Trip highlights
- 1Sagrada Família before the ship leaves Barcelona
- 2Pompeii ruins from Naples — still astonishing
- 3Valletta UNESCO city — smallest EU capital
- 4Athens Acropolis on the final day
- 5Cinque Terre cliff villages from a hillside path
Daily spend
Want this for your exact dates?
Live hotel prices, real-time flights, and weather for when you're going.
Been before? Re-book the same trip instantly with current prices.
Day-by-day plan
Barcelona — Embarkation
Saturday, April 10
Est. spend
$2080
per person
🌅 Morning
Barcelona pre-embarkation
Barcelona Cruise Terminal, Port Vell, Barcelona
Embarkation is typically at 2–5pm from Barcelona Cruise Terminal (Port Vell, next to the Columbus Monument). If arriving the day before: Sagrada Família, Park Güell, and La Boqueria are 30 minutes from the port by metro. Embarkation day morning: La Barceloneta beach walk or Barri Gòtic.
Book the Sagrada Família for the morning before embarkation — it's 20 minutes from the port by Metro. The Sagrada Família deserves 2 hours minimum.
☀️ Afternoon
Board the ship — Barcelona departure
Barcelona Cruise Terminal
The departure from Barcelona gives views of the Montjuïc castle, the Olympic harbour, and the city coastline. Explore the ship, book specialty dining, and watch the Barcelona skyline fade behind you.
Mediterranean cruise fares: from €500/$540 per person (inside cabin, 10 nights) on Costa or MSC; €1,200–2,500 ($1,300–2,700) for balcony cabins with sea view. Book 3–4 months ahead for best prices.
🍽️ Meals
Main Dining Room, ship
International · $0 · Included.
Marseille, France
Sunday, April 11
Est. spend
$120
per person
🌅 Morning
Notre-Dame de la Garde and Vieux-Port
Notre-Dame de la Garde, 13281 Marseille
Marseille's hilltop basilica (19th century, gold Madonna visible from the sea) gives the definitive view over the Mediterranean city and harbour. The Vieux-Port (Old Port) below has the morning fish market (Marché du Vieux-Port, Tuesday–Sunday 8am–1pm) — the freshest seafood in France.
Bouillabaisse (Marseille's signature fish stew, €45–65 per person) should be eaten at Chez Fonfon or Le Miramar — these are the restaurants worth the price. Avoid tourist trap versions near the port.
🍽️ Meals
Chez Fonfon, Vallon des Auffes
Provençal seafood · $55 · The original bouillabaisse restaurant in the hidden fishing village of Vallon des Auffes (15-minute walk from the Old Port). Reserve ahead.
Savona/Genoa — Cinque Terre
Monday, April 12
Est. spend
$130
per person
🌅 Morning
Cinque Terre day trip from Savona or Genoa
Cinque Terre, La Spezia Province, Liguria
The five cliff-edge villages of the Italian Riviera (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore) connected by cliff paths and regional trains. Best reached by train from Savona (1.5 hours to Riomaggiore).
The Cinque Terre Hiking Card (€7.50) covers the coastal path and the Cinque Terre National Park entry. Walk north to south (Monterosso → Riomaggiore) for the best light and views. The Vernazza harbour at lunchtime is the most photographed scene.
🍽️ Meals
Ristorante Gambero Rosso, Vernazza
Ligurian seafood · $45 · Harbour-edge restaurant in Vernazza. The anchovies (fresh, not tinned) and the trofie al pesto (the Ligurian pasta) are the correct orders.
Civitavecchia — Rome
Tuesday, April 13
Est. spend
$140
per person
🌅 Morning
Rome day trip from Civitavecchia
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Civitavecchia is Rome's cruise port — 80km from the city by train (1 hour, €6.70) or tourist bus (€25 return). Rome in a day: Vatican (book Sistine Chapel in advance), Colosseum (book online), Trevi Fountain (7am before crowds). The 4-hour window is tight — prioritise 2 sites maximum.
Book Vatican tickets at museivaticani.va and Colosseum at coopculture.it minimum 2 weeks ahead. Both have 2-hour queues without pre-booking. Ship's tours to Rome are 50% more expensive than independent travel.
