Pilgrimage to Rome and Sorrento

  • 7 September 2026
  • 5 Nights
  • From 1450 Per Person
  • Manchester
  • Italy
This 5-night pilgrimage to Rome and Sorrento brings you to the most important religious sites and iconic landmarks across Rome and beautiful Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast.

In Rome, we will enjoy a walking tour of the city, visiting important landmarks such as The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona. In the Vatican City, the group will have a chance to admire St Peter’s Square, visit the Vatican Museums and take part in a Papal Audience, one of the highlights of the pilgrimage, where pilgrims and visitors will have the chance to see the Pope and receive Papal and Apostolic blessings.

From Rome, we will continue to “Castel Gandolfo”, situated high in the Alban Hills and enjoying panoramic views of Lake Albano. We will visit the gardens and The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo, listed as one of ‘The most beautiful villages of Italy’ which has served as a Summer residence and vacation retreat for the Pope.

On our second part of the pilgrimage we will travel to Sorrento, where we will stay for a couple of nights. From Sorrento, we will visit Naples and two extraordinary archaeological sites: Pompeii, the ancient Roman city famously frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD; and Herculaneum. We will take a guided tour of Pompeii, walking among remarkably preserved ruins, streets, villas, and frescoes and visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a revered pilgrimage site known for its miraculous image of the Virgin Mary and a deep Marian devotion.

*Please note this pilgrimage involves a certain amount of walking and physical activity, such as stairs, standing for extended periods and walking on uneven surfaces; especially when visiting historical and religious sites. We kindly ask that you assess your comfort level with these activities before booking and travel with a companion that can provide assistance if required. If you have any mobility concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our team to discuss.

Sorrento Italy Pilgrimage and coast Joe Walsh Tours

Pilgrimage to Rome and Sorrento

This 5-night pilgrimage to Rome and Sorrento brings you to the most important religious sites and iconic landmarks across Rome and beautiful Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast.

In Rome, we will enjoy a walking tour of the city, visiting important landmarks such as The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona. In the Vatican City, the group will have a chance to admire St Peter’s Square, visit the Vatican Museums and take part in a Papal Audience, one of the highlights of the pilgrimage, where pilgrims and visitors will have the chance to see the Pope and receive Papal and Apostolic blessings.

From Rome, we will continue to “Castel Gandolfo”, situated high in the Alban Hills and enjoying panoramic views of Lake Albano. We will visit the gardens and The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo, listed as one of ‘The most beautiful villages of Italy’ which has served as a Summer residence and vacation retreat for the Pope.

On our second part of the pilgrimage we will travel to Sorrento, where we will stay for a couple of nights. From Sorrento, we will visit Naples and two extraordinary archaeological sites: Pompeii, the ancient Roman city famously frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD; and Herculaneum. We will take a guided tour of Pompeii, walking among remarkably preserved ruins, streets, villas, and frescoes and visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a revered pilgrimage site known for its miraculous image of the Virgin Mary and a deep Marian devotion.

*Please note this pilgrimage involves a certain amount of walking and physical activity, such as stairs, standing for extended periods and walking on uneven surfaces; especially when visiting historical and religious sites. We kindly ask that you assess your comfort level with these activities before booking and travel with a companion that can provide assistance if required. If you have any mobility concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact our team to discuss.

Itinerary

PILGRIMAGE TO ROME AND SORRENTO

DAY 1: Monday 07th September
Travel in comfort from Manchester Airport, with a scheduled departure at 07:00hrs. We will be landing in Rome at approximately10:55hrs with the full day ahead of us. After collecting our luggage from the carousel, we will be met and welcomed by our Joe WalshTours Pilgrimage representative and transferred by private coach to St. Mary Major area, and the Basilica of St Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) one of the four major Papal Basilicas in Rome and the largest church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Free time for lunch at one of the many local cafés or bistros recommended by our experienced tour guide (please note that lunch is at your own expenses).
Following lunch, orientation walking tour of the surrounding area, followed by a visit and Mass in this important Basilica.
After a fulfilling start to our pilgrimage, we will transfer to our accommodations, located 5 minutes walking distance to one another. Casa di Santa Brigida and Hotel Ponte Sisto, in the heart of historic Rome, the lively and colourful Trastevere neighbourhood, where we will stay for the next three nights on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
After check-in, time to relax and free time for dinner ad overnight.

DAY 2: Tuesday 08th September
(**Please note this day involves a moderate amount of walking about 3km- 55min spread across the whole day)

Morning
After a nice and relaxing breakfast today, we will start our day celebrating Mass at 10:00am in the Santa Brigida Chapel, a peaceful and intimate setting within the residence (tbc).

Following Mass, we begin our day with the visit of the major Papal Basilica of St John in the Lateran (mass might be celebrated here), the Pope’s official church, and the oldest and highest-ranking of the four major papal basilicas, known as the “mother of all churches. Followed by the visit of the Basilica of San Clemente. A unique site dedicated to Pope Clement I, the fourth pope and an early martyr. After the visits, enjoy free time for lunch at one of the many nearby restaurants or cafés (at your own expense), with suggestions provided by our guide.

