An Extended Journey Of Cultural Icons, Coastal Splendour & Living History

There's more to Rome than its ancient architecture. The Eternal City is home to a seemingly endless array of hidden gems. The artistic-minded can enjoy fashion aristocracy, street art, vespa jaunts to The Appian Way and toss coins into fountains. Or you can stroll by appointment to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the Pope's private quarters at the Vatican.

Explore the historic ruins of The Colosseum, Caravaggio churches, the Spanish Steps and The Pantheon. Learn how to make pasta the true Italian way, hunt truffles, nibble gelato, sip coffee and sink into a 3000 year old pool for a wellness experience. An ode to homespun pasta at a Renaissance piazza. When in Rome, fusing old with new makes it simple to indulge in whatever you like.

A paradise of fairytales, flower-festooned footpaths, and cliff-hugging towns, Amalfi – and its eponymously named coast – rises vertically between impossibly blue sea and sky upon one of Italy's most romantic coasts. Amalfi town delivers with its dramatic Duomo, an 11th century marvel, stunning Emerald Grotto, and hand-painted ceramics.

High in the hills awaits tiny Ravello, with lofty aristocrat dreams of enchanting gardens in Villa Rufolo and knock-out-views on the Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone. Positively perfect Positano is a UNESCO-protected masterpiece where steep streets are lined with boutiques and chic terraces perfect for sipping limoncello and pastel-hued houses tumble down the cliffside stretch beside Spiaggia Grande beach.

With more time to reflect, rejuvenate, and embrace the Ocean State of Mind, days at sea with Explora Journeys invite moments of unhurried exploration. Against a backdrop of endless blue, indulge in a varied programme of wellness, dining and entertainment, enriching the mind and indulging the senses, designed to satisfy even the most curious of minds. These moments at sea offer a rare chance to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. With so many onboard experiences, each day at sea is unique and memorable.

Ancient ruins, picturesque beaches and Ottoman castles dot the landscape of southern Albania, an open-air museum reclaimed by nature. You'll want to linger longer in the UNESCO-protected ruins within Butrint National Park, where Roman mosaics and Greek columns lie half-consumed by coastal forest. Time slows in Gjirokaster, the Ottoman-era City of Stone and its hilltop castle, whose unhurried charm is matched only by the swirling sapphire waters of Blue Eye spring.

Marvel at this chic walled city paved with a wealth of aristocratic palazzi, ancient forts and epic Adriatic views. Enter grand Pile Gate to lose yourself in intricate alleys, stage-set squares, museums and baroque churches. Ease out of town to kayak around sturdy ramparts, taste Dalmatian wines in the Konavle countryside, and visit archaic Cavtat and history-packed Mostar. Escape the crowds to cacti-clad Lokrum for a spot of yoga and botanical walking, or join in to graze at trendy restaurants on the rocks. It's no wonder the glitterati flock to the strength of this charming and inspiring medieval Dalmatian marvel.

Under a blanket of pine forest and olive groves, Korčula Island might be the ne plus ultra of Croatia's many marvels. Follow the footsteps of Marco Polo along the Old Town's cobbled streets, where time is told by the length of shadows and locals sip coffee in the shade of St Mark's Cathedral. Bliss is found over seafood lunch and a chilled glass of Grk in charming Lumbarda, where vineyards spill down to sandy beaches lapped by the gentle rhythm of the Adriatic.

A pearlescent Croatian Riviera town reigns on its narrow strand that sits between the Julian Alps and the northern Adriatic. Cultural cachet and baroque beauty combine with youthful energy and – in February – a spirited carnival. Witness waterfront Habsburg grandeur whilst wandering the Korzo promenade and weave off track to find Italianate villas, Roman ruins and a thriving cafe scene in tucked-away old town squares. Pretty beaches offer pebbled shores and clear waters, whilst the stone staircase to Trsat Castle brings views over the treelined hillside, monastery gardens and city rooftops to Kvarner Bay, a glittering gateway to Croatia's captivating islands.

