18 Days | Italy Rail & Med Cruise | With Flights

Venice

Welcome to Italy! Upon your arrival in glorious Venice, clear customs and immigration, collect your bag and make your way to your accommodation. and check in.

With its astonishing treasures and transfer independently to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, in this city built on over a hundred small islands and connected by 400 bridges.

Meals: None

Accommodation: Hotel Carlton Capri Venice or similar

Venice

Today, travel independently to Venice Santa Lucia Train Station, meet just outside on top of the staircase to begin a morning tour* of Venice. Start with a boat ride to the Island of Murano, known for its artistic and colorful Murano Glassware, and witness a glass blowing demonstration. Return to Venice for a walking tour, beginning with an orientation of St. Mark's Square where you will learn about the Square's most prominent monuments including the Golden Basilica of San Marco, the Doge's Palace, the Bell and Clock Towers. Proceed to Santa Maria Formosa Square and Campo SS. Giovanni e Paolo, the second largest square in Venice. Continue to the corner of Marco Polo's House and Malibran Theater. Then, return to St. Mark's Square through the Mercerie, a series of interconnecting streets that link Rialto Bridge and St. Mark's Square, and are the main streets in the city for shopping. The remainder of the day is at leisure or you may choose an optional Gondola ride *This is a walking and orientation tour of Venice that does not include entry into any landmarks.

Optional: Gondola Ride (PM)

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Carlton Capri Venice or similar

Venice Florence

Travel to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, by high-speed rail. After check-in at your hotel, travel independently to the Perseo Statue inside the Loggia dei Lanzi in Signoria Square to begin your walking tour* of Florence in the open-air art museum. Admire the statues of the Loggia dei Lanzi, the Palazzo Vecchio before continuing to the splendid Ponte Vecchio. Walk to the magnificent Duomo, celebrated for its dome designed by Brunelleschi, and view the Baptistery's renowned "Gates of Paradise" by Ghiberti. Florence is indeed the center of the world's finest art and architecture

*This is a walking and orientation tour of Florence that does not include entry into any landmarks.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Florence or similar

Florence

Spend the entire day exploring Florence on your own, or choose to join the optional tour of the Accademia Gallery, where Michelangelo's David is housed; stand in awe of this glorious work of art.

Optional: Accademia Gallery (AM)

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Grand Hotel Mediterraneo, Florence or similar

Florence Rome

Today, travel via high-speed rail to Rome, the astonishing city built on seven hills. After check-in at your hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure. Enjoy the ancient Roman architecture or dive into the sumptuous culinary delights which abound citywide.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Villaframca Rome or similar

Rome

Spend the entire day exploring "The Eternal City" at leisure. Perhaps, visit the Pantheon, a magnificent ancient temple, the world's best-preserved ancient monument, that was later converted into a church and view Raphael's tomb. From here, take a stroll to the nearby beautiful Piazza Navona, to get a glimpse of the famous fountains by Bernini. Perhaps, join the optional tour to Pompeii. Depart Rome this morning and drive along the Sun Route to Pompeii, passing by the bay of Naples and majestic Mt. Vesuvius. After lunch, visit Pompeii, the city that was frozen in time under a thick carpet of volcanic ash almost 2,000 years ago. Return to Rome in the early evening.

Optional: Pompeii and its ruins with lunch from Rome

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Villaframca Rome or similar

Rome - Vatican City

Today, travel independently to Caffe Vaticano, opposite the Vatican Museum entrance, to begin the guided tour of the Vatican Museums and Michelangelo's incomparable Sistine Chapel. Upon arrival, your guide will lead you into the museums where you will visit one of the most important art collections in the world. Admire the Gallery of Tapestries and the Geographical Maps before arriving at the famous Sistine Chapel with its great frescoes by Michelangelo. Stroll through St. Peter's Square, passing Bernini's famous colonnade to view St. Peter's Basilica. Afternoon is at leisure or choose to join the optional Ancient Rome tour to visit the fabled Colosseum and the legendary Roman Forum.

Optional: Ancient Rome (PM)

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel Villaframca Rome or similar

Rome (Civitavecchia)

This morning after breakfast, check out and make your way to the cruise port where you will board your MSC Med Cruise. Check in to your stateroom and make your way to the upper decks as you sail away from Rome!

The ship will depart at 7PM.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

Palermo (Sicily), Italy

Today the ship will arrive at 9AM.

