Dalmatian Coast & Italy

• Exclusive journey from Dubrovnik, Croatia, to Venice, Italy.
• Created in our tradition of innovative programming and educational travel.
• Access to ports unavailable to larger vessels and an included excursion in each port.
• Visits to three UNESCO World Heritage sites: Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Montenegro; Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, Croatia; and Skocjan Caves, Slovenia.
• Dubrovnik Pre-Tour Extension and Venice Post‑Tour Extension.

Depart your home city on an overnight flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Arrive at Dubrovnik Ruđer Bošković Airport. Proceed through the immigration checkpoint to the baggage claim area and retrieve your luggage. After completing a customs screening, meet a Gohagan & Company representative.

Those arriving early will transfer to a group hospitality room at the Hilton Imperial Dubrovnik hotel.

After lunch on your own at the hotel or nearby, you will then travel with the group to embark the World Traveller, where you can settle in your cabin and unpack. Those arriving later will transfer directly to the port for embarkation.

This evening, attend a Gohagan & Company Welcome Briefing and lifeboat drill.

Enjoy a guided walking tour of UNESCO‑inscribed Dubrovnik. Enter the city gate to see the Large Onofrio’s Fountain, a beloved city landmark designed in 1438 as part of a water supply system that brought water from a spring over seven miles away. Only 16 carved masks, with water dribbling from their mouths, remain of the original fountain that was damaged in the 1667 earthquake. Admire the neighboring façade of St. Savior Church, built in the 1520s and considered the first comprehensive Renaissance-style building in Dubrovnik, built by Korčula’s master builders, Brothers Andrijic, who also built Korčula’s Cathedral. Next, visit the 14th-century Romanesque Franciscan Church and Monastery, considered a masterpiece of architecture built by Croatian master, Mihoje Brajkov. The large complex, which belongs to the Order of the Friars Minor, consists of a friary, church, library and a historical pharmacy museum.

Return to the ship for lunch.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following excursions and return the included Traveler’s Choice Form with your selection by the deadline noted on the form.

• Walk the Walls of Dubrovnik. The Dubrovnik Walls date back to the Middle Ages and are 1.2 miles in length. Enjoy your stroll through history while admiring the skilled engineering and ingenuity of the residents who built the walls so long ago There are several cafes along the wall to grab a refreshing beverage and relax.
• Rector’s Palace & Maritime Museum. Visit one of Dubrovnik’s most significant monuments, the Rector’s Palace. Through the years, the palace served many functions. It was once a prison, an administrative office and also the rector’s home. Next, visit the Maritime Museum, which offers insights into Dubrovnik’s maritime history through examples of ship models, paintings and more.

Later this afternoon, the ship departs Dubrovnik. Sit on the sun deck and watch as the sea views and coastline drifts by.

Join your fellow travelers for a Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner on board the ship this evening.

Savor your breakfast on the deck this morning as the ship cruises the Adriatic to the Balkan country of Montenegro, stopping in Tivat where we will disembark for an excursion to Kotor.

In the most secluded corner of Kotor Bay lies the historical walled town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site. An important artistic and commercial center in the Middle Ages with its own famous schools of masonry and iconography, the town fell under the rule of the Republic of Venice between 1420 and 1797 — leaving a permanent imprint on its architecture. While a large part of Kotor was damaged during a 1979 earthquake, it is fully restored today and stands as one of the best-preserved fortified medieval towns in the Mediterranean. Stroll through these storied streets and squares on a morning walking tour. Step into the impressive 12th-century Cathedral of Saint Tryphon and view the ornate vaulted roof and pillars made of pink stone.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following excursions and return the included Traveler’s Choice Form with your selection by the deadline noted on the form.

• Blue Cave & Lady of the Rocks. Admire the scenery while sailing to Our Lady of the Rocks, a man-made island founded over 500 years ago. Along the way, learn about the island’s legend and tour its baroque-style church.
• Montenegro Beach. Craving some sun, relaxation and sand? Grab your swimming suit to enjoy a day at the beach.

Return to the ship for dinner on board this evening as the ship departs Tivat.

The ancient seaport of Bari boasts narrow lanes and a pretty harbor with colorful boats bobbing on their moors. See the historic port and wander the tight tangle of medieval streets in the city’s Old Town. Admire the carved Apulian-Romanesque portal of the 11th-century Basilica di San Nicola, which houses the relics of Bari’s patron saint, St. Nicholas. Traverse the seafront promenade where exhilarating views are revealed with each turn.

Return to the ship for lunch. Then venture out to discover Alberobello.

 Unusual dome-shaped buildings dot the Apulian countryside, but it is in the enchanting city of Alberobello where you find the largest concentration of the mysterious dwellings known as trulli. Found nowhere else in the world, these whitewashed limestone structures are pieced together without mortar, their pointed fieldstone roofs painted with primitive Christian and pagan symbols. More than 1,000 trulli cluster Alberobello’s cobblestone streets, which are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The origins of the trulli remain a mystery, but legends abound linking them to ancient Greece as well as theorizing their creation as a 15th-century tax dodge.

Enjoy panoramic views of the Adriatic coast as the ship departs Bari. Gather with friends for dinner tonight. Perhaps head to the deck to look for stars following your meal.

