Top European Cruise Shore Excursions: Northern Europe & Mediterranean

Planning a European cruise and overwhelmed by shore excursion choices? Travel advisors Ryan and Julie break down the must-do tours and activities at Europe's most popular cruise ports. From Norwegian fjords to Greek islands, discover how to maximize your limited time in each destination and choose experiences that match your travel style.

Northern Europe Ports:

• Edinburgh, Scotland - Royal Mile walking tour with National Gallery visit featuring Da Vinci and Rembrandt
• Lisbon, Portugal - Historic neighborhood exploration including 10th-century cathedral and cobblestone cafes
• Oslo, Norway - Traditional wooden boat fjord cruise with Akershus Fortress visit (dating to 1299)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands - GPS-guided tour to Volendam and Marken windmills with Dutch cheese-making demonstration
• Copenhagen, Denmark - Segway waterfront tour past Gefion Fountain and Royal Opera House with Danish pastry tasting

Mediterranean & Central Europe Ports:

• Barcelona, Spain - Montserrat Monastery combined with Sagrada Familia and Park Güell tour
• Athens, Greece - Acropolis visit with Temple of Zeus, Tomb of Unknown Soldier, and Plaka free time
• Naples, Italy - Amalfi Coast day trip to Positano, Amalfi, and Sorrento
• Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - Full-day Rome tour including Colosseum, Vatican City, and Trevi Fountain
• Dubrovnik, Croatia - Old Town walking tour with panoramic views and Game of Thrones filming locations
• Mykonos, Greece - Coastal panoramas, Oia village, windmills, and Little Venice exploration

Expert Tips

Learn why European cruise ports make perfect "sampler trips" for planning future extended vacations. Discover which ports require longer transit times and how to balance guided tours with free exploration time. Plus, hear why some excursions work better for families versus couples.

Perfect for first-time European cruisers and seasoned travelers looking to optimize their port days on Northern Europe or Mediterranean itineraries.

Next Episode: Walt Disney World's Four Park Challenge

Transcript

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 0:00

Hello and welcome to all things Travel. Cruising is a great way to experience multiple countries or cities in Europe without transferring hotels or packing and unpacking all your bags. If you're planning a European cruise, there's a good chance you're choosing your cruise based just on the port stops. So today we're sharing our top shore excursions for your cruise through Europe.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 0:26

listen in with travel advisors and destination experts. Ryan and Julie, I'm your travel professor teaching you everything you need to know to have a magical vacation, and she's a Disney loving Maryland mom of three and a specialist in family travel. Whether we're discussing incredible destinations, top vacation tips, or sharing personal stories, it's always all things travel.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 0:50

last week we did an episode about the top Caribbean short excursions.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 0:54

yeah.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 0:55

we thought, let's kind of go into Europe and. are so many stops you can do on European cruises, right? You can go up north, you can go a little more central, you can go to the Mediterranean and a lot of those ports, there's the really popular ones and then there's some smaller ones, there's usually a lot of options for things to do when you only get one day in that city. So we thought, let's run through the shore excursion that you should pick for those cities and we're

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 1:24

Yeah.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 1:24

focus on The highlight cities, the really big ones, that are a lot more common. But if you are on a cruise that is going to a smaller port, or one of those more unique cities that not a lot of cruises stop at, we are happy to help you choose an excursion for that too.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 1:41

Yes, because, sometimes as we'll talk about some of these today, Just because you're stopping at this port doesn't mean you can't go into Paris, or you can't go into Rome. or you can avoid those larger places and explore, things around the countryside. Really mapping out and planning what you want to do with this type of cruise. Kind of like an Alaskan cruise, I would say, is really, really important. So let's focus on Northern Europe first. Julian, let's do Edinburg, which is in Scotland. So Edinburgh, I want to talk about the highlights of Edinburgh tour. You're gonna visit a beautiful St. Giles cathedral. Bustling Royal Mile and other notable landmarks, making your trip unforgettable. I actually had a, a mother and two daughters, 11-year-old daughters, do a British Isles cruise and, and they did a walking, like a haunted walking tour of the, of the Royal Mile and just absolutely loved it. So on this tour, you're going to gain, unique insights into masterpieces of Da Vinci, Rembrandt and others at the renowned. National Gallery, so that sounds like a really good cultural day to soak it all in when you're in Scotland.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 2:56

