Monte Carlo to Rome Ultra Luxury Voyage

Perhaps no port of call is better designed to welcome a luxury yacht than Monte Carlo, where some of the most splendid vessels in the world make their home. At this playground for the rich and famous, the only thing more spectacular than the yachts filling the harbor are the luxury cars driving the winding streets that host the annual Grand Prix. Verdant mountains ascend abruptly behind the lavish high-rises lining the bay, and perched on the cliff is the Palace of the Prince, where the Changing of the Guard attracts onlookers each morning at 11:55. The nearby Cathedral of Monaco holds the tomb of beloved Princess Grace and other royalty. Prince Albert I founded the city's remarkable oceanographic museum, once curated by Jacques Cousteau, and Prince Charles III established the elaborate Monte Carlo Casino, where high rollers try their luck and James Bond famously sips his martinis.

Famous worldwide for its annual Cannes Film Festival, this French Riviera resort town attracts the rich and famous to its beaches and sophisticated scene. The Promenade de la Croisette is the place to see and be seen. This broad pedestrian walkway along the beach is lined with designer boutiques, grand hotels and fancy restaurants. So famous is La Croisette, that many miss the other side of Cannes. Tucked up in the hills is Le Suquet, the historic quarter. Wander along its cobblestone streets and enjoy views of the city below. Not far from Cannes are the casinos of Monte Carlo and the birthplace of the French perfume industry at Grasse.

With growing popularity as a beach resort, this small town on the northwest coast of Corsica is a delight to visit. Walk along the lively beachside promenade where you'll find restaurants, bars and shops. A 15th-century citadel built by the Genoese takes its place of prominence on the hilltop above the town, affording spectacular views of the harbor below. Visit Eglise Sainte-Marie, a charming pink church, and Notre Dame de la Serra, a 19th-century chapel. You'll see a plaque that commemorates the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, but the claim is controversial. For natural wonders, take a boat tour of the beautiful rock formations of the Scandola Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Medieval hilltop towns spread out across the undulating countryside where tall, slender cypresses march like sentinels past rolling vineyards. Iconic names like Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile are celebrated the world over, but the art and architecture of Tuscany may be the regions biggest draw. Just a few hours from Livorno, you can visit Florence: the cradle of the Renaissance, beloved by great thinkers like Dante and Galileo, and utterly captivating. Wandering the streets and museums, youll meet da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many other great masters of the Renaissance. Or set out to explore the other medieval towns that are sprinkled across the hills of Tuscany and prized for their own essential beauty: Pisa, Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano any town will do.

This postcard-perfect destination, with its pastel-colored houses encircling the port, may be one of the most photographed in all of Italy. If you can take your eyes off the scenery, there is much to explore in and around Portofino. The 12th-century Church of St. George and the medieval Castello Brown both afford spectacular views of the harbor. A long, scenic hike or a short boat ride takes you to the restored 11th-century abbey in San Fruttuoso. Northwest of Portofino lies Genoa, filled with museums, palaces and the grand Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Portofino is also only an hour away from famous Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage site of five colorful villages built into the cliffs overlooking the sea.

Loved by Italian urbanites yet little known outside Rome, this insider escape on the Monte Argentario peninsula is a harbor of bobbing mega-yachts and restaurants that rival the mainland. Steep cliffs tumble into crystalline seas and secret coves, all presided over by the 17th-century Spanish-built Fortezza Spagnola. Venture out to explore Argentario's hidden bays and headlands, looking for Roman-built villas as you take in the view to islands in the distance, the start of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park.

An amazing amalgam of sights and sounds, Rome is a kinetic tapestry stimulating every sense. The ring of church bells and honks of early morning traffic echo off the weathered stone of ancient buildings. Office workers dash past fruit stands and sidewalk cafes in the shadows of elegant palace facades. Meanwhile, tourists make their way from piazza to piazza, monument to monument, church to church: the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica. From the sculptures of the ancients to Michelangelos Sistine Chapel frescoes to the Baroque fountains of Bernini, Romes art and architecture are unsurpassed. Here the day-to-day life of a busy European metropolis intermingles with many of the most recognizable monuments ever created. Rome belongs not only to Italy, but to the world.