Milan to Rome - 15 days	For further assistance call 1-800-526-8539
Ship - River Countess	Ask about our Travel Insurance

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Milan

Arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport, where you will be transferred to your hotel.

Day 2: Milan

FEATURED EXCURSION: Milan city tour with visit to Da Vinci’s The Last Supper

Vibrant Milan is the fashion and design capital of Italy. Today you’ll explore this dazzling city and encounter two of its greatest sights—the towering Gothic cathedral and Da Vinci’s astounding The Last Supper.

Day 3: Milan - Verona - Venice (Embarkation Day)

FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Verona, “City of Romeo and Juliet,” and Valpolicella wine estate lunch

Head to Venice today, stopping en route in Verona—home to Shakespeare’s tragic Romeo and Juliet. Outside fair Verona, enjoy a tasting and multi-course lunch at a beautiful Valpolicella wine estate. In magical Venice, you will board your ship and embark on your exploration of the “Queen of the Adriatic.”

Day 4: Venice

Featured Excursions: Walking tour of historic Venice and exclusive special evening opening San Marco Basilica
 
Venice, which was founded in the sixth century, controlled all European trade with the East during the Middle Ages. Local guides will lead you through hidden alleys where tourists rarely go to the Piazza San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, which is brimming with artistic treasures. The tour concludes at Rialto Bridge; stay in the city and explore on your own, or return to the ship. Cap off your day with a most memorable experience: an exclusive, crowd-free visit to spectacular St. Mark’s Basilica. In the evening enjoy a Captain's Welcome Reception and Gala Dinner.

Note: It is not always possible to arrange after-hour visits to St. Mark’s Basilica. If religious functions or festivities are taking place in the evening, we will visit during regular hours.

Day 5: Venice - Chioggia (Padua), Taglio di Po, Polesella

FEATURED EXCURSION: Padua walking discovery tour

Enjoy magnificent views of “The Floating City’s” greatest sights, including the Grand Canal, as your ship departs Venice. Visit the medieval walled city of Padua, walking through ancient arcades and porticos to Palazzo della Ragione, Padua’s historic city center, and enjoy a treat at a local café.

Day 6: Polesella (Bologna or Ferrara)

FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of full-day excursion to Bologna with exclusive pasta-making workshop with lunch -or- half-day excursion to Ferrara with lunch

Spend the whole day in Bologna, called la grassa, meaning bountiful. Its portico-lined streets are home to the oldest university in Europe. But does it really have the best food in Northern Italy? You be the judge. There’s more to the city than Bolognese sauce, that’s for sure - there’s Parma ham, parmesan cheese, and perhaps the best tortellini in the world, all on lavish display in the amazing food markets. Join a pasta-making workshop and learn how to create your own fabulous pasta. Or spend a half day in Ferrara, one of Italy’s best-kept secrets, where you’ll discover how the city became an artistic hub for the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Titian, and Petrarch, among others.

Day 7: Taglio di Po - Chioggi - Venice

FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Chioggia with choice of market visit with seafood lunch OR mussel harvest experience

There’s no better place to indulge in Italy’s famed frutti di mare than Chioggia, a colorful fishing village on the Venice Lagoon. Stroll through the town’s bustling fish market with a guide before indulging in a fresh and flavorful seafood lunch. Or, head to a casoni (fisherman’s hut) to learn the art of mussel harvesting from local fishermen. You’ll get to steam your own freshly gathered mussels in prosecco and enjoy them on the waterfront—a unique culinary treat. Later, head to the Sun Deck of your luxury ship to take in views of two more Venice Lagoon isles: sleepy Pellestrina, and Lido, home to the prestigious Venice Film Festival.

Day 8: Venice (Burano and Mazzarbo)

FEATURED EXCURSION: Full-day “The Magic Islands of Venice” tour: colorful Burano with lace making and peaceful Mazzorbo with wine tasting

Spend the day exploring the Venice Lagoon and two of its most notable islands. Stroll through Burano with its rainbow of cheerful and colorful homes. Learn the history and importance of lace making, which dates back to the 16th century. Then go to the island of Mazzorbo for a very special wine tasting, as it is here where the time-honored and historical grape variety, Dorona, has been planted to yield the liquid Gold of Native Venice, Prosecco.

Day 9: Venice

FEATURED EXCURSIONS: Choice of exclusive “Do as the Locals Do” Venice walking tour OR “Venetian Painters at the Accademia” tour with art-historian guide

Get a feel for daily life in Venice with a guided stroll through the bustling Rialto Market, or tour the renowned Accademia Gallery with an art historian. In the evening, enjoy a Captain’s Farewell Reception and Gala Dinner.

Day 10: Venice (Disembarkation Day) - transfer to Florence

FEATURED EXCURSION: Guided Accademia Gallery tour with visit to Michelangelo’s David

Florence offers innumerable artistic treasures, but perhaps none is more spectacular than Michelangelo’s David, which you’ll see today on your guided visit to the Accademia Gallery.

Day 11: Florence

FEATURED EXCURSION: “Architectural Treasures of Renaissance Florence” walking discovery tour

Your walking discovery tour of Florence provides close-up views of some of the city’s most glorious sights, including the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower and Signoria Plaza. Gaze across the Arno River at the Palazzo Pitti, a Renaissance palace that once housed the powerful Medici family.

Day 12: Florence - transfer to Rome

FEATURED EXCURSION: Chianti tasting and lunch at Castello di Verrazzano wine estate

See Tuscany’s breathtaking scenery via motorcoach, stopping en route to Rome for a homemade lunch and wine tasting at a gorgeous estate in Chianti country.

Day 13: Rome

FEATURED EXCURSION: “Imperial Rome and the Heart of the City” discovery tour

Today’s grand overview of the Eternal City starts with a panoramic tour of Rome’s most iconic sights, including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Arch of Titus and the Villa Borghese. Venture inside the Colosseum for an expertly guided tour, then stroll through the heart of the city from Piazza Navona to the dome-topped Pantheon—an architectural masterpiece famous for its perfectly engineered oculus. After lunch on your own, you’re free to explore or continue on with your guide to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. 

Day 14: Rome

FEATURED EXCURSION: Guided Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel visit

St. Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s sublime Sistine Chapel frescoes are just two of the wondrous sights awaiting you on today’s guided tour.

Day 13: Rome

Transfer to Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your flight home.

Departures & Pricing

Advisements:

• A valid passport is required for travel. Passports must be valid at least 6 months after the last day of travel.
• Please check visa requirements with your local consulate(s); responsibility for obtaining visas rests with the traveler.
• For reasons of navigation and passenger safety, the cruise operator and the Captain of the ship reserves the right to modify the itinerary of the cruise.