Yeah. And something that I always think about with these cruises that go to Europe and you just get one day in each of these cities is it's a really good sampler to then think where do I wanna go back

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:09

Yes, yes. I had such a good,

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:11

these excursions.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:13

yeah, I had such a good time. you know, in this area of my cruise, I definitely want to go back. What's next?

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:20

So next is Lisbon, and this is in Portugal. and this is the Lisbon Highlights tour. You're gonna explore the eclectic neighborhoods of Lisbon, including Portes de Soul, and Naza Ro de Monte.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:34

Okay.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:35

You're gonna see a majestic 10th century Lisbon cathedral and walk along the cobblestone streets to visit quaint cafes in Lisbon's, oldest city. You'll also make your way to some historic towers, monasteries, and see how Lisbon grew during their age of discoveries long ago.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 3:57

Sounds great. So you'd really come away understanding that city and how you might come back and add it to a full vacation. Alright, so Oslo is next. Now I do wanna throw in here, remember a few weeks ago when we talked about, ancestry trips

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 4:14

Yes.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 4:15

I had said that I was pretty sure I had Scandinavian. ancestry and that would be kind of my travel focus. Well, so I had actually some blood work done as part of my normal health physical, and they had an option to add an ancestry portion to that blood work. And Julie, you will be shocked to know that I am 99.1% European with the focus on Northwestern. Ancestry in Europe, so I am smack dab in Scandinavia. There's no doubt about it.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 4:53

All right, well this is on your list then.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 4:55

So in Oslo, I want to do a Fjord sightseeing cruise. witness the breathtaking beauty of Oslo's fjords on a unique fjord sightseeing cruise. With a traditional wooden boat, immerse yourself in the rich history of Ker Castle, a robust fortress that dates back to 1299. yes, this is exactly what I want to do when I'm in this area.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:21

Now if cruising to Norway is not in your immediate future timeline, I recommend heading over to Epcot, where you can board a wooden boat

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:34

where we can board a wooden bow and then have Valencia

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:37

then

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:38

er shoes. It's, it's,

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:40

so funny how well it paralleled

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:43

Yeah.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:43

of Norway.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:45

It's similar,

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:46

They

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:46

Alright. I love this next city so much. What can we do there?

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 5:52

next up is Amsterdam, and this was a cool tour option because you're gonna go to Volland Dam Marking and the windmills on a GPS tour. you have some flexibility, but you also have, guided. Like navigation to tell you number one, where you're going, but it also is an audio guide to tell you what you're seeing as well.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 6:12

Love it.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 6:12

you're gonna explore the 18th century windmill industrial area, watch a demonstration of Dutch cheese making, which I feel like that should sell you right there.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 6:23

Yep.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 6:24

capture memories of antique mansions, beautiful churches charming houseboats and all those things I feel like are so unique to Amsterdam.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 6:34

Yes, and it gets you out of the city a little bit. So you're gonna be seeing Amsterdam, but then you can also get out of the city, see how people live in more of the countryside. I absolutely love it. Next, We are going over to Copenhagen and doing a segue tour where we're gonna revel in the beauty of the waterfront Passing key highlights, such as the Gian Fountain and the Royal Opera House. We're gonna admire renowned architecture and sample traditional Danish pastry. we're gonna go to a cafe in the heart of the city and sample some goodies there. I absolutely love it. These are all really good options for a northern European cruise, and obviously there's a lot more that we could talk about, but we wanted to hit some of the key points before we go on to the Mediterranean. Julie, I wanna talk about where in the world is wonder and beyond.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 7:29

