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Dates & Prices 2012
Departures from Palermo on Saturday
Return From Catania

March: 24
April: 14, 28
May: 5 
June: 16, 30
July: 21
September: 8,  29  
October: 13, 27

Pricing
Double Room per person:  $2349
Single Room per person:   $2899

OPTIONAL
Round trip transfers are available from airport to the hotel for only $150 per person

OPTIONAL TOURS IN TAORMINA:

Etna Jeep Ride from Taormina 
 Today at  8:30AM you will be picked up at your Hotel by an off-road’s driver and transferred to Etna Volcano. Enjoy a lovely Jeep experience through Etna area: Mount Fontana (view of Bove Valley), the Thieves Cave (grotta dei ladroni), extinct craters of Sartorius Mounts, lava  flow from 2002 eruption. Light-lunch at Farmhouse to taste typical Sicilian dishes. During afternoon off-road drive along the Linguaglossa-Castiglione and Alcantara Gorges. Short visit to Canyon entrance. Later back to Taormina hotel by 4:30PM.
TOUR PRICE:  $170 per person

 

Taormina Gourmet - Group Tour option. Available Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat
Today at h 9:00AM  walk to reach a local Restaurant (centrally located) in Taormina to meet Chef Orlando. A brief walk takes us to an open air market where we'll purchase fresh fruit, vegetables and all the ingredients necessary for the cooking course. Then back to the restaurant to start cooking. At the end of the cooking course, we will enjoy our scrumptious creations with the perfect compliment—a beautifully paired Sicilian wine.  Dessert follows accompanied by a typical local Dessert wine.
Tour Cost: $ 130 per person.

 

 

Highlights:

Palermo: The Sicilian capital and Capo Market
Monreale: Dome and the golden mosaics
Cefalù: Norman Cathedral
Segesta: Doric Temple, Winery visit and wine tasting
Trapani province: Salt pan works
Erice: Castle built on the remnants of Venus Temple
Agrigento: Valley of the Temples
Syracuse: Archaeological Park & Ortigia Island
Marmamemi: Fisherman Village located in the southernmost tip of Sicily
Modica & Ragusa: Baroque Villages
Taormina: World renowned Mediterranean resort town

 

Day by Day Itinerary:

Day 1: Saturday - Palermo
Welcome to the warm, beautiful and pleasant island of Sicily! Upon arrival at Palermo airport (PMO) please proceed through the Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area. Then independent transfer to your hotel.
Tonight we meet our staff at hotel for a short briefing. Then together we gather for dinner at a local restaurant.
Dinner

Day 2: Sunday - Monreale, Palermo & Cefalù
Breakfast at hotel. Our first stop is Monreale to see where the Arab-Norman art and architecture reached the pinnacle of its glory with the Duomo, launched in 1174 by William II. It represents scenes from the Old and New Testaments all in golden mosaics. Then onto Palermo to explore the lively Capo Market, a large open air street market that captures the flavor of Palermo's Saracen Arab past. Capo is a blend of general confusion and a jumble of vendors' stalls, winding toward the old gate --Porta Carini-- of what used to be the city wall. This afternoon we continue by seeing Piazza Pretoria and Via Maqueda, whose “four corners” converge Palermo at a quartet of baroque palaces left over from the heyday of Spanish rule dating from 1560. This afternoon depart for Cefalù, a charming coastal town home to a massive Norman Cathedral with outstanding mosaics. Here we visit the city center and stroll down main street to reach the Cathedral. Later we return to Palermo
Breakfast

