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SICILY TOUR: IN 2011, THIS TOUR IS ONLY AVAILABLE AS A PRIVATE TOUR.  PLEASE INQUIRE.

Rates & Dates    •    Tour Overview    •    Includes    •    Itinerary
Information Request Form   • I Reservation Form

CLICK HERE FOR RATES & DATES » SICILY TOUR - Offered as a private tour only. Inquire. Touring:  Palermo, Erice, Segesta, Cefalu, Agrigento, Noto, Ortigia-Siracusa, Mt. Etna, Taormina, Ragusa, Castelmola, Savoca, Forza d'Agro Tour Overview: Our Sicily tours are simply one of the most rewarding historical and architectural tours we offer.  Join us in our Sicily tours and enjoyable the luxury of small group tours. Sicily isn’t one of Italy’s top tourist destinations, but we think it should be. We’ll explore diverse cultures and landscapes, and indulge our senses with visits to top restaurants, wineries and even a chocolate factory. Our route will follow the Romans, Greeks, and Arab-Normans, all of whom inhabited the area; we will witness the amazing architecture, and incredibly rich history they left behind. Join one of our upscale small group tours to Sicily. Enjoy upscale travel and tour in a relaxed pace.  We'll use comfortable vehicles, provide you with a mix of fabulous accommodations and the fantastic food and wine Sicily is known for. Arrival Airport: Palermo, Italy Departure Airport: Catania, Italy VIEW Rates & Dates » Note:  Activities or order of activities are subject to change due to unforeseen closures, etc.

Tour Includes: 11 Days’ Land Tour Beautiful & elegant accommodations in centrally located hotels Four dinners and one lunch with wine Breakfast daily Welcome cocktails Services of your excellent professional Tour Manager throughout the tour Guided Tour of Segesta Guided Tour of Siracusa and its Greek Theater and Roman Amphitheater Guided Tour of Palermo & Monreale Guided Tour of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento Guided Tour of Piazza Armerina's Villa Romana del Casale for some of the best mosaics of the Roman world Guided Tour of Baroque Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site Excursion to Mt. Etna, Erice Excursion to Cefalu Tour of Winery and Wine Tasting Guided Tours of the villages of Castelmola, Savoca & Forza D'Agro Guided Tour of Ragusa Chocolate Factory Visit Private transportation to all planned activities Entrance fees to all scheduled museums and sites Gratuities to tour guides, drivers, restaurants Airport Transfer on Arrival Day Not included: Airline tickets Gratuities to your tour manager Airport transfer on departure day.

INFORMATION REQUEST FORM ›        •        RESERVATION FORM ›

ITINERARY
Note:  Activities or order of activities in our Sicily tours are subject to change due to unforeseen closures, etc.  We reserve the right to replace an activity. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch,  D = Dinner)

DAY 1:
Arrival Day in Palermo, Welcome Cocktails and Dinner, Overnight in Palermo
We will meet you at the airport in Palermo and our private transfer will take you to our hotel, where we will spend the next two nights. 

In this small group tour of Sicily, our local Sicily tour guide will show us the highlights of historical Palermo, capital of ancient Sicily.  Colonized by the Phoenicians, Sicily boasts a rich 3,000 years of history, particularly flourishing under the Arab and Norman rule.   The many great empires that once ruled Sicily's capital left behind wonderfully diverse architecture, from Roman to Byzantine to Arab-Norman, which we will view in the city's palaces, churches and crypts.    

We'll sample a unique flavor of Italy, one with a touch of Africa, as we experience Palermo’s street life and its ancient market, the Mercato della Vucciria.  We will also visit the city’s eclectic cathedral -- originally Norman, then Catalan Gothic, and in the 18th-century, transformed by baroque and neoclassical styles.

Welcome cocktails and dinner follows.  (D)

DAY 2:
Erice, Segesta, Overnight in Palermo

Today, our Sicily tour will take us to the historic town of Erice, which sits on top of Mt. Erice, overlooking the city of Trapani.  The city’s ancient remains are layered with history, from the Elymian and Phoenician walls dating from the 5th century to its twin castles -- Pepoli castle from the Saracen times and Venus castle, from the Norman period, built on top of an ancient temple of Venus.  Erice’s sights also include an interesting museum and a 14th century church.

Our group will also also tour Segesta, one of the major cities of the Elymian people, one of the indigenous peoples of Sicily.  Ancient settlements high on top of Monte Barbaro have vanished but a magnificent Doric temple remains. 

Return to Palermo late afternoon.  Explore and have dinner on your own.  (B)

DAY 3:
Excursion to Cefalu, Guided Tour of Winery and Wine Tasting, Overnight in Agrigento
Today we’ll drive east of Palermo along the coast towards Cefalu, a lovely fishing village built on a rock that juts out into the sea.   Its 12th-century Romanesque cathedral is considered one of the finest Norman cathedrals in Sicily. After the tour, enjoy the sites and do some shopping, or simply walk its medieval streets and promenade along the water.

Late in the morning, we’ll go inland into the heart of the wine country, touring a beautiful winery and enjoying a fabulous lunch accompanied by different varieties of wines.  After the private tour, our group will travel to Agrigento where we'll stay in a hotel, a short distance from the Valley of the Temples, one of the highlights of our Sicily tour.   (B, L)

DAY 4: 
Valley of The Temples, Piazza Armerina's Villa Romana del Casale,  Overnight in Noto
This morning, your tour of Sicily will take on a guided tour of the Valley of The Temples in Agrigento, famous for its five Doric temples.  Not even in Athens will you see Greek temples this finely preserved.  Our guided tour will take us through the spectacular ruins of the archaeological park, where numerous temples, burial places, homes, and other artifacts give us clues to how the ancients lived. 

