Meals included: breakfast and food-tasting

 Accommodation: Palermo 

After an excellent breakfast, our Western Sicily & Taormina Tour focuses on Palermo’s intricate history and art legacy, a unique outcome of centuries of conquerors and influences layered on the island.

We discover on foot the Martorana Church and the vibrant and rowdy Capo food market. As we reach the bustling Quattro Canti intersection, Palermo surprises with the mix of Arab, Norman, and Byzantine architecture, next to the imposing Neo-Classical Opera House.

Our expert local guide alternates back alleys and hidden gems in an engaging walking tour with some stops to taste Palermo’s traditional street food.

In the afternoon, a 30-minute drive takes us to the northern outskirts of Palermo, up to the town of Monreale where in 1172, Norman King William II started the construction of a stunning cathedral.

Our local guide will help read the golden mosaics covering the cathedral’s interior, among the most extended and precious of the Mediterranean.

Back in Palermo, enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner on your own.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

 Accommodation: Trapani ‘s countryside 

After checking out, we drive west to Alcamo’s wine region where a restored fortified farmhouse opens the doors to their cellar and production facility.

We partake in a tasting of Indigenous grape varietals like the Catarratto used for the Alcamo DOC wine. Pairing wines with homemade food, our lunch is a convivial and educational journey with the flavours of Western Sicily.

The Salt Pans Of Trapani And Marsala

Later, we continue to the shores of the Stagnone’s lagoon where our local guide shares stories and fun facts about the ancient tradition of producing salt in this stretch of coast exposed to hot sun and strong winds. As we sail on a private boat, take in the view of the shallow salt pans and their restored windmills as we reach the preserved small island of San Pantaleo.

We step into the archaeological excavation of Motya, once a powerful city built by the Phoenicians, one of the earliest civilizations of the Mediterranean.

In the late afternoon check in at a boutique resort with gorgeous views over the coastline of Western Sicily with the Aegadian islands, the bay of San Vito Lo Capo, and Mt. Erice in the background.

Relax at the pool or take a walk in the garden of this quiet retreat in the province of Trapani.

Tonight we enjoy a group dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

Meals included: breakfast and lunch

 Accommodation: Trapani ‘s countryside 

A short drive takes us to the port of Trapani from where a high-speed ferry transfers us in just 30 minutes to the island of Favignana.

Favignana, the largest of the Aegadian islands, embraces visitors with its chilled vibe and vivid colours.

Our local expert welcomes us at the dock and escorts us for a coffee break in the bustling main piazza. Then we reach on foot the former Florio’s tuna fishing facility, now a museum, that for over a century represented the most important economic resource of Favignana.

The tools and the industrial architecture of the tonnara – tuna fishing facility – support the fascinating narration of old traditions, myths, and clever fishing techniques that, despite seeming cruel to our modern eye, preserved the tuna species in the sea.

Next, board local taxis and transfer to a higher part of the island to take in views, plunge our feet in the Mediterranean, and explore the natural beauty of this piece of land closer to Africa than to mainland Italy!

Meet a chef for a dive into the ancient art of making couscous and partake in a tasting of delicious, freshly prepared food.

This afternoon we board the high-speed boat back to Trapani where you can follow your tour manager in the elegant shopping streets of the city center.

Grab an early dinner (on your own) before returning to our hotel.

*In case of rough sea conditions, for everyone’s safety and well-being, the ride to Favignana may be arranged with a bigger ferry boat. In case of bad weather, the Favignana excursion will be replaced by another land-based activity. No refunds will be given in either case.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

 Accommodation: Agrigento 

After checking out, this morning we travel to the countryside of Castelvetrano, one of the best corners of Sicily for olives cultivation.

Rooted in the mineral-rich soil of a former quarry of Greek times, the farm’s century-old olive trees, produce delicious oil that stands apart for its superb characteristics.

Walk through the massive olive trees and join a technical and informative tasting of the three types of olives grown here, listed by Slow Food as a product to be protected.
Gain a new appreciation for extra-virgin olive oil and sit at the table for lunch in the
rustic farm’s restaurant
sampling fresh vegetables, the sour-dough bread of Castelvetrano, and traditional recipes.

Crossing plains and rolling hills covered with orange crops, we arrive in the sun-burned countryside of Agrigento. Our home for the next two nights is a modern 5-star resort with views of the Valley of Temples and the Mediterranean Sea in the background.

We make sure to arrive here after lunch so that guests can enjoy an afternoon of relaxation by the private pool on their patio or by the larger, central pool by the bar. 

