18. Magic in the Med
Venice Venice | Ship: Holland America Line’s Veendam | Nights: 14
Ports of call: Venice, Italy Split, Croatia Thira (Santorini), Greece Nafplio, Greece Piraeus (Athens), Greece Kuşadası (Ephesus), Turkey İstanbul, Turkey Mykonos, Greece Souda, Greece Korčula, Croatia Venice, Italy
Dates: 8 to 22 Sep 2020 Inside from: A$3,598pp* Qantas codeshares to and from Venice
A romantic Mediterranean tour is a history-lover’s dream – and with overnight stays in beautiful Venice and İstanbul, you and your significant other can explore even more of what’s on offer in these cities while cruising on the Veendam.
The sheer size of the incredible Ayasofya in the Turkish capital of İstanbul will astound you. The structure as it stands today was originally built as a Byzantine cathedral and its unique history – it was turned into a mosque following the Ottoman invasion in 1453 – can be traced through the art preserved on its walls. Visit a bustling bazaar and watch as the baklava bakers pour buckets of syrupy honey over their sweet (and irresistible) pastry creations.
For the endlessly curious traveller looking to go beyond the typical tourist experiences, Holland America Line offers perfectly sized, uncrowded ships with one-of-a-kind culinary experiences, the best in live music and service that attends to every detail so you can savour the journey.
Ports of call: Rome, Italy Elba (Portoferraio), Italy Livorno (Florence and Pisa), Italy Monte Carlo, Monaco Marseille (Provence), France Barcelona, Spain Dates: 27 Oct to 4 Nov 2020 Inside from: A$2,459pp* Qantas codeshares to and from Rome and Barcelona
Featuring three overnight stays (Livorno, Monte Carlo and Barcelona), this Mediterranean jaunt will give you plenty of time to experience the history, architecture, fashion and food of Italy, Monaco, France and Spain.
Visit Pisa’s famous Leaning Tower (and cathedral and baptistery) during your time in Livorno, as well as Florence’s Renaissance-era duomo – the third-largest church in the world, which was completed in 1436. Take a 15-minute walk (or a taxi) from the cathedral to Da Gherardo for traditional pizza you won’t forget in a hurry.
Include a tour to the fashion capital of Milan and stunning Lake Como (keep an eye out for George Clooney!). And while you’re in Barcelona, don’t miss out on the Sagrada Família – designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, it is anything but “just another cathedral”.