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Mediterran Highlights Cruise
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For your convenience, we offer you the option to purchase and reserve shore excursions in advance of your cruise. You may also book shore excursions aboard your cruise ship, but pre-booking guarantees your spot and allows you to avoid lines and hassle during your vacation.
If you book online, simply select the shore excursions of your choice. If you book by phone, tell our agent which excursions you'd like to book. If you wish to add the shore excursions to an existing reservation, please complete the shore excursions form and return the completed form via fax or email. You can pay for excursions with your final payment.
This guided tour through the bustling streets of Valletta takes you first to Barracca Gardens, from which you can take in stunning panoramic views of the Grand Harbor. You will then visit St. John's Co-Cathedral a place adorned in riches that date back to the times of the Knights of Malta. After a short stroll through the streets of Valletta, proceed to your coach and head toward Mdina, the old capital of Malta.
Upon arrival in Mdina, your guide will recount the rich history of the old capital during your visit to the Cathedral and will introduce you to some of the curiosities of this medieval city as you walk through its the narrow streets.
Tour not suitable for passengers with limited mobility or walking difficulties.
This optional excursion takes you to Mosta, where you will visit the Rotunda church, reputedly the third largest unsupported dome in the world. This richly decorated and magnificent church still houses a massive German bomb, which fell on the dome during the 2nd World War. Continue to the Silent City of Mdina, Malta’s former capital city, where your guide will explain to you the history of the old capital and introduce you to some of the curiosities of this medieval city.
The next stop is Rabat, where there is still evidence of the wealth enjoyed by Malta under Roman rule. Stop for a short walk around the narrow winding roads and a visit to St. Agatha's Catacombs. Your tour concludes at a local artisan workshop, specializing in filigree, weaving, and lace-making. Enjoy an opportunity to shop and do some local wine tasting at the center before transferring back to the ship.
Tour not available on Sundays.
For 2,600 years, Marseilles has been a port. From Massalia, the Phocean city, to Marseilles "gateway to the East", the maritime adventure and the rapid expansion of trade in the 19th century are evoked from the Old Port. The large historic buildings representing many political and religious symbols which tell the story of the city can be seen on this itinerary. They are all there: Saint Victor Abbey, Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica, the cathedrals, Palais Longchamps and the famous Old Port with The Canebière. You can also see all of the large residences, villas and mansions. The exceptional site of the Corniche: architectural surprises, extravagance or elegance, Frioul islands, If Castle and splendid views of the sea can be seen everywhere.
Aix is a town of water and a town of culture. Its history has been shaped by its spas and by the arts. Whether in the narrow streets of the old town, in the moss of its numerous fountains, on the pediments of mansions or in the surrounding countryside, the glorious past of Provence's former capital has been miraculously preserved. Aix en Provence is also the town of the tempestuous writer Mirabeau and famous painter Paul Cézanne. You should start by visiting University Square and Saint Sauveur Cathedral facing it. This building was first founded in the 4th century and then gradually modified in the Romanesque style. A few yards away, there are 12th century cloisters with admirable arcades and columns. A little further on are the magnificent Town Hall and the Clock Tower with its splendid astronomical clock. You then continue until you reach Cours Mirabeau, an elegant avenue lined with plane trees and Café fronts. This avenue delimits the aristocratic part of the town, the Mazarin quarter (17th-18th centuries) where everything is luxurious and beautiful: flamboyant mansions with enormous grounds behind high walls and finely chiselled statues on the pediments of the buildings. Take time to stroll around the pedestrian streets, taste the famous Calissons and relax on the shaded café terraces.
The journey from Marseilles to Aix en Provence is approx. 40 minutes.
This excursion offers a quite comprehensive visit to some of the most beautiful towns in Menorca, with special attention to the picturesque postcard-like town of Ciutadella. Leaving the port of Mahon, you will enjoy a panoramic view of the centre of the island; from there you will drive to Arenal den Castell. At this breathtaking beach you will have a short stop for sightseeing and picture shooting. From here, you will head towards Fornells, a town very popular for serving as a hideout to pirates, back in the 17th century, situated on the north coast of the island. It's a small picturesque fishing village where the natural beauty of the bay is underlined by the sober architecture with green window shutters and the marvellous whitewashed houses with green shutters. Upon arrival in Fornells, there will be some free time for photo taking. Your pleasant journey will continue past Cala Tirant, a picturesque resort with a beautiful beach, to Ciutadella, the old capital of the island. Their remote origins have left in their environs an important archaeological patrimony in stoned monuments such as taulas, talayots and the navetes. Famous for its beautiful houses, lots of grandiose traditional architecture and the charming atmosphere of the old quarter and the harbor, Ciutadella is a must see in the Balearic Islands. You will have some free time to enjoy the city before proceeding to Mount Toro (Monte Toro), the island's highest point. From Monte Toro the total surface (700 km2) of the island and, in clear days, the coasts of the neighbour island Majorca can be contemplated. The summit is crowned by the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de El Toro, a chapel built by the Augustinian monks in the 17th century and nowadays taken care by the "Daughters of Mercy", a community of Franciscan nuns and a priest. After this last pleasant visit, you will return to Mahon to meet your ship at the harbor.
