Day 1
(Sunday & Wednesday) Arrival in Palermo
Palermo Airport > Town
Welcome to the warm, beautiful and pleasant island of Sicily!
Upon arrival at Palermo Falcone-Borsellino Airport, please proceed through Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area.
Our italian-speaking driver will be waiting for you at the arrival department.
Then transfer to your hotel.
Day 2
(Monday & Thursday) Monreale and Palermo - half day
Today you are greeted at Palermo hotel and driven by taxi to Monreale to see with your expert Guide where the Arab-Norman art and architecture reached the pinnacle of its glory with the Dome (Admission fee: not included). Launched in 1174 by William II, it represents the scenes from the Old and New Testaments all in golden mosaics.
Later the taxi will drive you back to Palermo to continue your walking tour of the city center. Explore a large open air street market (Capo or Ballarò) that captures the flavor of Palermo’s Saracen Arab past. Enjoy a local street food tasting inside the market. Then continue by seeing “four corners” that converge Palermo at a quartet of baroque palaces left over from the heyday of Spanish rule dating from 1560, Piazza Pretoria and Via Maqueda.
The tour ends at Piazza Verdi (Massimo Opera Theatre square). Independent transfer to your hotel. This afternoon is at leisure.
Optional Tour Add-On
#1 - Cooking Class and dine with locals, half day PM
Day 3
(Tuesday & Friday) Marsala and Erice with lunch
Today departure for Erice uptown.
The Elymians settled in the medieval town of Erice, which was an important religious site associated with the goddess Venus. Wander through its ancient streets and visit some of the famous homemade pastry shops—world-famous for marzipan candies and other delicacies like almond and pistachio pastries. At arrival, independent walk along the city centre with recommended stop at local pastry shop to taste some Sicilian local sweet.
Enjoy a light lunch in a local Sicilian Olive Oil producer Farmhouse including tasting of mixed local products.
This afternoon, we drive along the scenic Salt Way Road to admire the beautiful Saltpans where the sea-salt is still produced following the old Phoenician tradition preserved during the century. We then continue onto Marsala, the Arab “Marsa Allah” –Harbor of God–, is known in the whole world for one thing: Wine!
The Marsala Wine comes from the western lands of Sicily and its name derives from the homonymous town. The Marsala is the oldest Italian DOC wine, with an average alcohol content of about 18 degrees.
Later we return to Palermo.
INFORMATION:
-Tour is Operated: Rain or Shine
-The order of the activities could be Reversed
-Group Size: minimum 2 people, up to 7 people
-Tour Scheduled: Tuesday and Friday, all year round
-Language: English
Day 4
(Wednesday & Saturday) Valley of the Temples and Roman Villa
Today we drive through the interior of Sicily to reach Agrigento to see the Valley of the Temples: two hours audio-guide independent walking tour on the Valley of the Temples an important Unesco World Heritage site covers the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Zeus.
Agrigento, according to legend, was founded by Daedalus and his son Icarus after they had fled from Crete “by air”. Historically, however, its origins date back to 582 B.C. when it was founded by Rhodian-Cretan colonist from the neighboring Gela who named their city Akragas after the nearby river. It rapidly increased in size, importance and military strength under Phalarides, the first tyrant, and later under Theron, who extended his way over northern Sicily as far as Himera.
This afternoon we then continue onto Piazza Armerina to enjoy an independent visit of the amazing Mosaics Floor at the Roman Villa of Casale, that belongs to the Unesco Heritage.
Built on the 4th century AD, the Villa was later forgotten and only in the 20th century excavations revealed the whole building. It is the supreme example of a luxury Roman villa (about 3500 square meters of floor mosaics) and was probably the residence of a member of the upper class of the Roman Empire. The mosaics discovered here are celebrated among scholars of antiquity. The visit inside the Roman Villa will be done independently. Every room has information boards.
Later we continue to Siracusa.
Day 5
(Thursday & Sunday) Siracusa and Ortigia, half day
Meet your Guide at your hotel --or directly in city center -- and transfer by taxi to the Archaeological Park that highlights the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Paradise Quarry.
Mediterraneo’s gem and cultural capital of Magna Grecia, the city offers a great variety of choices and attractions. It stands on the shores of south-eastern Sicily and shows different types of coasts: from jagged cliffs to beautiful beaches. The urban territory develops itself on the island of Ortigia and on the mainland; because of its geographic conformation, Siracusa presents a natural spectacle made of river valleys, coloured latomie and beaches that – together with archeological elements of undoubtable historical relevance – give birth to the unique beauty of the place.
