Mingle with local Latvians by traveling on the train and public buses to several waterfront districts, where you will meander about the attractions. Drive by public transport (bus or train) to Vecaki, a district on the Gulf of Riga known for its beaches. While there, the guide will enhance your understanding of the capital’s turbulent history by elaborating on the nearby fortifications that date to the Napoleonic Wars. You will then board a public bus and enjoy a genuine slice of daily Latvian life on the way to the Vecmilgravis district. The guide will point out buildings constructed during the time that the Soviets occupied Latvia. Like several neighboring Baltic countries, Latvia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The most historical building is the White Church. Built near the water during the late 18th century, the wooden Lutheran church features a tower that local fishermen have long used as a lighthouse of sorts to help them navigate. Get an authentic feel for Latvian life by riding the train and/or bus with the locals. Explore the beach-rimmed district of Vecaki, a resort area where the residents relax. Gain an understanding of life under Soviet rule before Latvia became independent in 1991. During your walk, you’ll stop at a local cafe for refreshments.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Get an authentic feel for Latvian life by riding the train and bus with the locals.
• Explore the beach-rimmed district of Vecaki, a resort area where the residents relax.
• Gain an understanding of life under Soviet rule before Latvia became independent in 1991.

The exquisitely preserved medieval town of Bruges is a veritable jewel. Step back in time as you begin your guided walk through Bruges, often called 'Die Scone' or 'the beautiful'. The charm of this lovely medieval city will capture you immediately. As you walk through the narrow streets, passing by picturesque scenes of ancient buildings, tree-lined canals and gabled facades, from the exterior you’ll see the bustling marketplace, The Belfry Tower, the Town Hall and the Chapel of the Holy Blood.

The highlight of this walking tour will undoubtedly be a 30-minute canal tour. While sitting back in a small boat, you’ll enjoy the serene waterways of this romantic historical city. Since Bruges is full of lace and chocolate shops, you’ll certainly find the perfect souvenir as you explore the area on your own. To end this perfect tour, your guide will lead you by the romantic 'Lake of Love' on the return drive to your ship.

Mingle with the workers in the Carrara quarry where Michelangelo chose the marble for his masterpieces Pietà and David and discover how marble is used locally to age lard.

After departing from the pier, you will drive inland towards the Apuan Alps, which gleam year-round as if cloaked in snow. The color comes from the exposed bright-white marble on the quarried faces of the mountains. The amount of marble found here is staggering, even though it has been quarried for more than 2,000 years.

Upon arriving, you will meet the some of the workers that quarry the famed Carrara marble using enormous bulldozers and metal cables with diamond cutting edges. It is a fascinating process that the workers will describe in detail while recounting the history of this extraordinary quarry. As you will discover, it is a dangerous, physically demanding profession, but one that the workers take great pride in.

The raw marble is transported throughout the world for a variety of purposes. In the nearby village of Colonnata, the marble is fashioned into vats used to produce lard. The quarry workers once consumed the lard for its high-energy content, but today the pork fatback is thinly sliced and served raw as an antipasto.

While visiting Colonnata, you will see how the lard is seasoned with garlic, rosemary and other herbs and aged up to a year in the marble vats. As you will discover by tasting, the creamy white lard is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Delight in the medieval character of Taormina while strolling its atmospheric streets and admiring landmarks such the Greek theater from the 2nd century. After departing from the pier, you will have a short panoramic tour of Messina. Continuing along the coast to the south, you will approach Taormina, an ancient city that rises almost perpendicularly from the sea. It’s a beautiful setting with an alluring medieval character, as you will discover while navigating its narrow, cobbled streets. As French author Guy de Maupassant wrote of his stay in 1883, “Were a man to pass a single day in Sicily and ask, ‘What must one see?’ I would answer him without hesitation, Taormina.” Among the highlights are the Arabian-influenced Palazzo Corvaja and the ruins of a 2nd-century Greek theater. It sits on a seaside hilltop with a view of Mount Etna that is so inspiring that it can detract from the entertainers that still perform there in the summer. After visiting, you will enjoy free time to wander about the areas that interest you the most. You might take in the views from the fragrant public garden or shop along boutique-lined Corso Umberto. The most popular merchandise includes designer fashions, jewelry and colorful ceramic pine cones, a Sicilian symbol of hospitality.

