Treasures of the Mediterranean

•   All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff and local guides

Day 1: Arrive Nice / Monte-Carlo
Bonjour! A transfer is included from Nice Cote d’Azur Airport to the Fairmont Monte Carlo, set in the heart of glamorous Monte-Carlo overlooking the world-famous harbor. Join us for tonight’s welcome cocktail reception and dinner.
Overnight: Fairmont Monte Carlo, Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Meals Included: Dinner

Day 2: Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Head up into the hills that are perched above the French Riviera today, where the medieval walled city of Saint-Paul-de-Vence welcomes with panoramic views and centuries of history along winding cobblestone lanes. Find a sidewalk café for lunch and return to Monte-Carlo. Discover the sights on your own for the rest of the day. Your hotel is nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the legendary Monte-Carlo Casino.
Overnight: Fairmont Monte Carlo, Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3: Nice Sightseeing / Embark Ship
Join us for an optional visit to Monaco’s Palace and Gardens before driving to Nice for an orientation tour of the city; see landmarks that recall the days when Czarist aristocrats and British royals wintered here. Board Le Ponant for the start of your 7-night cruise along the Mediterranean Sea. The ship is so welcoming, you’ll feel like you’re on your own yacht!
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, dinner

Day 4: Wine Tasting on Elba
Your first port of call is the secluded harbor of Portoferraio,?Elba, settled by the Greeks in the 10th century BC, and home to an exiled Napoleon Bonaparte. Visit the home he shared with his sister in 1814, the Palazzina dei Mulini. Enjoy free time in Porto Azzurro, where sights include a fortress built in 1603 and the Old Quarter, bustling with hints of the past; and stop for a taste of the grape at a family-owned Elba winery – a special Tauck experience adds to the fun.
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: Small Ships Only in Bonifacio
Corsica’s fjord-like harbor of Bonifacio is only accessible to small ships – your majestic entrance aboard Le Ponant atop sapphire blue waters is truly a special moment so be sure to have your camera handy! On shore, hop aboard Le Petit Train for a ride to the town’s walled fortress area; explore a maze of medieval lanes, stroll along the bluff above the harbor, and see the former barracks of the French Foreign Legion. Your ship charts a course for the island of Ponza this afternoon.
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Ponza / Cruise the Mediterranean
Ponza is fringed with dramatic coves and cliffs lined with yellow and pink houses. Fishing boats set out from the 18th-century harbor and vineyards cover the hillsides for a quintessential snapshot of daily life here. Spend the morning at leisure exploring the island village, before setting sail for the Amalfi Coast. Cast anchor in the Gulf of Salerno late tonight. 
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7: Travel the Amalfi Coast to Ravello
Wake up to spectacular views of the incomparable Amalfi Coast, revered for its natural beauty since before the Middle Ages. Tender to shore for a memorable drive along the magical seascapes and an up-close look at the shoreline villages that call the Mediterranean home. Stop in Amalfi, the “queen of the Costiera,” for a guided walking tour and a visit to the Duomo, dating back to the 9th century. Then it’s off to Villa Rufolo in cliff-top Ravello built in the late 13th century for a prominent local family – the views from the terrace are immortalized in the inspired music of German composer, Richard Wagner. Dine on regional specialties at a restaurant overlooking the sea, followed by free time to explore Ravello on your own.
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8: Lipari and Fiery Lava of Stromboli
The largest of the Aeolian Islands, Lipari’s history as a strategic port dates all the way back to Neolithic times, thousands of years before its centuries under Greek and later Roman rule. Vestiges of these ancient times still reign on its rugged terrain, alongside medieval fortresses and other evidence of centuries of struggle for the island’s control. Drop anchor off Lipari and take a Zodiac ashore for guided exploration of local sights and an optional visit to the archaeological museum. Weather permitting, a swim off the stern of your yacht and a nighttime sail by volcanic Stromboli showcase a few of the pleasurable moments of small ship cruising.
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9: Cruise to Sicily and explore Taormina
Go ashore at Giardini-Naxos for a memorable visit to Taormina, clinging to the cliffs above the Ionian Sea. Best known as a popular seaside resort, the island also entices with mesmerizing views of Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe, and archaeological wonders chronicling its development from the 2nd century to the Middle Ages. See them on a stroll along the Corso Umberto through Old Town, lined with piazzas, palazzi and duomos, and take a guided tour of the ancient Greek Theatre, hewn out of a rocky mountain slope during the Hellenistic period, remodeled by the Romans, and devastated by marauding conquerors centuries later. Do more sightseeing as you wish or return to the ship to relax or swim (weather permitting).
Overnight: Cruising aboard Le Ponant
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10: Arrive at Valletta, Malta
Le Ponant sails into the Grand Harbor of Valletta in Malta this morning for disembarkation. Enjoy an orientation tour of the walled, pedestrian-only city of Mdina and a coastal drive around St. Julian’s Bay en route to your hotel in Valletta. Malta’s capital city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a virtual open-air museum and is easy to explore on foot. An optional walking tour this afternoon includes a visit inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral to see its stunning interior and art treasures – the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, a masterpiece in oil by the Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio, Flemish tapestries and silver artifacts reward visitors. Our farewell cocktail reception and dinner end the day.
Overnight: Hotel Phoenicia Malta, Valletta, Malta
Meals Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11: Journey Home
Tour ends: Valletta, Malta. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Hotel Phoenicia Malta to Malta International Airport. Allow a minimum of 3 hours for flight check-in.
Overnight:
Meals Included: Breakfast

Touring Date	Land Only	Land + Air	Single (Land Only)	Single (Land + Air)
5/31/2012 - 6/11/2012	$7,690
6/14/2012 - 6/25/2012	$7,690
8/16/2012 - 8/27/2012	$7,490
8/30/2012 - 9/10/2012	$7,490
Note: Departures appearing above in green are guaranteed to operate by the tour operator.
Airfare Disclaimer A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link. Documents TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

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