Alright, so this one is. way different than anything we're talking about today. And I wanna highlight trips that I've had over the past week and that are coming up in the next week as well. And that is all of my trips to Walt Disney World. For the Mickey's not So Scary Halloween party,

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 7:50

Very cool.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 7:51

time to visit, and I've gotten such great feedback from my clients who are, going to experience this and go to the Boot to You Parade and all those super fun things and trick-or-treating amount, magic kingdom. if that's something that interests you, October, 2026 is available for booking.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 8:09

Alright, so let's talk about Central Europe and focus on the Mediterranean. The first spot here is Barcelona. I've been to Barcelona, not on a cruise, but on part of, a study abroad trip that I led several years ago. It is a fabulous city and what I love about it is where you port, you are super close. A quick taxi ride, a quick, subway ride. Right into the heart of the city. with the Barcelona and Montserrat tour. Montserrat is a monastery that's a little farther out of the city, but still very accessible. You're gonna experience the awe-inspiring monastery of Montserrat. You're gonna explore Barcelona's iconic landmarks such as the La Ci Grata Familia, which is a must. And as part of that, you're gonna go to Gaudi's Famous Park g Gu. And anytime you see pictures from Barcelona, I guarantee it's one of those places you're also gonna Visit the Plaza Espania. An impressive gateway to the magic fountain of JE and the Emblematic National Palace. So many cool things to see in Barcelona. So much good food. This would be a fabulous day.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 9:25

And sometimes Barcelona and many of the other ones we're gonna talk about in this Mediterranean section, a lot of times the cruise embarks from here, so you

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 9:34

Yeah.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 9:34

extra days and,

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 9:35

Yes, absolutely. I've planned a trip like that for folks where, they spent a few days in Barcelona before the trip cruised, then spent a few days in Rome after the trip. So it was a perfect kind of bookends, if you will.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 9:47

so next up is Athens. many Mediterranean cruises now are doing a lot of stops in Greece, so we wanna make sure we highlight that country as well. This is the exclusive Athens with free time in Placa Tour, and you're gonna witness iconic sites like The Temple of Zeus, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the former Royal Palace. You can visit the Acropolis. Double check the excursion you book. Sometimes tickets are included and sometimes they aren't. you're also going to indulge in a traditional Greek pita suv.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 10:21

It is perfect. Absolutely. And again, all of that stuff is relatively close so you can accomplish this easily in an afternoon. if you do nothing else. Go to the Acropolis, go to the Acropolis Museum, walk down one of the streets close there, and you can pick up a Slovak and you can walk right to the palace to see the changing of the guards. the Placa, which is the old part of Athens, it's just a really good place to, to walk around Sightsee and uh, shop

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 10:51

And that's why I liked this excursion because you did get that free time, at the end of the

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 10:57

Yeah,

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 10:57

to explore whatever else you wanted to explore.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 11:01

Next is Naples, and on this tour we are going to explore the Amalfi Coast. So explore iconic towns Positano, Amalfi and Sorento craft your own itinerary with opportunities to dine and shop, and then spend free time in Panos pedestrian area. it's just a way to kind of. Make sure that you're seeing the things you wanna see, but you also have time to relax and experience it. with this tour, they're taking you there, giving you a way to spend time there and then they're bringing you back. sometimes that's all you need when it comes to a shore excursion.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 11:39

Yeah, a lot of the options in Naples are also gonna give you the option to do a stop in Pompeii, and that just felt like a lot to do in one shore excursion. you don't always have a ton of time off the ship, so you really wanna be mindful of how much you're doing especially. if you're going with a family, if kids are gonna last that long.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 12:02

