Cruising with Collette

Over more than 100 years, Collette has built its reputation on high-quality, authentic experience tours.

But it also has “cruise-inclusive touring” — combining land and sea into one journey.

My pick of these combinations are:

+ Collette’s Nordic Discovery package, which is for 16 days and 15 nights in Sweden and Finland, and includes a five-night Hurtigruten cruise along Norway’s coast. It is currently from $13,999 per person (reduced from $14,499). In Sweden, there is time in Stockholm, Viking-era Sigtuna, and seeing the UNESCO-listed Gammelstad Church Town, with its red cottages. In Finland, travellers cross the Arctic Circle, eat grilled whitefish, meet huskies and learn about indigenous Sami heritage. In Norway they join a Hurtigruten cruise on the legendary Coastal Express, starting and ending in Bergen. The package includes seven accommodations and 33 meals.

+ The 10-day, 11-night Treasures of Egypt, which includes a seven-night cruise on the Nile. At the moment it is from $5049 per person (reduced from $5799). That includes seeing the Great Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza, and visiting Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Karnak. There’s a special evening when guests can dress up to join the fun at a traditional galabeya party. Guests wear a traditional Egyptian long, loose-fitting robe (called a galabeya) — and half the fun might be buying it locally. There’s also a sail on a felucca (wooden boat) in Aswan. The package includes three handpicked hotels and 26 meals. Travellers can also add three nights in Alexandria before the tour, for $1500.

+ See travel agents, gocollette.com or call 1300 792 196.