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2026 Solar Eclipse Cruise:
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Great Music Masters of Italy: Verdi and Italian Opera
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D-Day: Courage, Conflict, and History in England and France with Ed Lengel
Great Music Masters of Vienna: The Romantics
with Robert Greenberg
Enchanted England: Folklore, Fairy Tales, and Wonder
with Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman
Revisiting World War 1 in France
with Keith Huxen
Exploring Cuba: From Trinidad
to Havana
with Joyce Salisbury
Great British Mysteries: Conan Doyle, Christie, and More
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ENGLAND
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Venice
Skradinski Buk
Venitian Carnival Masks
Korkula
Kotor
Starting at $9,480 per person
The Dalmatian Coast, stretching along the eastern Adriatic, is a region where history and culture converge. Ancient Greek and Roman settlements, Venetian fortifications, medieval cathedrals, and Renaissance palaces reveal the many civilizations that shaped this landscape, while natural wonders such as national parks and fjord-like bays frame the story in dramatic beauty.
Throughout the voyage onboard Le Bougainville, you will travel in the company of distinguished Professor Thomas F. X. Noble—an expert in medieval, Mediterranean, and Byzantine history—whose lectures provide a rigorous framework for understanding each site. Onboard, his presentations illuminate themes such as the maritime networks that linked Venice to the Balkans, the political and religious significance of cities like Split and Kotor, and the enduring cultural identity of the Adriatic world. Onshore, Professor Noble brings context directly into the places you explore, ensuring that every cathedral, fortress, and UNESCO World Heritage Site becomes not just a destination, but part of a deeper narrative of empire, identity, and the shifting tides of history.
with Thomas Noble
Adriatic Odyssey: Venice to Dubrovnik
DEPATURE DATE AND PRICING
January 8–15, 2028
August 5-13, 2026
Highlights
Stand in the ruins of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and imagine the excitement of ancient athletes competing in honor of Zeus, king of the gods.
Discover the stunning mosaics of Hosios Loukas, a hidden Byzantine monastery, where centuries of devotion are etched in golden tiles, revealing Greece’s transition from antiquity to medieval splendor.
Immerse yourself in the myth and majesty of the Acropolis and explore the Parthenon and its surrounding temples with Professor Cyrino, uncovering the divine power of Athena and the artistic mastery that shaped classical Greece.
Travel in the footsteps of Agamemnon as you walk through the Lion Gate of Mycenae and visit the Tomb of Agamemnon, learning how Homer’s epics immortalized the kings and warriors of this ancient civilization.
Explore the sacred center of Delphi as you ascend the slopes of Mount Parnassus to the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle once delivered cryptic prophecies that shaped the course of Greek and Mediterranean history.
Highlights
Stand in the ruins of Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and imagine the excitement of ancient athletes competing in honor of Zeus, king of the gods.
Discover the stunning mosaics of Hosios Loukas, a hidden Byzantine monastery, where centuries of devotion are etched in golden tiles, revealing Greece’s transition from antiquity to medieval splendor.
Immerse yourself in the myth and majesty of the Acropolis and explore the Parthenon and its surrounding temples with Professor Cyrino, uncovering the divine power of Athena and the artistic mastery that shaped classical Greece.
Travel in the footsteps of Agamemnon as you walk through the Lion Gate of Mycenae and visit the Tomb of Agamemnon, learning how Homer’s epics immortalized the kings and warriors of this ancient civilization.
Explore the sacred center of Delphi as you ascend the slopes of Mount Parnassus to the Temple of Apollo, where the Oracle once delivered cryptic prophecies that shaped the course of Greek and Mediterranean history.
Highlights
Walk through Diocletian’s Palace in Split, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that illustrates Roman imperial power and its transformation into a thriving medieval city.
Discover Kotor’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, a maze of cobblestone streets, Venetian architecture, and historic churches set against the dramatic backdrop of the Bay of Kotor.
Travel alongside your expert for a uniquely immersive journey, connecting Adriatic ports and UNESCO sites with the histories, cultures, and maritime networks that shaped the Dalmatian Coast.
Trace the transformation of the Adriatic world from the Roman Empire to medieval Europe, exploring cities where imperial ambition gave way to new cultural and political identities.
Attend onboard lectures from Professor Thomas FX Noble in our state-of-the-art on-board theatre about the region and it continues to deliver new revelations with each visit even though he has been here multiple times.
Walk through Diocletian’s Palace in Split, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that illustrates Roman imperial power and its transformation into a thriving medieval city.