Right.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 12:04

All right, so next up is Akia, which is Italy. a lot of ships either stop here or embark from here. This is the best of Rome excursion where you can go and explore the ancient ruins of Rome, including the Colosseum. see everything from the founding hills to the iconic Vatican City and have an expert guide. Make a Wish at the world renowned Trevi fountain. And then you do have some flexibility that if you wanted to purchase a ticket to go into St. Peter's Basilica or just wander around the area, you have the flexibility to do that. Ryan mentioned earlier that a lot of the ports, were easy to access the town, and this one is a little bit of a drive.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 12:49

this would be a very long day, but if you have not been to Rome and you want to see these sites, you will come away with pictures and experiences galore.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 13:00

for sure.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 13:02

So next is Dubrovnik in Croatia, and it is a hot, hot port stop. people are excited to go to Dubrovnik, to the old town. discovering Dubrovnik and Old Town Tour, drinking the panoramic views of the harbor, the Peninsula, and Spring River amia, which is the city's lifeblood, ascend for stunning vistas of old town locum island and historic kafta while learning captivating tales of Fort Imperial and Dubrovnik. You may not be as familiar, but if you see pictures it looks a lot like, Game of Thrones.'cause they, they, they filmed some of the stuff there. So definitely checking out Old Town is what you want to do. on your first cruise visit to Dubrovnik.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 13:51

And I will say I personally don't know a ton about Croatia and Dubrovnik, but it is a very popular port stop or even land trip right now. looks a lot like Italy, so a lot of people will kind of tag team those trips together and it's supposed to be very, very beautiful. Okay. Last port stop we're gonna highlight is Konos in Greece, one of their islands off the coast of Greece. We're gonna talk about the highlights of Konos Tour, where you'll enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the coastline and de Los Island. yourself in Greek culture at the charming village of Omera and visit the historic monastery there. And maybe the best part is strolling through the town's, pictures, streets, seeing the iconic windmills, and exploring little Venice. I know you've been Ryan, you rave about it.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 14:43

it is one of those places. Yes, it is very touristy but there's also ways to get away from that if any place has the hashtag no filter needed. the day that I was there, I was on a cruise, It looks exactly as it does in the pictures. the whitewashed walls the pink flowers and the blue accents around. it is unreal to see a place like this. Going out on a tour like this, then finding a place to stop and have a drink, have a lunch, and just kind of soak it in literally and figuratively is the perfect way to experience a place like Menos.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 15:21

Agree. That sounds amazing. we ran through a lot of

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 15:26

Yeah. Yeah.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 15:27

If you were to book a European cruise today, Ryan, what port or shore excursion would be top of your list?

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 15:35

Well, I would focus, and some of this is'cause I've been to a lot of the places in the med. So, I would definitely go northern. and definitely, you know, I'm gonna stick with it. I think, doing Scandinavia, going up to Norway and different places like that. Maybe doing a, I I've been working with folks doing an Amsterdam round trip up into Norway, and that just to me sounds perfect.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 15:57

it does.'cause you kind of get that taste of Amsterdam again, but then get to see all the Scandinavia, how, how amazing s.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:05

How about you, Julie?

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:06

I know this is gonna sound surprising, but I'm gonna stick with those Italy ports.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:11

we are not surprising today. Neither of us.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:15

so we've talked about before how I had a Disney Mediterranean cruise booked for summer of

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:19

Yep.

j_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:21

we actually just decided to push it back to 2027, and I'm really hoping that Naples is on the itinerary. I don't need to see Pompeii on this cruise, but what I do wanna do is go down to the Amul coast and see that area because it just looks so unique and beautiful.

ryan_1_10-06-2025_111519: 16:38

Okay, very cool. The world is full of wonder and your next great adventure is waiting at Wonder and Beyond Travel. We work with you to create a one of a kind journey, taking the stress off your plate so you can focus on the joy of exploring and the memories that will stay with you forever. If you're ready to start planning or you just wanna dream a little bigger, head on over to Wonder and Beyond travel.com. We would love to help you get started. We look forward to talking to you next week on All Things Travel. When we discuss a Disney World Rite of Passage, the four Park Challenge.