Board your overnight flight and you're off to your exciting Golden Week in Sicily! 
*Flights are not included in the price of this package.  We are happy to arrange them for you.

Benvenuta! You’ll be met by our driver at the Palermo airport, then transported to your city center 5-star hotel, where you’ll be immersed in Old World elegance. You’ll have time to relax and unpack, perhaps enjoy a treatment in the hotel spa, or explore the wonders of the nearby historic center.
 
In the evening, we’ll gather for an aperitivo to toast the week ahead.  Susan will give you tips about keeping a travel journal, so you can create a treasured souvenir of your week through journaling. We’ll dine nearby in a cozy trattoria, enjoying Sicilian specialties, the first of many memorable meals.

Meals Included: D

Buongiorno! After enjoying the hotel’s abundant breakfast buffet, we’ll set off to immerse ourselves in the beauty and deliciousness of Palermo. We’ll begin our cooking lesson with a chef guiding us through Palermo’s bustling Capo market to choose the best seasonal ingredients to make our lunch.

Class will take place in a luxurious centuries-old palazzo, where we’ll roll up our sleeves for hands-on pasta making. Lunch, enjoying the fruits of our labors, will follow and then we’ll be treated to a special palazzo tour, given by the signor who still lives here, to admire ornately frescoed rooms and antique treasures, while enjoying stories of the property’s rich history.

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this fascinating city, with Susan’s guidance. You may enjoy some sight-seeing and shopping, an aperitivo on a rooftop bar, or dinner on your own.

Meals Included: B, L

We’ll depart Palermo this morning for a short ride to a medieval treasure: the Cathedral of Monreale. We’ll be guided through its interior--a massive splendor of dazzling mosaics depicting Biblical stories. There will be time to enjoy the hilltop village on our own, and a delicious lunch that we’ll enjoy together.

Next, we’ll ride through the lovely Sicilian countryside to arrive in Agrigento’s stunning Valley of the Temples, built by the Greeks in the sixth century BC. We’ll have time to settle into our boutique hotel, relax amidst the lovely landscaped gardens and perhaps take a dip in the pool before dinner, savoring southern Sicilian flavors and a most inspiring sight: the Temple of Juno under the starry night sky.

Meals Included: B, L, D

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll set out to discover the seaside village of Sciaccia. Sciaccia is a delightful spot for strolling, with a mix of medieval, Renaissance, and Liberty-Style architecture, along with craft and coral jewelry shops. We’ll enjoy lunch on own here by the seaside.

Back in Agrigento, after a little rest, at sunset we’ll take a guided walk through the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The experience, in the glowing light, is one for the memory books.

For dinner we’ll enjoy deliciousness at one of Agrigento’s most beloved pizzerias.

Meals Included: B, D

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll depart Agrigento and set out to discover the hilltop village of Caltagirone, that for centuries has been famous for its tradition of ceramics. The centerpiece of this enchanting spot is a stairway of 124 steps, each decorated with vibrantly painted tiles. There will be time to meet artisans in their shops and enjoy lunch on our own.

From Caltagirone, we’ll travel to Sicily’s east coast, and land in the island’s jewel: Bella Taormina. Perched on a cliff overlooking the sparkling Ionian sea, it’s been a haven for pleasure seekers since the days of the Roman Empire.

After settling into our luxurious hotel, which we’ll enjoy for the next 4 nights, dinner will be on your own, with my recommendations of choices that range from folksy pizzerias to chic upscale restaurants.

Meals Included: B, D

Today we’ll experience the joyful side of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dramatic spot. Vineyards thrive on the volcano’s fertile slopes, and we’ll visit a family run winery where vintners will guide us through the historical estate and cellar. Along with wine tasting will be a delicious lunch of local specialties, overlooking a gorgeous view.

We’ll return to Taormina in the afternoon, and then enjoy an early evening walk through town with a local guide, including a stop at the Teatro Greco, originally created by the Greeks, that the Romans rebuilt in the third century.

Afterwards will be twilight strolling, shopping, and dinner on our own.

Meals Included: B, L

We’ll travel back in time with a day in marvelous Siracusa, where Greeks first settled Sicily and built a city that flourished and rivaled Athens. We’ll be guided through the evocative remains of ancient times, including a Greek theater, Roman amphitheater, and the Ear of Dionysus, a cave that’s inspired fascinating legends.

Moving on to the island of Ortigia, the city’s historic center, we’ll enjoy a private boat ride around the island. Along the way, we’ll enjoy female highlights of the island’s history:  there is a fountain honoring the Goddess Diana, springs named after the nymph Arethusa, and an impressive Duomo where columns from a Greek Temple dedicated to Athena surround the church where Saint Lucy is honored.

We’ll enjoy a delicious lunch together in the stunning Piazza Duomo, followed by free time for strolling and shopping,  and then return to Taormina by evening, to enjoy dinner on our own.

Meals Included: B, L

Today is your day to enjoy Taormina according to your desires, with Susan’s recommendations. You may choose to head to the nearby beach, wander and shop in the town’s charming alleyways, or take an optional guided excursion to see locations where “The Godfather” was filmed.

In the evening we’ll gather for a Farewell Dinner at one of Taormina’s most beloved restaurants, to celebrate our Golden Week, refreshed and inspired.

Meals Included: B, D

You’ll depart by private transfer to the Catania airport or train station, with Golden Memories of our week together.

Meals Included: B