Gain a deeper understanding of how trade, faith, and geography intertwined to shape the emerging Mediterranean world—an evolution still visible in the stones, stories, and seascapes of the Adriatic today.
Discover Kotor’s UNESCO-listed Old Town, a maze of cobblestone streets, Venetian architecture, and historic churches set against the dramatic backdrop of the Bay of Kotor.
Travel alongside your expert for a uniquely immersive journey, connecting Adriatic ports and UNESCO sites with the histories, cultures, and maritime networks that shaped the Dalmatian Coast.
Trace the transformation of the Adriatic world from the Roman Empire to medieval Europe, exploring cities where imperial ambition gave way to new cultural and political identities.
Attend onboard lectures from Professor Thomas FX Noble in our state-of-the-art on-board theatre about the region and it continues to deliver new revelations with each visit even though he has been here multiple times.
Highlights
Thomas Noble
Dr. Thomas F. X. Noble is Andrew V. Tackes Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame. Due to his passion for ancient Greece and Rome, plus world of late antiquity, Professor Noble has led numerous tours throughout Europe and the Mediterranean for decades. Professor Noble received his MA in History and Latin and PhD in Medieval History from Michigan State University. He is a widely published scholar, and is the author, coauthor, or editor of 12 books, including the coauthored textbook, Western Civilization: The Continuing Experiment, now in its 7th edition. Professor Noble produced 4 Great Courses, including all-time customer favorite Foundations of Western Civilization, plus Popes and the Papacy: A History, and The World of Late Antiquity: Crisis and Transformation.
Journey Expert
Thomas Noble
Venice
Arrive at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), in Venice, Italy, where you will be met by your driver and transferred to the Hotel Splendid Venice (or similar). This evening, join your fellow travelers and your Great Courses Journeys Expert for a welcome cocktail reception. Dinner will be at your leisure.
Included Meal: Reception
Accommodations: Hotel Splendid Venice (or similar)
A Squero
After breakfast, join your expert and a local guide for a walking tour of central Venice that highlights two of the city’s most enduring traditions. Begin in the studio of a master mascheraro, where you will examine the centuries-old craft of molding, decorating, and painting Carnival masks—objects that reveal not only artistic skill but also the social and political history of Venice’s famous festival. Continue through the narrow alleys to a squero, one of the few remaining gondola workshops, where construction and maintenance techniques passed down for generations underscore the importance of maritime life in the city’s development. A stop at a local gelateria is followed by time at leisure for an independent lunch. Later in the afternoon, transfer to the pier to embark on your ship, Le Bougainville.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Rovinj
Although once under Venetian rule, Rovinj has long nurtured its own maritime identity, centered on the emblematic flat-bottomed boats known as batane. At the Batana Eco-Museum, you will explore how these vessels remain vital to local fishing practices and cultural heritage, offering a lens into the community’s enduring relationship with the sea. Continuing to the 18th-century Church of Saint Euphemia, discover the story of Rovinj’s patron saint, whose 9th-century relics represent the city’s place within the broader Christian world. Together, these visits highlight how Rovinj preserves its traditions while reflecting centuries of religious and cultural exchange along the Adriatic. Some leisure time is included before returning to the ship.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Church of St. Donatus
Your exploration of Zadar weaves together the city’s rich past and its vibrant present. You’ll sample two of the region’s most iconic specialties—the sheep’s milk cheese of Pag and Zadar’s maraschino liqueur—both centuries-old symbols of the Adriatic’s agricultural ingenuity and trade with the wider Mediterranean. As you explore the Old Town, layers of Roman and Venetian influence emerge in landmarks such as the pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus and the Cathedral of St. Anastasia, the largest in Croatia. Along the waterfront, the Sea Organ and “Greeting to the Sun” installations illustrate how Zadar continues to blend art, science, and environment, reflecting a city that honors its traditions while embracing innovation.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Palace of Diocletian
From the port of Primosten, travel inland to Krka National Park to study the natural forces that shaped its dramatic landscapes. At Skradinski Buk, a series of 17 linked cascades, see how water has long influenced settlement and industry in the region, from ancient mills to modern preservation. Continue through the Croatian countryside to Split, where you will explore the Palace of Diocletian, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best-preserved Roman imperial residences in existence. Built in the 4th century as both imperial retreat and fortified city, the palace reveals how Roman architecture, politics, and daily life intertwined. Le Bougainville remains in port until midnight, providing ample time for you to enjoy an evening ashore if you wish.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Hvar
Begin your exploration with a visit to the Hvar Fortress alongside your local guide, taking in sweeping views of the Adriatic before descending into the heart of the city and arriving at St. Stephen’s Square. Here, the Franciscan Monastery and surrounding Renaissance architecture reflect Hvar’s transformation from a Byzantine frontier outpost into a prosperous Venetian naval and cultural hub. This setting provides a rich backdrop for discussing the island’s layered history, from its Byzantine origins to its flourishing under Venetian rule, and for observing how art, religion, and maritime trade shaped civic life. Le Bougainville remains in port until late evening, allowing ample time to enjoy the evening ashore.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Korcula
Begin your day on the storied island of Korcula, often linked with the legacy of Marco Polo, where a guided tour of the medieval town includes St. Mark’s Cathedral, a striking example of Dalmatian Gothic architecture. Continue to the village of Lumbarda to visit the Milina-Bire Winery, where vineyards preserve the rare Grk grape varietal. More than a local specialty, its cultivation reflects centuries of adaptation to Korcula’s limestone soil and Mediterranean climate, illustrating how wine production has shaped identity and economy across the Adriatic.