OVERVIEW

Hop aboard the vintage White Pass & Yukon Route Railway for an immensely picturesque train ride high into the mountains, following a path blasted out of the rocks in 1898, during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. As soon as the narrow-gauge train begins its ascent, you will understand why the beloved WP&YR is known as “The Scenic Railway of the World.” The train will climb almost 3,000 feet in just 20 miles and present one breathtaking view after another, from thundering Bridal Veil Falls to the rugged peaks at Inspiration Point. You will also pass over the soaring bridge that spans precipitous Dead Horse Gulch, named for pack animals loaded with prospecting gear that fell to the bottom of the gorge. It will be an exhilarating ride on a railway so ingeniously constructed that it is recognized as an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride a narrow-gauge train on a route used during the Klondike Gold Rush.
• Climb high into the mountains and behold Alaska’s majestic scenery.
• Admire the ingenious engineering behind the railway’s construction.
• Receive a collectible magazine that details the railway’s history.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Meet a Nordic assistant designer and discover how she upcycles discarded waste materials to create green fashions. The venue for this enlightening experience will be the Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex that has been converted into the largest creative center in Estonia, which is also a member of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network. Of all the studios and galleries, the one that Reet Aus owns may be the most inspiring. She is committed to ending the fashion industry’s throwaway culture by creating clothing with excess textiles that would otherwise end up in a landfill. By upcycling or turning old garments into higher-quality sustainable ones, she helps to reduce Estonia’s carbon footprint. You will find a similar environmentally conscious atmosphere at the photography museum Fotografiska. After browsing the exhibits, you will enjoy lunch at a zero-waste restaurant, where the dishes are as creative as the photography. Views of Tallinn’s World Heritage site, Old Town, will enhance the dining experience.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Meet an assistant designer that upcycles discarded textiles to create sustainable fashions.
• See stylish high-quality clothing made with materials once earmarked for the landfill.
• Browse a photography museum and dine in its zero-waste restaurant.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

Capture the moment by taking the perfect selfie photo in Split! Instantly share your experience with family & friends on your favorite social media site as many of the stops will include wi-fi in real time.

Your tour begins with an orientation drive thru Split with designated selfie stops at: • Bacvice Beach
• Split National Theatre
• Vidilica Viewpoint
• S. Dominous Cathedral
• And MORE!

To make this experience even more fun you will be provided with a selfie stick to help catch your best pose. Your picture-perfect day includes a local snack of smoked ham, cheese and a glass of wine. End the day with some free time to explore on your own before returning to the ship.

Don’t miss a unique opportunity to visit the spectacular ‘City of Lights’, from two perspectives. After an approximately three-hour drive from Le Havre, you’ll arrive in Paris to discover the most important sights.

Your guide will point out Place de l’Etoile, its Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees Avenue at the end of which the Place de la Concorde offers to all visitors, its legendary obelisk. Continue to the Rive Gauche where the most impressive monuments of Paris are located. At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris, a glass-covered sightseeing riverboat awaits you for a scenic cruise on the Seine River. Enjoy a different perspective of this monumental city from the water while having lunch. See the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum and much more. During your lunch cruise, you’ll not only discover the quays and the monuments of this enchanting city, but also the districts where the nobility and the Bourgeoisie live. Afterwards, before driving back to Le Havre, you’ll enjoy some free time in the city near the Trocadero.

