PILGRIMAGE TO GREECE, ALBANIA, MONTENEGRO, CROATIA, MEDJUGORJE & ITALY

Itinerary

Day 1 May 3 Depart Toronto for Athens.

Day 2 May 4 Upon arrival, transfer to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 May 5 Full day in Athens. We will visit: immortal Acropolis with its classical temples, marvel at the ruins of the Parthenon, Erectheum and the Propylaea. Ascend Mars Hill, where St. Paul delivered his famous “Men of Athens” speech. Mass. In the afternoon some free time and dinner in historical district of Plaka. Overnight in Athens.

Day 4 May 6 After breakfast, we will follow the road to Ancient Corinth where Apostle Paul lived and preached for two years. Visit the Archaeological Museum, the Marketplace, the Bema and the Temples. Continue to Kalambaka for dinner and overnight.

Day 5 May 7 After breakfast, we see mystical Meteora, where we will visit famous Byzantine monasteries perch precariously on top of rock formations of varied and beautiful shapes. Continue to Butrint, Albania area for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 May 8 Butrint, inhabited since prehistoric times, has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development. Butrint was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992. After lunch, continue to Tirana, the capital city of Albania for dinner and overnight.

Day 7 May 9 After breakfast, we tour the city of Tirana. The main capital city of Tirana has received Mother Teresa (herself an Albanian), Pope John Paul II (1993) and Pope Francis (2014). In fact, the airport is known as Tirana Mother Teresa Airport. Saint Paul’s Cathedral in Tirana bears stained glass windows of each as you enter. After lunch, continue to Kotor for dinner and overnight.

Day 8 May 10 After morning tour of the city of Kotor, a fortified town on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast, in a bay near the limestone cliffs of Mt. Lovćen. Characterized by winding streets and squares, its medieval old town has several Romanesque churches, including Kotor Cathedral. Then we travel to Dubrovnik, an old city on the Adriatic Sea coast. It has been nicknamed “Pearl of the Adriatic” and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. Stroll around the narrow streets of the old town of Dubrovnik and experience the history and culture of this magnificent walled city. We see Onofrio’s Fountain, the Franciscan Monastery, the City Bell Tower, the Church of St Blaise, the city’s patron saint. Continue across the main square, where you will visit Dubrovnik’s baroque Cathedral of the Assumption, built in the 18 th century after an earthquake destroyed the original one. Continue to Medjugorje for dinner and overnight.

Day 9 May 11 After breakfast, we celebrate Holy Mass and then take walk to the Hill of Apparitions where the visionaries first saw Our Blessed Virgin Mary. Pray before the statue that symbolizes the place of the First Apparition. A steep path leads to the top of the mountain, along which bronze reliefs were placed representing the joyful and the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary. We also visit and pray at “Blue Cross”, a place of healings and graces at the foot of Apparition Hill. Dinner and overnight.

Day 10 May 12 After breakfast and mass we climb on the top of “Krizevac” which means “Mount of the Cross.” It is the highest mountain in the area. In 1933, the parish of St. James erected a large concrete cross to commemorate the 1900th Anniversary of Jesus ‘passion and death on the cross. During construction of the 16 ton cross, the parishioners carried up all of the materials, cement, sand, water, tools, etc., in memory of Christ’s way of the cross. The cross was completed on March 15, 1934. A relic of the True Cross of Jesus was received from Rome from Pope Pius XI and built into this cross. Dinner and overnight in Medjugorje.

Day 11 May 13 After breakfast and mass we visit and pray at the Statue of the Risen Christ. In the afternoon, Last chance for discovering on your own the serene beauty of Medjugorje, time for prayer and reflection. Continue to Zadar for dinner and overnight

Day 12 May 14 After breakfast, city tour of Zadar, Croatia, a city on Croatia’s Dalmation coast, is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. There are several Venetian gates in the city walls. After lunch, travel to Rijeka area fro dinner and overnight.

Day 13 May 15 After breakfast morning tour city tour of Rijeka, Croatia includes visit to St. Vitus Cathedral and Our Lady of Trsat Church. Continue to Padua where we celebrate mass at the Basilica dedicated to St. Anthony. St. Anthony is buried here in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini, which was incorporated into the present basilica as the Chapel of the Dark Madonna. Dinner and overnight.

Day 14 May 16 Full day in Venice, spectacular city sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. We enjoy the tour of Venice, including St. Mark Square, the Byzantine Basilica, the Dodge’s Palace and the “Bridge of Sighs”. Dinner and overnight

Day 15 May 17 After breakfast, excursion to Ravenna, Italy. Although it is an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. It is known for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture, with eight buildings comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna”. We will visit Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, Basilica of San Vitale and Basilica of San Vitale. Dinner and overnight.

Day 16 May 18 After breakfast we get transferred to the airport for our return flight to Toronto.