Afternoon
In the afternoon, we continue with a walking tour of Rome’s iconic landmarks, including:
The Colosseum, The Roman Forum, The Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

A stop to admire the Caravaggio paintings in San Luigi dei Francesi on Via della Scrofa before returning back to our accommodation.

This day offers a perfect balance of spiritual depth and cultural discovery, providing a deeper appreciation of Rome’s sacred and historical treasures. Free time for dinner and overnight.

DAY 3: Wednesday 09th September
Today after a nice breakfast is a Free Day for personal sightseeing or shopping. For those who wish to participate to the Papal Audience in St Peter Square we recommend and early breakfast and transfer.

Pilgrims and visitors will have the chance to see the Pope and receive the Papal blessings or Apostolic blessings. The Audience with the Pope consists of small teachings and readings mainly in Italian but also in English. It usually takes place at 09:00am but it is recommended to be there in advance (departure from hotel with taxis is recommended at 7am – not organised by us).

The second option is to have Mass at 10am in the Sant Brigida Chapel (tbc) and join the rest of the group in the Vatican area to continue our day with the guided visit of St Peter Basilica and the Vatican Grottoes along with St Peter Square (transfer to St Peter organised by us around 11:00am).

Time for lunch in a local restaurant or bar and free afternoon.

Free time to visit the renowned Vatican Museums, enclave of Rome, for example or Castel Sant’Angelo, or down via del Corso towards Piazza di Spagna, renowned shopping district.
We recommend not to miss the Trevi Fountain.
***Please note these attractions must be booked individually and ahead of time, make also sure to organise your own transports for the afternoon. Joe Walsh Tours will not be able to assist.

DAY 4: Thursday 10th September
Today we move to the second part of our journey, after a relatively early breakfast and check out we will travel to Castel Gandolfo. Located on the Alban Hills and overlooking Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo has served as the Pope’s summer retreat for centuries. After visiting the Palace and Gardens free time for lunch somewhere local (own expenses).

Around 13:00hrs we will board our coach and travel to Sorrento, with a quick sightseeing of Naples from the bus while arriving at destination. We will be checking in the Hotel Vesuvio, located in central Sorrento, where we will be staying for the next 2 nights on a Half Board Basis.

Time to refresh, have dinner and free evening.

DAY 5: Friday 11th September

Morning

Today we wake up and enjoy breakfast surrounded by the beauty of the Amalfi coastline and the charm of Southern Italy.
After breakfast, we depart for a day excursion exploring two of Italy’s most important archaeological and spiritual sites. Our first stop is Pompeii, the ancient Roman city famously frozen in time by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. We will have a guided tour of the extensive archaeological site, walking among remarkably preserved ruins, streets, villas, and frescoes and a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii, a revered pilgrimage site known for its miraculous image of the Virgin Mary and a deep Marian devotion.

Afternoon

After lunch (own arrangements), we continue our journey to Herculaneum, another Roman town buried by the same eruption, but better preserved in many ways due to its different burial conditions.
We then return to Sorrento in the afternoon.

Evening

Free time to relax, explore Sorrento’s charming old town, or enjoy a coffee by the sea before dinner at the hotel. Overnight.

DAY 6: Saturday 12th September
Today is the last day of this beautiful pilgrimage. We will have breakfast and free time before checking out and drive to Naples airport for our flight back to Manchester departing at 15:35.

*Please note itinerary may be subject to change.

  • Direct return flights from Manchester to Rome and back from Naples
  • 10kg checked in bag
  • All transfers & tours by private coach
  • 3 nights in Rome – Hotel Casa Santa Brigida from £1450 or Hotel Ponte Sisto from £1635
  • 2 nights in Sorrento – Hotel Vesuvio
  • Full religious programme led by Spiritual Director
  • Fully guided with tours and visits as per itinerary
  • Price quoted per person sharing S.Brigida £1450 with £70 single supplement; or Ponte Sisto £1635 with £130 single supplement.
  • Single rooms subject to availability, single supplement applies.
  • Airport taxes and charges applicable at the time of booking are included in the price
  • Luggage allowance included per person and subject to airline conditions
  • Payment terms: deposit £350 per person plus insurance; balances 12 weeks prior to departure
  • It is mandatory that all customers residing and travelling from England, Scotland and Wales have travel insurance in place at the time of booking. The following charges, which must be payable with the deposit, will be automatically included on every booking confirmation. Pilgrims may only opt out with the condition that they have their own travel insurance policy in place and can provide the name of the insurance company, policy number and expiry date, at the time the booking is made only. Insurance charge cannot be refunded if cancelled at a later stage.
  • 3–17 years: £35
  • 18–50 years: £49
  • 51–65 years: £59
  • 66–79 years: £79
  • 80–90 years: £129

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