Rising from the water’s edge on the protected east coast of the island of Korcula, this ancient, fortified town by the same name is known for its narrow streets arranged in a herringbone pattern, allowing free circulation of air while protecting it against strong winds. The history of Korcula can be witnessed at the entrance of the Land Gate, where you will see a bas-relief with the winged lion of St. Mark — symbolizing the reign of the Venetian Republic — and a stone tablet commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of the coronation of the first Croatian king, Tomislav. This is also said to be the birthplace of Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant who famously traveled along the Silk Road in the late 13th century. Our tour begins with a walk through Korcula’s medieval old town to see lovely squares flanked by historical palaces of nobility, including the one where Marco Polo was reputedly born. Visit the Abbey Treasury of St. Mark, perhaps the most significant treasury of its kind in Dalmatia. With gold treaded robes; ancient and medieval pottery; illuminated manuscripts; and an important collection of icons and religious art — including the 1431 polyptych of “The Virgin & Child with Saints” by Blaž Jurjev of Trogir — this incredible museum is housed in the 14th-century Abbey Palace.

Return to the ship and sail to Havar. Lunch is served along the way.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following excursions and return the included Traveler’s Choice Form with your selection by the deadline noted on the form.

• Benedictine Monastery & Lace Making. Since the fourth century B.C., Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Venetians have left their mark on the island of Hvar, a key center of the Croatian Renaissance. Take a guided walking tour of the Old Town’s remarkably preserved landmarks within its 13th‑century walls. See St. Stephen’s Cathedral, built in 1605, and its four-story bell tower. Continue to the Benedictine Monastery, founded in 1664, to see handcrafted lace made by nuns from agave and aloe thread — a delicate, labor-intensive practice inscribed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Your guide will explain how the lace, still made by nuns, is produced.
• Hike to Fortica Fortress. Enjoy an active hike up to Hvar’s Fortica, called Spanjola by locals. The path winds through a botanic garden and backstreets. The views from the top are fantastic! Today, the fort holds a collection of amphora and other relics. 

Special Performance: Return to the ship this evening to delight in a traditional klapa, an a cappella folk music performance, followed by dinner on board. The klapa is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Dinner is served following the performance.

Enjoy breakfast on board the ship and behold spectacular views as we arrive in Split.

Split. This ancient imperial city is the second largest in Croatia. Founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos in the 2nd century B.C., Split was the site of a grand fortified palace for the Roman emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. Today, it’s a bustling blend of Old World charm and contemporary chic where pre-Romanesque churches, Gothic chapels, historic museums, art galleries and cosmopolitan cafes comingle along picturesque cobblestone streets.

Experience the sights and sounds of Split on a panoramic tour that includes a visit to the Meštrović Gallery — home and gallery of Ivan Meštrović, the greatest Croatian sculptor of all time. After viewing a display of his works of art in the 1930s-era mansion, continue to the entrance of Split’s Old Town, which is built around the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage-inscribed Diocletian’s Palace. Enjoy a guided walking tour of the palace, including a visit to its well-preserved cellars. Next, visit the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, the patron saint of Split, and the Temple of Jupiter. Conclude you tour with exterior visits to the Golden Gate, Silver Gate and Peristyle Square — ancient Roman entry points to the Old Town that were originally a part of Diocletian’s Palace.

Craft your own path in Trogir or Split. A shuttle will be available to take you to either town. Return to the ship for dinner this evening as the ship departs.

The ship arrives at Ravenna, Italy, this morning.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following excursions and return the included Traveler’s Choice Form with your selection by the deadline noted on the form.

• Bologna Full Day Excursion. Recognized as the region’s center-stage capital city, “La Rossa” beckons visitors with its searing red architecture. The epicenter of the Emilia-Romagna region also boasts an extensive collection of UNESCO-listed porticoes, covered arched arcades and a hilltop monastery. A walking tour starts from Piazza Malpighi to Piazza Maggiore. See the Town Hall and the Archiginnasio di Bologna, the seat of the University of Bologna from 1563-1805. Along the way, don’t forget to look above to see the city’s symbolic two towers reaching to the sky. After an included lunch with your group, visit the Basilica di San Domenicao, home to some of Michelangelo’s earliest works, followed by a visit to the National Art Gallery, which houses masterpieces from the 13th to the 18th century.

• Ravenna’s Historical Center & Mosaics. Enjoy time spent in Ravenna’s historical center. Witness the intricate UNESCO-inscribed mosaics at the Basilica of San Vitale and the Galle Placidia Mausoleum, where ceiling mosaics depict a night sky. See the Duomo di Ravenna, the Baptistry of Neon and the tomb of the poet and author, Dante Alighieri. Return to the ship for lunch and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. 

Dig into local flavors for dinner tonight.

Traveler’s Choice | Choose ONE of the following excursions and return the included Traveler’s Choice Form with your selection by the deadline noted on the form.

• Pula Visit. Enjoy a walking tour of Pula, a coastal town on the Istrian Peninsula. This ancient settlement has a storied history that includes a Roman conquest and subsequent victories by the Byzantines, Franks and Venetians. Its population declined dramatically during the plagues of the 17th century, after which it fell under the rule of several countries — Austria in the late 18th century, passing to Italy in 1920 and then Croatia (as the former Yugoslavia) after 1947. A highlight of Pula is the elliptical Roman amphitheater that once hosted gladiator fights. Today, the theater hosts musical performances. Elton John and Luciano Pavarotti have performed here.
• Rovinj Walking Tour. Join your guide for an insightful walking tour of Rovinj. The small harbor is filled with colorful fishing boats and flat-bottomed batana boats. Tour the enchanting old town, passing rainbow buildings, Venetian architecture, twisting narrow streets and the baroque St. Euphemia’s Basilica.

Raise a toast to your grand adventure at a Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner on board the ship this evening.

The ship arrives in the UNESCO-inscribed city of Venice this morning. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to the Marco Polo Airport in Venice for your return flight home.

If you have reserved the Venice Post-Tour Extension, join the group for a walking tour. Please refer to the separate preliminary itinerary for more information.