From the enchanting waterways of Venice to the Renaissance wonders of Florence and onward to the eternal city of Rome, every day of this tour will bring unforgettable moments, breathtaking art, and awe-inspiring stories.
We will immerse ourselves in Italy’s sights, sounds, and tastes. Along the way, our guides will inspire and educate us on how the Body of Christ was birthed, struggled, met opposition, and yet grew within this culture.
Your senses will come alive: savor authentic Italian cuisine while enjoying the camaraderie of fellow travelers who share your passion for discovery and faith. Our expert guides will bring each site vividly to life, offering context, inspiration, and stories you won’t find in any guidebook.
Don’t miss the chance to walk the storied streets where faith took root, culture blossomed, and history was made. Secure your place today and join a community of CMDA family and friends on a tour designed to enrich your spirit and ignite your imagination.
This is more than a tour—it’s an invitation to experience Italy’s enduring legacy and living faith. Register now and let the road to Rome change your life.
Tentative Tour Itinerary
The tour intends to visit each of the sites listed below. Sites closed because of weather, renovation or other unforeseen circumstances will not be visited. The tour Escort and guide are given the freedom to use their discretion in the order in which sites are visited. They may visit sites in a different order/day than listed.
Sunday, May 17 Arrival Venice / Mestre
Upon arrival at Venice’s airport, transfer to the hotel located in Mestre. Dinner and overnight at Hotel VOCO, or similar. (2 nights).
Monday, May 18 Mestre / Venice / Mestre
Soon after breakfast, you will be transferred by bus from Hotel Antony in Mestre to the Tronchetto station in Venice, and from there, you will proceed by boat to the Piazza San Marco and meet your local guide. Enjoy a tour of the magnificent Piazza and Basilica of St. Mark’s, its marvelous Byzantine-style architecture studded with colored marbles and glittering gold mosaics and housing the tomb of the Evangelist Mark. Visit the elaborate Doge’s Palace, the sumptuous home of the former Venetian rulers with its famous Bridge of Sighs, where prisoners crossed before being led to the dungeons. There will be some time at leisure for an optional gondola ride or shopping.
In the afternoon, visit “The Waldesian: Eight centuries of history” in the centrally located “Palazzo Cavagni.” The Waldesian Church of Italy is the oldest protestant Church of the world. Or walk on your own throughout the “calle” (streets) and squares where the Italian Reformer Paolo Vergerio used to make speeches against the Church of Rome. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Tuesday, May 19 Mestre / Ravenna / Florence
Early morning departure towards the south. Reach Ravenna in approx. 1.5-hour drive and meet the local guide for a walking tour. See the Mausoleum of GallaPlacidia, which hides a ceiling of infinite stars, and the refined composition that decorates Neonian Baptistery. Some time at leisure for lunch before continuing south to reach Florence in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio. or similar. (2 nights).
Wednesday, May 20 Florence
Your guide will meet you at the hotel this morning and stay with you for a full day guided tour of the city. You will see the famous “Gates of Paradis Doors” of the Baptistery of St. John (entrance excluded), the religious essence of the city, the remarkable Duomo, the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Piazza Della Signoria, and the Basilica of Santa Croce, a masterpiece of Gothic art and the pantheon of famous Italians such as Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The tour ends at the Accademia Gallery, which hosts Michelangelo’s famous David. The rest of the day is free. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Thursday, May 21 Florence / Siena / Assisi
Depart Florence soon after breakfast. Drive through the scenic Tuscan countryside to reach Siena in a 1.5-hour drive. Enjoy Siena’s major treasures, including its fabulous marble gothic cathedral. After lunch, you will board your bus and continue south to reach Assisi in approx. 2.5-hour drive. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Fontebella, or similar. (2 nights).
Friday, May 22 Assisi
After a short bus ride, your group will meet your local guide and start an unforgettable walk through the narrow streets of the ancient town. You will visit the Church of Santa Chiara. You will then reach the very heart of the town, the Piazza del Comune (Town Hall square). Then, you will visit the Basilica of St Francis. Some time at leisure for lunch before transfer by bus to the Basilica of Santa Maria Degli Angeli to see the small Portiuncola chapel and the site where St. Francis died in 1226. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Saturday, May 23 Assisi/ Ancient Rome
Early morning departure towards south to reach Rome in 2.5 hours drive. Upon arrival, meet your local guide and take a walking tour of Ancient Rome’s real core. Our guide will show you along the Via Dei Fori Imperiali from Trajan’s Column. You will see the Forum of Trajan. On foot, you will reach Capitoline Hill. The stairway will lead you to the Piazza del Campidoglio. Behind Piazza del Campidoglio, you will find a natural terrace providing the best panoramic point over the valley of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. From the Forum, the guide will show you to the place linked to the fabulous origins of Rome: the Palatine. From the valley of the Roman Forum, you will admire the Domus Tiberiana. Leaving the Roman Forum, you will find the Arch of Constantine.