Sail onward to Mljet Island, most of which is protected as a National Park. Here, explore the islet of St. Mary, where a 12th-century Benedictine monastery stands amid pine forests and saltwater lakes, underscoring the interplay of monastic life, nature, and spiritual devotion.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Kotor
The final day of your voyage is devoted to exploring the UNESCO World Heritage city of Kotor, a settlement whose architecture and layout reflect centuries of cultural exchange. Within its fortified walls, walk through a maze of cobblestone streets and lively squares that reveal the strong Venetian influence of the Adriatic trading world. Visit the Romanesque Cathedral of St. Tryphon, dedicated to the city’s patron saint, where medieval sculpture and relics testify to Kotor’s religious and artistic heritage. Time is included for independent exploration, allowing you to reflect on the city’s layered history. In the early evening, Le Bougainville sails through one of the Adriatic's most breathtaking natural wonders—the Bay of Kotor, where limestone mountains rise dramatically along the shoreline, a sight reminiscent of Norwegian fjords.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Accommodations: Le Bougainville
Temple of Poseidon
The morning begins with a ferry to Aegina, a maritime power and home to the Temple of Aphaea, a local goddess linked to Athena and Artemis. Admire this well-preserved Doric temple, part of the “sacred triangle” with the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon. Savor lunch in a private farmhouse on the island, overlooking pistachio and olive trees. Then, return by ferry to Athens and freshen up before a final celebratory dinner. Toast your journey with a final reception and dinner at a local restaurant overlooking the Acropolis.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Fresh Hotel
Cabin and Deck Pricing
PONANT-Nicolas Matheus
PONANT-Nick Rains
PONANT-Mike Louagie
PONANT-Tamar Sarkissian
Studio PONANT
PONANT - Nicolas Matheus
Studio PONANT
PONANT-Elie-VANNIER
Download a deck guide
Download a ship guide
Hotel Splendid Venice
Venice, Italy
The Hotel Splendid Venice—Starhotels Collezione, a refined four-star property in the heart of Venice, sits between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge. Elegant interiors blend Venetian tradition with modern comfort, while canal-side views, a rooftop terrace, and a private dock make it an ideal base for exploring the city. (1 night)
Your Ship: Le Bougainville
The five-star Le Bougainville, part of the PONANT Explorers expedition yacht series, features 92 cabins accommodating 184 guests. Designed with advanced eco-friendly technology, its “Clean Ship” certification highlights energy efficiency and marine protection. Compact yet luxurious, it navigates shallow bays and sensitive environments while offering safe, comfortable voyages with custom stabilizers. (7 nights)
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Highlights
Uncover the dynastic ambitions and historical significance of monuments like Hassan Tower and the Mausoleum of Mohammed V in Rabat.
Experience the stony landscape of the Agafay Desert on a camel trek, culminating in a breathtaking sunset over the High Atlas Mountains.
Admire the Islamic architecture in Marrakesh, from the grand Koutoubia Mosque and intricate Bahia Palace to the serene beauty of the Ben Youssef Madrasa.
Discover the University of al-Qarawiyyin, the world’s oldest continuously operating university, and engage in a discussion on its profound influence on global scholarship.
Wander through the labyrinthine alleyways of the UNESCO-listed Medina in Fes, where vibrant stalls overflow with textiles, spices, and artisanal crafts.