🍽️ Meals
Supplì Roma, Piazza San Cosimato, Trastevere
Roman street food · $10 · The best supplì (fried rice balls with mozzarella) in Rome. A classic Roman street lunch eaten standing outside.
Naples — Pompeii
Wednesday, April 14
Est. spend
$130
per person
🌅 Morning
Pompeii from Naples
Pompeii Archaeological Park, Pompeii, Naples
Naples is 30km from Pompeii — the ancient Roman city buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The Circumvesuviana train (€2.80 from Naples Garibaldi) goes directly to the Pompeii Scavi entrance. Allow 3 hours minimum — the Forum, Via dell'Abbondanza, the Villa of the Mysteries, and the casts of the victims are the essential sections. Entry €22.
The Garden of the Fugitives has the most affecting display — 13 casts of people who died together, still in their final positions. The excavations continue — about 30% of the city is still unexcavated.
☀️ Afternoon
Naples pizza — the world's original
Via Cesare Sersale 1, Naples
Naples invented pizza in the 1800s — specifically the Margherita (1889, in honour of Queen Margherita of Savoy). L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele (Via Cesare Sersale 1) has been the benchmark since 1870. The menu has 2 items: Margherita and Marinara. Queue 30–45 minutes.
The pizza at Da Michele costs €6–8 and is the best value in European gastronomy. The dough is blistered by a wood oven, the San Marzano tomatoes are from the Vesuvius slopes, and the fior di latte is fresh that morning.
🍽️ Meals
L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele, Naples
Neapolitan pizza · $8 · The definitive pizza experience on earth.
Palermo, Sicily
Thursday, April 15
Est. spend
$120
per person
🌅 Morning
Palermo street food tour
Mercato del Ballarò, Palermo, Sicily
Palermo has the best street food in Italy — the morning Ballarò market (the largest daily market in Sicily) with sfincione (Sicilian pizza), panelle (chickpea fritters), stigghiola (grilled intestines for the brave), and arancini (fried rice balls). The Vucciria market at dusk has the liveliest atmosphere.
The Palermo breakfast: granita (semi-frozen fruit sorbet) with a brioche bun to dip into it. The almond granita with pistachio cream at Bar Touring or Caffe Spinnato is the most Sicilian morning.
☀️ Afternoon
Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina)
Piazza del Parlamento 1, Palermo, Sicily
The Norman royal chapel (1142) in the Royal Palace of Palermo — the finest example of Norman-Byzantine-Arab architecture in existence. The golden mosaic ceiling (all handmade Byzantine tesserae) is one of the most beautiful interiors in the world. Entry €12.
🍽️ Meals
Osteria dei Vespri, Palermo
Sicilian · $50 · The best Sicilian cuisine in Palermo. The swordfish caponata and the almond granita for dessert are standout dishes.
Valletta, Malta
Friday, April 16
Est. spend
$100
per person
🌅 Morning
Valletta UNESCO capital — St John's Co-Cathedral
St John's Co-Cathedral, Triq San Gwann, Valletta, Malta
Valletta is the smallest EU capital (8,000 residents) and the most concentrated UNESCO World Heritage Site — the entire city is a World Heritage Zone. St John's Co-Cathedral (1578) has the finest Baroque interior in Europe and Caravaggio's only signed painting (The Beheading of St John the Baptist). Entry €15.
Caravaggio painted 'The Beheading' (1608) for the Knights of Malta in the Oratory — it's the largest painting he ever made and arguably his greatest. The floor of the cathedral is covered in 400 marble tombstones of Knights.
☀️ Afternoon
Mdina and the Three Cities
Mdina, Malta / Three Cities, Malta
Mdina (20 minutes by bus from Valletta) is the 'Silent City' — the fortified medieval capital with no motorised traffic, limestone architecture, and views across Malta. Or: the Three Cities across the Grand Harbour (Birgu, Bormla, Isla) by ferry (€1.50) give the best view of Valletta from the water.
The Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) at sunset is the finest harbour view in the Mediterranean — HMS ships, traditional dghajsa water taxis, and Fort St Angelo across the water.