The tour ends at the Colosseum (internal visit). Transfer your hotel to located in central Rome. Some free time to relax or to discover the city on your own. Dinner and overnight at Mama Shelter Hotel, or similar. (3 nights).
Sunday, May 24 Paul’s Sites / Fountains and Squares
This tour is a combination of the most interesting sites, which are linked with the life of the Apostle Paul in Rome.
Abbey of the Three Fountains, the place of Paul’s martyrdom, where tradition has it, that three different springs gushed out at each spot touched when Paul’s head fell.
Catacombs of San Sebastian is located on the Ancient Appian Way, this is where the bodies of Apostle Paul and Apostle Peter were kept during the Christian persecution of Valeriano (253 – 260 AC), which gave the first Christians the opportunity to venerate the tombs of the two Apostles. This is the reason why this place is still today called Memoria Apostolorum. To prove this, there is a lot of “grafiti” in Latin and Aramaic in the catacombs and in the Basilica of San Sebastian. The Basilica was built over the catacombs during the “Costantinianum Peace” in the name of the two Apostles.
St. Paul Outside the Walls is a Benedictine Abbey that shares its name, origins, and centuries of history, both joyful and sorrowful, with the adjoining Basilica. Visit the Basilica, where the bones of Paul have recently been found. You will leave Rome with the real spirit of first Christians in your mind and in your Heart.
The rest of the day is at leisure to have the opportunity to discover the Baroque center of Rome on your own. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Monday, May 25 Vatican & Early Christian Churches
Meet the guide at your hotel and transfer to the Vatican Museum.
Passing through the Court of the Pigna, designed by Bramante in the 16th century, you will enter the Belvedere Palace to reach the heart of the museum, the Belvedere Courtyard. Proceeding with the visit, you will quickly pass the secondary galleries to reach the Greek Cross Room, where the splendid Sarcophagi of St. Helene and St. Constance are housed. Walking through the Galleries of the Candelabra, of the Maps, and of the Tapestries, you will reach the Apostolic Palace, the oldest section of the complex of the Vatican Palaces. Your guide will show you the Apartments of Julius II, splendidly decorated by Raphael and his assistants, and then the Sistine Chapel, where you will admire one of the highest masterpieces of art: the Genesis and the Last Judgment by Michelangelo, which have gained their original splendor after the latest restorations. Leaving the Sistine Chapel and going down the Royal Stairway, projected by Bernini, the guide will conduct you to the Basilica of St. Peter, the most important temple of Christianity, which gathers inside 2000 years of history and famous works of art such as the Pietà by Michelangelo.
The visit ends at St. Peter’s Square, embraced by the colonnade, an architectural masterpiece by Bernini, under the symbolic protection of the “Cuppolone”, as the Romans call Michelangelo’s dome.
The afternoon is dedicated to visiting two of Rome’s most influential Christian Churches, San John di Lateran and the Holy Cross of Jerusalem. These churches are symbolic of the importance that Constantine placed on his adopted new faith. The properties for both were donated by Constantine’s family, signifying that importance.
You will also visit the Santa Scala, the Holy Steps, which are reputed to be the steps that Christ went up when he was called for a meeting with Pontius Pilate. A visit to these steps was recorded as one of the sites that Martin Luther visited when he was called by the Pope to Rome.
Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.
Tuesday, May 26
End of Tour, check out of the hotel and transfer to the Rome airport for your return flight home.
- Nine nights lodging
- Hotel city tax and porterage at hotels
- Breakfast and dinner
- Excursions as per the itinerary
- Entrance fees to museums and other sites as per the itinerary
- Airport transfers at the beginning and end of tour
- Transportation with private bus throughout the tour
- English speaking tour escorts throughout tour
- English speaking local guides at each site
- Use of whispers headsets for the ease of hear guides
- Tips for guides, escorts and drivers
- International Travel Insurance (NOT Trip Cancelation Insurance) from Friday, May 15 – Thursday, May 28, 2026 (allows for an extra day of travel at the beginning and end of the tour). Additional days are available for $8 per person per day. This coverage includes Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Medical Expenses, Disability Income, Emergency Medical Evacuation, Crisis Management, including the expense and coordination of a security evacuation, Personal Property, and General Liability.
