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Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Fabled Adriatic

Example 12 Day Cruise aboard Island Sky
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This odyssey through the Adriatic and Ionain seas visits historic ports and fabled shores, tracing ancient trade routes and celebrating the legacies of powerful empires. History spans the millennia here — from Paleolithic times to Roman conquest, from Byzantine rule to Venetian dominance. Discover the architectural legacies of these powerful civilizations on this Adriatic tour with visits to superb Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque palaces, monasteries, and churches. A hallmark of Adriatic adventure travel, enjoy time to follow the winding lanes in ancient town centers, pause in fountain-splashed plazas, and savor the local scene in bustling marketplaces. Photographers can appreciate the glow of afternoon sun on red-tiled rooftops, along with sweeping views of quaint harbors and dramatic promontories.
Dubrovnik, CroatiaDance troupe, AlbaniaKrka National ParkOur Lady of the Rocks, MontenegroDubrovnik, Croatia
Highlights
  • Discover dramatic scenery and amazing archaeology in Montenegro and Albania
  • Spend time in Dubrovnik, a beautifully-preserved medieval masterpiece
  • Tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Valletta, Malta’s charming capital
  • Explore the stunning Greek and Roman ruins of Syracuse
  • Enjoy ample opportunities to explore charming seaside towns
Activity Level: Relaxed
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
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Full Itinerary

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Day 1: Valletta, Malta

Arrive in Malta and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure, then gather for a welcome dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 2: Valletta | Embark Island Sky

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Spend a full day exploring historic Valletta, a World Heritage Site. The Knights of St. John built Valletta in the 16th century, constructing an impregnable fortress-like town in a strategic harbor-ringed setting. Their auberges — large inns where they lived — remain intact. A city tour highlights the fortress, bastions, ramparts, churches, and the national museum. Continue to the Tarxien Temples, a series of monolithic edifices built between 2400 and 1800 BCE. This evening, board the Island Sky and set sail for Sicily.

Day 3: Agrigento, Sicily, Italy | Licata

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning, enjoy a guided tour of Agrigento, a World Heritage Site. The exquisite architecture of the Valley of the Temples dates back to the 4th and 5th centuries BCE and includes the Temple of Zeus — the largest Doric temple from Greek antiquity. A scenic drive through rolling countryside brings you to a private winery and villa for a lunch of delicious Sicilian fare, accompanied by local wines. Continue to Licata for a short tour of the town center.

Day 4: Syracuse

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Dating from the 5th century BCE, Syracuse was one of the most powerful Greek cities — defending its sovereignty against rivals such as Carthage, the Etruscans, and the Romans, who later overcame the city in 212 BCE, followed by the Arabs. Tour the exterior of the Saint John Catacombs and explore the nearby Archaeological Museum and the Archaeological Park, a World Heritage Site. Highlights include the Roman Amphitheater of Augustus; the Ear of Dionysius, a grotto with an extraordinary echo; and the massive 15,000-seat Greek Theater. Return to the ship, at port in Ortygia, for lunch, before striking out for a walking tour of the old town. Highlights include the ruins of the 6th-century BCE Apollo Temple — the oldest in Sicily — and the Piazza Duomo, built around the ancient Temple of Minerva.

Day 5: Catania | Morgantina

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Visit the famous morning fish market in Catania’s town square where a colorful variety of local products are on display. An inland drive takes you through a series of photogenic villages to Piazza Armerina, famous for its superb Roman mosaics in the Villa Romana del Casale. Enjoy lunch at a Sicilian restaurant near the Greek site of Morgantina, then tour the ruins and visit the small, but excellent Aidone Museum. Return to Catania with free time before dinner on board, or choose to enjoy the local cuisine on your own, and perhaps sample some of the wines from the many vineyards nourished by the rich volcanic soil of Mt. Etna.

Day 6: At Sea

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Attend lectures and enjoy the ship’s amenities during a relaxing day at sea.

Day 7: Butrint, Albania

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Visit the World Heritage Site of Butrint, a veritable chronological repository of its various inhabitants: Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, and Venetians. Among its archaeological highlights are the baptistery with its colorful floor mosaics, superb amphitheater, and medieval fortress. From the ruins, take in the splendid views of the surrounding mile-high mountains.

Day 8: Kotor, Montenegro | Dubrovnik, Croatia

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Historically, Dalmatia lay at the crossroads of empires, invaded by waves of conquerors from Illyrians to Austrians. In Kotor, witness the same beautiful scenery that captivated kings for centuries. At this World Heritage Site explore luxurious palaces, towers, and Romanesque and Gothic churches. Return to the ship for lunch and relax on deck as the magnificent Dalmatian Coast unfolds in scenic splendor. Dubrovnik has been a strategic seaport since the 13th century. Its Old Town, a medieval masterpiece surrounded by fortified walls, is a World Heritage Site. Arriving in the evening you have the chance to see the lights of Old Town reflecting off stones smoothed over by centuries of footsteps. Enjoy independent time for dining, strolling the labyrinthine streets, and participating in the lively evening scene.

