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Sights and Smells of Sicily

Food & Wine

13-DAY/12 NIGHT ITINERARY

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  • Overview
  • Itinerary Details
  • Dates and Prices

Mention Sicily to an Italian and they’ll bring up one topic – food and wine! Sicily’s varied landscapes – spanning craggy coastlines, green hills, fertile plains and vineyard-draped valleys – is as diverse as Sicilian cooking. Over the years, countless cultures reshaped Sicilian cuisine – including the Greeks, the Romans, the French, the Spanish, and the Arabs.  As a result, traditional dishes boast a surprising mix of flavors.

This 13-day itinerary will be a true introduction to real and authentic Sicilian gastronomic heritage. 

Some highlights of the journey include: visiting open-air markets and diving into the world of Sicilian street food, pizza making in the Sicani Mountains, visiting a dairy farm to see the laborious production of provola, ricotta, and DOP Ragusano cheese, a hands-on chocolate experience in the sweet world of Modica, and, of course, a trip to Sicily would be remiss without a gelato or granita tasting! 

These are just a handful of the tasty and tantalizing experiences that await you in bella Sicilia. 

DAY 1 -  ARRIVAL IN SICILY AND WELCOME DINNER

» Arrival at Palermo airport

» Transfer to your hotel in Palermo

» Welcome dinner at a local's home in Palermo. You will join your local host and sit together around the table and share food, stories and laughter. This will be a great opportunity to learn about the Sicilian gastronomic heritage.  

» Overnight in Palermo

DAY 2 -  PALERMO (UNESCO), PUPPET TRADITION AND MONREALE

» Walking tour in the old town center of Palermo, visiting its main highlights

» Visit to an open-air market of the town and light-lunch in the world of street-food, the feather in the cap for the local cuisine.

» We'll visit the workshop of a puppet maker where you will learn more about the fascinating puppetry Sicilian tradition.

» In the afternoon, visit to the jewel of the Arab-Norman crown in Sicily: the golden cathedral of Monreale.

DAY 3 -  FOOD TOUR IN MADONIE MOUNTAINS

» Transfer to Castelbuono

» Visit to the charming medieval village of Castelbuono where we will sample the excellent local products that make Castelbuono a gourmet destination in Sicily. A relaxing half-day stroll to experience the daily life of an authentic Sicilian town.

» Later, driving down a beautiful mountain road, we will reach the territory of Pollina, the core of the traditional production of manna. Lunch will be in an organic manna farm where you will experience the way of harvesting manna and the several culinary and pharmaceutical uses of this sap that is collected by cutting the trunk of local manna ashes in the late summer.

» Transfer to Cefalù for a guided tour of the town including the visit of the Duomo and its stunning Christ Pantokrator.

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Palermo.
 

DAY 4 -  ERICE, MARSALA AND SALT PANS

» Transfer to Erice

» Walking tour of the Medieval town famous for the local pastry tradition and the amazing view on the wonderful maritime landscape below. 

» Transfer to the Marsala area, the land of unique sunsets, salt pans, windmills and wineries that produce the famous Marsala wine.

» Lunch with view on the saltpans.

» Visit to the saltpans of Marsala and salt experience: you will discover different types of salt, which will emphasize the taste of seasonal fruit and other Sicilian delicacies in a rich and carefully prepared tasting.

» Transfer to Agrigento

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Agrigento.

DAY 5 -  VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES (UNESCO) WITH PIC-NIC LUNCH AND “FAMIATA EXPERIENCE”

» Guided tour at the Valley of the Temples. The monumental ruins of ancient Akrágas represent one of the most important archaeological complexes in the Mediterranean area. Our tour will develop along the rocky crest of Temple Hill. A series of out-of-town sanctuaries consecrated to the most important Polias Gods have decorated this crest since the late sixth century B.C. Starting from the Temple of Juno to the Olympieion, we will be the protagonists of an imaginary trip among the templar Greek architecture that here, as in few other places, has kept its formal perfection intact.

» Lunch on own in Agrigento.

» Pizza making in the Sicani Mountains in the afternoon: cooking class that takes place in a stunning manor, where a fascinating family will show you the importance of the "Famiata Sicana". During the cooking class, you will make some local specialties and take part into all the steps of pizza making, from the dough to the oven. After the lesson, you will taste the baked products together with other typical dishes and local wine.

» Overnight in Agrigento.

DAY 6 -  VILLAGE EXPERIENCE 

» Today will be one of the highlights of your trip.

» After breakfast at our inn, we will visit a local friend for a true farm fresh "Agriturismo" experience. He will introduce us the local artisanal foods of a tiny hilltop village. As we walk the town's stone streets, we will meet the sheep whose milk makes the hamlet's fresh ricotta. You will be in awe by the city's take on "sfincione" -- a fluffy Sicilian pizza topped in local cheese and farm-fresh vegetables. 

» We will then head back to our accommodation and spend our evening at leisure. 