🍽️ Meals
Ta' Marija, Mosta
Maltese · $25 · Traditional Maltese food — bragioli (beef olives in wine sauce), ftira (Maltese bread rings), and rabbit stew (fenek, the national dish). 30 minutes from Valletta.
At Sea
Saturday, April 17
Est. spend
$50
per person
🌅 Morning
Sea day — Ionian crossing
At sea, Ionian/Mediterranean
The crossing from Malta to Athens takes 24 hours. Sea day activities: pool, spa, enrichment lectures, and the approach to Greece on the port side. The Peloponnese coast comes into view in the afternoon.
Sea days are for rest, planning, and recovering from intensive port days. Book any remaining Athens excursion through the ship or independently in advance.
🍽️ Meals
Ship dining — sea day specialty
International · $0 · Included.
Athens/Piraeus
Sunday, April 18
Est. spend
$120
per person
🌅 Morning
Athens — Acropolis and Acropolis Museum
Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Piraeus is Athens' port — 30 minutes by Metro Line 1 to Monastiraki (€1.40). The Acropolis (€30 combined ticket) in the morning, the Acropolis Museum after lunch. This is the most important archaeological site in Western civilisation — the Parthenon (447–432 BC) still exceeds expectations.
Book the Acropolis combined ticket online at etickets.ekt.gr. The 8am entry slot has the fewest people. The Acropolis Museum (open until 8pm) makes an excellent second half of the day after the heat peaks.
🍽️ Meals
Diporto Agoras, Athens
Greek · $18 · Underground taverna open since 1887 in the old Athens market. No menu — the chef tells you what he cooked today. The chickpea soup and baked lamb are the staples.
Athens — Disembark & Explore
Monday, April 19
Est. spend
$80
per person
🌅 Morning
Disembark and final Athens morning
Athens, Greece
Disembarkation by 10am. Airport transfer from Piraeus by Metro or taxi to Athens International Airport. If time allows before the flight: Plaka neighbourhood walk, the Monastiraki flea market, or coffee at Avocado on Nikis Street.
🍽️ Meals
Tzitzikas kai Mermigas, Mitropoleos
Greek modern · $25 · The best last meal in Athens — modern Greek mezze in a relaxed setting near the Cathedral. The taramosalata and grilled octopus are excellent.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
April–June and September–October: ideal Mediterranean climate (20–28°C), manageable crowds, and the best light for photography. July–August is very hot (35°C+ in Athens and Sicily) and the busiest cruise season.
🛂 Visas
The cruise visits Schengen countries (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Malta). UK, US, Canadian, Australian citizens all travel without visas to these destinations. A single passport covers the entire circuit.
💱 Currency
Euro throughout (all 8 port cities use the Euro). This makes budgeting simple — carry €500 per person in cash plus card for the entire cruise.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 112 (EU)
ambulance: 112 (EU)
coast guard: 10 (Greece), 1530 (Italy)
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- Ship's shore excursions cost 30–50% more than independently-arranged activities at the pier. The only advantage: the ship waits for its own excursions. For tight schedules (Rome, Pompeii), the independence risk is worth it if you pre-book everything online.
- Each port has a guaranteed re-boarding time — typically 30 minutes before departure. Missing the ship is an actual risk; the ship will leave without you. Keep the ship's telephone number and the port agent contact.
One thing worth not skipping
A 10-day trip to Mediterranean without insurance is a gamble. Medical emergencies, cancelled flights, lost luggage — cover yourself before you leave.
Comprehensive cover for 150+ adventure activities, medical evacuation, trip cancellation, and baggage. Recommended for most travellers.
Subscription-based travel medical insurance. Best for longer trips, digital nomads, or frequent travellers. Renews weekly or monthly.
Tripzeeker earns a small commission when you purchase — at no extra cost to you.
Was this useful?
Your rating helps us improve and tells other travellers what to trust.
How useful was this itinerary?
You might also like
More trips like Mediterranean in your inbox
Weekly hand-crafted itineraries, hidden gems, and travel tips. Unsubscribe anytime.