Program

Day 1 - Rome (Civitavecchia)/Italy -- 5:00 PM
2,500 years of history are woven into the fabric of modern Rome. You can feel it in the glory of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Or as you wander sidestreets that open onto piazzas, fountains, Bernini sculpture, and elegant courtyards. Famous treasures are legion in Rome: the Colosseum…the Forum…St. Peter’s Cathedral…the Trevi Fountain…the Spanish Steps. Take time out between sights to do as the Romans do: enjoy a three-hour lunch, shop, people-watch, or savor the best gelati in the world.

Day 2 - Amalfi/Italy 9:00 AM 6:00 PM
During the Middle Ages, Amalfi was a bustling maritime state (the ship compass was invented here) with a population of 50,000. Today, it draws crowds and raves for the beauty of its setting, perched on a deep gorge, along the most romantic drive in all Italy; and its Duomo, which mixes Moorish and early-Gothic influences.

Day 3 - Taormina, Sicily/Italy 10:00 AM 11:00 PM
We've taken to describing Taormina, a nineteenth century haunt of the English aristocracy, as a Sicilian Monte Carlo, without the casino or royal family. But anybody who has been to Monte Carlo, or even Positano (on the Amalfitan coast south of Naples), will find Taormina faintly similar yet very different. It has long been Sicily's most famous resort town. It was here, in romantic Taormina, that a self-exiled D.H. Lawrence was inspired to write Lady Chatterly's Lover, one of the most passionate and erotic love stories of its era. Taormina has endlessly winding medieval streets and tiny passages, each with its own secrets -- great restaurants, cafés and ice cream bars.

Day 4 - At Sea -- --

Day 5 - Dubrovnik/Croatia 8:00 AM 9:00 PM
Nestled on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik is a beautifully preserved fortifed town. Its ancient medieval walls contain a sparkling white Old City, filled with 15th-century churches, peaceful Franciscan cloisters, a cathedral with works by Raphael and Titian, and a fascinating Maritime Museum. One of Dubrovnik’s main attractions is the sea swim from the quiet, rocky beaches on either end of the city, or catch a boat to the wooded island of Lokrum nearby.

Day 6 - Hvar/Croatia 7:00 AM NOON
Blessed with an abundance of vineyards and perfumed lavendar fields, Hvar is an island that also echoes its rich Venetian past. Among the striking architecture dating to the 17th and 18th centuries, you'll find one of the oldest theaters in Europe. And the views of the neighboring islands from the fortress are truly unforgettable.

Day 7 - Venice/Italy 8:00 AM OVERNIGHT
For centuries,Venice stood at the crossroads of culture between the Byzantine and Roman worlds. The city the great traders and philosophers created is an extraordinary place. From the elegant carved gondolas and vaporetti that ply the Grand Canal to the magnificent Piazza San Marco bustling with life – Venice is unique in all the world. Great works of art are housed here, in the Accademia with its Renaissance masters and the collection of Peggy Guggenheim in her canal-side palazzo. The Basilica di San Marco and the Doge’s Palace are must-sees. After that, follow where your feet take you, over romantic bridges, to shops selling precious glass, to small cafés for a cappuccino or Campari.

Day 8 - Venice/Italy OVERNIGHT --
Free day to relax or to explore Venice On your own, Overtnight on board.

Sail ends.

For all information including prices, availability, and early booking discounts, please email any questions, and tell us the dates that suit your travel plans.

(The e-mail address is info@encountertours.net. )
You can also call us at +971-322-3915 PST.

As soon as we get your e-mail we will respond with any information you need.

Encounter Tours also provides services such as Rome or Venice hotel bookings, daily private tours, airport transfers, rental cars, as well as everything related to travel in all of the cities where the cruise takes place.