Sicily: Culture and Gourmet Tour
Flight 8 days / 7 nights
Arrival at Catania Airport and welcome by the tour guide. Transfer to the hotel in or around Palermo. Check-in, welcome cocktail, dinner and overnight stay.
City tour of Palermo with a stroll through one of its colourful, Arab-influenced markets such as “Capo,” “Ballarò,” or “Vucciria.” Visit the Norman Palace with its magnificent Palatine Chapel and the 12th-century Cathedral. Continue to Monreale to admire the famous Cathedral with its golden Byzantine mosaics and the Benedictine cloister. Free time in the historic town centre. Tip: Optional Sicilian street food lunch — taste arancine, panelle, caponata and calzoni fritti amidst the vibrant atmosphere of the city’s markets.
Drive to Segesta to visit the remarkably preserved Doric temple and ancient theatre. Continue to Erice for a walk through its flower-adorned streets and visit a traditional pastry shop to sample the local almond delicacy, Ericini. Explore the Cathedral, the medieval Pepoli Castle and the scenic town park. Then enjoy a panoramic drive along the salt pans of Trapani with their picturesque windmills. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Tip: Optional rustic lunch featuring Pani Cunzatu — warm country bread topped with olive oil, anchovies, Sicilian cheese, tomatoes and oregano — a true island delight!
Drive to Cefalù, a charming seaside town on Sicily’s northern coast. Visit the Norman Cathedral with its golden Byzantine mosaics and the ancient Arab washhouse. Continue into the Madonie Mountains to Castelbuono for a stroll through this picturesque village. Optional tasting of “Manna,” known for its healing and detoxifying properties. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Tip: Optional visit to a prestigious winery in the Madonie region. Enjoy a wine tasting paired with regional antipasti — cured meats, cheeses, olives and bruschette — in a refined yet rustic Sicilian setting among the vineyards.
Drive to Agrigento for a guided tour of the world-famous Valley of the Temples, featuring the sanctuaries of Juno, Concordia, Zeus, Hercules, and the Dioscuri. Continue through Sicily’s scenic countryside to Piazza Armerina to visit the Roman Villa del Casale, renowned for its splendid mosaics, including the famous “Bikini Girls.” Travel on to your hotel in the Acireale area for dinner and overnight stay. Tip: Optional rustic Sicilian dinner in a countryside trattoria — enjoy bruschette, Pasta alla Norma, fresh fruit and local wine in an authentic rural setting.
Excursion to Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano. Drive by coach to the Silvestri Craters at about 1,900 m, with an optional ascent by special vehicles to around 2,900 m (weather permitting). In the afternoon, visit the world-famous town of Taormina, admired for its stunning views and its ancient Greek-Roman theatre. Stroll through the charming streets and perhaps visit Palazzo Corvaia. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Tip: Optional rustic lunch at a citrus estate on Etna’s slopes – enjoy Sicilian starters, grilled salsiccia, farmhouse bread, orange salad, crostata dessert and a glass of fiery Etna wine.
After breakfast, visit Catania, Sicily’s second-largest city, rebuilt in Baroque style after the devastating eruption of Mount Etna in 1669 and the earthquake of 1693. Walk along Via Etnea with its palaces and visit the Cathedral and the lively fish market. Continue to Syracuse, once the most powerful Greek city in Sicily, to explore the Archaeological Park “Parco della Neapolis” with its Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre and the famous “Ear of Dionysius.” Then stroll through the old town on Ortygia Island to see the Cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa. Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. Tip: Optional seafood lunch featuring pasta with mussels or swordfish, grilled fillets or fried calamari, salad and refreshing lemon sorbet.
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Catania airport and return flight home.