Special & Exclusives
As part of our commitment to offering you that little bit more we are delighted to introduce to you a collection of special events and exclusive arrangements for Voyages Jules Verne guests.
Special Events
A Taste of Madeira
This exclusive private arrangement for all Voyages Jules Verne clients includes a tour of the celebrated Blandy port wine cellars, with a complimentary tasting, followed by a short walking tour of Funchal’s old town. This exclusive arrangement is available on our 'The Garden Isle of Madeira' arrangement.
We offer, exclusively for all Voyages Jules Verne clients, a private helicopter ride over the beautiful city of Porto, giving a spectacular aerial view of the medieval centre and landmark bridges crossing the Douro River. This exclusive arrangement is available on our 'An Iberian River Journey' arrangement.
Italy - Evening in Palazzo Zeno
An optional evening at Palazzo Zeno (the former home of a Venetian Doge) including drinks and a live performance of opera arias, classical music and Italian melodies. This special event is available on our 'Venice from the Water' arrangement.
Italy - Cruise on Lake Como
Enjoy a late afternoon cruise on the lake by private launch. Sail past Varenna, Bellagio, Lenno and Balbianello before returning to the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia for an aperitif on the lakeside terrace (weather permitting) May-Oct only. This special event is available on the following tours:
Grand Hotel Menaggio
Grand Hotel Cadenabbia
Italy - A Visit to a Private Art Collector
An aperitif at the private home of an art collector in Assisi who will tell the story of St. Francis.
This special event is available on our 'In the Footsteps of St. Francis' arrangement.
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Italy - Syracuse Harbour Cruise
A sail around the ancient Island of Ortigia connected to the mainland by three bridges. Apr–Oct only (weather permitting). This special event is available on our 'Treasures of Sicily' arrangement.
For the journey to Pompeii and Herculaneum, Voyages Jules Verne has engaged a private ’old-timer’ train, the 60 year-old-‘Sorrento Express’, with light lunch and refreshments served on board. This is an optional excursion (£50) and prebooking is strongly recommended as places are limited.
Click here to view tours in Sorrento with optional excursion.
Turkey - Ottoman Dinner
A drink in a typical Ottoman house followed by a candlelit dinner in the vaulted dining room of an ancient 6th-century cistern. This special event is available on the following tours:
Grand Tour of Turkey
From Istanbul to Ephesus
Turkish Delights
Turkey - Istanbul Dinner
A candlelit dinner in the vaulted dining room of an ancient 6th-century cistern or a dinner on the roof-top of the Adamar Hotel, overlooking the old city. This special event is available on our 'From Kiev to Constantinople' arrangement.
Russia - Private Ballet Performance
Voyages Jules Verne has arranged exclusively for its guests a private gala ballet performance featuring artistes from the Mariinskiy (Kirov), Mussorgsky or other leading companies. Russian champagne and caviar is served during the interval. This special event is available on the following tours:
Russia Revealed
Treasures of the Hermitage
Russian Capitals
Egypt - Cairo by Felucca
We have arranged a private evening sailing by felucca, a traditional sailing boat, on the Nile through Cairo with food, wine and a traditional ‘Oud’ musician. This special event is available on the following tours:
A Few Days at the Pyramids
Pyramids & the Nile
Jordan - Petra by Night
This exclusive optional arrangement reveals Petra by candlelight. Enjoy Bedouin stories and music at the Treasury, then walk through the site (about 2 miles over sometimes uneven ground) for dinner at Petra’s only restaurant. Return to the hotel by bus. This unique arrange is available on the following tours:
Highlights of Jordan
Discover Jordan
Grand Tour of Jordan
Rum & Petra
St. Catherine's & Petra
Egypt - Private Reception at Luxor Temple
Those who rediscovered ancient Egypt in the 18th and 19th centuries enjoyed magical overnight stays and this has prompted us to arrange private evening access to the Luxor temple, enhanced by striking illumination, to savour the unique night-time atmosphere. A private reception has been arranged at the temple exclusively for the guests of Voyages Jules Verne. Enjoy a cocktail served by staff in pharaonic uniform at the illuminated Luxor Temple before strolling through the temple unimpeded by other visitors. A recording of Verdi’s Aida, once staged in the temple, will provide a musical background to the occasion and local musicians will play the Egyptian ‘takht’ music. This unique arrange is available on the following tours:
Royal Steamer Restored
Royal Egypt
Gift of the Nile
King Fuad's Nile Steamer
Serenade on the Nile
From the Pyramids to Abu Simbel
Pyramids & the Nile
A Grand Tour of Egypt
Two Grand Hotels
Syria - Dining in the Old Town
In Damascus, we have arranged a special dinner with music and dance in a traditional house, which is now a restaurant. This special event is available on the following tours:
Oldest Living Cities
Discover Syria
From the Apostles to the Crusades
Namibia - A Castle in Africa
A special dinner with wine tasting at the castle Hotel Heinitzburg, overlooking Windhoek. This castle was commissioned in 1914 and transformed into a privately owned hotel in 1996. This special event is available on the following tours:
Grand Tour of Namibia
Namibia & the Desert Express
India - Dance Performance
VJV guests will be invited to the Jaipur school for Kathak Kendra to enjoy a presentation of a classical dance, which derives from the dramas of Ancient India and has Persian influences from the 16th century Mughal Courts. Tea and coffee will be served. This special event is available on the following tours:
Images of India
Royal Cities of Rajasthan
India's Golden Triangle
The Hemis Festival: One of the Buddhist world’s oldest and most colourful celebrations. Ladakhis dress in their finest traditional costumes for two days of music and animated dance illustrating the struggle of good against evil. The itinerary will be changed to allow one day at the festival. Due to restricted space, visitors either stand or sit on the ground for the event. Dates are still subject to change. The Ladakh Festival: A 15-day cultural event with a programme of polo, archery, music and dance. This special event is available on our 'Ladakh 'Land of Many Passes'' arrangement.
Tibet - Namdeling Manor House
Visit Namdeling manor house, currently under restoration but open to our clients for a ‘preview’ visit (not yet furnished and may involve some stepladder climbing inside). Enjoy a picnic lunch and visit a Tibetan family house. This special event is available on our 'Ticket to Lhasa' arrangement.
This includes a Peking Opera performance, Peking Duck dinner, Acrobatic show, Tang Dynasty dinner show and a Tibetan folklore show. This special event is available on the following tours:
China the Beautiful
Images of China
The Original Yangtse
A Taste of China
Discover China Costa Rica - Sunset Cruise
A sunset cruise on the waterways of Tortuguero, with a complimentary cocktail. This special event is available on our 'Central America's Garden of Eden' arrangement.
Ecuador - Charles Darwin Lecture
There will be a special lecture on board the Galapagos Explorer to commemorate the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’, which was inspired by his visit to the Galapagos. This special event is available on the following tours:
Treasures of Ecuador
The Galapagos Explorer Argentina - Metro Line A
A short journey on the oldest underground line in South America. Opened in 1913, the wooden carriages on ‘Subte’ Line A date from the 1920’s and are an icon of the city. This special event is available on our 'In Patagonia' arrangement.