Coverage does not include trip cancelation, flight cancelation, or trip interruption. This type of coverage can be purchased individually through companies like: Travelex https://www.travelexinsurance.com/,Travel Guard https://www.travelguard.com/ or Allianz Travel https://www.allianztravelinsurance.com/. CMDA does not endorse any of these companies or benefit from insurance purchased by those who travel on a CMDA tour.
Tour Package Does NOT Include
- International airfare
- Visa fees (no via needed for US citizens)
- ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) NEW in 2026
- Lunches and beverages.
- All personal expenses and any other item which are not listed as included.
Have Additional Questions?
Please contact a member of our Tour Planning Team for additional details or questions:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 423.844.1063
Mail: PO Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621
Double Occupancy Member (per person): $5,240
Double Occupancy Non-Member (per person): $5,340
Single Occupancy Member: $5,960
Single Occupancy Non-Member: $6,060
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations and requests for refund must be submitted in writing to the Christian Medical & Dental Associations Attention Tours P.O. Box 7500 Bristol, TN 37621-7500 or email [email protected]
Cancellation charges (per person):
| Before November 1 | $200 |
| Before January 15 | $500 |
| Before March 15 | $750 |
| Before April 1 | $1,450 |
| Before April 15 | $3,000 |
| Before April 30 | $4,500 |
| After April 30 | No Refund |
PLEASE NOTE WE FLY IN AND OUT OF DIFFERENT AIRPORTS
Arrival to Italy
Fly IN TO Venice (Venice Marco Polo – VCE), no later than Sunday, May 17, 2026
Departure from Italy
Fly OUT OF Rome (Rome – Fiumicino “Leonardo da Vinci”- FCO) on Tuesday, May, 26, 2026
You may consider arriving a day or two before the tour begins to recover from jet lag or staying a few days to enjoy Rome on your own. Our Tour Planning Team can assist with additional hotel nights before and after the tour.
Visas and Passports
Passport
Each participant must have a valid passport. Passport expiration date must be 6 months beyond the last day of the tour (after November 26, 2026). CMDA will request a photo of the first pages of your Passport. This can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to CMDA Attn: Tours, P.O. Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621.
Visa – no Visa required for U.S. Citizen
ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) is new for U.S. Citizens traveling to European Union states in 2026. https://www.etiaseu.com/us-citizens
Activity Level
All participants should be in good health and able to walk moderate distances to fully participate and experience the sightseeing opportunities included in this tour. The activity level for this tour is moderately strenuous. You should be able to walk a few miles on uneven terrain without difficulty each day. If you have mobility issues, this tour may not be for you.
By registering for this tour, travelers are acknowledging they are of reasonable health and considered fit to travel and are not travelling contrary to any medical advice. By acknowledging their health and fitness to participate, travelers are indemnifying CMDA from all actions, claims and demands arising out of any lack of health and fitness. We reserve the right to remove a traveler from a tour activity if their health or fitness interferes with any other passenger’s experiences or the day-to-day running of the tour. If you have questions, please contact CMDA Tours before registering.
Tour Escort
In Italy, the approach to tour guiding is unique compared to the other countries where CMDA offers tours.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, our group will be accompanied by a dedicated Tour Escort. They are dedicated to overseeing the overall logistics of our journey, serving as a key point of contact for participants throughout the tour. The Escort manages the logistics of the tour, serves as your main point of contact, and works closely with local guides, drivers, and hotels in each city. They will also proactively address any of our needs and concerns. By ensuring seamless transitions, fostering clear communication, and assisting with day-to-day arrangements, the Escort helps create a safe, educational, and enjoyable experience for everyone. Our previous experience with Escorts in Italy has been nothing short of exceptional.
Tour Guides
Tour Guides in Italy are licensed on a city-by-city basis, which is different from the licensing practices in other countries where CMDA offers tours. Because of this, we will be joined by a different expert local guide in each city we visit throughout our Italy tour. This system ensures that every guide is highly knowledgeable about their specific city’s history, culture, and sites, providing you with the most authentic and enriching experience possible at each destination.
CMDA Tour Host:
 |
Amy Henriques serves CMDA as the Regional Director of Stewardship Development for the northeast and upper Midwest regions. Previously Amy taught French but has worked for various non-profits for over 15 years, serving in a Christian school and college, land trust, retirement community and international Christian health mission. Amy is honored to help people write their spiritual autobiographies and change the world for God’s glory. |
CMDA Tour Planning Team [email protected] or 423-844-1063
