Ancient civilisations, from Italy to Greece Cruise

Day 1 - Rome

Arrive: Thu 01 October 2026 / Depart: Thu 01 October 2026 at 18:00

Your gateway to the Eternal City, Civitavecchia has served as Rome's seaport since the 13th century. The port has a long and venerable history. The emperor Trajan built a pleasure villa near the modern city, while Bernini and Michelangelo designed the harbor fortifications. Yet the Eternal City eternally beckons. The ancient capital of the Western World and the center of Christianity for nearly 2,000 years, Rome provides an inexhaustible feast. Visit the ruins of the Forum, view the splendors of the Sistine Chapel, or climb the Spanish Steps, once the heart of Rome's Bohemian Quarter. Rome has been a magnet luring the world's greatest artists, architects, and philosophers since the days of the Caesars.

Day 2 - Salerno

Arrive: Fri 02 October 2026 / Depart: Fri 02 October 2026

Generating a veritable explosion of intense emotions, the province of Salerno fascinates and enchants travellers. Its fascinating history will lead you to the extraordinary archaeological site of Pompeii, whose sprawling ruins provide a grandiose and moving vision of what a Roman city looked like in Imperial times. The city which was frozen in time under the ashes from the eruption of Mont Vesuvius offers you its peerless historical and cultural wealth, as well as the unique beauty of its location, which has earned it classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 3 - Reggio Di Calabria

Day 4 - Catania, Sicily

Arrive: Sun 04 October 2026 / Depart: Sun 04 October 2026

Sicily’s second city Catania is dominated by the majestic silhouette of Mount Etna. Nourishing and devastating at the same time, this giant crowned with smoke rings brought about the destruction of the city at the end of the 17th century. Catania was then rebuilt in the late Baroque style, and the many monuments of this epoch have earned its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The baroque churches of the harmonious Via dei Crociferi perfectly illustrate the riches of this architectural heritage. During your stop, be sure to visit Saint Agatha Cathedral with its apses made of lava stones, and its square decorated with a fountain of the Elephant, the animal which allegedly has the power to calm the fury of Mount Etna …

Day 5 - Gallipoli

Arrive: Mon 05 October 2026 / Depart: Mon 05 October 2026

Day 6 - Parga

Arrive: Tue 06 October 2026 / Depart: Tue 06 October 2026

In the heart of a sheltered cove on the north western shores of Greece in the Epirus province, Parga was Venetian from the 15th to the end of the 18th century. During that period it belonged to Ali Pacha, a high official of Soliman the Magnificent. Its imposing Venetian citadel built on a steep rocky promontory dominates the town, the port and the sweet smelling pines which surround it. Today it is a lovely seaside resort.

Day 7 - Katakolon

Arrive: Wed 07 October 2026 / Depart: Wed 07 October 2026

This picturesque village stretches along the Ionian sea in the west of the Peloponnese. Its main harbour offers a vast panorama of the coastline’s wooded hillsides. Dazzling white, the church of Saint-Nicolas houses a selection of sumptuous icons. You can also pay a visit the archaeological site of Olympus on the slopes of Mount Kronos.

Day 8 - Itea

Arrive: Thu 08 October 2026 / Depart: Thu 08 October 2026

A grandiose impressive work of art linking the Ionian and Aegean Seas, the Corinth Canal is the fruit of a dream dating back to ancient times. The Emperor Nero had at one time envisaged its creation. From Itea (Greece) we enter the immaculately preserved sacred site of the Delphi Valley. Clinging to the side of the mountain, the white ruins of Apollo’s famous sanctuary rise up out of the pines.

Day 8 - Crossing the Corinth Canal

Day 9 - Nafplion

Arrive: Fri 09 October 2026 / Depart: Fri 09 October 2026

The engaging town of Nafplion is staggered up green hillsides of the Argolic Gulf, to the east of the Peloponnese. Don’t be surprised by its extremely varied cultural heritage. Some of the must-see visits are the ancient agora on the plateau of Akronafplia, Italianate arcades in Syntagma square as well as the baroque fortress of Palamidi on a hillside of the same name. At the top of the hill, views of the gulf and the surrounding mountains are simply awesome. If you want to chill out by the water’s edge, walk along the Arvanitia promenade to a beautiful creek in the shade of cedars and cypresses.

Day 10 - Hydra

Arrive: Sat 10 October 2026 / Depart: Sat 10 October 2026

This unusual gem belonging to the Saronic islands is located to the east of the Peloponnese. There are no cars here. Named after the island, the harbour town is layered up the slopes of a mountainous bay. You may be surprised to see beautiful stone mansions. These are traditional here, as are the multi-coloured caïques along the quays. Further along the shore, you will discover the Historical Archives Museum. Collections from Athens National History Museum are exhibited in the elegant villa Koundouriotis.

Day 11 - Athens

Arrive: Sun 11 October 2026 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 11 October 2026

The Greek capital city is located on the edge of the Saronic gulf, in the east of the country. It bears a plural name in reference to the first villages that surround the Acropolis. You will be enchanted by the rocky plateau presided by its monuments listed as UNESCO World Heritage. In the city below, you can visit some of the liveliest districts in Athens: Plaka, with its maze of colourful streets, and where, in the evenings the drifting aroma of moussaka and garlic prawns will tickle your taste buds. The National Archaeological museum and the Cycladic Art Museum are also some of the city’s key attractions and allow visitors to discover Athens’ cultural past.