Rome is one of the world's most thrilling cities, with unmatched history around every corner. Its streets mix ancient ruins with lively cafés, piazzas, and restaurants serving pasta and pizza. Highlights include the Roman Forum, Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, and the Spanish Steps. Best explored on foot, gelato or espresso in hand, Rome offers a powerful blend of grandeur, beauty, and everyday life.

Revel in one of the world's most splendid bays in Naples, Italy. Hop on our luxurious cruise and enjoy this city's outstanding attractions such as the Royal Palace, San Carlos, Opera House, the Castel Nuevo and much more!

Perched above the sparkling Tyrrhenian coast in southern Italy, Agropoli charms with its medieval old town, narrow lanes and sweeping sea views. This laid-back gateway to the Cilento region offers a taste of authentic Campania, where coastal scenery, traditional cuisine and nearby archaeological treasures combine for an appealing shore visit.

Giardini Naxos, on a sweeping Sicilian bay, is a scenic base for sun, sea, and history. It was Sicily's first Greek settlement, with nearby Taormina's hillside town, Roman and Greek ruins, and the famous Greek theatre overlooking the sea and Mount Etna. Etna, one of Europe's most active volcanoes, rises over vineyards, lava fields, cacti, and citrus groves. Enjoy the beach, the views, and a glass of local wine.

Valletta, on Malta's Sciberras Peninsula, is a compact Baroque capital ringed by massive defensive walls. Built by the Knights of St John, it holds grand palaces, churches, and the flower-filled Upper Barrakka Gardens, where noon cannon fire echoes across the harbor. St John's Cathedral hides a lavish gold interior and a Caravaggio. Nearby are Mdina's car-free medieval streets, the Hypogeum and Tarxien, and Fort St Elmo. Malta gained independence in 1964 but still shows strong British ties.

Enter Souda Bay to reach Crete, Greece's largest island, a land of beaches, legends, landscapes, and luxury. Its vast natural harbor opens to museums, archaeological sites, and Venetian fishing towns. Souda also has major military history, with a NATO base and the Souda Bay War Cemetery. Enjoy white-sand beaches, olive oil, and Vilana wines. Visit Rethymnon's old town and fortress, Akrotiri's Arkadi Monastery, and Chania's beautiful Venetian harbor and old town.

Nafplion, Greece's first capital, is a beloved seaside escape for Athenians and one of the country's most romantic towns. With beaches, clear water, fortress-backed hills and a blend of Greek, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman charm, it offers a lovely old town, seafront promenade and tavernas. Highlights include Palamidi Fortress, Acronafplia, and the offshore Bourtzi fortress. Nearby Corinth is an ancient city recovered after earthquakes.

Syros, a Cycladic Greek island, offers beautiful sea, white beaches, and charming medieval villages without the crowds of Mykonos or Santorini. Explore Ermoupoli's narrow streets, Venetian mansions, domed churches, marble square, Town Hall, and waterfront views. Visit the Church of the Assumption for an El Greco work, then head to hilltop Ano Syros for sweeping port views, Capuchin Monastery, and the Vamvakaris Museum. For beaches, Finikas is a long, relaxing stretch with sunbeds and umbrellas.

Bodrum, where white houses, bougainvillea and blue doors meet the sea, is Turkey's coast at its most vibrant. At the junction of the Mediterranean and Aegean, it offers a world-class marina, fine dining and boat trips, including traditional gulets, wooden two-masted sailing boats. Explore the history of ancient Halicarnassus: the Mausoleum of Mausolus, the Castle of St Peter, and the Underwater Archaeology Museum. Finish with a wander through the bazaar for spices, textiles and pottery.

Patmos is a stunning Greek island of seascapes and deep cultural significance. Pilgrims come to the hillside Cave of the Apocalypse, said to be where St. John wrote Revelation in AD 95. The island blends sacred history with peaceful beauty: crystal-clear waters, quiet beaches, whitewashed towns, and cats in crumbling lanes. Above cobalt bays stands the 11th-century Monastery of St. John, a UNESCO World Heritage site with frescoes and sweeping views.

Mykonos is a dazzling Greek island known for lively nightlife, superb food and wine, turquoise seas, whitewashed buildings, and iconic windmills. Explore Mykonos Town's narrow streets, artisan studios, bars, beaches, coves, and Little Venice sunsets. Rich in culture, legend, and enduring glamour, it remains a sought-after escape.

Athens is a majestic, ancient city where elegance meets grit: highways wrap around ruins, museums and galleries stand beside street art, and its legacy spans philosophy, drama and democracy. See the Acropolis and Parthenon, the Acropolis Museum, Mount Lycabettus views, and the Old Olympic Stadium. Beyond the center, beaches and temples line the coast. Slow down for Greek coffee and souvlaki.