Embrace la dolce vita on a culturally rich journey through beautiful Italia
Italy’s myriad splendors are known the world over, and you’ll encounter your first of many in Milan, where you’ll see Da Vinci’s majestic The Last Supper. Then delve into the luminous architectural and artistic highlights of water-bound Venice and discover Northern Italy’s gems: Verona, Padua, Bologna and Ferrara.
Then travel to Florence, where the Renaissance began. See astonishing works by Michelangelo, Rafael, Donatello and Boticelli, and savor a spectacular homemade lunch and a Chianti wine tasting at Castello di Verrazzano. A fitting ending to your Italian adventure awaits in Rome, the “Eternal City,” with all of its wonders: the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum, Trevi Fountain, the Sistine Chapel and so much more.
WHO WILL ENJOY THIS CRUISE/TOUR
Art lovers who want to trace the Renaissance from its most famous cities—Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan—to the hidden gems of Northern Italy.
MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY-FRIENDLY PROGRAM (Select sailings)
Share the enchantment of this region with the special young people in your life. These cruises not only feature unique, fun-filled adventures for families to enjoy together, they’re also packed with culturally and historically significant experiences designed to spark creativity and life-long learning
Highlights
YOUR CRUISE PACKAGE INCLUDES:
TRAVEL
7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the impressive River Countess
2 nights in Milan at Starhotel Rosa Grand (or similar) with breakfast
2 nights in Florence at the Hotel Brunelleschi (or similar) with breakfast
3 nights in Rome at the Parco dei Principi (or similar) with breakfast
All transfers on arrival and departure days
TASTE
All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
14 breakfasts, 9 lunches, 9 dinners
Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water
EXPLORE
1 country
13 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by Englishspeaking local experts
Guided “Do as the Locals Do” and “Gentle Walking” programs
7 UNESCO World Heritage sites
Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all excursions
Use of Nordic walking sticks
EXPERIENCE
Captivating onboard local entertainment
Cultural enrichment, including a Signature Lecture: “La Serenissima: The Lagoon of Venice”
Exclusive Multigenerational Family-Friendly Program on select summer departures
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 (embark)
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: Venice walking discovery tour and exclusive evening–opening of St. Mark’s Basilica
Wind through Venice’s labyrinthine back lanes on a walking tour that features the city’s top sights and a Venetian glassmaking demonstration. This evening, you’re in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience—a crowd-free, after-hours visit inside 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-hours 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: Chioggia (Padua)
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 onboard.
Spend the day in Bologna, Italy’s culinary capital, an ideal place to learn the art of making pasta.
Or, spend a half day in Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a long history as a center for
the arts.
Day 7: Taglio di Po, Chioggia, 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 Islands (Burano and Mazzorbo)
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 (disembark), 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 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 EXCURSIONS: Choice of “Imperial Rome and the Colosseum” guided tour OR exclusive “Do as the Locals Do” “The Heart of Rome” walking tour
Take a guided tour of historically significant Roman sites—such as the Arch of Titus, the Villa Borghese and the Colosseum—or “Do as the Locals Do” with a walking tour through the heart of the city, featuring the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and the Trevi Fountain.
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 15: Depart Rome
Transfer to Rome Leonardo da Vinci Airport for your flight home.