The Saints of Rome & Joy of Marriage, Rome & Assisi
7 Days
7 days/6 nights -$4588 (per person/dbl occ)
Couples, Friends, and Solos
Apr 29 - May 6, 2027
All breakfasts and premium dinners with Italian wines are included.
Rome & Assisi: A Hidden Pilgrimage for Couples Renewing Their Love
You've seen the postcards of Rome... Now prepare for a pilgrimage that goes far deeper than any tour bus could take you. This is Rome and Assisi reimagined for couples, where marriage itself becomes the pilgrimage, and you'll be the couple everyone asks about when you return. Guided by Captain Joe & Domenica Sacchetti alongside Father Michael Moriarty, you'll wander Rome's treasured basilicas, join morning spiritual strolls before the crowds wake, and witness an ordination Mass for new priests, before arriving at the heart of it all: a marriage blessing inside the Borghese Chapel at Santa Maria Maggiore, where your own love story becomes part of Rome's. The Vatican brings St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and a candlelight Renewal of Vows dinner, while a day trip to Assisi adds quiet devotion with Saint Francis, Saint Carlo Acutis, and a lunch you'll be describing for years. Premium wines, gelato, and pizza on-demand round out every day!. This pilgrimage was built for couples who want their marriage blessed by more than just a chapel. Just say yes.
Highlights
Fly into the Eternal City and check into the elegant Hotel Gran Palatino, your home base for 7 unforgettable days of pilgrimage and romance.
Receive fellow pilgrims at the Via del Popolo Gates of Rome, then celebrate with a Musical Happy Hour and Cena di Benvenuto "Welcome Dinner" to kick off the journey together.
Stroll Rome's cobblestone streets hand-in-hand on a Couples Roman Street-Tour, followed by a rare and moving Ordination Mass for new Legionary Priests.
Walk the Saints-of-Italy trail and celebrate "First Mass" in the heart of Rome, with a couples' evening on your own to savor la dolce vita.
Journey to Tivoli Gardens and attend Mass at Maria Monti, before the trip's centerpiece: a Marriage Blessing at 4pm inside the Borghese Chapel of Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, led by Father Michael, featuring the Story of Cana, Scripture readings, and couples sharing their own love stories over an al fresco dinner at Angeletti.
Marvel at St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel, then renew your vows in a special Mass at Maria Monti, capped by a candlelight dinner relighting romantic and spiritual flames.
Take a day trip to Assisi aboard the FrecciaRossa high-speed train, visiting the Saint Carlo Acutis shrine, the Basilicas of Saint Francis and Saint Claire, and a memorable lunch at Nonna Nini's with Chef Traci.
See Rome's ancient sites and take a Sea of Galilee canoe ride in Borghese Park. Wake to Champagne Breakfasts and morning spiritual-fitness strolls through Rome each day with Captain Joe, setting a reflective, romantic pace before the city's energy kicks in.
Indulge in Premium Dinners paired with Italian wines every evening, with fantastically rustic and upscale meals — simply authentic Roman and Umbrian flavors at every turn.
Reconnect as a couple with dedicated evenings on your own to explore Rome at your own pace, savoring quiet moments together between the pilgrimage's most sacred experiences.
Enjoy one final morning stroll and champagne breakfast before departing home, forever changed by a bespoke, rejuvenating experience of marital love — Arrivederci Roma!
All tips, gratuities, entrance fees, and transportation throughout Rome and Assisi are included, along with all breakfasts and premium Italian-wine dinners — plus artisan gelato and pizza, 24/7.
Who’s Your Host?
Captain Joe Sacchetti is a U.S. Army Ranger-qualified paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and author of Guts, Smarts & Love, who served 2 tours in Iraq and was awarded the Bronze Star for actions in combat.
A Track & Field All-American and Welterweight Boxing Champ in the 82nd Airborne, Joe escorted the Olympic torch through his Pennsylvania hometown in 1980 on the way to Lake Placid as a kid, and from that moment knew he wanted to see the world!
After MIT’s Business Exec Ed program, Joe started Highroads Traveler to make sophisticated global travel easily accessible to small groups of 20 by “hosting” them, now via Legacy Collectibles.
It’s rare to mesh the world of combat vet and sophisticated traveler, yet Joe is on a journey to be the world’s first Army Ranger to visit every country on the globe. 160 out of 227 so far, and it’s much more than stamping a passport.
Connecting with people around the globe in their language makes every trip more fun. From European roots, Joe is comfortable in half a dozen or so, and always learning more.
