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Day 1, BARCELONA

Barcelona is a gorgeous blend of colourful old quarters, lively squares and cafes, and historic sites. Check into your hotel for the beginning of your Colors of Provence pre-cruise land program.

Day 2, BARCELONA

Barcelona, the bustling capital of Catalonia, is an artist’s, architect’s, foodie’s, historian’s and culturist’s dream. Tour the cobblestoned lanes of the Gothic Quarter in the medieval city center and Las Ramblas. See some imaginative architectural creations, highlights of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Works of Antoni Gaudi,” including La Sagrada Familia.
We meet again in the evening, and we will proceed to a local venue for a music concert, subject to scheduling. (B)

Day 3, BARCELONA

Join an excursion to the mountain Montserrat, which is home to the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria de Montserrat, located about 30 miles from Barcelona. Once there, you’ll ride a scenic funicular to the top of the mountain and experience an indescribable view of the Catalonia landscape. While here, you’ll see the famous Black Madonna sculpture, which sits at the back of the church, above the altar area. In the evening, we proceed to a music event, subject to scheduling. (B)

Day 4, BARCELONA – ARLES, FRANCE – EMBARKATION

Check out of the hotel and board the TGV high-speed train to Nimes. Then you will transfer via bus to Arles where you’ll board your luxury ship. (B,D)

Day 5,  ARLES

Considered one of the most beautiful cities in France, Arles enchants all with its tantalizing history, formerly a Roman center of trade. Join a guided walking tour where you’ll visit the Roman ruins of Arles such as its Roman Amphitheater and the Church of Saint Trophime, famous for its Romanesque architecture. Alternatively, you can enjoy a bike ride along the Rhône, through town to the Langlois Bridge, a famous subject from several Vincent Van Gogh paintings. And for those who wish to delve further into Van Gogh’s Arles, join a special walking tour along with a visit to the Vincent van Gogh Foundation, showcasing his legacy. During the afternoon, venture to Les Baux de Provence, a hilltop village and ruined castle. Enjoy time in the “old village,” its shops, art galleries, and cafes interspersed among the historic ruins. You will also have a unique experience at the Carrières de Lumières, where you will be treated to a spectacular presentation of art, sound, and history projected on the walls of a former limestone quarry set to music. Next, visit an olive farm to learn about this age-old Provençal tradition and enjoy a tasting. Finally, experience the beauty of Saint Rémy de Provence, the location where Van Gogh painted some of his most famous paintings, including Starry Night. (B,L,D)

DAY 6 AVIGNON

Avignon, aptly named the “City of Popes,” was the center of the Catholic Church in the 14th century when its “Palais des Papes” was the equivalent of today’s Vatican. Depending on your interests, you have three choices of excursions in the morning. Discover the history of Avignon on a guided walking tour that includes the Papal Palace and the well-preserved medieval walls surrounding the historic center of town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Or, you can visit three venues around Avignon to taste regional specialties including macarons, cheese and wine, and tapenades. Alternately, you can enjoy a bike tour through the city. During the afternoon, you can go to another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the impressive Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct that is a masterpiece of ancient engineering. (B,L,D)

DAY 7, VIVIERS

Take in the quaint surroundings of Viviers, a charming commune that sidles up to the right bank of the Rhone. From Viviers, travel to the magnificent hilltop village, Grignan, and go in search of the highly prized “Black Diamond” truffles with a farmer and his trustworthy canine companion. You can also explore Viviers on a guided walking tour, where you’ll see iconic sights such as Saint-Vincent Cathedral. Or stretch your muscles on a hike to Viviers’ St. Vincent Cathedral, taking in beautiful views of the Châteauneuf du Pape dam, the Donzère Gorge and the town of Montelimar with its magnificent château. You can also set off on a guided bike tour, exploring the beauty of Southern France as you ride along the Rhône River. (B,L,D)

Day 8, TOURNON

Take a steam train ride past magnificent landscape carved along the Gorge du Doux, stopping at the charming little station of Colombier le Vieux-Saint Barthélemy le Plain, where the train maneuvers in preparation for its return journey. Alternatively, lovers of wine and chocolate will want to visit Le Château de Tournon for a presentation and tasting on the pairing of red wine and chocolate. For a more active adventure, take a hike through the vineyards of Tain l’Hermitage, followed by a visit to a local winery where you’ll sample some of the wines. (B,L,D)

