Cruise & Rail: Milan, Venice, Istanbul & the Balkans

Arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport. If your cruise/tour package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the Rosa Grand hotel.

Featured Excursion: Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" (may be operated on Day 1 or Day 2)**

Milan is a mecca for Italian fashionistas, famous for its innovative design and stylish flair. Venture inside the city's hulking Gothic cathedral, as well as its cathedral to capitalism, Europe's oldest shopping arcade. Alternatively, you can join a Masterpiece Collection optional excursion to Lake Como and Bellagio. This experience is bookable upon arrival, so please inquire with your tour manager about pricing and availability after check-in on Day 1. (B)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Milan Highlights City Tour OR Milano La Scala

En route to Venice, you'll stop in the literary hometown of Shakespeare's famously star-crossed teen lovers to see the sights. Later, enjoy lunch at a historic wine estate owned by descendants of Dante and learn about one of the most unique Italian wines, Amarone di Valpolicella. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Verona, “City of Romeo and Juliet” OR Valpolicella Wine Estate Lunch

Note: This evening you'll arrive in Venice and embark. Unpack, relax and enjoy your first evening on the Venetian Lagoon. A compulsory safety drill and briefing, along with the welcome briefing, will be organized shortly before dinner, but this will be a quick and easy part of your journey.

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. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of A Walk in Venice with Doge's Palace Visit OR Nights Out: Private After-Hours Visit to Saint Mark's Basilica

Start your morning in one of two of the Veneto region's UNESCO World Heritage cities, Vicenza or Padua. In the afternoon, you'll reboard the ship for scenic sailing across the lagoon as we head towards Mazzorbo and Burano. (B/L/WD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Evening Stroll in Burano OR Vicenza with Teatro Olimpico OR Padua Walking Tour

Note: A special Captain's Welcome Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

Spend the day exploring the northern lagoon of Venice and its captivating islands. Start with a visit to Torcello's famous basilica with an art historian, then stroll through the agricultural island of Mazzorbo and the rainbow-hued island of Burano during your free time after lunch. Alternatively, you can take the afternoon to see the renowned glassblowing artisans of Murano at work. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Torcello: Hidden Treasure of the Lagoon OR Murano Glass Blowing Demonstration

Today, you'll admire the greatest sites of charming and coastal Chioggia, including a stop at the local and lively market. (B/L/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Chioggia Market Visit OR Let's Go: Biking Chioggia OR Bragozzo Ride with Tastings at Ca' Zen OR A Noble Country Villa and Its Wines

Note: We are obliged to comply with Italian Maritime Authorities who require that only crew may be on the ship during the Adriatic Sea passage. Therefore, our guests must disembark the ship and partake in the featured excursions. We thank you for your cooperation. -->

This morning, join a sailing excursion where you'll explore the Po Delta where the Po River and the Adriatic Sea meet. Later, during lunch, we sail back to Venice. (B/D)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Po Delta Sailing OR Castello del Catajo Visit OR Jewish Ghetto

As your water taxi glides past narrow side canals and the Canal Grande, you'll arrive in style at the Rialto Bridge. The iconic stone arch bridge sits at the narrowest point of the Canal Grande and holds numerous shops and restaurants. (B/L/FD)

Featured Excursions: Choice of Do as the Locals Do: Venice Walking Tour OR Venice Walk with Gondola Artisans Visit OR Ca' Macana Mask Atelier OR Rowing Venice

Note: A special Captain's Farewell Reception and Dinner will be prepared for you this evening.

Disembark the ship and join the Golden Eagle Danube Express at Venice Santa Lucia Station. As you settle into your cabins, the train will thread its way out of the station and onto the causeway across the lagoon that links Venice to the mainland. Your first stop is the ancient port of Trieste for a tour of the city. (B/D)

Ljubljana is a delightful city, a combination of ancient architecture and a youthful culture. Our morning city tour includes visits to Preseren Square, the Three Bridges, Dragon Bridge, and Plecnik Market.

In the afternoon, we travel out of the city to visit Predjama Castle, perched on a cliff high above the beautiful Inner Carniola region. Explore the chambers and stairwells to learn about the castle's most famous resident and knight, Erazem of Predjama. Then we continue to nearby Postojna Cave as we ride an underground train deep into the cave and tour the network of magnificent halls, a myriad of cave formations, and mysterious animals.