Tour not suitable for passengers in wheelchairs.
You will leave Trapani port by coach and reach the cableway station from where you will take cableway and reach Erice, a beautiful fascinating medieval town on the top of the homonymous mountain, from where it is possible to admire a unique panoramic view of Trapani with its salt pans and the Egadi Islands. Erice is a charming village where time seems not passing by and myth, legend and history are all mixed together. Legend says that the son of the Goddess of love Venus, Eryx, built a temple to honour his mother and then established a town.
The town is built characterized by its winding cobbled stone streets, the beautiful court-yards of the houses and by the hidden corners. The visit will start from Porta Trapani that is very close to the Mother Church (built in 1313). After visiting Mother Church walking will proceed through the narrow streets where it is possible to stop in characteristic shops with typical local handicraft. The visit will continue to the Balio Gardens and to the Castle of Venus Norman fortification and where once stood the ancient acropolis and the temple of Venus.
After the Balio you will proceed to the main plaza and there have some free time and enjoy the magic atmosphere that characterizes this place. You will go again to cableway and proceed for Trapani port.
The journey from Trapani to Erice is approx. 1 hour. Tour not suitable for passengers with walking difficulties. The tour includes visits to religious sites where knees and shoulders must be covered. In case of windy conditions or other operational reasons the cableway cannot be used, the coach will take you up to Erice.
You will leave Trapani by coach and be driven to Segesta, one of the most important archaeological sites in the province of Trapani. Segesta was the most important town of western Sicily, inhabited by the Elimi.
Here you will admire the Temple and the Theatre. The Temple, built in the 5th century B.C., dominates the top of the hill. Some steps lead to 36 column peristilium of divine simplicity and magnificence, enhanced by the golden patina of the marble. The Theatre, built during the Hellenistic age restored by the Romans rises on top of a hill overlooking the Castellamare Gulf, and it is reached by a path along which the remains of the ancient town can still be admired. You will then return to the ship.
Inside the archaeological area the way is not asphalted and not good for passengers with walking difficulties. In order to reach the Theatre, there is a shuttle bus; it may happen the group could wait a little while as the coach is doing a shuttle service.
The journey from Trapani to Segesta is approximately 1 hour.
The "via del sale" is a road that starts from Trapani and after about 29 km reaches Marsala. This route is famous because it passes through the fascinating salt pans of Trapani.
This area, used by the Phoenicians that were the first to understand the extremely favourable natural conditions for the extraction of the salt, today it is declared by WWF a Natural Reserve and is the most important one in Sicily.
The salt pans' panorama is stunning, full of colours thanks to its unique flora and fauna, among which it is also possible to foresee the ancient wind mills once used for the production of the salt. You will leave the port by coach and reach an area of the salt pans where after a short walking tour you can visit an ancient wind mill now a museum dedicated to the salt production. Afterwards you will proceed by coach through the salt pans and reach Marsala for the wine tasting. After a guided visit of the winery where you will admire the oak barrels where the wine ages, you will taste Sicily's most famous wine: Marsala DOC (guaranteed quality). Later you will be driven to the ship.
Tour not suitable for passengers in wheelchairs.
You begin your drive in the company of a local guide, along the coast to the picturesque village of Sidi Bou Said. This is an artist's paradise, with blue and white sugar-cube houses scattered across the hillside above the sea. There will be time to stroll and admire the typical architecture and local handicrafts, or to relax in one of the local tea houses with some refreshing mint tea. Just down the hill from Sidi Bou Said lie the impressive ruins of Carthage. According to legend, the city of Carthage was founded in 800 B.C. by the Phoenicians, and it was from here that Hannibal began his journey. It was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C., then re-established by Julius Caesar and eventually became the Empire's second city after Rome. In these extensive remains you can find the impressive Baths of Antonius Pius and the amphitheatre, as well as the Punic port. There will be time available for photos before returning to the ship for embarkation.
After leaving the port, you will take a short drive into Tunis, the Tunisian capital, to admire its impressive colonial style Boulevard with its modern shops and the bustling Medina quarter. A brief city tour is enjoyed before arriving at the Medina, the ancient city. Savour the sounds, the sights and smells of the markets. From Medina, you continue to the Bardo Museum, the 19th century palace of the Beys of Tunis, an impressive building with tiled walls and decorative wooden ceilings. The Bardo Museum is famous for its wide collection of mosaics and major exhibits from Carthage, including early Christian and Muslim relics. You end yourexcursion by returning to the ship by coach for re-embarkation.
* Prices shown are good while inventory lasts, may reflect an early booking discount, and do not include Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee.
Though we do our best to provide accurate and up-to-date information on our site about our tours, sometimes oversights and typographical errors can occur. Please confirm all tour prices and details with us via email or phone prior to booking. We will not be held responsible for misunderstandings arising from such errors.
TourCode: d-000
