, martyrs, and saints. This afternoon, visit St. Paul Outside the Walls and pause in reverence at the tomb of the Apostle.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: St. Paul Outside the Walls
Around 65-67 AD Nero sentenced Saint Paul to be beheaded. In the 4th century, Emperor Constantine built a basilica over his tomb. The basilica was enlarged and alter many time over the centuries until 1823 when it was destroyed by fire. Today the basilica has been rebuilt as it was before with a few additions like a new portico. The church is one of four major basilicas in Rome and the only one outside the Aurelian walls.

This morning, join the English-language neighborhood Mass at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy.** Afterward, walk on to St. Peter’s Square to await the Papal Blessing.*** Every Sunday when in residence, His Holiness pronounces a brief reflection on the Gospel of the day before reciting the Angelus prayer from his window overlooking St. Peter’s Square. This afternoon, visit the Shrine of our Lady of Divine Love, added to the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome by Saint John Paul II during the Jubilee of AD 2000.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Catacombs
Dive into the depths of Rome when you explore the Catacombs, a collection of underground burial sites for early Christians. Wander among the numerous pathways and discover the hidden passages of this ancient relic.

Early this morning, travel north to Assisi, where St. Francis spent most of his life. Visit St. Mary of the Angels Basilica and the Chapel of the Porziuncola, built on the founding site of the Franciscan Order. After an included lunch, join a local expert on a tour of the 13th-century basilica of St. Francis, where you can see many of St. Francis’ possessions and a series of frescoes. Celebrate Mass at the basilica before returning to Rome in the evening for a late dinner at your hotel.

Breakfast Included
Lunch Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Papal Blessing in Saint Peter’s Square

This morning explore the Vatican Museums,**** including the Sistine Chapel where the Pope is elected and where Michelangelo’s famous Last Judgment mural is located. End your visit of the Vatican City in St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church. Feel the grace around you as you meander along towering marble columns and stand in awe before La Pietà, Michelangelo’s renowned sculpture. This afternoon, enter the Marian Basilica of St. Mary Major, where art and spirituality meet. Celebrate Mass before returning to the hotel for an evening at leisure.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Assisi & Basilica of Saint Francis

Early this morning attend the weekly Papal audience*** at the Vatican City to receive the blessing given by His Holiness the Pope. The afternoon is yours to do as you wish. You may choose to cross the Holy Door of St. Peter’s to seek jubilar absolution if you have not done so yet. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant celebrating the end of a memorable pilgrimage to Italy.

Breakfast Included
Dinner Included

Admittance: Vatican City
The Vatican City is the smallest independent state with an area of 110 acres (44 hectares). Inside the Vatican walls are the Papal Palace, St. Peter's Basilica, the curia of the Vatican state, extensive gardens and the Vatican Museums. More than half of that territory is dedicated to the Vatican Gardens. The Vatican City and Pope are guarded by the Swiss Guard, who wear uniforms that can be traced back to Michelangelo.

Your spiritual journey to Rome and Assisi comes to a close. Return home with renewed faith as a Pilgrim of Hope.

Breakfast Included

Admittance: Sistine Chapel