TOUR COST CAD$4,590.00 INCLUDES:

– Air transportation – hotel accommodation first class or superior tourist class based on double occupancy
– All taxes and tips
– 2 meals breakfast and dinner daily
– All sightseeing as per itinerary with English speaking guide

NOT INCLUDED IN THE TOUR:
– Single supplement $800.
– Meals not specified, insurance, documentation
– Drinks at dinners

HOW TO BOOK:
A non refundable deposit of $300.00 per person is required at time of booking. Insurance must be purchased at time of booking.

BALANCE OF PAYMENT
Balance due is payable 105 days prior to departure
For late bookings /within 105 days/ full payment is due immediately.

CANCELLATION:
If cancellation is necessary, please advise QS Travel & Tours immediately in writing. Cancellation charges are as follows:
105 days before departure ………………………………………………..$300.00 per person
Between 105 and 60 days before departure …………………… 40% of the total cost
Between 60 and 45 days before departure ……..………………. 60% of the total cost
45 days or less ……………………………………………………………….. 100% of the total cost

IF YOU CHANGE YOUR BOOKING:
A $25 administration charge will be applied for changes you make to your booking outside the 90 days to departure period. Please note name changes are not allowed and such will be treated as cancellations.

IF QS TRAVEL & TOURS CHANGES YOUR BOOKING:
QS Travel & Tours will advise you of any change we feel significantly alters the holiday which you have purchased from us. Occasionally, changes might occur close to departure time. In such cases, you will be notified as early as possible. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the local tour operator may have to make last minute changes in hotel or schedule. In case the standard of the accommodation is changed, QS Travel & Tours will offer the choice of a full and immediate refund or comparable alternate travel services acceptable to you.

UNUSED SERVICES:
No refund or adjustment can be made for any portion of holiday not used.

GOOD VALUE AND EXPECTATIONS:
The Ministry of Consumer Relations requires that Ontarians traveling abroad be advised that they may encounter different living standards and practices than those at home.

FLIGHT CONNECTIONS:
In the event of a change in our flight times, with or without notice, we cannot accept responsibility for any special connecting fares which you might purchase and which cannot be changed without penalty.

TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION:
A valid Canadian passport is required for all visits outside of Canada. It is the sole responsibility of the passenger to ensure proper and valid documentation. Failure to provide valid documentation may result in denied boarding of the aircraft and cancellation of your flight arrangements without refund. If you are holding a passport other than Canadian, please contact QS Travel & Tours to determine whether or not a visa is required for entry into the country you will be visiting.

BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE
One piece of luggage of 23kg per person plus a carry-on-bag /weighting not more than 5 kg/

FLIGHT TIMES
All flight times are subject to change with or without prior notice to the passengers or his/her agent. QS Travel & Tours does not accept liability for missed connection or any expenses resulting from an off-schedule, rescheduled or late flight operations.

PRICES
Prices in this brochure are given in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated. Prices are correct at the time of going to press. In the event of any change beyond QS Travel & Tours control, including but not limited to increase in the price of fuel, currency fluctuations affecting our costs, or increases in government taxes or levies. QS Travel & Tours reserves the right to surcharge the passenger/s up to 7% of a tour cost.

LIABILITY
QS Travel & Tours Inc. is a tour operator and has made the advertised holiday arrangements with the airline/s/, hotel/s/, cruiseship/s/, other operator/s/ and other. Each of these organizations has its own specific terms and conditions for doing business and you will be bound by them. QS Travel & Tours accepts no responsibility for /A/ the acts or omissions of any party/ies/ other than QS Travel & Tours employees./B/failure by the passenger to be properly documented; /C/ failure by the passenger to comply with departure or joining or baggage requirements;/D/ aircraft delays, government actions, priests change their commitments as spiritual directors, etc, act/s/ of God or any factor beyond our direct control; /E/ cancellation or delay to any tour or holiday or change to the itinerary; /F/ expenses resulting from lost or damaged baggage. QS Travel & Tours accepts no responsibility for additional expenses due to delays or changes in air, rail, road, sea or other service, quarantine, sickness, war, weather or other causes All such expenses will have to be borne by the passengers. QS Travel & Tours reserves the right to refuse any person as a member of these tours at its sole discretion. QS Travel & Tours reserves the right to cancel any or all departure/s/ with or without prior notice and QS Travel & Tours sole responsibility shall be to refund all monies paid for such cancelled departures. The laws and courts which govern this contract are those of the Province of Ontario.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
When you book you QS Travel & Tours, an agreement is made between you and QS Travel & Tours and others who will provide services. Please read carefully the information on this page for it sets out the conditions governing the provision of these holidays.

TRAVEL INSURANCE (tax included)
Age/Type of insurance        All inclusive         Trip cancellation/          Covid-19 only
Interruption

• Up to age 59                      $380.39                      $327.24                            $36.64
• Age 60-64                           $448.90                      $388.80                            $55.84
• Age 65-69                           $538.88                      $437.40                            $55.84
• Age 70-74                           $568.67                      $460.08                            $111.84

Insurance rates subject to change any time.
Once purchased insurance premiums are not refundable.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL:
Tel. 905.412.2242; 1.800.565.3619
Email: group@qstours.com