Day 9, VIENNE

Situated between the wine regions of Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône lies Vienne with a Roman past that can be seen in its marvelously preserved ruins. Follow the footsteps of the ancient Romans on a walking tour to see the amazingly well-preserved Augustus and Livia Temple, the Saint Maurice Cathedral, a Gothic church that took more than 500 years to build, and St. Pierre Abbey—one of the oldest surviving churches in France, and now an Archaeological Museum. For those wishing to be more active, you can either take a guided hike from the ship to the Monastery at Mount Pipet or a guided bike tour along a portion of the ViaRhôna bike route. (B,L,D)

Day 10, LYON

Take a walking tour that starts in Fourvière Hill, part of the city’s historic region that is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the 19th-century basilica Notre-Dame de Fourvière. Continue on to the old town of Lyon, followed by a guided walk through the St. Jean district, where you will be introduced to the city’s unique covered walkways, known as “traboules.” You can also visit the famous indoor market hall Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse, named after the late chef renowned for his Michelin-starred l’Auberge du Pont de Collonges restaurant. There you’ll have a chance to sample of the delicacies offered by butchers, bakers, chocolatiers and cheesemongers while taking in the colorful sights and enticing aromas around you. Alternately, join a guided bike tour through the city designed with cyclists in mind. Later in the day, visit a traditional Beaujolais winery and learn the history and techniques of their vineyard. Plus, enjoy a tasting of their specialty. Music event in the evening, subject to availability. (B,L,D)

Day 11, LYON – DISEMBARKATION – PARIS

Disembark the ship. Taste the local specialties of Lyon, the “food capital of France,” at an indoor market hall. You’ll have a chance to sample the delicacies of the French countryside offered by butchers, bakers, chocolatiers, and cheesemongers. Afterwards, you will board the TGV high-speed train to Paris. Once you arrive in the famous “City of Lights,” check into your hotel. Music event in the evening, subject to availability. (B)

Day 12, PARIS

Enjoy taking in the signature sites of Paris in your guided city tour, including the awe-inspiring Arc de Triomphe and iconic Eiffel Tower. You’ll see Champs Élysées with its cinemas, sidewalk cafes and luxury specialty shops. Music event in the evening, subject to availability. (B)

Day 13, PARIS

Enjoy a full day at your leisure to discover more of this romantic city, such as the world-renowned Louvre Museum or Musée d’Orsay. Perhaps go shopping in the Faubourg Saint-Honoré district or simply relax and spend the day like a local – by scoping out a local café for a café au lait, toasted baguette or croissant. In the evening, visit Montmartre, long known as the city’s premier artist’s enclave. During the mid to late 1800s, artists also began calling Montmartre home. Pissarro and Jongkind were two of the first to live there, followed by other notable artists, including Edgar Degas, Henri Matisse, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso. You’ll be taken on an evening illumination tour, discovering why Paris is renowned as the “City of Light.” (B)

Day 14, DEPART PARIS

This morning our journey ends and we transfer to the airport for our return to Toronto. (B)

Day 1, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Arrive this morning in Copenhagen, the royal capital of Denmark and one of Europe’s oldest capitals, and transfer to Seven Seas Navigator, your home away from home for the next 11 days. Enjoy a private Cocktail Reception pre-dinner and proceed to one of the great dining venues for dinner onboard the luxurious ocean liner.

Day 2, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Explore Copenhagen on one of the many included shore excursions. Copenhagen was a fishing village until the middle of the 12th century, but then grew in importance after being fortified in 1167. Because of its harbor, it soon became a place of commercial importance. 

Day 3, WARNEMUNDE -BERLIN, GERMANY: Warnemünde is a sea resort and district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and your gateway to nearby Berlin. This morning, disembark the ship and board the coacher your ride to Berlin for our 2-day INCLUDED overland tour of Historic Berlin and Royal Potsdam. Upon reaching Berlin, explore the iconic landmarks of former West Berlin, such as the Keiser Memorial Church, Kurfürstendamm Boulevard, Wittenberg Platz, Victory Column, and Brandenburg Gate. Following a typical German lunch, continue to former East Berlin and visit landmarks such as the Humboldt Forum, Nikolai Quarter and the Berlin Cathedral. Next, have a guided tour of the cupola on the rooftop of the famous Reichstag building and head to the Käfer Restaurant for a refreshment while enjoying the breathtaking views of the city below. Transfer to the hotel and  enjoy a free evening to explore Berlin’s nightlife on own. 