Playing music is another fantastic people connector so he & his wife Domenica always keep an eye out for a piano to gather round at happy hour. It doesn’t take much nudging from her to get Joe to play either!
Why “Hosted?”
Go with a Pro.
You’ve saved up and are ready to take the trip of a lifetime. Do you really have time to plan all the details and get it all perfect? If yes, great! Yet for most, pretty much no way. And how about when you get there making your way to the best hotels, sites and restaurants? Most say… daunting. Our solution – let’s go together and make your greatest trip ever.
“Taste, touch and see what the world has to offer” is Joe & Domenica’s mantra, and now you’re invited to come share the journey to the best places in the world with their small-group hosted tours.
Day by Day
Day 1
Depart USA- Say your goodbyes and board your flight for Rome, Italy — the Eternal City that has drawn pilgrims, poets, and lovers for over two thousand years.
As the plane lifts off, let the weight of daily life fall away and make room for something different: eight days built entirely around faith, romance, and reconnection.
This journey isn't a typical vacation. It's a pilgrimage designed for couples a chance to step outside routine, slow down, and rediscover why you chose each other in the first place, all set against the backdrop of Rome's ancient stones and Assisi's sacred hillsides.
Settle in for the overnight flight, order a glass of wine if you're so inclined, and let the anticipation build. By morning, you'll be walking streets that have witnessed empires rise and fall — and soon, your own love story will become part of that history too.
Day 2
Rome- Touch down in the Eternal City and make your way to the elegant Hotel Gran Palatino, tucked in the heart of Rome and serving as your home base for the days ahead. Check in, freshen up, and take a breath — you've arrived.
Once settled, join a guided tour of Rome's most treasured basilicas, where soaring ceilings, gilded altars, and centuries of devotion greet you at every turn. This isn't a rushed, checklist tour — it's an unhurried introduction to the spiritual heartbeat of the city, giving you time to actually feel the weight and beauty of these sacred spaces.
As afternoon turns to golden evening, make your way to the historic Via del Popolo Gates of Rome to receive fellow pilgrims arriving from Viterbo. There's something deeply moving about greeting travelers who've journeyed just as far as you have, all converging on Rome for the same reasons — faith, love, and connection.
The welcome continues with a lively Musical Happy Hour, where laughter and music mix with new introductions, before the group sits down together for the Cena di Benvenuto, a proper "Welcome Dinner" featuring hearty Italian fare, glass after glass of regional wine, and the first of many toasts you'll share on this trip. By the time you head to bed, Rome will already feel less like a foreign city and more like a place you belong.
Day 3
Rome- This morning is dedicated to romance and discovery. Set off on a Couples Roman Street-Tour, weaving through hidden piazzas, quiet fountains, and centuries-old alleyways most visitors never find.
The kind of streets where you can walk hand-in-hand and actually hear each other talk, away from the crowds at the major landmarks. Rome reveals itself slowly here, one sun-drenched corner at a time.
In the afternoon comes something truly rare: an Ordination Mass for the Church's new Legionary Priests. Few travelers ever witness an ordination in person, let alone in Rome — the ceremony is solemn, beautiful, and profoundly moving, a reminder of the deep well of faith that runs beneath this entire pilgrimage.
Afterward, the celebration continues with festivities and a joyful dinner honoring the newly ordained, filled with music, fellowship, and the growing sense that this trip is becoming something far more meaningful than sightseeing.
Day 4
Rome- Begin the day quietly with "First Mass," a peaceful, reflective service that offers a gentle contrast to the city's usual buzz of scooters and street vendors. There's a particular stillness to attending Mass in Rome a sense that you're participating in something ancient and unbroken.
From there, set off on a Saints-of-Italy Stroll, following in the footsteps of the saints through Rome's oldest neighborhoods past modest chapels, roadside shrines, and churches so old their foundations predate the Renaissance. It's a walking history lesson in devotion, told one sacred site at a time.
The rest of the day and evening are yours. This is intentional a couples' evening entirely on your own, with no set agenda. Maybe that means a candlelit dinner in a family-run trattoria down some unmarked side street. Maybe it's a slow wander along the Tiber as the light turns amber, or simply parking yourselves at an outdoor café with gelato in hand, watching Roman life drift by. Whatever you choose, this evening exists purely for the two of you.