DAY 7 -  OLIVE OIL EXPERIENCE AND PIAZZA ARMERINA (UNESCO)

» Transfer to Piazza Armerina

» Visit to a family olive oil mill whose tradition, dating back to 1905, has been mixed with new advanced technologies to create an extraordinary product. This is a wonderful opportunity to uncover the world of Sicilian extra virgin olive oil and be introduced to the importance of olive oil in Mediterranean culture. You will also experience all the steps of the olive oil processing and, after the visit, you will taste four different olive oil varieties. The experience continues with a nice lunch in the restaurant with a beautiful view over the olive oil mill.

» Visit to the impressive structures of the Villa Romana at Casale which contains the greatest complex of Roman mosaics in the world (3500 m2).

» Transfer to Noto area and check-in at your hotel

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Noto area

DAY 8 -  GUIDED TOUR OF SIRACUSA WITH LUNCH AT A FISH RESTAURANT

» Today we'll enjoy a guided tour of the Neapolis Archaeological Park where you will see the Greek Theater, the Roman amphitheater, the Altar of Hieron II, the Ear of Dionysus, and other ancient stone quarries that supplied stone for the ancient city.

» Guided tour of Ortygia with its main highlights and the Jewish baths known as Mikveh.

» Lunch will be at a fish tavern.

» Spend the afternoon at your own pace in Ortygia.

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Noto area

DAY 9 -  NOTO AND MODICA

» Walking tour of Noto, the so-called "Garden of Stone" renowned for its exceptional UNESCO Baroque heritage.

» Enjoy a gelato or granita tasting in one of the most famous pastry shops

» We continue our day with a visit to an almond farm in the countryside of Noto where you will be introduced to the Sicilian almond tradition by the passionate owner. Enjoy a home-made lunch with the farmer's family

» In the afternoon, we'll head to Modica for a guided tour of the town, one of the eight UNESCO Baroque towns in the "Val di Noto". 

» Chocolate tasting included in Modica

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Noto area.

DAY 10 -  LUNCH AT HAZELNUT FARM AND TAORMINA

» Today we'll transfer to Taormina and stop on the way on the slopes of Mt. Etna for a unique experience.

» On the slopes of Etna, we will enjoy a visit and lunch at a hazelnut farm. 

» Then transfer to Taormina and check-into our last accommodation.

» Sunset walking tour of Taormina and visit of the Greek-Roman theater, the Roman Odeon and the main medieval buildings of the city, known as the Pearl of the Ionian Sea.

» Dinner at leisure in Taormina.

DAY 11 -  MOUNT ETNA EXPERIENCE

» Transfer to Mt. Etna for a special 4x4 off-road vehicles' experience along the panoramic road, between ancient craters and recent lava flows. 

» Reach the Volcanological Observatory at an altitude of 2,850 meters above sea level. 

» Visit of a winery located on the slope of the volcano. Here we'll visit the vineyards and cellar and enjoy a tasting of the native varieties growing on Mt. Etna 

» After our tasting and light lunch, we'll head back to Taormina

» Afternoon at leisure

» Dinner at leisure and overnight in Taormina.

DAY 12 -  CATANIA WW2 TOUR AND FISH MARKET

» Transfer to Catania 

» Guided tour of the historical city center. You will see the main monuments that were struck by the 1943 bombing. Then visit the Allied Landings Museum with its bunker reconstructions, videos, photos, models statues, original clothing and documents belonging to the war period. 

» Admire the images captured by the war photographer Phil Stern, who followed the American Allied troops during their landing in Sicily.

» Street food lunch at the characteristic fish market of the city included.

» Transfer to Taormina and farewell dinner in a local restaurant.

DAY 13 -  ARRIVEDERCI, SICILY

» Transfer to Catania airport and departure from Sicily

SMALL GROUP JOURNEY: minimum 6, maximum 12 guests per departure

DATES: 

  • May 8-20, 2022
  • October 9-21, 2022

PRICES: 

7,980.00 USD per person, based on double occupancy

Double single use supplement on request.

Book within 31/01/2022 and receive a 500.00 USD discount

INCLUSIONS:
  • 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Palermo. Breakfast included
  • 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Agrigento. Breakfast included
  • 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Noto. Two dinners and breakfast included
  • 3 nights at a 4-star hotel in Taormina. Breakfast included
  • Private transfers and transportations with personal drivers for the whole itinerary, as specified in the itinerary
  • Full day and half day visits with local, English-speaking guides, as specified in the itinerary
  • Welcome dinner at a local's home
  • Visit to a Puppet workshop in Palermo
  • Visits and tastings at the "Manna" farm, Olive Oil farm, Almond farm, Hazelnut farm and Etna winery
  • Meals at restaurants, wineries, farms as specified in the itinerary
  • Assistance of a See Italy Travel tour leader for the whole stay

EXCLUSIONS:
  • All meals not included above
  • All activities not included above
  • Travel Insurance
  • Gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Hotel city tax


We require a 1,500.00 USD deposit upon confirmation. Balance due 60 days prior to the trip

Please note that the May journey can be booked within February 7th, 2022 and the October one within June 9th, 2022.

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