SICILY
ESCORTED TOURS

Day 1: Welcome to Palermo

After your independent arrival and transfer to your hotel, you'll meet your Tour Leader for a brief introduction. To kick off your adventure, indulge in a delightful Palermitan Welcome Dinner at one of the city's coolest restaurants, offering stunning views of the city center, including the iconic cupola of the Politeama Theatre. Enjoy the of Sicily as you soak in the breathtaking scenery!

Day 2: Palermo and Monreale Highlights on the way to Castelvetrano

Start the day embarking on a panoramic sightseeing walking tour, taking in the city's highlights. Proceedwith a walking tour of Palermo to enjoy a lively walk through the authentic historical open-air Market,where colours, aromas, and voices bring the city to life. Stroll along the elegant Corso Vittorio Emanuele,Palermo’s main pedestrian artery stretching towards the sea, and enjoy a relaxing pause in the charming Piazza Bellini, just steps from the iconic Quattro Canti. Later drive to Monreale, on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called Concad'oro --the Golden Shell--. Monreale forms its own archdiocese andis renowned for its Norman-Byzantine cathedral and stunning mosaics, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After independent lunch, guided visit of the Dome and the Cloister. We then depart for Castelvetrano and check into your hotel. Before dinner, visit of the organic farming, the owner ofthe estate since 1953, have always prioritized organic agriculture for the cultivation of olive trees and theyproduce a famous awards-winning olive oil, and indulge in a delightful oil tasting experiencea perfectwelcome aperitif. Independent dinner and Overnight.

Day 3: Valley of the Temples on the way to Favara

After breakfast, explore the enchanting Valley of the Temples in Agrigento with a local guide. Surrounded by blooming almond trees, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is the most impressivetestament to the grandeur of Magna Graecia. Here, ancient temples, necropolises, and sanctuariesblend harmoniously with the natural Sicilian landscape. After the visit, time at leisure for your independent lunch and to explore Agrigento on your own. This afternoon a short drive takes us to Favara, accommodation and dinner at hotel.

Day 4: Mosaics Floor at the Roman Villa on the way to Ragusa

Following breakfast, your day begins with a scenic drive through the heart of Sicily where golden hills andset the stage for a cultural immersion unlike any other. Arrive in Piazza Armerina, home to one of the most extraordinary Roman villas in the world. Guided by a knowledgeable local expert, you’ll uncover the hidden stories behind the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO-listed treasure famed for its astonishingly well-preserved mosaics. After the visit, continue your journey toward Ragusa, the jewel of the Val di Noto. 

Day 5: Modica Aztec's Chocolate and Ragusa Country Meal Experience

Breakfast at hotel. Then, Modica is our first stop: stroll through the old town and explore the majestic Chiesa di San Giorgio. Modica is also famous for its chocolate, produced with the original Aztec recipe, which gives asense of the historical interconnections between Sicily and the New World. Here we'll visit a special company where young mothers led by “Aunt Lina” bake cakes, biscuits,with chocolate or almond paste, to emancipate themselves from a difficult past. Entering the“Bottega”,you can breathe the air of the old craft shops, where you certainly work with very intense rhythms, butalso exchange words and smiles, jokes and news. Then we will visit a family-run farm, breeding brothers for 4 generations, passionately carries out thework of their ancestors, producing Buffaloes’ Cheese. In 2005 they also started breeding buffaloes in Sicily, thanks to their tenacity and philosophy as breeders, they can guarantee their animals anextraordinary quality of life. And that same quality, we find today in the milk, mozzarella and meat thatthey work every day, for our pleasure and satisfaction. We will visit the breeding, have a look to thestables, see the dairy and finally enjoy a “tasting menu” made of a selection of dishes self-produced onthe farm. In Ragusa Ibla, we will take the rest of the day to wander the town at your own pace. • Return to the hotel, Independent dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Noto, Almond Grower and Archaeological Park on the way to Siracusa

Today we drive to Noto. This small town in the south-east was founded again in the 1700’s. It is theheart and at the same time the starting point for a visit to the valley of the Sicilian Baroque. Its cathedral,also perfectly raised and rebuilt again after 10 years of difficult work, was included in the UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites. Proceed to Noto’s countryside where we will meet an almond grower, the raw material of many sweet Sicilian recipes, who will explain us the secrets of this special fruit. Here we will have a light lunch. This afternoon we drive to Siracusa and visit of the Neapolis with a local guide. Impressive, solemn with its thousand-yearold history. It may happen that, while sitting on the big stone steps of the Greek Theatre -one of thebiggest in the world, entirely carved into the rock- you hear the voices of the great Greek heroes,Agamemnon, Medea or Oedipus, even if there are no actors on the stage. Accommodation at the Hotel • Independent dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Ortigia

After breakfast, orientation walking tour with your tour leader and free time to explore Ortigia, island of Siracusa, with its stunning Piazza Duomo, one of the most beautiful squares in Italy! Surrounded bymagnificent baroque palaces it is the core of the civil and religious life of Ortigia, the ancient city of Siracusa, a UNESCO heritage. Stop: take a break, sit down for a drink and enjoy the atmosphere! Time at leisure. Independent diner and overnight at hotel.

Day 8: Mt. Etna and Wine Experience on the way to Castiglione di Sicilia-Mt. Etna

Drive to Mount Etna up to 1900 mt a.s.l. to Rifugio Sapienza. Optional extension to reach by cable way and special 4x4 off roads busses the base of the summit region at 2900m above the sea level. The highestactive volcano in Europe dominates the entire region with its impressive size. Its spectacular eruptions, thefiery lava flows, has always aroused the interest of scientists and the curiosity of visitors from all over theworld. A unique destination for summer hikers are the visits to the active craters in the summit areas. The Etna region is even famous for its quality wine, so we will visit one of the best wineries, to enjoy this extraordinary product of volcanic soil. Guided tastings and dishes of the Etnean kitchen paired with wines.A unique and charming tasting experience. Later, proceed to the Hotel and Accommodation • Independent dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Taormina and Farewell Dinner

Today departure for Taormina. In the 1800s, after that Goethe praised its beauty throughout Europe, mentioning it in his book Italian Journey, Taormina became a mandatory stop on the GrandTour – the long journey made in continental Europe, started by the young British aristocracy of thetime to enrich their own culture. Today, it is a tourist capital of Sicily, and many travellers enliven itsstreets throughout the year. The ancient Greeks found the pairing of Etna and the bay of Naxos, witha wonderful view that when the air is clear can reach the coast of Calabria. The Ancient Theatreis,surely, the main monument of the city, not only for its intrinsic artistic value, but also for the sceniclocation in which it is placed. The view enjoyed from up there is even defined as the view parexcellence. The one that is not to be missed when in Sicily, a guided visit of the Theatre will enrichyour soul. Orientation walking tour with your tour leader and free time to explore. This afternoon return to the hotel. Farewell Dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Arrivederci!

Following breakfast independent transfer to Catania airport or Optional Post-Tour available on request.