In spring of 2013, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises will add another extraordinary river cruise destination to their collection of itineraries: Italy.

Tours will take in the Po River and the Venice Lagoon.

The 13-day ‘Splendours of Italy’ itinerary combines a seven-night river cruise along the Po River and the Venice Lagoon with a two-night land stay in Florence and three nights in Rome. 

For those travellers, who only wish to do the cruise portion, Uniworld will offer a cruise-only option for eight days, ‘Venice & the Po River’.

Chris Fundell, Uniworld’s marketing manager stated: “We wanted to give travellers the option to do a cruise-only or a cruise and land programme offering additional time in two of the world’s best known and loved cities, Florence and Rome.”

Uniworld’s new Italy programme is designed to bring the region’s art, architecture, music, cuisine, landscapes, culture, and religious and political history together like pieces of an exquisite puzzle, creating an immersive and enlightening journey for each of their guests.

While guests will get to experience the “must see” memorable sights in the iconic cities of Rome, Florence, and Venice, they will also have the opportunity to venture off the beaten path, travelling to such places as Ravenna, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, and enchanting Verona, the home of literature’s most famous lovers Romeo and Juliet.

Guests will also be introduced to Italy’s distinctive culinary delights attending a pasta-making workshop in Bologna, the culinary capital of northern Italy.

Throughout the journey, they will indulge in the culinary flavours of the region—from crispy Roman pizza to creamy Venetian gelato and hearty Chianti.

Uniworld will be moving one of their award-winning boutique cruise ships, the River Countess, to Venice and the Po River in 2013.

The River Countess is being completely remodelled to reflect the spirit and heart of this great destination with all the elegant touches and finesse of a finely painted Italian masterpiece.