Meals included: breakfast and pastry shop tasting

The first day of our Sicily Tour sets off with an expert local guide for an insightful tour of the Ancient Theatre of Taormina where we skip the queue with our reserved entrance.

Built by the Greeks and used during Roman times, the theater lies on the slope of a hill that helped to project the actors’ voices. From the top of this important landmark, we can take the iconic picture with the stage and the view of Mt. Etna and the below bay, in the background.

The Greek Theatre and Sicilian breakfast in Taormina

Later, we reach a well-known coffee and pastry shop and indulge in a late Sicilian breakfast consisting of the creamy ice slush, called granita, and the soft, spongy brioche on the side.

Our local guide will continue to the gardens of Taormina and to some hidden gems of this iconic town, a favorite destination for generations of artists and aristocrats from all over Europe.

The rest of the day of our Western Sicily & Taormina Tour is at leisure to relax and take in at your own pace the beauty of the place. Maybe you want to ride the cable car down to sea level and plunge your toes into the Mediterranean. Maybe you simply want to enjoy people-watching in one of the restaurants along Corso Umberto, dotted with luxury shops.

Take advantage of the central location of our hotel and go back for some rest whenever you need, before going out again for dinner.

 Meals included: breakfast, light lunch and dinner

Check out from Taormina and drive to the lower flanks of Mt. Etna, near the town of Bronte. Here, a unique microclimate 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 nut on the rocky grounds, is passed from generation to generation.

Surrounded by a barren and fascinating landscape, we sit in the courtyard of the farm 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.

A Tour of Sicily’s Mainland

This afternoon, relax aboard our comfortable minibus as the Western Sicily & Taormina 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, all the way to  Agrigento.

Our home for the next two nights is a Baglio, a fortified farmhouse converted into a rustic but elegant retreat surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation.

With views over the Greek Temples on one side and the turquoise sea  of Sicily’s southern coast on the other, guests can relax in the private  courtyard or the lush garden.

Follow your tour manager on a walk to the beach, before enjoying  dinner at the hotel’s restaurant where the resident chef surprises us  with traditional ingredients and recipes presented with a modern twist.

Meals included: breakfast and lunch

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 of 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.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

After checking out from Agrigento, travel this morning to the countryside of Castelvetrano, to a farm listed by Slow Food for its high-quality and rare olive oil.

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

Walk through the olive grove and join a technical and informative tasting of the three types of olives grown here. Learn how to appreciate the good qualities that extra-virgin olive oil and sit at the table for lunch in the farm’s restaurant.

Later, drive to the West coast of Sicily and check in at Baglio Oneto, a 1700s farm owned by an aristocratic family, today turned into a five-star hotel. 

We have secured deluxe rooms with a view over the coastline of Sicily with the Aegadian islands and Mt. Erice in the background.

Relax at the pool or take a walk in the vineyards that surround our new home for the next three nights, a peaceful luxury retreat in the vineyards of the province of Trapani.

Tonight we savor the local cuisine with another fine-dining experience where traditional recipes are presented in an elegant atmosphere.

Meals included: breakfast, pastry-tasting

Salt pans, ancient Phoenician ruins and Erice are the highlights of Western Sicily that we explore today.

This morning a 20-minute drive takes us to the dock where we board bottom-flat boats that can sail in the Stagnone’s lagoon. 

Our local guide shares stories and fun facts about the ancient tradition of producing salt in this stretch of coast exposed to the hot sun and , strong winds. Take in the view of the shallow salt pans and their restored windmills as we reach the preserved small island of San Pantaleo.

We continue with an informative walk through the archeological excavation of Motya, once a powerful city built by the Phoenicians, one of the earliest civilizations of the Mediterranean.

We follow the footsteps of Joseph Whitaker, an English nobleman who traded in Marsala (the famous wine that takes its name from the city), as we explore the Foundation named after him.

Western Sicily & Taormina Tour: a night in Erice

This afternoon take in the relaxing vibe of our country luxury hotel with some time on your own before meeting again for the evening.

Late afternoon, enjoy a scenic drive from sea level up to 700m (2300 ft) above. From the hill town of Erice the stunning coastline of Trapani is under our feet, as we walk on the picturesque stone-paved narrow streets. 

We stop at the world-famous Maria Grammatico’s pastry shop, for sampling the freshly-made almond sweets with a glass of Marsala wine. 

Enjoy dinner on your own in one of the many restaurants in town before driving back to the hotel. 

Meals included: breakfast and lunch

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 colors.

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 so-called tonnara support the fascinating narration of old traditions, myths, and clever fishing techniques that, despite being cruel, was able to preserve the tuna species in the sea.

Next, board local taxis and transfer to a higher part of the island to take in views and the smell of aromatic herbs that naturally grow in 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. 

We toast with local wines, caponata, cheese, and other delicacies surrounded by views of the Mediterranean, before sitting at the table for lunch.

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 and light lunch

After checking out, we drive to the nearby town of Marsala, where Garibaldi started the unification of Italy. The town, however, is known for giving the name to the famous wine that for a long time was loaded on ships sailing to England and northern Italy.

We visit the impressive aging cellars where once Marsala wine was stocked and now brim with new life with the modern production of indigenous grape varietals.

A light lunch paired with wine is served, before we drive to the northern outskirts of Palermo, up to the village of Monreale where in 1172, Norman king Guglielmo II started the construction of a stunning cathedral.

Our local guide will help to read the colorful mosaics boasted in the cathedral’s interior, among the most extended and precious of the Mediterranean. We take a look at the evocative cloister before transferring to central Palermo and check-in to our new home for the next two nights.

Tonight follow your tour manager for an orientation walk. Dinner on your own.

Meals included: breakfast, food tastings and dinner

The last day of the Western Sicily & Taormina Tour unravels the city center of Palermo, which represents how centuries of cultures have layered on the island.

From our centrally-located hotel, a few steps will take us to the Martorana Church and to the vibrant Capo food market with its vivid colors and loud voices.  

As we reach the bustling intersection of Quattro Canti, Palermo surprises with the mix of Arab, Norman, and Byzantine architecture, next to the imposing Neo-Classical Opera House.

This morning tour is a combination of tastings of local street food as we explore the intricate urban sprawl of old Palermo. Our expert local guide leads us through some of the must-sees, alternated to back alleys and hidden gems.

Later, experience more of the city on your own, or grab some last-minute gift to take home, before meeting again for one more group dinner and bid farewell to your fellow travelers.

Meals included: breakfast

Enjoy one more breakfast in Palermo before checking out.

 The Western Sicily & Taormina Tour comes to an end. Our private transfer to Palermo 'airport is included. 

Arrivederci!