Western wonders & Egadi islands

Arrival to Palermo (or Trapani) airport and car hire collection. Accommodation at hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Free stay at hotel on half board arrangement. Days dedicated to relax, beach activities and suggested excursions (see description).

During your stay we suggest the following excursions:

Palermo/Monreale (full day)
Visit of Palermo,the capital of Sicily with many fine examples of Arab-Norman architecture, such as the Palatine Chapel in Palermo, which was the crowning architectural achievement of William II’s grandfather, Roger II.  You’ll enjoy a walking tour around Piazza Pretoria and Via Maqueda with its “four corners” converging Palermo at a quartet of Baroque palaces left over from the heyday of Spanish rule dating back to 1560. Then you’ll visit the Cathedral constructed in various architectural styles throughout the Roman, Norman, Arabic, and Islamic dominations.  Enjoy a light lunch at ‘Antica Focacceria San Francesco’ (facultative), tasting the typical street food (‘Panelle’, ‘Pani ca meusa’, ‘Focaccia schietta o maritata’), and some of the oldest  recipes of Palermo’s traditional cuisine. Worth a walk through the suggestive street market of Ballarò. Return to hotel. Free dinner and overnight. In the aftyernoon, visit of Monreale, located on a hill of the mountain overlooking Palermo. Its magnificent Cathedral is a precious testimony of Arab-Norman and Byzantine mosaic tradition.

Mozia island/Marsala – “On the routes of the Phoenicians – The way of salt (full day)
Today you will discover Mozia, the most important island of the Oriented Natural Reserve of the Stagnone Laguna. Because of its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, the Carthaginians wanted it to become one of their own trading ports. The remains of its civilization and prosperous trade have been brought back to light by a long sequence of archaeological excavations, especially by means of Joseph Whitaker, who previously bought the island. Today in his house you find the museum that collects the finds brought to light during several sequence of excavations. Great pride of the island is the famous is the famous Giovinetto of Mothia. In the afternoon, visit of Marsala, renowned for its wine production. Marsala is also the city where Garibaldi and his “thousand” landed in 1860 to begin the unification of Italy. Worth a visit are also the suggestive still working salt-pans of the lagoon of the Stagnone, a few miles north of Marsala, characterized by a unique landscape and a flourishing variety of wildlife. Don’t miss a visit and a wine tasting at the famous Florio wine cellars!

Trapani (half day)
Visit of Trapani, which preserves some important Baroque buildings such as the Cathedral and the Sanctuary dell’Annunziata. The local craftsmanship was expressed at the highest levels in the processing of coral; precious works, true masterpieces, are now exhibited in the National Museum Pepoli.

S. Vito Lo Capo/Scopello/Zingaro Nature Reserve (full day)
Departure for San Vito lo Capo and time at disposal for sun bathing in its beautiful sandy beach. In the afternoon visit of the stunning Zingaro Nature Reserve, to the west of Palermo, just after Castellammare del Golfo. It stretches along the coast for 7 kilometres with its rugged, rocky and spectacular coastline. At the end visit of the lovely little village of Scopello. Return to hotel. Free dinner and overnight.
Our suggestions: excursion af the Zingaro Nature Reserve by tourist boat to admire the most spectacular bays and inlets otherwise unreachable by land.

Segesta/Erice “The land of the Elymians” (full day)
Partenza al mattino per Segesta e visita guidata del grandioso tempio solitario e del teatro. Proseguimento per Erice, l’antica città élima il cui centro storico conserva intatto il fascino di un antico borgo medievale animato da botteghe di artigianato tipico (le ceramiche finemente decorate, i tappeti variopinti tessuti a mano, i tradizionali dolci a base di mandorla e frutta candita).

Selinunte “The majestic temples” (full day)
Today we depart to Selinunte to discover one of the most remarkable archaeological areas in Europe.
Between the VII and the V century it was one of the most prosperous and important Greek settlements. Arriving to Selinunte, you will be surprised for the vastness of the area which it rose on, for the mighty massive structure of the columns, for the richness of the ornaments, for the large amount of ruins loose on the ground and for the solemnity of the still standing ones.

San Vito Lo Capo & Riserva dello Zingaro
Intera giornata dedicata alle attività balneari nella bellissima spiaggia di San Vito Lo Capo. Per apprezzare il mare cristallino della ‘Riserva naturale dello Zingaro’ suggeriamo di effettuare l’escursione alla Riserva dello Zingaro alla scoperta delle più affascinanti baie ed insenature altrimenti non raggiungibili via terra (escursione in battello turistico con partenza da San Vito Lo Capo).

Minicruise to Egadi islands – Favignana/Levanzo
In the morning, departure from Trapani for an exciting minicruise by tourist boat to Favignana, the main of the Egadi Islands, and Levanzo.
Program: Departure from Trapani at 09:30 am, navigation to Favignana whose arrival is scheduled at 10.20 am, stop at the port with free time available to visit the town and go shopping, take a swim in the beautiful beach in front of the harbor, go around the island by train or rent a bicycle, visit the enchanting “Florio” Tuna Museum. Departure from Favignana at 12:30, it begins to coast the island stopping in the most beautiful and picturesque coves, where you can swim. The lunch will be followed by a typical antipasto, penne alla pesto alla trapanese, bread, water, wine and seasonal fruit. After lunch we will head for Levanzo where we will stop in the port of about an hour, useful to visit the small fishing village and enjoy the excellent granite or the famous artisan ice cream. Departing from Levanzo we will coast the Faraglione di Levanzo, the most beautiful coves, like Cala Fredda and Cala Minnola, where we will make another stop for a dip in the sea. Lastly, the route will be made for the return to the port of Trapani, whose arrival is expected at about 5:45 pm. At the end, return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at hotel and free transfer to the airport of Palermo (or Trapani) and drop-off of the car. End of services. 

Car hire group B (Opel Corsa, Citroen C1 or similar) basic formula with unlimited mileage and basic insurances, pick-up/drop-off at the same time (return to different location with surcharge to be paid on site); accommodation at 4 star hotel on standard dblb; 7 HB (half board) arrangement (breakfast + dinner); VAT.

Flights; lunches; tour escort; local guides; drinks; entrance fees; city tax (to be paid on the spot); facultative insurances for car rental; drop-off tax in case of release of the car tips; extra; club card (to be paid on the spot); all not mentioned as included.

Full board (drinks excl.) € 245,00 p.p. per week. Sea view rooms on request. Baby cot € 8 per day; facultative car insurances € 20,00 per day.