Day 3: Monday - Palermo/Erice, Salt Flats, Olive Oil, Segesta & Winery
Early departure to tour western Sicily where we reach Erice uptown. The Elymians settled the medieval town of Erice, which was an important religious site associated with the goddess Venus. Wander through its ancient streets and visit some of the famous homemade pastry shops—world-famous for marzipan candies and other delicacies like almond and pistachio pastries. Later we travel to Trapani on the Salt Way Road.  We tour the historic salt flats works, where the ancient tradition of harvesting salt from the sea is still practiced. Then, to an olive oil factory-farmhouse to enjoy a light lunch. This afternoon we continue onto Segesta, one of the major cities of the ancient indigenous Elymian people, to visit the unfinished Doric temple (Admission Fee: not included), late 5th century BC, built on a hilltop just outside of the ancient city and has a commanding view of the surrounding area.  Then to a local winery to taste Sicilian wine. We then return to Palermo.
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Tuesday - Palermo/Agrigento/Syracuse
Following breakfast, we drive through the interior of Sicily to reach Agrigento where we visit the finest of all ancient Greek sites—the complete Doric Temples (Admission Fee: not included). Light Lunch in a local trattoria in Agrigento then we continue to Syracuse, founded by colonists from Cornith in 735 B.C. and once the most important competitor to Athens.  The balance of the day is at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Wednesday - Syracuse & Marzamemi
Following breakfast stroll through the streets of Ortygia Island, the heart of the city center. Then we visit through the Archaeological Park (Admission Fee: not included) highlights the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre and the Paradise Quarry. Time at leisure. This afternoon a short drive takes us to the small village of Marzamemi, a small village, off the beaten track, in the southernmost tip of Sicily. The village grew around its Tonneria (cannery) and is part of a "Sicilian Tonnara and Fisherman Village" Route. Tonight dinner in a local trattoria. Later we return to Syracuse.
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 6: Thursday - Syracuse/Modica & Ragusa/Taormina
Today departure for Modica.  The city is situated in the Iblean mountains and, along with Ragusa, it is part of the UNESCO Heritage Sites in Sicily.  The main economy of the area revolves around dairy cheese & agricultural products like olives, carobs, legumes, and grains.  The famous Chocolate of Modica, is absolutely unique and produced from an ancient, original Aztec recipe.  Upon arrival we taste the chocolate.  Then we continue onto Ragusa. Upon arrival we walk through the historical town of Ragusa Ibla highlights the wide array of Baroque architecture in Sicily, including several stunning palaces and churches.  Snack in a local bar to taste the famous "scacce" a focaccia-like stuffed breads famous in this province. This afternoon we continue to Taormina, the world famous resort town of Sicily.
Breakfast, Snack

Day 7: Friday - Taormina
Today at leisure or Optional Excursion.
Breakfast

Day 8: Saturday - Taormina/Catania
Time to say goodbye to Sicily.  Independent transfer to Catania airport (CTA).
Breakfast

Hotels:
*hotel may be substituted with similar categories or superior

Palermo: Hotel Plaza Opera

4 star hotel in the heart of Palermo, steps from Piazza Politeama
Hotel Plaza Opera is in the heart of the shopping area also surrounded by art galleries and theaters. The standard rooms offer satellite and cable LCD TV, mini bar, marble bathrooms with top quality amenities, air conditioning, phone, wireless broadband Internet connectivity.

 

 

Syracuse: Hotel Royal Maniace

4 star hotel in the historic center of Siracusa with panoramic views of the sea of Ortiga
Hotel Royal Maniace provides modern and comfortable accommodations in a great location.  The hotel offers 21 elegantly styled rooms all equipped with modern amenities. Free Wi-Fi internet access is available throughout the premises (internet point also available).  Special rooms and facilities are available for disabled guests, and small pets are allowed for a small supplement. The in-house restaurant offers samplings of Sicilian foods throughout the day and room service is available 24 hours a day.  Other extra services available for a supplement include babysitting and child services, laundry service, and pet friendly services for small pets.

Taormina: Hotel Villa Diodoro

4 star luxury hotel walking distance to Taormina's historic center
Hotel Villa Diodoro, a historic building itself, not only enjoys a convenient location but also boasts magnificent views of Mount Etna and the bay of Naxos from its pool (open year round). The restaurant serves fresh, locally inspired Mediterranean dishes in a beautifully maintained garden with stunning views. There are also has two elegant bars where guests sample a great variety of Sicilian wines and cocktails. The Wellness Center is equipped with a Technogym area and two rooms for special aromatherapy treatments.