Overview

Uncover the enchanted beauty and breathtaking history of Venice and Northern Italy.

Travel to romantic Venice and treat yourself to a private evening opening and lighting ceremony at St. Mark’s Basilica. Depart the enchanting “City of Water” to explore the waterfront shops, colorful facades and peaceful canals unique to Burano, Mazzorbo and Torcello. Farther south, discover Chioggia—a charming southern port loved by fishermen, artists and anyone looking for unique gifts or souvenirs. Enjoy additional shopping time in “bountiful” Bologna and medieval Padua, once home to Galileo and Copernicus. Each of these enchanting locales is yours to uncover on “Venice & the Gems of Northern Italy.”

Note: To maximize your Venetian experience, plan to walk by foot whenever possible and avoid taking water-based transportation, which is slower, less-efficient and often costly.

Who will enjoy this cruise/tour

This itinerary is ideal for experienced travelers who enjoy walking to the many sights in Northern Italy. Many of these experiences are best discovered on foot. Romantics, connoisseurs of food & wine, and lovers of art & architecture will love this adventure.

Generations Family Program (select sailings)

Share the enchantment of this region with the younger people traveling with you. These cruise/tours not only feature unique, fun-filled adventures for families to enjoy together, they are also packed with culturally and historically significant experiences designed to spark creativity and curiosity.

Inclusions

Dining

• All meals onboard, prepared using the finest and freshest ingredients
• 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 7 dinners
• Captain’s Welcome and Farewell Receptions
• Welcome and Farewell Gala Dinners
• Unlimited beverages onboard, including fine wine, beer, spirits, specialty coffee and tea, soft drinks and mineral water

Excursions

• 6 days of excursions, including “Choice Is Yours” options, all fully hosted by English-speaking local experts
• Guided "Do as the Locals Do" and "Let's Go" programs
• State-of-the-art Quietvox portable audio-headset system on all excursions
• Use of Nordic walking sticks

Accommodations

• 7-night cruise in a riverview stateroom on the impressive S.S. La Venezia
• Lavishly appointed riverview staterooms and suites have handcrafted Savoir® Beds of England, high thread count 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and European duvets, and a menu of pillow options
• Free Internet and Wi-Fi access

Experiences

• 1 country: Italy
• 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites
• Services of an experienced Uniworld Cruise Manager
• All transfers on arrival and departure days
• Gratuities for onboard personnel (ship staff, crew, Cruise/Tour Manager) are included during the cruise/tour
• Captivating onboard local entertainment
• Cultural enrichment, including a Signature Lecture
• Exclusive Generations Family Program on select summer departures

Day To Day

Day 1: Venice (Embark)

Arrive at Venice Marco Polo International Airport, where you will be transferred to the ship. Unpack, relax and enjoy your first evening on the Venetian Lagoon.

Day 2: Venice

With your early morning arrival at Doge’s Palace, you’ll be able to marvel at the estate in total peace. Wander through a Venetian neighborhood and experience daily life in an authentic Venetian residential quarter. Later in the evening, cap the day off with a private once-in-a-lifetime experience at an after-hours lighting ceremony inside St. Mark’s Basilica without the crowds.

Day 3: Venice, Chioggia

Choose between a full-day in medieval Padua, home to Italy's second oldest university, or a Venice walking tour and a choice of several exciting ways to see Chioggia: riding on a traditional bragozzo or biking through this authentic fishing town.

Day 4:Polesella (Bologna or Ferrara)

Explore Italy’s culinary capital Bologna on a full-day tour packed with an exclusive pasta-making workshop and lunch or explore Ferrara on a half-day tour.

Day 5:Porto Viro, Chioggia, Burano

Today, you’ll admire the greatest sites of charming and coastal Chioggia, including a stop at the local and lively market. Your ship will move to dock overnight in Burano, where you’ll enjoy a lovely evening stroll through this multicolored island.

DAY 6:Burano (Torcello, Mazzorbo, and Burano), Venice

Spend the day exploring the northern lagoon of Venice and three of its captivating islands. Explore a basilica with an art historian in Torcello before heading to the peaceful, agricultural island of Mazzorbo. End the tour with a stroll through Burano’s rainbow of colorful homes and visit a lace-making atelier.

DAY 7:Venice

Spend the day exploring the northern lagoon of Venice and three of its captivating islands. Explore a basilica with an art historian in Torcello before heading to the peaceful, agricultural island of Mazzorbo. End the tour with a stroll through Burano’s rainbow of colorful homes and visit a lace-making atelier.

DAY 8: Venice (Disembark)

Disembark the ship. If your cruise/tour package includes a group departure transfer or if you purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to Venice Marco Polo International Airport for your flight home.