Early in the morning, you'll arrive in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, which has an intriguing blend of Eastern and Western culture. It has mosques and minarets, an ancient bazaar, and an atmospheric old Turkish quarter. Discover the city's poignant history through a truly absorbing tour detailing the horrors of the Balkan War. Sarajevo suffered from the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. The scars of war are still evident in the war-torn buildings you'll pass before making a special visit to the Tunnel Museum under Sarajevo Airport. Your guide, who lived through the 1992-1996 conflict, brings to life in a touching fashion the struggles the citizens of Sarajevo faced during the siege of the city.

Following lunch, you'll travel along a very scenic line to the historic city of Mostar, the crossroads of many civilizations, cultures, and religions. Mostar was one of the most important cities of the Ottoman Empire. The town's renowned stone arch bridge linking the Christian and Muslim areas was rebuilt in the summer of 2004. Visit the Turkish House and the mosque before walking through the narrow bazaar streets, where you can shop for traditional souvenirs and handicrafts Later in the afternoon, we'll travel by bus to Dubrovnik, where we'll stay the night at Hilton Pucic Palace, a beautiful hotel located in the heart of Dubrovnik's old town.

Since its foundation in the 13th century, Dubrovnik has been attacked many times. It has since been restored to one of the great cities of the Mediterranean, essentially unchanged for 700 years. We will tour the city, traveling through Ploce Gate to visit the Franciscan Monastery with one of the world's oldest pharmacies. You'll see the Old Harbour, St. Laurence Fortress, and the Rector's Palace. Sit for lunch overlooking the Adriatic and take some free time to wander the city's narrow streets. Afterward, we'll drive by bus to meet the train in Čapljina for dinner as we depart towards Serbia.

Arrive this morning in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, the former Yugoslavian capital. Located at the strategic meeting point of the Danube and Sava Rivers, this truly cosmopolitan city has fortifications from Celtic times, medieval tombs, and Turkish baths. We spend a full day here, and our city tour includes the ‘House of Flowers'—the mausoleum of Josip Tito, the Town Hall, Republic Square, and Knez Mihajlova Street, as well as ‘Varos' Gate and a visit to the mighty Kalemegdan Fortress.

This morning, you'll arrive in the little-visited Skopje and discover a city where the Ottoman influences are still strong. Explore the narrow streets of the Old Town with tiny shops and mosques with ceramic-tiled interiors. Meander through the Old Bazaar area, brimming with things to buy, and cross the 15th-century stone bridge that links the bazaar to the modern town. Return to the train for lunch and continue on to Greece for a late afternoon arrival into Thessaloniki. Soak up the evening atmosphere of this vibrant city by heading to Aristotelous Square and the seafront before dinner at a local restaurant.

After breakfast, your train arrives in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital at the foot of Mt Vitosha. On your morning tour, you will visit sections of the Roman wall and admire the ancient church of St George, the golden-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and the Turkish Bashi Mosque. Enjoy lunch on the train as you travel from Sofia to Plovdiv. The second largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia, ‘The City of Seven Hills' is one of the oldest cities in Europe with more than 200 known archaeological sites. You'll visit the charming Old Town, including its medieval walls and Ottoman baths. Enjoy the final night's dinner onboard this evening as you head for Turkey.

This morning we arrive in Istanbul, where we stay for two nights at a five-star hotel. Today see how old meets new and east meets west as we visit a selection of Istanbul's must-see historic sites, including the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia.

Also included in our Istanbul program is a visit to the crown jewel of the Ottoman Empire, Topkapi Palace. This stunning monument is the largest and oldest palace in the world and was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans from 1465 to 1853. With its treasury and exotic buildings overlooking the Golden Horn, your visit to Topkapi promises to be a truly fascinating experience. We also visit the Grand Bazaar, one of the world's largest covered markets with 58 streets and over 4,000 shops. In operation since the 14th century, the bazaar is especially known for its jewelry, leather, pottery, spices, and carpets.

This morning, you'll check out of the hotel and be transferred to Istanbul Airport for your departure.