Day 9: Dubrovnik | Cavtat

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning, venture into the surrounding countryside, passing lovely traditional villages and farms en route to the charming town of Cavtat. Stroll along the harbor, browse the lively market, and enjoy views of photogenic red-roofed houses flanked by shimmering blue waters and green, forested mountains. Return to Dubrovnik for a city tour including the main square; the 14th-century Dominican Monastery; the Franciscan Monastery and its Romanesque cloister; and the Cathedral, completed in 1713. Or, walk along the city’s southern walls with beautiful views of the fortress and old Dubrovnik’s terracotta rooftops. Enjoy free time this evening to explore, or dine ashore on your own.

Day 10: Korçula Island | Split

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Korçula, an exquisite Dalmatian island, boasts an intact medieval stone village that dazzles photographers. On a walking tour, view several monasteries and enjoy a performance from a local a capella group. During lunch on board cruise through Croatia’s lovely offshore islands to the port of Split, once an important center of the Roman province of Dalmatia. This afternoon choose from two excursion options. The first is a tour to ancient Solin, the archaeological site of the ancient Roman settlement of Salona whose excavations have revealed temples, an amphitheater, early Christian churches, and Roman baths, illustrating centuries of both war and peace and great prosperity. Or, choose to remain in Split for a walking tour of the city built by the Emperor Diocletian and one of the Adriatic’s finest monuments from the Roman period — the 4th-century Palace of Diocletian, a World Heritage Site. This astounding complex was constructed of locally quarried white limestone, tufa from nearby river beds, and hand-shaped bricks. Marble from Italy and Egyptian granite were imported for columns and sphinxes, flooring, and details. Tour the palace, its cellars, the cathedral, and sprawling courtyards from which flow the streets and buildings of medieval Split that today remain the soul of its bustling daily life.

Day 11: Sibenik

  • Ship
  • 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
This morning disembark in Sibenik, Croatia’s oldest settled town. A walking tour visits the town’s crowning glory and World Heritage Site, St. James Cathedral. A 15th-century masterpiece, it is adorned with a remarkable frieze of 71 finely sculpted faces of men, women, and children that highlight the superb blending of Gothic and Renaissance architecture. Or, enjoy a delightful hike in Krka National Park, following boardwalks amid travertine waterfalls, a water-sculpted gorge, and picturesque stone watermills.

Day 12: Venice, Italy | Disembark

  • 1 Breakfast
In the morning, sail into the shimmering lagoon of Venice. After breakfast, disembark and transfer to the airport for your independent flight.

Ship/Hotel

Island Sky

The club aboard the Island Sky.
Island Sky's dining area.
Relax in the library aboard the Island Sky.

Malta - Hotels

Dates & Prices

My Preferred Start Date

Per person starting at
$11,980
Island Sky's Category 1 Magellion Deck.
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Standard Suite
Magellan Deck, Suites #255-262. Averaging 226 sq. ft. (21 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and portholes with exterior views.
Island Sky's Category 2 Columbus Deck.
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Superior Suite
Columbus Deck, Suites #329-348. Averaging 237 sq. ft. (22 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and a large window with exterior views.
Island Sky's Category 3 Marco Polo.
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Premium Suite
Marco Polo Deck, Suites #416-428. Averaging 226 sq. ft. (21 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and a large window with exterior views.
Suite
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Corner Suite
Marco Polo Deck, Suites #414-415. Averaging 237 sq. ft. (22 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and large windows with exterior views.
Island Sky's Category 5 Erikson Cabin.
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Deluxe Balcony
Erikson Deck, Suites #505-512. Averaging 225 sq. ft. (21 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and a private balcony.
Island Sky's Category 6 Explorer Cabin.
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Owner's Balcony
Explorer Deck, Suites #601-604. Averaging 237 sq. ft. (22 sq. m) and equipped with two single beds which can be configured as a double bed upon request. Separate sitting area, spacious closets, private facilities with walk in shower, television, vanity with stool, small refrigerator, and a large private balcony.

Notes

- Rates are quoted in U.S. dollars and represent costs per person, double occupancy. Request the Twin Share Program where you are matched with a cabin mate of the same gender. Even if a cabin mate is not found for you, no single supplement will be charged.

- Cabins may be available for single occupancy at 1.6 times the double occupancy rate. The supplement for a suite is 2 times the shared rate.

Mandatory medical insurance: Travelers should have a minimum US$50,000 (or equivalent) of emergency medical coverage prior to embarkation. It is recommended that you and all members of your party have comprehensive travel insurance covering trip cancellation, trip delay (interruption or after departure coverage), baggage, and repatriation.
Included
  • 11 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 11 Dinners

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Kate was great to work with in the planning stage. She was prompt, helpful, and efficient. Our tour guide, Edwin, was knowledgeable and passionate. We were very happy to have traveled with Adventure Life, it made the trip easy and a true pleasure. We could concentrate on enjoying the experience rather than the details of travel.
Lisa Bridge

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