Tour operators are securing access, managing logistics, and building itineraries around the world’s most extraordinary faith-based gatherings
By Jason Paha
Sometimes, a trip simply cannot be rescheduled.
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Whether your group is aiming to visit the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany, the La Passione di Cristo in Italy, or another rare religious event, it’s best to make your plans early and hope nothing alters those plans. Because these experiences don’t come along every year.
For travel planners, the challenge isn’t just getting there. It’s gaining access, securing seats, navigating small towns not built for crowds, and building meaningful itineraries around the event itself. That’s where experienced tour operators like Collette Tours, Goway Travel, and Central Holidays Tours come in.
Oberammergau Passion Play (Collette Tours)
In 1633, the small village of Oberammergau, Germany, was under threat of the plague and also surrounded by the conflict of the 30 Years’ War. Thus, a promise was made. The people of Oberammergau prayed to God for deliverance and protection, and in return pledged to perform “a play about the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ” once every 10 years. Since 1634, the most famous Passion Play in the world has taken place in Oberammergau. That Passion Play will return in the summer of 2030 and will be comprised of 102 performances over five nights a week, running from May to October.
Collette Tour will return to Oberammergau for the 2030 season, giving groups the rare opportunity to experience the world-renowned Passion Play. While final tour details are forthcoming, Collette confirms that every 2030 Oberammergau program will include admission to the Passion Play, ensuring guests enjoy this extraordinary event as part of a carefully curated travel experience. A diverse lineup of itineraries will surround the performance, featuring journeys through the Alps, imperial cities, scenic rail routes, lake districts, and river cruising.
Collette has a long history of success with Oberammergau, welcoming more than 10,000 travelers during the play’s last staging.
“Collette is thrilled to return to Oberammergau in 2030, where every guest will once again experience the world-famous Passion Play. This has always been one of our most successful travel offerings, and we expect the same tremendous enthusiasm we saw from more than 10,000 travelers during the last season,” said Ana Rooney, vice president of Tour Design & Delivery for Collette.
World Youth Day (Goway Travel)
Goway Travel is also planning to bring tour groups to Oberammergau in 2030, along with several other religious outings.
“We have seen a surge in demand for faith-based touring across multiple religions worldwide,” said Shirley Rourke, vice president, Groups Only, Goway Travel. “Goway Travel customizes all our group trips, so we can offer any special religious journeys. We create itineraries that include the event in addition to bespoke, immersive regional travel tailored to the group’s particular interests, while also allowing time for connection and spiritual reflection. In the past, we have arranged trips to La Passion di Cristo in Sordevolo, and we have also created customized itineraries to Oberammergau.”
Goway is also booking groups for World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea, in August 2027. World Youth Day is a Catholic festival taking place in Seoul, and Pope Leo XIV will lead the event, making it the first World Youth Day under his papacy. It will also be the first World Youth Day to take place in Asia since Manila, Philippines, in 1995, as well as the first to ever be held in a Christian-minority country.
“We find many groups want to create their own pilgrimage incorporating visits to local churches/congregations, mission projects, and worship services along the way,” Rourke said. “Travel to the Holy Land is returning, and we see steady interest in Israel pilgrimages. New itineraries will be live on Goway.com very soon. Regardless of the religion or the region, we can customize any group.”
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La Passione di Cristo (Central Holidays Tours)
Every five years, the quiet village of Sordevolo in Italy’s Elvo Valley transforms into something extraordinary.
More than 400 residents step into biblical roles, turning an open-air amphitheater into Jerusalem for La Passione di Cristo, a centuries-old Passion Play that draws more than 30,000 spectators from around the world. Documented in the village since 1814 and passed down generation to generation, the production is not simply theater; it’s a living tradition.
“La Passione di Cristo in Sordevolo is not just a performance, it’s a community-wide experience,” said Roberta Micarelli Yorrie, director of Regional Strategy, Italy, France, and Greece for Central Holidays. “What makes it so emotionally powerful, especially compared to other Passion Plays across Europe, is authenticity and continuity. In fact, the same 19th-century script has been passed down through generations, creating a powerful sense that you’re witnessing something timeless rather than theatrical.
“These aren’t professional performers,” Micarelli Yorrie added. “It might be the local baker portraying Peter or a school teacher carrying the cross. That sincerity is palpable. Guests often say it feels less like watching a show and more like being present for a living tradition. It’s intimate, human, and deeply moving in a way few cultural experiences can replicate.”
Central Holidays has designed four travel packages for its Sordevolo Product Line, each offering a different way to experience the religious event.
“The biggest advantages we bring to Sordevolo are access, destination and travel planning expertise, and peace of mind,” Micarelli Yorrie said. “As the Passion Play only happens every five years, demand is extraordinary. Performances often sell out well in advance. Through our long-standing relationship with the Sordevolo organizing committee, we’re able to secure confirmed seating in prime viewing areas, something that can be very difficult for individuals to arrange on their own.
“Just as important are the logistics,” Micarelli Yorrie added. “Sordevolo is a charming, small Piedmont village that simply isn’t built for large volumes of visitors. On performance days, transportation, dining, and accommodations can quickly become complicated. Our team coordinates everything in advance, from group transfers and hotel placement to timed entrances and local arrangements, so advisors don’t have to worry about the moving parts. For their clients, our dedicated in-country team in Italy manages all the details. In short, we take what could be a complex, once-in-a-lifetime event and make it effortless. Travelers can focus on the experience rather than the mechanics behind it.”
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