A 7-day Catholic Pilgrimage Tour to Mexico

Day 1 – Monday
USA / MEXICO CITY
Tour members gather for our departing flight to Mexico City. We arrive in Mexico City in the afternoon and are met by our Pilgrimage Tours’ tour guide who will remain with us until the end of our tour. We celebrate Mass at the Church of San Bernardo before arriving at our hotel for check-in. Dinner and overnight in Mexico City.

Day 2 – Tuesday
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE / TEPEYAC HILL
This morning we visit and celebrate Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Following Mass, we tour the grounds and visit the museum that houses a collection of paintings and colonial religious art by pilgrims in gratitude and thanks for miracles. We ascend Tepeyac Hill to visit the Capilla del Cerrito, the place of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Juan Diego in 1531. Next we see Tepeyac Garden and its statues symbolizing the union of the Aztec people and the Spanish Christian mission. A stop at the Chapel of the Indians completes the tour. Later in the afternoon we drive to Chapultepec Park to visit the National Museum of Anthropology. We will also see a number of historical sites during the driving portion of our tour. Dinner and overnight in Mexico City.

Day 3 – Wednesday
MEXICO CITY / ZOCALO PLAZA
Today we visit the historical archaeological center of Mexico to celebrate Mass at Santo Domingo Church, which houses two shrines; Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Cavadonga. Following Mass, we drive past the National Palace, continuing on to Zocalo Plaza where we visit the largest cathedral in Latin America, the Metropolitan Cathedral, where Juan Diego’s Bishop, Juan Zumarraga is buried. We continue our walking tour passing by the site of the Palace of the Archbishop where Juan Diego unfurled his tilma and flowers fell to the ground and the miraculous image of the Virgin Mary appeared on the cloth. Our day concludes with a visit to Garibaldi Square to enjoy the Mariachi Bands. Dinner and overnight in Mexico City.

Day 4 – Thursday
TLAXCALA / OUR LADY OF OCOTLAN / PUEBLA
This morning we drive to Tlaxcala, for a visit and celebration of Mass at the Shrine of San Miguel del Milagro, site of apparitions of St. Michael the Archangel and the spring of curative waters blessed by St. Michael. Next we drive to Tlaxcala City to visit the Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Ocotlan, “place of the burning oak”, where Mary caused her image to be burned into the tree. In the afternoon we continue on to Mexico’s most beautiful city Puebla, situated at an elevation of 7,000 feet near Mexico’s snow-capped peaks. Puebla is well known for its beautiful churches and its hand-painted tiles, or “Talavera”. While in Puebla, we visit Santo Domingo Church, where we see its beautiful Chapel of the Rosary, followed by a visit to Puebla Cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. The remainder of our time before dinner is free for shopping the many vendors in Puebla. Our day in Puebla concludes with dinner at a local restaurant. Following dinner, we return to Mexico City for overnight.

Day 5 – Friday
CUERNAVACA / TAXCO
This morning we enjoy a pleasant drive through the fertile Morelos Valley and the Sierra Madres, first stopping in the town of Cuernavaca or “City of Eternal Spring” due to its perfect climate. Here we visit the Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption, a former Franciscan monastery. In the afternoon, we continue on to the town of Taxco, known as the “city in the clouds”. Taxco is famous for its rich source of silver and is a pearl of colonial Mexican art. Here we spend some leisurely time shopping for silver treasures and “bartering” with the local shop owners. Finally we visit the Church of Santa Prisca, where we celebrate Mass. We return to Mexico City for dinner & overnight.

Day 6 – Saturday
TLATELOLCO / TULPETLAC / TEOTIHUACAN
Today we will visit the Square of the Three Cultures in Tlateloloco and celebrate Mass at St. James Church. It is here that Juan Diego was baptized as a child. Next we drive to Tulpetlac for a visit to the Shrine of the Fifth Apparition, where Juan Diego’s uncle experienced his own apparition of the Virgin Mother. We continue on to Teotihuacan and visit the incredible ruins of the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon. We return to Mexico City for this evening’s “Fiesta Mexicana Folklorico Show” at El Lugar de Mariachi Restaurant. Overnight in Mexico City.

Day 7 – Sunday
MEXICO CITY / USA
Following breakfast this morning we enjoy a final visit to the Shrine and Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, before we bid farewell to the home of Our Lady of Guadalupe and arrive at the airport for our direct flight home. Though our pilgrimage draws to a close, its blessings will last a lifetime and its graces are certain to draw us closer to the Lord.