Later taxi back to the center to start your guided walking tour strolling through the streets of Ortigia Island, the heart of the city center connected to the mainland by Umbertino bridge.
Siracusa that belongs to the Unesco heritage, was founded by colonists from Cornith in 735 B.C. and once the most important competitor to Athens. Admire the Dome in Baroque style, the Arethusa Fontain, the Maniace Castle (external view), the Temple of Apollo and the beautiful palaces around Ortigia.
This afternoon is at leisure to explore Siracusa on your own.
Optional Tour Add-Ons - PM
#1 -Ortigia Sunset Boat Tour with aperitif
Day 6
(Friday & Monday) Ragusa Ibla and Noto with chocolate
Today departure from Siracusa in direction of Ragusa Ibla. Our Team will offer you time at disposal to keep the feeling with this section of the town giving you direction to explore independently the old part of the city and an undisputed reality of Baroque art. Here you can admire numerous eighteenth-century churches and buildings and the Gardens. Soon after, you will discover another jewel of the Sicilian Gastronomy: the local Chocolate in Modica. This particular chocolate is made with a very old recipe, the one coming from the Aztecs. If you are wondering what the Aztecs have to do with Sicily, think about the Spanish conquistadors in South America and you will see that the same Spanish have dominated this island for a couple of centuries.
We then continue to Noto. In the Arab period the town was the capital of one of the three districts of Sicily (the Val di Noto) and once defeated by the Christians, Noto became a rich Norman city. Unfortunately, it was totally destroyed by the 1693 Sicilian earthquake and rebuilt in a new position nearer to the Ionian Sea. But the new Noto is a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque! Most of the buildings, including churches and noble palaces, follow one another along the main street and are characterized by the honey tonality of tufa stone.
Later we continue to Taormina.
Day 7
(Saturday & Tuesday) Taormina at leisure
Meet the Jeep WD4X4 driver at your hotel and departure for the amazing Mt. Etna, one of the highest volcano in Europe and most active in the world.
Giant Etna, is an UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013, the smoking volcano craters and the old and new lava flows are always an impressive experience for visitors.
Today we focus on the visit of the north side which has a vast pine-forest, many cycling trails, a series of fantastic hikes and is not crowded as much as the south side.
Departure for the Etna district where we will have the opportunity to see different landscapes and lovely villages which are located on the way to join Piano Provenzana –located at 1800 meters above sea level–. Here it’s possible give a look at the ex-Betulle hotel which has been partial covered by the lava due to the eruption dated 2002.
The area is amazing: green from the pine forest, dark from the lava stones and the lovely colours from the nature. Good smells indulge us to enjoy the area in combo with the amazing landscape.
The day will icnlude the opportunity to see the lava front of 2002 eruption, the effect of a lava Cave and a moderate hiking and see some of the side craters characterized by seven small, aligned eruptive cones (or “buttonholes”).
Enjoy lunch in a rustic restaurant: a delicious menu which includes a rich selection of starters (salami, cheese, vegetables of the season), a taste of pasta and dessert. Lunch will also include local wine and mineral water.
Later this afternoon we then return to your hotel in Taormina area.
Day 8
(Sunday & Wednesday) Taormina at leisure
Today is at Leisure to explore the town on your own.
Taormina has long since been Sicily’s most favourite resort town, perched on a coastal bluff that looks out to the Tyrrhenian Sea between Messina and Catania in the north east of the island. Its ancient narrow streets are full of little specialist shops, cafes and restaurants, which are an invitation to step into the spell cast by this intriguing town. The town’s history is vibrant and complicated and dates back to the Ancient Greek period. Taormina was settled in 395 BC by residents from the nearby city of Giardini- Naxos, Sicily’s oldest Greek established city dating back to 735 BC. Giardini Naxos was where the Greeks established their colony during their domination of Sicily.
Optional Tour Add-Ons
#1 - Cooking Class with lunch, half day AM
#2 - Boat Tour Experience, half day
#3 - Godfather village (independent visit: Savoca and Forza d'Agrò), half day
#4 - Godfather tour (visit: Castello degli Schiavi), half day
#5 - Taormina Walking Tour (guided visit: Greek Roman Theatre), half day
Day 9
(Monday & Thursday) Arrivederci
Time to say goodbye to Sicily.
Our italian-speaking driver will bring you from your hotel in Taormina to Catania airport.
Small Group Tour of Sicily, 9 days – up to 7 people