Delve into ancient palaces, century-old galleries, and modern-day exhibits as you whirl through Venice. Walk through masterpieces, catch an opera, gaze at medieval buildings, blow Murano glass and drift down the Grand Canal by gondola to visit churches, convents and campi “squares” that vary in spirit and scale. Cross hump-backed bridges, reach teeming Piazza San Marco's Basilica and Doge's Palace, or duck down passages to escape reality. From palazzos to perfumeries and the must-see Bridge of Sighs, you're only moments from a place of beauty in this liquid-gold city of treasures.

Unleash your artistic soul in Ravenna, where 1500-year-old churches are embellished with intricate mosaics and Byzantine art. Flooded crypts, columnar bell towers and Dante's tomb make this Emilia-Romagna city divine. The Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, once the home of bloody King Theodoric the Great, is one of eight UNESCO treasures. Feast on Adriatic octopus in Piazza del Popolo, pedal through pine forests in nearby Cervia, cross invisible borders in espresso-sized San Marino, or discover the canals and flamingo-flecked wetlands of Comacchio.

Plunge into a UNESCO labyrinth of marble lanes and creamy stone houses built under the influence of Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance architecture. Gather in the Gothic town square, which has been the city's main social scene since the 13th century, check out the stunning Cathedral of St. Lawrence, climb its Bell Tower for panoramic views, then wander the hulking Kamerlengo Fortress.

Carry on to storied Split with its Diocletian's Palace and compact UNESCO old city centre. For adrenaline highs, head to Krka National Park to hike beside cascading waterfalls and impossibly clear lagoons.

Comely Kotor Bay, a lesser-travelled amphitheatre etched into the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, welcomes with hypnotic jade waters encircled by emerald-crowned slopes. Sheltered in the fjord's angelic embrace, Kotor Old Town beckons as a fairy-tale city whose formidable walls, Romanesque churches and medieval bastions have witnessed the highs and lows of masked carnivals and devastating earthquakes.

Italian and Mediterranean influences flavour the cuisine, where gelato and brodetto accompany fresh Adriatic seafood. Uphill, the Church of our Lady of Remedy affords spectacular views of Kotor's red-tiled UNESCO World Heritage rooftops, a manmade jewel amongst landscapes where the inspired will wander.

With more time to reflect, rejuvenate, and embrace the Ocean State of Mind, days at sea with Explora Journeys invite moments of unhurried exploration. Against a backdrop of endless blue, indulge in a varied programme of wellness, dining and entertainment, enriching the mind and indulging the senses, designed to satisfy even the most curious of minds. These moments at sea offer a rare chance to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with yourself and your loved ones. With so many onboard experiences, each day at sea is unique and memorable.

Giardini Naxos offers a relaxed sweep of sandy bays and Ionian-blue waters, perfectly placed for exploring Taormina's ancient lanes, café-filled piazzas and its iconic Greek Theatre overlooking sea and volcano. From here, Mt. Etna awaits with crater paths, lava fields and Etna DOC wine estates, while coastal boat trips and seafood trattorias invite a slower, sun-soaked pause. A charming gateway to Sicily's culture, scenery and volcanic soul.

Pitched between mighty Mount Vesuvius and the volcanic calderas of Phlegraean Fields, history is revealed around every corner of Naples, cradle of Italian culture. Baroque churches, Italian-Renaissance palazzi and Neoclassical opera houses leave you breathless, so ride the funicular up to the top of Castel Sant'Elmo for dreamy views of the Bay of Naples and Sorrento Peninsula beyond, gateway to the spectacular Amalfi Coast.

Beneath the cobblestone streets lies another Naples, a warren of subterranean tunnels hewn by legions of Roman and Greek settlers. Linger longer to visit the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, buried under the wrath of Mount Vesuvius, or hop over to the idyllic Island of Capri.

There's more to Rome than its ancient architecture. The Eternal City is home to a seemingly endless array of hidden gems. The artistic-minded can enjoy fashion aristocracy, street art, vespa jaunts to The Appian Way and toss coins into fountains. Or you can stroll by appointment to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the Pope's private quarters at the Vatican.

Explore the historic ruins of The Colosseum, Caravaggio churches, the Spanish Steps and The Pantheon. Learn how to make pasta the true Italian way, hunt truffles, nibble gelato, sip coffee and sink into a 3000 year old pool for a wellness experience. An ode to homespun pasta at a Renaissance piazza. When in Rome, fusing old with new makes it simple to indulge in whatever you like.