Sunny Palermo is Sicily's capital city and historic center. Sightseeing tours visit 12th-century churches like the Palatine Chapel, with its blend of European, Sicilian, Byzantine and Arabic influences, as well as the Capuchin Catacombs, medieval town squares and an array of palaces. Street vendors peddle Sicilian puppets and open-air markets display fresh fish, fruits and vegetables along with street eats like chickpea fritters and potato croquettes. Other excursions venture to the picturesque town of Monreale, known for its fine mosaics and Norman cathedral; Zingaro, Sicily's first nature reserve; and the seaside resort village of Cefalu.

The ship will depart at 5PM.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

Valletta, Malta

The ship will arrive at 10AM.

The Fortress City of Valletta, Malta's capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the perfect place to start your Malta adventure. Verdant gardens overlook an island topped with medieval castles, forts, the Grand Harbor, minarets and Baroque churches. Many tours visit the Grandmaster's Palace, home to the country's government since it was built in 1571, as well as the must-see St. John's Co-Cathedral and Museum, which displays two of Caravaggio's masterpieces. Various outings stop in the walled town of Mdina (the former capital), where you can shop and dine along quaint streets and tour a hand-blown glass factory for up-close looks into the production of the island specialty. The clear-blue Mediterranean waters welcome divers for excursions among artificial reefs, WWII military wreckage and-most famously-underwater caves.

The ship will depart at 6PM.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

At Sea

Today is a full day at sea. Enjoy the services and facilities onboard your ship.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

 Barcelona, Spain

The ship will arrive at 7AM.

With mountains to the west and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea to the east, Barcelona possesses panoramic beauty. Among the most-visited sites in the Catalonia region's capital are structures designed by Antoni Gaudi, including the colorful Casa Batllo, whimsical Park Guell and Barcelona's most iconic building, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, known locally as the Sagrada Familia. Walking tours are popular here, with plenty to admire in the Gothic Quarter and on La Rambla, a bustling pedestrian street lined with stalls and trees. Foodies find themselves on tours of tapas restaurants or exploring the sprawling Mercat de la Boqueria, a covered market with roots in the 13th century. For soccer fans, an excursion to Camp Nou, the home stadium for FC Barcelona, proves an exciting pilgrimage.

The ship will depart at 6PM.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

 Marseille, France

The ship will arrive at 8AM.

As France's second-largest city and home to the country's biggest commercial port, Marseille is cosmopolitan and vibrant. This Mediterranean gateway boasts the storied Old Port that dates to 600 B.C., quaint neighborhoods, top-notch shopping and world-renowned seafood. A climb up the roughly 500-foot Garde Hill yields 360-degree panoramas and a visit to the city's beloved symbol: Notre Dame de la Garde, an 1864 Byzantine-style basilica topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. Artists and authors alike have been inspired by the sparkling bay and verdant cliffs here, prompting iconic works from the likes of Paul Cezanne. The picturesque coastline beckons with beautiful beaches and opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, swimming and snorkeling.

The ship will depart at 6PM.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

 Genoa, Italy

The ship will arrive at 8AM.

As the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, Genoa played a significant role in the European Age of Exploration. Most tours visit the home where the navigator and colonist was born, along with landmarks like the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Wander the medieval alleys of the historic center, marvel at the frescoes and tapestries in the Palazzo del Principe and admire the architectural masterpieces along Via Garibaldi and Palazzi dei Rolli. For panoramic views of the area, the Art Nouveau lift transports you to the observation platform, Spianata Castelletto. One can't-miss attraction is Europe's largest aquarium, a nearly 300,000-square-foot facility that hosts dolphins, penguins, seals, sharks and more. No visit to Genoa is complete without a stop in the commercial hub of Piazza de Ferrari, which features an iconic bronze fountain. Within day trip distance are Milan, with its designer boutiques, and Portofino, a fishing village known for its pastel-colored houses.

The ship will depart at 6PM.

Meals: All Meals Onboard

Accommodation: MSC Cruises

Rome Australia

This morning the ship will arrive back in Rome at 7AM. 

After breakfast disembark and make your way to the airport for your return flight home. Enjoy the services of the flight as you fly south.

Meals: Breakfast and Inflight Menu

In flight (Date Change)

Today is a day allocated to flying. Why Not consider a stop-over option?

Speak with our friendly Customer Service Team for more information.

Australia

Welcome Home! We trust you have enjoyed this amazing Italian Experience with your 7 Night Med Cruise. We look forward to helping you make your future Travel Dreams a reality!