Day 5
Rome- The day begins with Mass at Maria Monti, followed by an excursion to the Tivoli Gardens — a UNESCO-worthy retreat of cascading fountains, manicured terraces, and centuries-old villas set into the hillside outside Rome. It's the kind of place designed for quiet conversation and long, thoughtful pauses, the perfect emotional preparation for what comes next.
At 4pm, everything the pilgrimage has been building toward arrives: a Marriage Blessing inside the historic Borghese Chapel at Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica, one of Rome's four papal basilicas and one of its most breathtaking. Father Michael leads each couple through the Story of Cana — Christ's first miracle, performed at a wedding — paired with Scripture readings on love, patience, and lifelong commitment. Standing beneath centuries-old mosaics, surrounded by fellow couples renewing their own vows, this blessing becomes something far more personal and powerful than a typical ceremony.
The evening continues with dinner al fresco at Angeletti, where the wine flows freely and couples take turns sharing their love stories — how they met, the ups and downs, what's kept them going. By the end of the night, you'll know these strangers-turned-friends intimately, and Rome itself will feel like it's bearing witness to every story shared at the table.
Day 6
Rome- Today is devoted entirely to the Vatican. Begin at St. Peter's Basilica, where scale and grandeur defy description — this is the largest church on Earth, and no photograph fully prepares you for standing beneath its dome. From there, move through the Vatican Museums, a labyrinth of art spanning millennia, before arriving at the crown jewel: Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, its ceiling as awe-inspiring today as it was over 500 years ago.
Step back out into St. Peter's Square, one of the most iconic public spaces in the world, and take a moment to simply absorb the magnitude of where you're standing — the literal heart of the Catholic Church, visited by millions of pilgrims each year.
In the afternoon, gather for a Renewal of Vows Mass at Maria Monti, an intimate ceremony allowing couples to reaffirm the promises made on their wedding day, this time within one of Christianity's holiest cities. As the sun sets, settle in for a Candlelight Dinner designed specifically to relight both romantic and spiritual flames — soft lighting, slow courses, and the kind of evening that reminds you why you fell in love in the first place.
Day 7
Assisi- Rise early for a cappuccino before boarding the FrecciaRossa, Italy's sleek high-speed train, for a day trip to Assisi — the hillside town where Saint Francis and Saint Clare once walked, and where the spirit of simplicity and devotion still hangs in the air.
Upon arrival, visit the Saint Carlo Acutis shrine and receive a blessing at the Spoliazione, a site of growing significance for pilgrims worldwide following Carlo's canonization as the Catholic Church's first millennial saint. From there, walk through the Basilica of Saint Francis, its frescoed walls telling the story of his life in vivid color, followed by the quieter, more intimate Basilica of Saint Claire.
Afterward, enjoy free time to wander Assisi's charming, sun-bleached streets — perfect for a little shopping or simply people-watching from a café table. Then sit down for Pranzo (lunch) at Nonna Nini's with Chef Traci, a warm, unhurried meal showcasing the best of Umbrian home cooking — the kind of lunch that turns into a two-hour conversation without anyone noticing the time. As the afternoon fades, board the train back to Rome, full in every sense of the word.
What's Included
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All Breakfasts, Selected Lunches, Selected Dinners
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Bon Voyage gift(s) for your International Tour
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Expertise and service from your Highroads Traveler Host, Joe
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Additional regional guides and experts on several trips
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Comprehensive Trip Detailer with all-you-need-to-know info
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Guided tours at historic sites and select attractions as noted in the Trip Detailer
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All gratuities at hotels and restaurants
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Special events, including wine tastings and select attractions as mentioned in the Trip Detailer
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Park and other entry fees
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Fares for trains, ferries and other modes of travel as listed in the Trip Detailer
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Select coach transfers
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Baggage transfers
Not Included:
Leader gratuities, transportation to and from your Highroads Traveler trip start & end locations, and on-your-own meals & activities.
Ready to Embark on Your Next Adventure?
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Gallery & Testimonials
As an Army Ranger for 25 years, I served as Joe Sacchetti‘s 2nd-in- command during Desert Storm, and there is nowhere in the world that I wouldn’t follow him, He cares about people. If I had the money, I would go on every trip he takes.
Master Sergeant Al A. , 45th anniversary D-Day (1994) Jump Team, Army Ranger, Green Beret, Bronze Star, Master Parachutist
We first met Joe on the island of Martinique while he was leading his group on a New Year’s trip. Ooh la la, he lives life like a true Frenchman! C’est Bon, such joeux de vie!
Christian C. , Sergeant, French Maritime Marines
