Tour of Sicily: 10 days from Palermo

Fancy sharing a 10-day tour of Sicily with new friends? Our tour of 10 days and 9 nights, departing from Palermo, is available from March to November, each Tuesday. The programmes is as follows:

Day 1 - Tuesday - PALERMO (hotel in Palermo)Arrival with own transport at the hotel in the fascinating city of Palermo (transfer service available on request). Meeting with your guide in the late afternoon, dinner and overnight stay in your accommodation.

Day 2 - Wednesday - MONREALE AND PALERMO (hotel in Palermo)After breakfast in the hotel, the morning will be dedicated to discovering the town of Monreale where you will visit the imposing Arab-Norman Cathedral and stunning cloisters. Continuing on to Palermo, the city at the foot of the Pellegrino Mountain. The residence of emirs and kings, Palermo has many monuments of the Arab-Norman period, including the beautiful Cathedral; the Martorana Church, a wonderful example of Medieval Byzantine architecture in Italy; and the Palatina Chapel. En route there'll be a tasty gastronomic surprise at the historic Antica Focacceria S. Francesco, followed by a free lunch. After lunch it's time to admire the splendid Teatro Massimo and the much-discussed Fountain of Piazza Pretoria, adorned with 16th Century sculptures and located on the edge of the ancient Kalsa district. Dinner and overnight stay in the hotel.

Day 3 - Thursday - CEFALU' AND CATANIA (hotel in Catania) After breakfast you will depart for Cafalù, a fascinating maritime village, hosting a precious norman Cathedral. The tour will continue on to Catania, where after a break for lunch and some spare time, you will beging your city center tour admiring all of the Baroque style buildings declared patrimony of humanity by UNESCO. You will visit the Piazza Duomo, its splendid Cathedral and the Elehant in lava stone, symbol of the city. We will then move on to Piazza Università. Strolling around and about the city alleys you will visit Via dei Crociferi, the baroque heart of the city where is the San Benedetto Monastery, which became famous thanks to a novel by Verga "Storia di una Capinera". A visit to a city center bar will follow and you will taste the famous Granita with brioche. transfer for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4 - Friday - ETNA AND TAORMINA (hotel in Catania) After your breakfast you will quickly visit the "Pescheria" (the ancient fish market). After that you will leave the city and move towards Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe (3.350 mt) which has also been declare Patrimony of Humanity. Once you will arrive at the Sapienza Refuge you will get the hint about the wonder of this place. From the refuge you will move towards the Silvestri craters, ancient craters dating back to 1888 and now inactive but still surrounded by newer lava flows. Over the morning you will also get to taste the honey which is locally produced and several other typical local products. You will then leave towards Taormina, very renowned for its beautiful view on the gulf of Naxos. You will have some spare time to stroll around the city center medievals alleys. The day will conclude with the Riviera dei Ciclopi. Afterward you will get back to Catania for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5 - Saturday - CATANIA (hotel in Catania)Free day. Meeting with your guide in the late afternoon, dinner and overnight stay at your accommodation.

Day 6 - Sunday - SYRACUSE AND NOTO (hotel in Ragusa) First breakfast in the hotel, then off to Syracuse, UNESCO World Heritage Site, to visit what was the largest and most powerful Greek colony in Sicily in the Neapolis Archaeological Park. We'll then visit the old town centre of Ortigia where you'll discover the charm of Piazza Duomo and its beautiful Cathedral. Free time for lunch. It's then time to head to Noto, the capital of Sicilian Baroque, known as the "garden of stones", rich with stunning buildings and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll visit to the Palazzo Nicolaci Villadorata, a glorious noble residence all in the Baroque style and once the home of Don Giacomo Nicolaci, a man of great culture. Return to Catania for dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

Day 7 - Monday - RAGUSA IBLA, MODICA AND PIAZZA ARMERINA (hotel in Agrigento)After abreakfast at the hotel, you will take off to Ragusa Ibla, cradle of the late baroque style with its marvellous churches and the Ibleo garden. Only in this city are present more than50 churches and several baroque palaces. Following, you will go to Modica, declared Patrimony of Humanity and home to other treasures of baroque architecture. During the visit you will also visit one of its very famous chocolate shops. You will visit the Palazzo Castro Polara Grimaldi daing back to 1600 which provides a unique view on the entire city. You will get back to our modern times in the cool gardens Orti di San Giorgio, seven gardens suspended in beauty and light and while tasting some delicious typical food you will also cherish the incredible landscape opening up before your eyes.

You will then continue on to Piazza Armerina and the afternoon is there dedicated to visit the splendid Roman Villa del Casale, dating back to the last Roman Empire and part of the Patrimony of UNESCO. It is a majestic villa that probably belonged to a leading figue in the Roman senate. It has a monumental entrance and several very large mosaic depicting hunting scenes as well as other episodes connected to mythology and every day life. At the end of your visit you will get transferred to Argigento for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8 - Tuesday - AGRIGENTO, MARSALA AND SALINE (hotel in Palermo)The visit will start with the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, eclared Patrimony of the Humanity, where among the almond trees you will find the remains of the Akragas, which Pindar defined "the most beautiful city even built by mortals". You will admire the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Concord and that of Hercules. It is a path through mythology, history and nature. You will then leave Agrigento and move towards the charming city of Marsala. You will stroll around in the city center among the noble palaces, monumnets and baroque churches. We will then continue onto a guided visit of the cellars of Cantine Florio. From here you will gain acess to the tasting areas where we will stop for lunch and for a tasting of local wines. Following this experience we will move towards the Via del Sale in order to admire the Stagnone Island and the saltworks, which is a lagoon and also a natural reserve. To these days, the Marsala saltworks represent one of the most ancient salt industries in the world! In the evening you will arrive in Palermo for dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Day 9 - Wednesday - ERICE AND SEGESTA (hotel in Palermo)
After breakfast, depart for Erice, an ancient city founded by the Elymians, perched 751 metres above sea level on Mount San Giuliano. A village of unchanged ancient charm, characterised by narrow, winding streets, medieval arches and Spanish courtyards, it is home to places of interest of particular note. Thanks to its altitude, you can enjoy a splendid 360° panoramic view: on one side the Gulf of Trapani, the salt pans and the Egadi Islands, on the other the immense valley of Valderice, Custonaci and the inland countryside. Visit to the historic centre, the mother church and the castle of Venus. In the afternoon we continue on to Segesta, an Elymian colony dominated by the majesty of an elegant and solitary Doric-style temple. The vast hillsides used for sowing or grazing, the modest reliefs animated by a few trees, offer landscapes that must have been very similar thousands of years ago. There are few recent constructions that do not detract from the exceptional beauty of these places. Visit the temple and theatre, located 400 metres above sea level and built in the 3rd century BC. Return to the hotel in Palermo, free dinner and overnight stay.

Day 10 - Thursday - PALERMO

You tour with us ends here. Following the breakfast at the hotel our services end.

This tour allows you to visit the main locations on our fabulous island, count on us if you wish you could discover them in the most beautiful of ways!