Enjoy an enlightening tour of Naples and folded pizza, a classic Neapolitan treat. Your panoramic drive will present views from affluent Posillipo Hill and of the imposing Castle Nuovo. The castle’s five towers make it one of Naples’ most recognizable landmarks. You will also see the Egg Castle, which holds a commanding position on the sea. In time, you will reach Spaccanapoli, a long street whose name means “Naples splitter,” a reference to it somewhat dividing the city in two. Here, you will visit the Jesuit church Gesú Nuovo and the Church of Santa Chiara, which was founded in 1310 and features an austere Provencal-Gothic style. To delve even deeper into daily life, you will walk through the narrow streets of Old Town, which UNESCO has declared a Cultural Heritage site. As you will discover, there is no better setting for an espresso and portafoglio or folded pizza, as the dish was invented in Naples.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Drive through Naples taking in the panoramic views and passing key landmarks. • See two castles and several churches among the architectural highlights. • Walk through Old Town and pause to enjoy folded pizza, a treat invented in Naples.

Visit the site of the first Olympic Games and learn about its glorious history. Then head to the beach and spend the rest of the day basking in the sun and swimming in the warm, sparkling waters of the Ionian Sea. Even though the temples and monuments have disappeared and only the ruins are left, you can’t help but to envision the grandeur of the Temple of Zeus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The site was a sanctuary even before the stadium was built and the games took place.

The famous stadium, the largest of its day, is entered through a long, tunnel-like passage constructed in Roman times. Today, you can stand at the starting line and imagine the roar of the spectators seated on the marble benches, as the athletes took their marks. Reboard your coach and head to the beach to bask in the sun and swim in the sparkling Ionian Sea. Enjoy use of a sun bed and umbrella at the main beach, as well as a complimentary refreshment. Food and drinks are available for purchase.

Discover the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Gran Canaria and its colorful towns. Discover the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Gran Canaria and its colorful towns. Drive to one of the most important agricultural centers, Arucas, known as the banana capital of the island. Here you’ll visit a Banana Plantation and learn everything about this important and typical crop of Canary Island. You will also have the chance to taste one together with some local specialities! Next you will visit Jardin de la Marquesa. It originated as a small garden surrounding the summer residence of the marquis of Arucas and expanded to the lush gardens you’ll find today. This botanical garden has hundreds of species of tropical and subtropical flora. Flower lined lanes and ponds enhance the beauty of this place, where you may also encounter wandering peacocks. Taste a banana liquor at the Gardens, before rejoining the bus and head to the picturesque village of Teror, where colonial buildings grace the town's boulevard. Enjoy a walking tour and some free time before the drive back to pier.

menos

Enjoy meeting the locals and being entertained by whimsical lemurs on this delightful tour to nearby Nosy Komba.

Board your local boat from the ship's gangway and cruise across the east coast of Nosy Be to Nosy Komba, passing the verdant Lokobe evergreen forest along the way. Reaching the fishing village of Ampangoriana, you will tender ashore (please note it is a "wet" landing) and then have a bit of time to mingle with the locals and browse for souvenirs. Approximately 500 yards from the village is the Black Lemur Sanctuary, home to Madagascar's most famous residents, the black lemurs. During your visit, you will have the opportunity to observe these lively creatures as they leap from tree to tree. The black lemurs are the males and the brown lemurs the females. Although these animals live in the wild, they are tame enough to be fed with bananas and their capricious behavior will no doubt be fun to watch.

Leaving the sanctuary, you will walk to a nearby snack bar where you will be treated to a light snack while relaxing in the shade of a Tamarind tree and taking in the wonderful views of the Lokobe Reserve and surrounding islands. During your break, the local Sakalava embroiders will give you a demonstration on tablecloth making and the village children will perform a brief folk show for you. Free time will be provided for you to stroll on the beach, shop for souvenirs or perhaps take a dip in the ocean.

At the conclusion of your visit, you will re-board your boat and cruise back to Nosy Be and your awaiting ship.