Southern France and the Italian Riviera
By Sea
October 2- 9, 2025
Overview:
Climb aboard in Barcelona and sail the length of France’s southern coast, dropping anchor to explore medieval villages, ancient Roman sites, and charming Provençal towns. Continue along the Italian Riviera to the picturesque villages of Cinque Terre, and explore gems of art and history in Tuscany on excursions to Pisa, Lucca, Florence, or Volterra.
Interested in more information? To learn more about this tour operated by Ponant in collaboration with Smithsonian Journeys, please contact Expedition Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or e-mail the Expedition Easy Team at [email protected].
Southern France and the Italian Riviera
By Sea
October 02- 09, 2025
Day-by-day Itinerary:
Day 1 – 02, October, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain
Arrive in Barcelona and transfer to the port. Embark our ship and begin your voyage north toward France.
Day 2 – 03, October, 2025 – Carcassonne, France
Dock in Sète and travel inland to the fortified medieval city of Carcassonne. Spend the day discovering the ramparts, turrets, and towers of this World Heritage site and learn about its restoration at the hands of 19th-century architect Viollet-le-Duc, said to have invented modern restoration techniques.
Day 3 – 04, October, 2025 – Marseille and Provence
Anchor in Marseille, France’s oldest city, and travel into Provence on your choice of excursions. Tour the boulevards and squares of Aix-en-Provence, an elegant university town known for its baroque architecture and for its native sons Émile Zola and Paul Cézanne. Or visit Arles, once a bustling Roman city founded by Julius Caesar. See its impressive Roman amphitheater, and trace the steps of Vincent Van Gogh, who spent one of the most prolific periods of his career in the city. Or drive along the Rhône to Avignon, seat of the papacy for much of the 14th century. Visit the extraordinary Papal Palace and enjoy time to explore the charming old town.
Day 4 – 05, October, 2025– Nice, St. Paul de Vence / Eze and Monte Carlo, Monaco
Sail along the Côte d’Azur to Nice, named a World Heritage site in 2021. Explore this cosmopolitan seaside city, long considered a winter resort for Europeans. Alternatively, head to Monaco for a tour of chic Monte Carlo, then journey to the picturesque hilltop town of Eze for a stroll along its medieval streets. Or travel to St. Paul de Vence and view the modern art at the Maeght Foundation.
Day 5 – 06, October, 2025 – Portofino, Italy and the Italian Rivier
Cruise past the elegant resort towns that dot the rugged shores of the Italian Riviera. Anchor in the picturesque fishing village of Portofino, and take a walking tour of its winding lanes, lined with houses painted in warm hues. Then enjoy time at leisure to explore this magical spot on your own.
Day 6 – 07, October, 2025 – Cinque Terre or Lucca and Pisa
Set off in private boats from Porto Venere to visit two of the villages of the Cinque Terre – Monterosso and Vernazza – on foot. Or travel into Tuscany to discover the historic walled town of Lucca and visit Pisa, once an important Roman port now known best for its famously leaning tower.
Day 7 – 08, October, 2025 – Florence or Volterra
Immerse yourself in the spectacular Renaissance city of Florence, encountering some of its most iconic artistic treasures, from Brunelleschi’s dome to Michelangelo’s David. Tour the city’s piazzas and churches, and learn how the city of the de Medicis shaped art history. Alternatively, ascend to hilltop Volterra and visit Roman ruins and the Etruscan Museum, where an impressive collection of artifacts traces the rich legacy of this ancient civilization.
Day 8 – 09, October, 2025 – Civitavecchia, Italy/ Return Home
After breakfast, disembark in Civitavecchia, northwest of Rome, and transfer to the airport for your flight home.
*Please note: This itinerary is subject to change. In the spirit of expedition travel, plans may change slightly to take full advantage of encounters with the destination and its people, culture, and wildlife. This trip is operated through The Smithsonian Journeys/ PONANT Experience.
Meet Your Experts:
Stephen Clancy
Stephen Clancy is an art and architectural historian with special expertise in ancient, medieval, and Renaissance art and architecture. A popular Smithsonian Journeys Expert, he has led more than 20 tours and cruises through the Mediterranean region and northern Europe.
Stephen Clancy recently retired as Professor of Art History at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, where he taught for twenty-seven years. After receiving his Ph.D from Cornell University, Stephen taught the history of Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance art and architecture, as well as courses on visual persuasion and the rhetoric of art. His research career began with a focus on fifteenth-century French and Flemish illuminated manuscripts, specifically with works connected to the artists Jean Fouquet (about whom he has written a book, a book chapter, and several articles) and Simon Marmion (for which he received a 1995-96 Fulbright Scholarship in Brussels, Belgium). In addition he gave conference presentations on the role of ivory carvings within the political and economic spheres of the Byzantine empire.
Stephen also received grants from the Hewlett and Keck foundations in support of a project that investigated how technology can open up new avenues for understanding the architecture of the distant past. This culminated in his work with a team of students and faculty from the University of Melbourne in Australia on an interactive web-based undertaking entitled “Virtual Chartres Cathedral.”
In an effort to create a more inclusive curriculum, Stephen traveled to a number of medieval Jewish cultural sites in Spain, Germany, and France, where the past is being revived and reinvented in interesting and sometimes controversial ways. Out of this research he developed a course entitled “Jewish Imagery and Images of Jews.”
More recently Stephen refocused his work on interactions during the Middle Ages between Muslims, Jews, and Christians in the Mediterranean basin. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Australia National University in Canberra, investigating the roles that images play in shaping cultural identity, in a project entitled “Visualizing the Self and Others: Muslims, Jews, and Christians in Medieval Iberia.”
The academic pursuit he has enjoyed above all others is teaching and sharing his knowledge of art and architecture. He has served as a lecturer on numerous tours over the past twenty-seven years in the Mediterranean from Turkey to Spain, and in northern Europe from Scandinavia to Russia.
Southern France and the Italian Riviera
By Sea
October 02- 09, 2025
Rates:
Trip Package Rate Per Person: Approx.
Deluxe State Room: $6,360
Prestige Stateroom: $7,170 – $7,890
Deluxe Suite: $10,800
Prestige Suite: $14,450 – $15,900
Grand Deluxe Suite: $17,420
Owner Suite: $24,090
– Rates are per person and are based on shared accommodations
– Rates are approximate until the time of booking
– Rates are quoted in USD and subject to change without prior notice
– Rates are based on availability at the time of booking
International Airfare:
Expedition Easy does not make international air reservations and international air is not included in your quote. However, please do let us know if you would like assistance with booking your international air. We would be happy to put you in touch with our airline partner, Exito Travel to assist you with your international air reservation.
General Information:
– Medical Evacuation insurance is mandatory for travel with Expedition Easy and proof of purchase is required. Expedition Easy also strongly recommends purchasing a policy that includes trip cancellation /interruption coverage.
Deposit & Payments:
A completed & signed Expedition Easy Reservation Form, along with your 25% trip deposit and full regional and/or domestic air payment (if applicable) is required at the time of booking.
Reservations:
This itinerary is subject to the availability of all services at the time of making a reservation. No space is being held at this time. Please contact Expedition Easy for the full terms and conditions that apply. We are happy to answer questions and discuss your trip.
To reserve space on a trip on the Expedition Easy website, please contact Expedition Easy by calling 1-800-617-2319 or (206) 284-2319. Click here to e-mail the Expedition Easy Team.
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October 2-9, 2025
Operated by Ponant in collaboration with Smithsonian Journeys
