Ultra-Luxury All-Inclusive Silversea Voyage, Italian Lakes & Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Arriving in Venice, you’ll transfer to your hotel in Mestre, across the lagoon from many of the city’s prime historic attractions. Explore architectural wonders including St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, and the iconic Rialto Bridge.

Today you’ll embark Silver Muse for your sumptuous cruise. Settle into your surroundings, choose from a wealth of dining experiences, and get to know your personal butler who will keep your fridge stocked with your favourite drinks.

Trieste sits on the edge of Italy, shaped as much by Central Europe as by the sea. Neoclassical buildings line the Grand Canal, and Viennese-style cafés recall its Austro-Hungarian past. Visit the Museo Joyce or sip coffee at Caffè San Marco.

In Ravenna, early Christian mosaics shimmer in dusky basilicas and Byzantine history is etched into every apse. Walk its cobbled streets to the tomb of Dante, then step inside San Vitale – a sanctuary of gold, teal and devotional worship.

Encircled by fjord-like mountains and Venetian walls, Kotor feels carved from another era. Its Old Town is a maze of stone alleys, Romanesque churches and quiet squares. Climb the fortress trail at dawn for sweeping views over the bay.

The soul of southern Italy lives on in Bari’s Romanesque churches and hidden shrines. In the old quarter, women hand-roll pasta outside their front doors, while church bells echo through the lanes of Bari Vecchia.

Dubrovnik is a city preserved in time, where thick medieval walls enclose baroque churches, bustling squares and quiet, winding lanes. Climb the city walls for panoramic views of red roofs or slip into a shaded alley for a glimpse of local life.

Split is built within the bones of a Roman palace – a city where history and daily life intertwine. Diocletian’s vast third-century complex forms the heart of the old town, its stone corridors now home to apartments, cafés and boutiques.

Zadar balances Roman ruins with bold modernity on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. Ancient forums and Venetian gates line its historic centre, while the Sea Organ and Sun Salutation installations bring contemporary flair to the waterfront.

Rovinj rises from the Adriatic in a tumble of terracotta roofs and narrow, cobbled lanes. Its Venetian past lingers in pastel façades and a hilltop church with sweeping views of a waterfront where fishermen still haul in the day’s catch.

The picturesque shores of Lake Maggiore beckon next, where you’ll check in for a three-night hotel stay. Hemmed by forested hills and graceful villas, Lake Maggiore reveals pastel-hued towns, waterfront promenades, and a slower pace of Italian life.

During two days at leisure, you could explore the Borromean Islands, where palatial villas and terraced gardens rise from the water. Cruise to Isola Bella to wander ornate baroque gardens or pause in Isola dei Pescatori to explore rustic villages.

In the morning, explore Lake Como’s historic heart — a patchwork of ancient buildings, stone courtyards, towers and medieval walls — in a setting long synonymous with glamour. Later, travel onward to Lake Iseo, where you’ll check in for a two-night stay.

Smaller than Como and Garda, Lake Iseo is no less striking, its glassy waters framed by wooded hills and vineyard-covered slopes. Monte Isola rises at its heart, inviting quiet walks and lake views.

Lake Garda, the largest lake in Italy, captivates with its natural beauty, history and culture. Surrounded by majestic mountains, the lake’s shimmering blue waters reflect a breathtaking backdrop.

Enjoy an additional day at leisure at your Lake Garda hotel. Relax on the lake’s shores or explore charming lakeside towns, such as Sirmione and Malcesine, with their medieval castles and narrow streets.

Begin your journey home in 1920s luxury with the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Savour a sumptuous, all-inclusive rail journey from Verona to Paris, watching the rolling hills turn into mountains from the comfort of your classic rail carriage.

Following breakfast in your cabin and a three-course lunch in the sumptuous dining cabin, today your train will pull into Paris. From here, you’ll transfer to the Eurostar for the final leg of your journey to London.