For many, travel is a way of reconnecting – with beauty, with history, with one another and with God.

Under the thoughtful leadership of Reverend Dr Gordon Giles, these four Italian journeys invite discerning Christian travellers to explore places where faith, art and culture intertwine. Each is shaped by gentle companionship, good conversation and time to pause – the hallmarks of McCabe travel.

These are not pilgrimages in the traditional sense, yet each holds a spiritual heartbeat: the joy of discovery, the sharing of stories and the quiet recognition that the sacred is never far away.

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Tuscany and the Viareggio Carnival

Faith and laughter, art and light – a celebration of the senses

This joyful Tuscan journey combines the grandeur of Florence and Pisa with the exuberance of the Viareggio Carnival, a feast of colour and creativity by the sea. Between Renaissance cathedrals and rolling hills, we find the delight of living faith in art and music, and the fellowship of shared laughter. Days in Marina di Pietrasanta and visits to Lucca and Sarzana blend culture and reflection, while evenings are spent in easy companionship over good food and conversation.

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Assisi, Siena and Florence

Tracing the footsteps of faith from Umbrian hills to Renaissance splendour

Assisi, the city of St Francis and St Clare, remains one of the world’s most peaceful places — a town that still breathes prayer. From there, this journey unfolds across Umbria and Tuscany, visiting Gubbio, Siena and Florence, discovering how faith inspired beauty, architecture and art. With time for reflection at the Hermitage of Carceri and worship in magnificent basilicas, this is a journey through centuries of devotion, guided by Rev Giles’ insights into scripture, music and history.

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Ravenna and Assisi

Mosaics of light, moments of stillness

In Ravenna, faith takes form in gold and glass — in the shimmering mosaics of San Vitale and Sant’Apollinare, where the early Church’s faith still gleams with colour and confidence. From there, the journey continues through San Marino and onward to Assisi, linking the splendour of the Byzantine world with the simplicity of Franciscan life. Each day offers space to reflect on how art, beauty and worship have always spoken the same language.

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Opera and Inspiration by Lake Garda

Music, beauty and the quiet joy of shared experience

This is a journey for the spirit as well as the senses. Based beside Lake Garda, we enjoy performances of La Traviata and Aida in the Roman arena of Verona, with guided visits to Padua, Venice and the lakeside town of Bardolino. Amid exquisite music and Italian charm, there are moments of reflection in sanctuaries and gardens – reminders that divine inspiration flows as freely through art as through prayer.

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A word from McCabe

These four journeys offer something rare: the chance to travel deeply – not only to see, but to understand; not only to admire, but to share.
With Rev Dr Gordon Giles as your leader, every day becomes an encounter between faith and culture, thought and fellowship.

Find out more about our other pilgrimage destinations by clicking here.