Viking Vela

Standard tours of Corfu run at a pace suited to those staying on the island, but if you’re passing through on a cruise ship, time is of the essence.

A private driver-guide shows you Corfu your way, typically the UNESCO-listed Old Town, the Paleokastritsa coastline and hilltop villages, on a half or full day.

Taste Corfu's Venetian-influenced food on a three-hour walk through the Old Town, with local snacks, sweets and drinks along with the history behind them.

Head down the coast to hilltop Taormina for its ancient Greek theatre and Corso Umberto, then up to the village of Castelmola for sweeping views of Mount Etna.

Ride a 4x4 up Europe's most active volcano to walk among craters and old lava flows, then taste Etna wines over lunch high on the mountain.

Eat your way around Messina with a local guide: arancini, focaccia messinese, granita and other Sicilian street food classics, adding up to a full meal.

A full day along one of the world's most famous coastlines, with time in clifftop Positano, Amalfi and Sorrento and photo stops at the best viewpoints on the coast road.

Walk the streets, villas and forum of the Roman city buried by Vesuvius with an expert guide who brings everyday life in 79 AD to life. A great half-day option.

Learn to make real Neapolitan pizza, and gelato for dessert, in the city where pizza was born, then sit down to eat what you made. Two hours, so it fits any port day.

The classic Tuscany port day: Renaissance Florence with its Duomo and Ponte Vecchio, plus the Leaning Tower in Pisa, with a local tasting along the way.

A private day on the Italian Riviera visiting the colorful cliffside fishing villages of the Cinque Terre, with time to wander, eat and take in the sea views.

Trade the crowds of Florence for Tuscany's medieval hill towns: Siena's shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and the stone towers of San Gimignano, with rolling vineyard views in between.

Take the wheel of a soft-top 4x4 and follow the coastal Route des Crêtes to the fishing village of Cassis and the limestone cliffs of the Calanques, stopping wherever the views call for it.

Paddle with a guide along the white limestone cliffs of the Calanques, slipping into hidden coves and stopping to swim in clear Mediterranean water.

See Marseille's Old Port and Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica, then head inland to stroll the fountains, markets and café-lined boulevards of Aix-en-Provence before returning to the ship.