After, our trip to Sicily will take you to Piazza Armerina, home to an important third-century Roman villa and imperial hunting lodge. Visiting Villa Romana del Casale, you will be able to see some of the best mosaics of the Roman world.

In the afternoon, we will proceed to our next home base, a gorgeous 18th-century villa surrounded by olive groves and gardens, where we will stay the next two nights. Group dinner is planned tonight.  (B, D)

DAY 5:
Guided Tour of Noto,  Overnight in Noto
This morning, our Sicily tour will take us to Noto where we will have a guided tour of this town inhabited since the Bronze Age. Now one of the finest Baroque towns in Sicily, Noto has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Free time to explore and have lunch on your own after the tour.

Later in the afternoon we will enjoy our leisure time at the villa.  In the evening, a group dinner is planned.

(B, D)

DAY 6:
Guided Tour of Ragusa, Chocolate Shop/Factory, Overnight in Siracusa
This morning, we will have a guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site Ragusa.  Ibla, or lower Ragusa, is an ancient city that was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that devastated Southeastern Sicily.  The city seems to defy gravity, being built on a hill that seems to be practically on vertical walls.  Superiore -- the “new” city built in the early 1700s -- offers its visitors Baroque and neo-Classical architecture.

A local guide will show us the city’s highlights, including the magnificent Duomo di San Giorgio, with its slightly asymmetrical staircase, rich Baroque facade and neo-Classical dome.  We will also climb the 242 steps to the Church of Santa Maria delle Scale (St. Mary of the Stairs), tour the square and see many aristocratic buildings, palaces and churches. 

You will have free time after the tour to enjoy the narrow, labyrinthine streets on your own and find a nice lunch spot.  The options here are many: ancient artifacts at the archaeological museum, shopping at Via Roma and Corso Italia, or sweets at Di Pasquale, along via Veneto.  We will also make a stop at the famous Bonajuto Chocolate factory, the oldest in Sicily.
 
Late this afternoon, we will continue onto Siracusa to the island of Ortigia, our home base for the next three nights.  Our beautiful boutique hotel is in the heart of the old town, a short walk to the Duomo, the Piazza Archimede and the Temple of Apollo.  (B)

DAY 7:
Guided Tour and Overnight in Siracusa (Syracuse)
Sleep in and enjoy our beautiful and comfortable hotel overlooking the sea.  Founded in 734 BC by the Greeks, Siracusa was one of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization.  This city quickly grew to rival and even surpass Athens in splendor and power.  Siracusa still has some of the finest examples of Baroque art and architecture, along with fantastic Greek and Roman ruins.  Siracusa is definitely one of the most beautiful places to see in this trip to Sicily.  A local guide will take us on a guided tour of this city and its archeological sites, including a Roman amphitheater, beautiful Greek temple, a famous grotto called the Ear of Dionysus, and the most complete Greek theater surviving from antiquity.

Time on your own after the tour to enjoy Ortigia island of Siracusa, a relaxed, comfortable and beautiful setting. The lively baroque old town has some interesting shopping, charming piazzas and lots of outdoor cafes and bars.  (B)

DAY 8:
Excursion to Mt. Etna, Overnight in Taormina
This morning, on the way to Taormina, we will detour for Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest and highest volcano and one the world’s most active volcanies.  To the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and home to the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. Along the way, we will drive through several Sicilian towns and villages.  Our tour will continue to take us to see some old lava flows and the 6,000-foot “Silvestri” craters as well as the last new lava flows and craters from 2002-3. 

We’ll drive to the cable car station to get yet higher; weather permitting, we'll get a jeep from there to take us to the very top.

After a lunch stop we’ll proceed to Taormina, our next and final home base for three nights. Taormina’s great third-century B.C. Greek theatre is located high above a cliff overlooking the sea and Mt. Etna. Our beautiful hotel is in the center of town, where you can walk to the sites and shops.  Free time in the evening; dinner on your own in town.  (B)

DAY 9:
Leisure Day and Overnight in Taormina
Sleep in and enjoy a day on your own in town.  Make sure you visit the incredible third-century Greek Theater located right in town.  (B)

DAY 10:
Excursions to Castelmola, Savoca and Forza d'Agro, Farewell Dinner, Overnight in Taormina
Today, our small group tour of Sicily will take you to Savoca, selected by director Francis Ford Coppola as one of the settings for "The Godfather II."  You may recognize the stunning seaside views from the piazza and terraced bar here as part of the set used for the wedding reception in the movie.  We will also visit the beautiful cathedral and tour catacombs of the Cappuccini convent underneath.  We will then head to Castelmola, a medieval hill town above Taormina with breathtaking views of the sea and Mt. Etna. 

Our next stop is the village of Forza d'Agro, another charming medieval hilltop village with a fantastic view of the coast and Mt. Etna.  We will visit its unique Norman castle with three castle-walls and a wonderful coastline view towards the straits of Messina.  Some scenes from "The Godfather III" were shot in this enchanting place.

Tonight is our last night together.  We will celebrate the end of this fabulous small group tour of Sicily with cocktails and a farewell dinner.  (B, D) 

DAY 11:
Departure Day
Prepare for your flight home.  A private transfer will take you to the airport.

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