The thousand faces of Sicily

Arrival to Catania and free transfer to the hotel (see supplements). Depending on the time of arrival, possibility to do an optional excursion (booking required before arrival) to Ciclopi Riviera, with its characteristic seaside villages of Acicastello and Acitrezza, and Catania (the beautiful old town with Piazza Duomo, the Elephant Statue, the Cathedral, the Via Etnea and the baroque via dei Crociferi, the amphitheater Roman Castle, Ursino Castle) including tasting of typical street food. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Departure early in the morning to make an exciting excursion to Mount Etna and admire the spectacular scenery of the last eruptions, up to 1,900 meters. You can walk along the Crateri Silvestri (small craters now inactive) and the recent lava, along the legendary paths linked to the myth of the Cyclops. Lunch at restaurant based on typical specialties. After lunch, we will make an interesting stop in Zafferana Etnea to taste the ‘honey of Etna’ extracted from the expert hands of the local beekeepers. In the afternoon, visit of Taormina, the ‘pearl of the Ionian’ in the imaginary of the most illustrious travelers of the past. You can visit the magnificent Greek-Roman Theater and enjoy an unforgettable walk along the main course and the characteristic alleys crowded with small souvenir shops and typical products. Return to hotel, free dinner and overnight.

In the morning there will be a visit to the city of Syracuse (Unesco World Heritage), the most beautiful and great Greek colony in Sicily. We will visit the Archaeological Park of Neapolis with the Greek Theater, the Roman Amphitheater, the Ear of Dionysius (from acoustics producing extraordinary effects) and the Latomie. We will then proceed to Ortigia, with the famous Fountain of Arethusa, the splendid Cathedral, the Temple of Apollo. Lunch in a restaurant and continuation to Noto, one of the most famous baroque centers in Sicily, (UNESCO World Heritage Site), known above all for its splendid cathedral, recently restored after the earthquake of the 1990s. Tasting of typical products of the area and of the famous Modica chocolate in historical coffee. In the evening I arrive in Ragusa. Free dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. Morning dedicated to the visit of the ancient Ibla, the historical center of Ragusa made famous by the tv fiction ‘Il commissario Montalbano‘. Among the masterpieces of art of the baroque town declared by UNESCO ‘World Heritage Site’, there are the magnificent Cathedral of San Giorgio, the portal of S. Giorgio (the ancient Cathedral destroyed by the earthquake of 1693), the Zacco palace , the Iblei Gardens. Lunch in a farmhouse based on typical Iblei specialties and a brief stop at the house of the Commissioner Montalbano, in Puntasecca. In the afternoon, proceed to Agrigento and visit the mythical Valley of the Temples of ancient Akragas, where you can admire the remains of the majestic Temples of Concord, of Juno Lacinia, of Hercules, of the Dioscuri or Castor and Pollux, of Olympic Jupiter. Hotel accommodation in Agrigento / Selinunte area. Dinner and overnight. 

Possibility to visit the Archaeological Park of Selinunte. This wide area includes the acropolis, the remains of the city and the eastern hill with temples among the greatest of antiquity. Alternatively, time available for a dip in the sea of ​​Marinella di Selinunte. Continue to Trapani along the ‘salt path’, where you can admire the incredible landscape of the salt pans, still in use for the extraction of salt, scattered with characteristic windmills. Lunch at restaurant. In the afternoon, visit the charming medieval town of Erice, where you can admire the remains of the Castle of Venus and a spectacular view of the salt pans of Trapani. Tasting of traditional desserts. Arrival in Palermo, accommodation at hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, time at leisure to enjoy a city tour or shopping. In the afternoon, sightseeing of Palermo, city-capital with over three thousand years of history. An inestimable artistic heritage which will be admired in particular through the splendid Cathedral, an exceptional example of architectural styles from different ages, and the famous Cappella Palatina, inside Palazzo dei Normanni. Visit to the monastic complex of Monreale: the splendid Cathedral and the Cloister are also a precious testimony of Arab-Norman art and the Byzantine mosaic tradition. Tasting of traditional ‘street food’. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Visit of Cefalù, the picturesque seaside town that houses one of the most beautiful churches of the Norman period. The Cathedral preserves precious Byzantine style mosaics among which the extraordinary figure of the Christ ‘Pantocrator’ stands out in the center. After lunch, visit of the Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, whose mosaics are a precious artistic and imperial testimony of the imperial age. Arrival in Catania and accommodation at hotel. Free dinner and overnight. 

Breakfast at hotel and free transfer to Catania airport or to the hotel chosen for the seaside stay (see supplements). End of services. 

Transport by bus/minibus; accommodation at 4 star central hotels on double room; arrangement of half board (6 BB +1 HB drinks incl. at hotel + 5 lunch at restaurant as per program); driver / escort up to 8 pax; driver + local guides from 9/15 pax; over 16 pax driver + tour escort.

Flights, transfer in/out, dinner (excluding at Agrigento/Selinunte), city tax, entrance fee/admissions to museums and monuments; tourist tax where required (to be paid on site); anything not expressly mentioned in ‘The price includes’.

• excursion Riviera Ciclopi/Catania + street food tasting € 80,00 p.p.;
• extra night pre/post tour in Catania € 77 p.p. on dblb on BB;
• private transfer from Catania airport to hotel € 59 (1/3 pax), € 79 one way (4/8 pax);
• compulsory suppl. high season/departure 6/13/20 august € 65 p.p.