Day 4, BERLIN-POTSDAM-WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY: After breakfast and check-out, begin with a tour to the city of Potsdam and visit Glienicke Palace and  the renowned Glienicker Brücke. This bridge gained significance during the Cold War as the site for exchanging spies between East Germany and West Germany, and was featured in the movie “Bridge of Spies.” Our tour then takes us to St. Nicholas’ Church, the Dutch Quarter, the New Palais, and the Russian Quarter, among others. After lunch, visit the magnificent Sanssouci Palace which served as the residence for various Prussian kings and queens, and re-board the coach for the scenic drive back to the port in Warnemünde.

Day 5, WARNEMUNDE, GERMANY: Today amble through 800 years of maritime history on your INCLUDED guided Rostock walk that also includes a brewery stop and free time for independent exploration.  Sample fresh-brewed German beer along with its ideal accompaniment, a salty pretzel and enjoy the lively harbor and university city along the Warnow River. Your stroll through the city center provides encounters with ancient towers, imposing fortifications, gabled houses from the 15th century and inspiring churches and abbeys, foremost of which is Marienkirche, a true Gothic stunner.

Day 6, CRUISING THE DAY OF FINLAND: Today is a day at leisure to enjoy the amenities of your beautiful ship. Meet your group again for a private piano concert performed by Daniel V. onboard.

Day 7, HELSINKI, FINLAND: Helsinki is Finland’s capital city and an architectural delight. The city is laid out with spacious streets interspersed with many gardens,  parks, and nearby islands which all add to Helsinki’s visual appeal. Beautiful neo classical buildings surround town squares and the cathedral is probably the most recognized of all Helsinki landmarks. Immerse yourself in the life of famed Finnish composer Jean Sibelius by visiting his former residence and enjoying a private concert of his music on an INCLUDED excursion. Sibelius was immensely productive composing more than 300 works in the first 20 years.  See the upstairs study where he wrote and the piano where he tried out his new compositions, meander through the gardens and snack on canapés before continuing on to a nearby auditorium for a concert performed by of several of Sibelius’ masterpieces performed by an award winning  violinist and pianist.

Day 8, HELSINKI, FINLAND: Today, see two of Helsinki’s most avant-garde buildings through the eyes of an architectural historian guide on the INCLUDED excursion. The façade of the Oodi Central Library boasts a striking undulating shape that celebrates Finland having one of the world’s highest literacy rates. But only a third of the library contains books, the rest being devoted to public spaces such as a recording studio, movie theatre, restaurants and top-floor Citizens’ Balcony. The innovative use of steel beams allowed the middle floor to be built without columns for an unobstructed view from one end to the other. The guide will also detail the advanced technologies used to construct the Helsinki Music Centre. In particular, discover how acoustic technician Yasuhisa Toyota designed the main concert hall in a terraced, vineyard style so the audience surrounds the musicians. Much of the interior is underground to prevent the building from towering above the surrounding ones. 

Day 9, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: The “Venice of the North,” spanning 14 small islands at the outflow of Lake Mälar into the Baltic, Stockholm is the largest city in Scandinavia and architecturally one of the finest in the world, with broad streets, waterside parks and many pedestrian walkways. Our INCLUDED Nobel Prize Gala Experience will start with a walk through the atmospheric streets of Old Town where we will stop for lunch that features a menu from a past Nobel Prize gala. Stockholm’s oldest district, known as Gamla Stan, features an abundance of buildings from the 15th and 16th centuries, Europe’s largest royal palace and the city’s narrowest street, which is just two feet wide. While meandering about, you will pass through Stortorget, the great square that serves as Old Town’s hub. Across one of the waterways that divides Stockholm, you will find City Hall, the venue for the Nobel Prize banquet that is held each December. Constructed with 8 million red bricks and topped with three golden crowns, the building is an architectural icon.

Day 10, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Today we enjoy a day at leisure to further explore Stockholm at our own pace. We will join the group again this evening for our second concert performed by Daniel Vnukowski followed by our Farewell dinner. 

Day 11, STOCKHOLM-DISEMBARKATION: This morning we end our wonderful voyage and we transfer to the airport for our flight home.