Program

Day 1 - Venice/Italy - 5:00 PM
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 2 - Korcula/Croatia 2:00 PM 8:00 PM
Through the main town street - the Street of the Korcula Statute from 1214 - we arrive at the Cathedral Square. The biggest and the most beautiful building of Korcula - the Cathedral of St. Marco - is at the top of the town. South of it, there is the Bishops Palace (1342; 1653/1860) where the Abbatial Treasury of St. Marco is held today with its rich collection of the Croatian and Italian Renaissance art works, the collection of manuscripts and books, and a collection of the ceremonial clothes. North of the Cathedral, there is the small church of St. Peter - probably the oldest surviving church in the town from the 11th century in which the Renaisance portal of the master Bonino da Milano, and the wooden statues of the apostles are situated - the work of Venetian sculptors from the 18th century.

Day 3 - Dubrovnik/Croatia 8:00 AM 4:00 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 4 - Corfu/Greece 11:00 AM 11:00 PM
The exquisite island of ancient Pheakon, has 150 miles long coasts, picturesque promenades and a vivid night life. The lush green silhouette of Corfu (better known as Green Greece) rises from the Ionian sea, a fertile island dense with lemon and orange groves, fig trees, cypress, and three million olive trees. Two forts mark the graceful old town of Kerkira, along with a gorgeous Esplanade, where locals play cricket – one of the remaining British influences. In the Campiello area, a maze of shuttered Venetian-era alleyways leads to a Byzantine museum full of icons.

Day 5 - At Sea - -

Day 6 - Messina/Sicily 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
This ancient city of cobblestone streets and friendly people is the gateway to the sunny island of Sicily, a mountainous and rugged place which remains in the shadow of its still-active volcano, Mt. Etna. In addition to its own enchanting landscape, Messina is the launching point for visits to the classical ruins at Taormina and the Church of the Black Madonna in Tindari.

Day 7 - Sorrento/Italy 8:00 AM 3:00 PM
This Mediterranean land has been depicted, described and immortalized in song by artists, poets and travelers from every period of history. Along the coast, rugged and inaccessible cliffs soar upwards between beautiful beaches, hidden caves, enchanting bays and sheltered coves. Whereas inland, the high plains, rolling hills and lofty mountains are seared by deep valleys to create a truly unique landscape in which man has also left a clear sign of his remarkable work: the more impervious areas have been modeled into the now-famous terraces, those huge steps descending into the sea on which man has planted vineyards and groves of orange, lemon and olive trees. There are the gardens of delight which exude an inebriating perfume of blossom in spring. The mild climate and predominantly fine weather all year round make the Sorrentine Penisula an ideal destination in any season. The first town in the Peninsula is Vico Equense with its Giusso Castle on the coast and the austere Mont Faito (1400 metres high) which allows you to pass from the sea to the mountain in just a few minutes.

Day 8 - Rome (Civitavecchia)/Italy 7:00 AM -
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.

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 Venice or Rome 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.