Best Cultural Cruises
Do you enjoy cruises? Relaxing on a boat, filled with all the entertainment you want should you choose to access it, being carried effortlessly to many different, spectacular destinations whilst you sleep? Or is a cruise something you’ve always fancied but not got around to doing yet?
Whether you’re new to cruises or just looking for one that’s a bit different to the ones you’ve been on before, you should check out our list of cultural cruises that will give you a taste of all the very best that a cruise holiday has to offer.
1. Ancient Egypt (10 nights)
What better way to see Ancient Egypt – the pyramids, the mummies (mostly in the Cairo museum, but one or two still in situ), the hieroglyphics, the sphinx… Cruising down the fabulous River Nile, the longest river in the world, stopping off to experience these artefacts and architectural masterpieces or try a camel trek into the desert, is something you’ll never forget.
A cruise will take you to Cairo, Giza (for the pyramids and sphinx), Luxor (for the Temple of Karnak), the Valley of the Kings (King Tutankhamen’s tomb) and more.
As with all cruises, the excursions on offer are there for you to choose to do or not to do – you might want to just relax on the boat or the beach for the day instead of visit a particular site, the choice is yours. You’ll also have the benefit of information and education from a qualified Egyptologist to further your knowledge of what you’re seeing.
2. Cultural China and Tibet (7 nights)
See the fascinating history associated with these countries; visit Shanghai, Beijing, Xi-an, the Forbidden City. See the Great Wall, the Terracotta Army, and experience the Yangtze River close up. Or take a hike up the Himalayas to see the tiny villages, temples and monasteries
3. Moscow to St Petersburg (9 Nights)
This is an extremely popular destination for experienced and novice cruise-travellers. Many people want to see Russia in person, since it is so different from what we are used to and seems so utterly exotic. But it can seem a bit daunting to travel independently, and few travel agents offer good deals for packages to the country. So a cruise seems like an ideal way of seeing Russia in all its glory.
See the Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre (go and see the ballet if the timing is right – an experience not to be missed if possible), the Kremlin and the Winter Palace.
4. Venice (7 nights)
Venice is an amazing part of the world to visit. Where else do you have to take water-taxis or water-buses instead of cars to nip to the shops or pop to the cafe? It is arguably the most romantic place in the world, and you can buy really beautiful souvenirs like Murano glass from the Murano island glass-blowing shops, or visit neighbouring Burano just to look at the picturesque, pastel-coloured houses. If you time it right, why not go for an evening of first-class opera whilst you’re there?