Group Tour Operator for river cruises in Northern Europe

Depart the UK

Travel to Dover and take the ferry to Calais/Dunkerque.  On arrival in France, continue towards the Alsace area for an overnight stay.  Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.

Travel to Venice

Depart after breakfast for the onward journey to Venice, through Switzerland and into Italy via Milan and Verona.  Embarkation is from 18.00 hours and there will be a Captain’s Welcome cocktail before dinner.  The ship will remain in Venice overnight.

Venice – Mazzorbo – Venice

This morning will be spent cruising along the labyrinth of canals and around the many islands in Venice lagoon.  We will make a stop at the island of Mazzorbo where we can stroll across the bridge to explore one of the most famous and picturesque islands in the lagoon – Burano, the colourful island of lace and home to many famous artists. Be intrigued by the colourful houses that are reflected into the green waters, see the leaning bell tower and watch the lace-makers at work.

In the afternoon there is an optional excursion to the island of Murano, yet another of the famous islands in the Lagoon.  This time the transfer will be by private boat.  Murano is famous for its glass production and we will get the opportunity to visit a workshop to watch the glassblowers at work with the option to make some purchases after the visit.

Return to the ship for dinner and an evening at leisure.  The ship will remain in Venice overnight.

Venice Sightseeing

There will be a choice of two optional excursions this morning:

1.  Guided tour of Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Square – With a professional guide explore Saint Mark’s Square and its famous basilica (exterior) and an interior visit of the Doge’s Palace, the official residence of Venetian dukes and the seat of Government until 1797.  It is considered to be one of the most beautiful palaces in the world and it is worth the climb to the top of the Golden Staircase to see some great works of art by Tintoretto, amongst other famous artists, and access to the antechambers and a great view from the balcony.
2. A tour of the ‘Dorsoduro District’ – bordering the Grand Canal this Bohemian district forms the southern part of Venice.  See various museums, art galleries and magnificent palaces.  You will get to admire the view of the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute. It rests on nearly 100,000 stilts and has two domes.

The afternoon is free to explore Venice at leisure, wander across the famous Rialto Bridge, take a gondola ride or just sit and watch the world go by whilst enjoying some Italian gelato!

Return to the ship for dinner and overnight in Venice.

Venice – Chioggia (for Padua) – Porto Viro – Canda

This ship will sail towards Chiogga this morning where we have included a coach excursion to Padua, the home of St. Anthony.  With a local guide, stroll around the medieval centre with charming squares and palaces.  Il Santo, the Pontifical Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua sits amongst these and contains the remains of the city’s patron saint.  Padua’s version of the Sistine Chapel, the Cappella degli Scrovegni houses one of Italy’s great Renaissance masterpieces – a striking cycle of Giotto frescoes.

After the tour there will be some free time before returning to the ship which will be docked in Porto Viro and continue sailing towards Canda.

Dinner and an evening at leisure on board ship.

Canda – Ostiglia (for Verona) – Mantua

Enjoy a leisurely morning cruising to Ostiglia.  In the afternoon there will be two optional excursions:

1. A guided panoramic city tour by coach of Verona, the ‘City of Love’ made famous by Shakespeare’s tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.  Enter the city via the Porta Palio gate, see the beautiful Castelvecchio and the Arco dei Gavi.  The Porto Nuova offers wonderful views of the towers, hills and mountains.  The tour continues on foot for a visit to see the outside of Juliet’s house (Casa di Giulietta) and the balcony where Romeo declared his love.  See also the famous pink and white Verona Arena, the historic symbol of the city which could seat up to 30,000 spectators to watch the gladatorial combats.
2. A gastronomic tour of Verona.  Stroll through the medieval squares and alleys and discover the history of Italian cuisine through legends and historic accounts.  Be taken off the beaten track and into some of the city’s secret districts.  Some main attractions will also be visited including Juliet’s balcony and the Arena.  At the end of the tour, enjoy a visit to a local pastry shop for a tasting of 2 sweet specialities and coffee.

Return to the ship by coach which will be docked in Mantua.  Dinner and evening at leisure on board.

Mantua

This morning there is an optional guided tour of Mantua which was ruled by the House of Gonzaga for almost 400 years.  Despite the city not being as well known as others in Northern Italy, it is still one of the richest and most romantic cities.  Visit the Palazzo Ducale di Mantova (Ducal Palace) which overlooks the city centre,  the Rotanda di San Lorenzo and the Basilica of Sant’ Andrea.  After the tour, return to the ship for lunch.  The afternoon is at leisure whilst the ship remains in Mantua.

In the afternoon, there is an optional tour to visit the Ferrari Museum in Modena, a must for all  car lovers!  The museum focuses on the life of Enzo Ferrari and includes a spectacular immersive experience and a huge collection of stunning cars and an audio-visual show telling the life story of the man himself.

Enjoy a final ‘festive/gala’ evening on board ship.

Depart Mantua

Disembark after breakfast and either start the return journey back to the UK stopping overnight en-route.  Dinner will be included at the hotel this evening.

Return to the UK

Continue, after breakfast, towards Calais and take the ferry across to the UK.