Discover Italy from an insider’s perspective

Imagine seeing masterpieces by Italy’s greatest artists—including Da Vinci and Michelangelo—with your very own eyes. Admiring the rosy-fingered dawn onboard a luxurious floating hotel docked on Venice’s Grand Canal. Wandering the labyrinthine back lanes of Venice and its postcard-perfect outer islands, and discovering charming “hidden gems” along the Po River. Or indulging in private wine tastings, exclusive insider-access tours, once-in-a-lifetime cultural encounters, and absolutely incredible Italian food—experiences you’ll be raving about for years to come.

All this and more awaits you on Uniworld’s Gems of Northern Italy (10 days from Milan to Venice) and Splendours of Italy (15 days from Milan to Rome)—now newly extended and enriched for 2016.

Select 2016 itinerary highlights include:

• Milan city tour with visit to Leonardo Da Vinci’s extraordinary The Last Supper
• Delightful “hidden gems” such as Verona, literary home of Romeo and Juliet
• Valpolicella wine estate lunch featuring tantalizing regional dishes (formerly an optional excursion, now included)
• Unique culinary excursions, such as a Chioggia market visit with a fresh seafood lunch or a do-it-yourself mussel harvesting experience

• Exclusive—and extremely rare—after-hours access to St. Mark's Basilica in Venice
• Full-day “The Magic Islands of Venice” tour of enchanting Burano and Mazzorbo
• Choice of full-day excursion to Bologna with a hands-on pasta-making workshop or half-day excursion to Ferrara
• Exclusive “Do as the Locals Do” walking tour of Venice or “Venetian Painters at the Accademia” tour with art historian guide

Cruise accommodations are provided onboard the River Countess, the top-rated cruise ship (river or ocean) in Travel + Leisure’s 2013 World’s Best Awards.