DETAILS
Embark the elegant Sea Cloud II in Venice for an unforgettable Adriatic Sea journey between the Italian and Croatian coastlines. With warm autumn breezes filling the billowing sails of the privately chartered Sea Cloud II, cruise the shimmering Adriatic to timeless towns and archaeological sites in Italy and Croatia. Savor a rare and exclusive inside look at the landmark achievements in art of the many cultures—from ancient Greeks and Romans to Byzantines and Venetians—who have made the Adriatic region their home.
- Pricing from
- $7,999
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International Ocean & Sea Voyages
- Departure Dates
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Sep 19, 2024 - Sep 27, 2024
Click here for Terms & Conditions
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1
DEPARTURE
Depart for Venice on an overnight flight.
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day 2
VENICE, ITALY/ EMBARK SEA CLOUD II
Arrive at Venice’s Marco Polo International Airport, where you will be transferred to the Dorsoduro neighborhood, known for its ornate churches, picturesque squares and canals, and vibrant yet relaxed local flavor. After lunch, embark Sea Cloud II and remain on deck as the ship sails out of the Grand Canal.
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day 3
RAVENNA, ITALY
Step ashore this morning for an in-depth look at the UNESCO-listed Byzantine and early Christian mosaics in Ravenna, capital of the Western Roman Empire from 402 to 476 A.D. Visit Sant’Apollinare in Classe, with its glorious sixth-century apse covered in brilliant mosaics. Then see the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia and Theodoric the Great’s churches—San Vitale and Sant’Apollinare Nuovo—with their glittering Byzantine mosaics. This evening, celebrate the beginning of a memorable voyage at the captain’s welcome reception and dinner.
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day 4
DAY AT SEA
Today, discover the thrill of sailing aboard the legendary Sea Cloud II. As she carries us under a full set of billowing white sails, enjoy fascinating lectures about the region, its culture, and history, and experience the grace and romance of a bygone era of travel.
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day 5
DUBROVNIK, CROATIA
In the walled city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stroll down Placa, the city’s main street, to discover the influence of Venetian architects. View the collections of manuscripts and other treasures in the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries as well as in the Gothic-Renaissance-style Rector’s Palace, built in the late 15th century. Alternatively, join an excursion to the colorful seaside town of Cavtat, where you will explore the waterfront Church of St. Nicholas. Then delight in a curator-led tour of the Vlaho Bukovac House, the childhood home of Croatian painter Vlaho Bukovac (1855–1922) that he converted into his studio, followed by a private garden reception. Finally, visit the 15th-century Franciscan Monastery. Return to Dubrovnik to enjoy an exclusive concert of Croatian klapa music in the courtyard of the 16th-century Sponza Palace.
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day 6
HVAR
Dock in Hvar and drive to nearby Stari Grad, originally a Greek colony in the fourth century B.C. and UNESCO-listed for maintaining its ancient Greek system of farming and land organization to this day. After free time in Stari Grad, travel to a 16th-century Venetian fortress known locally as Španjola, perched 300 feet above the town of Hvar, to admire the views. On a walking tour of Hvar, see where its 13th-century walls surround a treasure trove of Gothic palaces and cloisters, Baroque cathedrals, and grand squares.
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day 7
ZADAR
Arrive in Zadar after a morning spent sailing through Croatia’s scenic waterways with their dramatic rock formations, craggy grottos, reefs, and underwater caverns rich with marine life. Take a walking tour through Zadar that includes the old Roman Forum, the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, and the Monastery of St. Francis Assisi, which houses masterpieces from unknown goldsmiths from the 15th to the 18th centuries in a collection entitled “Gold and Silver of Zadar.” Stop at the Archaeological Museum, housed in the Church of St. Donat. Before returning to the ship, spend time in the People’s Square, the center of life in Zadar since the Middle Ages, and walk along Via Magna, Zadar’s main artery and a symbol of the city.
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day 8
PULA / AFTERNOON AT SEA
This morning, Sea Cloud II docks in Pula, a seafront city on the tip of Croatia’s cliff-lined Istrian Peninsula with long traditions of winemaking, fishing, and shipbuilding. Discover Pula’s superb Roman remains, the most famous of which is the massive Pula Arena, a well-preserved Roman amphitheater from the first century A.D. that is still in use, seating 20,000 spectators. Settled in the prehistoric era and valued for its strategic location, Pula has been occupied, destroyed, and rebuilt numerous times. Many groups have administered the city, including Romans, Ostrogoths, Venetians, and the Allied Forces in World War II. Return to the ship for lunch as you cross the Adriatic for a return to Venice.
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day 9
VENICE, ITALY / DISEMBARK / RETURN
Disembark Sea Cloud II in Venice this morning, and transfer to the airport for flights home
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