Ancient Wonders and Culinary Delights Cruise

Luxury All-Inclusive 8-day Cruise around Southern Italy and Sicily

New to Long Travel for 2024, This luxury all-inclusive *cruise is part of a collection of voyages specially tailored for travellers who want to engage with the world.

This 8-day voyage in Sicily and Southern Italy aboard Le Bougainville visits some of the Mediterranean's most compelling ancient, medieval, and Renaissance sites while also offering extensive opportunities to sample the foods and wines that have made this part of the world-famous for its cuisine. Because there is so much to see and do, the itinerary is designed to allow for maximum time ashore.

From Valletta, Malta, your experience of Sicily begins in Syracuse, where you may choose to focus on Ortygia, the ancient centre of this once-powerful Greek colony, and on the city's extensive archaeological park; enjoy a tasting at a nearby winery; or join excursions that combine exploration of historical sites with samplings of Sicilian arancini, cheeses, salamis, breads, and desserts.

The beautiful resort town of Taormina, perched high on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea, is home to a stunning Greek theatre, an Odeon from Roman times, buildings blending Arab and Norman cultures, and villas built by European aristocracy in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. It is also your gateway to Mt. Etna and the vineyards that thrive in the rich volcanic soils of its slopes.

Reggio di Calabria, just across the Strait of Messina from Sicily, is home to the National Archaeological Museum of Magna Graecia and the world-famous Riace Bronzes. The surrounding area, both along the coast and in the interior mountains, boasts a number of intriguing castles and many wineries. During your time here, you may visit the hilltop Norman Castle in Vibo Valentia, the Ruffo Castle overlooking the Messina Strait, or the Aragonese Castle in the village of Pizzo, enjoying a variety of local food specialities whichever excursion you choose, including the native citrus bergamot and the ice cream and fruit delight called tartufo.

From the port of Agropoli, about 30 miles south of the Amalfi peninsula, travel to Paestum, founded by Greeks in the 6^th century BC and one of Italy’s most important archaeological sites, containing Doric temples that are among the best-preserved ancient monuments in the Mediterranean. The region around Agropoli is famous for the production of Campania mozzarella, and you will have the opportunity to see it being made and to sample the end product.

No visit to Naples is complete without the opportunity to explore Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD and frozen in time. No other site so acutely captures everyday life in the early Roman Empire. Other excursions include Herculaneum, which shared Pompeii's fate, and a working farm near Sorrento, where you can make your own version of the region's most famous food, Neapolitan style pizza.

Your final full day of discovery is spent in the Eternal City of Rome, where exploration of monuments like the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, the Vatican, and Villa Borghese competes for your attention with tastings of street food and making Rome's version of pizza.

Your voyage ends in Livorno, the gateway to Tuscany.

Food and Drink

Breakfast, lunches and dinners served on board are included in the price of the cruise, from the dinner on the first day to the breakfast on the final day. Beginning with boarding and during the entire duration of the cruise, beverages are served on request and at any time of the day. The Open Bar offers a wide selection of drinks (mineral water, soft drinks, wine, beer, Charles Heidsieck Champagne, spirits, coffee, tea). Certain premium alcoholic beverages on the menu are not included in the Open Bar.

Your Ship

Welcoming and spacious common areas, refined open-to-the-sea design, sleek exterior lines, a marina to make access to the ship's zodiac inflatables easier, hi-tech equipment, an outdoor pool, a multisensorial underwater lounge… Le Bougainville represents the new generation of ships designed to combine discovery and exploration with luxury, even in the planet's most remote and isolated regions. 

• Up to 184 guests
• 92 Staterooms and Suites
• 118 Crew members
• Spa 
• 2 x restaurants  

Highlights

• A voyage specially tailored for English-speaking travellers including discussions with experts, transfers before and after your cruise, and an included excursion in each port of call.
• Engaging discussions onboard with two Smithsonian Journeys Experts.
• Discover monuments from the Roman Empire in Syracuse, Taormina, Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Rome.
• Explore well-preserved Greek sites in Syracuse, Taormina, and Paestum.
• Visit vineyards and sample the wines of Syracuse, Taormina, Reggio di Calabria, and Naples.
• Experience the variety of foods in the diet of this region on the Mediterranean, including the arancini, salami, and cheeses of Sicily; the desserts of Calabria; the mozzarella of Campania; and the pizzas of Naples and Rome.

Itinerary at a glance 

Day 1 | Valletta, Malta

Day 2 | Syracuse, Sicily

Day 3 | Taormina, Italy 

Day 4 | Reggio di Calabria, Italy 

Day 5 | Agropoli, Italy 

Day 6 | Naples, Italy 

Day 7 | Civitavecchia ( Rome), Italy 

Day 8 | Livorno, (Tuscany), Italy 

Dates:

8th September 2024