For dinner, the resident chef will surprise us with local ingredients and traditional recipes re-interpreted with a modern twist and a fine dining service.

Meals included: breakfast, pastry tasting 

 Accommodation: Agrigento 

Wake up surrounded by the fragrance of aromatic herbs, flowers, and Mediterranean lush vegetation, and enjoy breakfast in the sunny and quiet countryside of Agrigento in one of the very few hotels in the area where you will not hear any traffic.

A 5-minute bus transfer will take us to the entrance of one of the most impressive Unesco World Heritage sites of Italy, the Valley of Temples featuring the best preserved Greek temples in the world, dating back to the VI century B.C.

Our informative and friendly local expert walks us on a journey back in time and the guided tour will last approximately a couple of hours.

Then, we are off to the countryside of Agrigento, home of a local DOC wine appellation. We meet the President of such a consortium in his private home, a restored Baglio – a farmhouse located on a hillcrest overlooking the vineyards.

We enjoy lunch on the outdoor terrace (in case of bad weather, we will eat in the indoor dining room), paired with a tasting of Sicily’s indigenous grape varietals Grillo and Nero d’Avola, as well as international grapes Syrah and Chardonnay.

Offbeat Western Sicily & Taormina Tour: Naro

This afternoon we have the privilege of visiting a hidden gem, the Baroque and Gothic town of Naro. Much less popular than Noto, Naro deserves a stop to admire the elegant architecture of churches and aristocratic palaces. We take a leisure walk and get a glimpse of this typical Sicilian town, where not many tourists come, and where local people still live
genuinely.

Tonight’s dinner is on your own and we offer the choice between driving to the nearby beach town of San Leone, where to try one of the casual pizzerias and seafood restaurants. Alternatively, stay for a romantic à la carte dinner at the refined hotel’s restaurant. 

Meals included: breakfast and lunch

Accommodation: Siracusa 

Check out from Agrigento and drive to the island’s easter coast.

As the Western Sicily & Siracusa Tour crosses the dramatic scenery of Sicily’s mainland, stories, fun facts, and photo opportunities will be on hand as we spot hilltop towns, wheat fields, and remote valleys, including the city of Enna perched on a cliff and the region of the former sulfur mines.

Our destination is the lower flanks of Mt. Etna, near the town of Bronte. Here, a unique micro-climate that benefits from the proximity to the sea, combined with the fertile volcanic soil, generates the perfect environment for the cultivation of pistacchio.

We meet Andrea, the owner of a historic farm where the art of grafting the crooked pistacchio trees and harvesting the precious nuts on the rocky grounds, is passed from generation to generation.

Surrounded by a barren and fascinating landscape, we sit in the farm’s courtyard and partake in a light lunch savoring a delicious selection of savory and sweet specialties made with the best pistacchio in the world, known for its refined taste.

The Timeless Charm Of Ortigia, The Old Siracusa

After lunch, we continue to the southeast tip of Sicily, where the city of Siracusa lies.

A private porterage service will transport our luggage from the mainland to the island of Ortigia, connected to the rest of the city by bridges.

Check-in to luxurious accommodations, steps away from the cozy restaurants of the fish market area and from the Cathedral Square, one of the most elegant piazzas of Italy, that framed movies, fashion shows, and many other events.

Our tour manager is available for an orientation walk, all the way to the Arethusa Spring and for dinner suggestions.

Meals included: breakfast and dinner

Accommodation: Siracusa 

This morning, we skip the heat and the crowds by visiting Siracusa’s Greek Theatre soon after opening hours. 

Our knowledgeable local guide takes us on a journey back in time when plays by famous playwrights like Aeschylus and Sophocles had been performed here since the construction in the fifth century BC.

We step inside the Ear of Dionysius, a man-made limestone cave shaped like a tall, narrow ear, as the result of ancient quarrying, where acoustics are sensational.

Next, we relax onboard our vans and in only 45 minutes we arrive at Noto, considered the capital of Sicilian Baroque architecture.

We enjoy free time to explore at our own pace the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, flanked by artisanal and fashion shops, and historic cafés.

For lunch, we suggest stuffed focaccia, fresh salads and to end with the best almond granite or freshly-stuffed cannoli.

Take a photo of Noto’s Cathedral, with its grand staircase and intricate façade before returning to Siracusa for the rest of the afternoon of relaxation.

Tonight, it’s time to celebrate the end of our Sicilian adventure with another unforgettable meal in a well-established Osteria in Ortigia.

Meals included: breakfast

Accommodation: n/a 

Enjoy one more breakfast before checking out. A group transfer to Catania’s airport is included.

Until we meet again!