Itinerary

Day 1 Palermo
Upon arrival you will be met and taken to your hotel. Remainder of the day is at leisure to begin your exploration of the largest city in Sicily. This evening you will enjoy dinner at your hotel. Overnight Excelsior Mercure Palermo or Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa or Hotel Palazzo Sitano or similar.

Day 2 Palermo-Corleone-Ficuzza-Palermo
Buffet breakfast at your hotel and enjoy this special day dedicated to one of the most famous social phenomena in Sicily. Depart in the morning to the inland of Sicily and specifically to the area of Corleone, known for being the place where the Mafia phenomena was born but also known nowadays for being the place where the Mafia is firmly fought. You will participate in an interesting and cooking lesson: you will be able to prepare some of the most genuine and traditional Sicilian dishes. After the cooking lesson, enjoy a special lunch. After lunch, you will experience an interesting lecture on the Mafia. One of the inhabitants of Corleone, born in the UK, will present a fascinating discussion on the topic of the Sicilian Mafia but also explaining the origins and the way the Corleone inhabitants have taken steps to eliminate organized crime. Back to Palermo for overnight.

Day 3 Palermo-Monreale-Palermo
Buffet breakfast. Enjoy a morning tour of Palermo, a city full of character, featuring the Quattro Canti, a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Here you will admire a 12th century cathedral, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments. Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or take an optional tour with your tour director to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalu. In the evening, enjoy a festive dinner with delectable cuisine in a fashionable restaurant. Overnight in Palerma.

Day 4 Palermo-Segesta-Marsala-Trapani-Palermo
Buffet breakfast at your hotel and journey to Segesta, a large archaeological zone, with a magnificent Doric Temple, 420 B.C to 430 B.C., located within a beautiful and natural setting that ranks as one of the best preserved Greek architectural sites. Continue to the sea town of Marsala, re-discovered in the 18th century by English merchant John Woodhouse and known for its sweet wines. Visit a wine cellar and sample some Marsala wine during a special wine tasting session. Drive along Trapani’s coastline and stop for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant and return to Palermo. Dinner at a local restaurant and overnight in Palermo.

Day 5 Palermo-Agrigento-Taormina
Buffet breakfast at your hotel and depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a guided tour of the valley, dating back to the 5th century B.C. The poet Pindar described the site “as the most beautiful city built by mortal men”, The Doric style temples, all constructed within a century, face east, a standard criteria for both Greek and Roman temples so the statue of the god housed in each temple faced the rising sun. The best temple is that of Concordia (similar in design to the Parthenon in Athens) which is an almost perfectly preserved condition. Your local guide will highlight the history and architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure trove. After visiting the Valley of the Temples, resume travel to Taormina, where you arrive in the evening in time for an enjoyable and relaxing dinner at your hotel. Overnight at the Hotel Villa Diodoro or the Hotel Caparana or the Hotel Monte Tauro or similar.

Day 6 Taormina-Mt.Etna-Taormina
Buffet breakfast at hotel and morning walking tour of Taormina’s charming city center includes the Greek/Roman amphitheater, with its spectacular view of thde Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Enjoy an excursion to Mount Etna, till 1800 meters and visit the Sylvester Craters where you can enjoy the best views, as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on ancient volcanic eruptions. On the way back to Taormina, you are offered a once in a lifetime experience. You may take an optional “Godfather” tour featuring the authentic villages chosen by Francis Coppola for most of the scenes in the Godfather movies. This is a good way to explore the real untouched Sicilian countryside, local lifestyle and culture. Tonight you may experience dinner on your own in one of the many colorful restaurants of Taormina. Overnight in Taormina.

Day 7 Taormina-Syracusa-Taormina
Buffet breakfast at your hotel and experience an included excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this venerable city highlights the Archaeological Park, Greek Theater, Latomia del Paradiso and Cave of Dyonisius Ear. This evening savor a special Sicilian dinner with wine in a restaurant characteristic of this region. Overnight in Taormina.

Day 8 Taormina-End of Tour
After breakfast you will be taken to the Catania airport. You can extend your stay in beautiful Sicily or continue to Rome or Florence.

Additional nights in Palermo and/or Taormina available.