Italy and Greece Sojourn on Oceania

Begin with complimentary airport lounge access before your flight out to Milan. On touching down, you’ll be met by a private driver who’ll see you through the Italian countryside to Lake Garda and your luxurious waterfront accommodation where you’ll enjoy the trappings of spa treatments, complimentary minibars and gourmet dining. But, in between relaxing on the lakeside sun loungers, you’ll want to explore with the imposing ramparts and turrets of the 14th-century Castle Scaligero right on your doorstep. And, if you cast your net just a touch further, you’ll be treated to Roman ruins, superb vineyards and traditional fishing villages.

Stay: Grand Hotel Terme (Deluxe)

Today, your First-Class rail journey from Verona to Venice – bookended by private transfers – will see you to your 17th-century canal-side palace, all painted frescoes and rich fabrics. To get your bearings, we’ve included a walking tour of the city, showcasing everything from the famed Bridge of Sighs and the towers of the Piazza San Marco to the beautiful marble inlays of St. Mark’s Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale’s golden staircases. The skip-the-line entry to the Doge's Palace is a particular highlight. You’ll also have plenty of time to explore on your own, stopping off at piazza-side cafés, wandering narrow alleyways or hopping out to the surrounding artisans’ islands.

A private transfer will see you board the Riviera, settling in to the marble accents and 1,000-thread-count linens of your opulent room. Starting with dinner on the first day, you’ll also enjoy full-board gourmet dining spanning from French degustation and sushi delicacies to afternoon tea and steakhouse grills. With a day at sea, you’ll then have plenty of time to acquaint yourself with the superb range of facilities. Stay active with the fitness track and putting green or relax with the fully equipped spa, pool, casino, library and artists’ loft. Lastly, while you’ll enjoy unlimited soft and hot drinks, you’ll have the complimentary choice of a House Beverage Package, four shore excursions or $400 on-board spending money.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

Your first port of call is Dubrovnik, a city of enormous beauty. Terracotta rooftops spill down to glittering seas, the domes of Franciscan monasteries form a historic skyline and fine brandy is served up in street-side bars. For the best views, walk the city’s imposingly medieval walls or take the cable car up Mt. Srđ – the city’s green-dappled backdrop. Excursions also offer the chance to sample everything from white-sands relaxation to Croatian village life and the idyllic Dalmatian Coast’s mountain-backed towns.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

Continuing on to Montenegro, you’ll drop anchor in Kotor. Here, yet more medieval walls gaze down on a labyrinth of pink-paved streets, themselves dotted with bustling markets and architecture that remembers all of the city’s diverse influence. There’s everything from Byzantine flourishes to Venetian-palace grandeur. It all centres around the majestic St. Tryphon Cathedral, its twin Romanesque towers dating back to the 12th century. Excursions here bring you between pretty beaches and the Montenegrin countryside where royal capitals and pretty villages crouch among towering mountains. It’s the perfect opportunity to book onto a cooking class or a winery tasting.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

You’ll be welcomed into Greece by Cephalonia, an island where vineyards, high-altitude meadows and secret coves compete for your attention. However, in between the natural beauty, you’ll discover Byzantine monasteries, mysterious stone obelisks and the Lighthouse of Saint Theodoroi – a perfectly formed Doric jewel. Unsurprisingly, the region is host to a diverse past, showcased in the island’s archaeological museum where Roman and Greek treasures sit side by side. But, if it all gets too much, there are always those golden beaches.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

For many, Santorini is a true highlight of world travel. Here, beautifully whitewashed towns tumble down dramatic clifftops, distinctive blue domes dot bluer skies and mazes of staircased alleyways make for evocative walks. There’s a spectacular sea view around every corner. It’s all brought to life by museum visits, excursions out to Bronze Age archaeological sites or boat rides that bring you between thermal hot-spring soaks and still-smouldering volcanoes. Oia is a further highlight, where cobblestone streets lead between historic mansions clinging to volcanic slopes.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

Rhodes is the gateway to antiquity – the largest and most culturally important of the Dodecanese Islands. Here, in among pretty beaches and wooded valleys, the wonders of the ancients live on in the great columns of the Lindos Acropolis and the site of that famed colossus – one of the Seven Wonders. But, the island’s timeline continues in its whitewashed old town, where Baroque towers look over 15th-century knights’ hospitals housed in fortressed mansions. The Grand Masters Palace with its Venetian furniture and floor mosaics is a special highlight, as is the chance to visit the local lemon groves and taste your way through the taverna delicacies.

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

Your last island stop is Mykonos for a touch of glamour. But, look beyond the beaches and trendy waterfont bars and you’ll quickly lose yourself in a maze of winding streets and whitewashed houses, their shutters and doors painted in bright shades. This is still a fishing village at heart, complete with historic bakeries and a hill backdrop spotted with historic windmills. Turning inland, the island’s rolling interior makes for some rural respite, not least for its 16th-century monasteries. You might also want to hop over to Delos, a next-door island whose ancient grandeur is recalled by everything from tiered amphitheatres to mosaicked houses. 

Stay: Riviera (Deluxe)

You’ll end in the Greek capital, with a private transfer bringing you to the airport for your flight home. Alternatively, talk to our consultants about extending your stay in Athens, pairing its Acropolis wonders with its world-glass art galleries.