8 minute read
Sicily and Its Isles
NEW TOUR SICILY AND ITS ISLES
13 DAYS • 19 MEALS STARTING AT £2,999 Pricing is per person, land only, double occupancy, and varies by departure date.
HIGHLIGHTS Palermo • Impact Moment • Trapani • Isle of Mozia • Marsala Winery Tour • Olive Oil Farm • Agrigento • Valley of the Temples • Ragusa • Isle of Salina • Caper Farm • Taormina • Mount Etna Off-Road Excursion
CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
• Visit a medieval palace and enjoy hors d’oeuvres with a countess. • Soak up the relaxed ambiance of the
Aeolian Islands (UNESCO) with a 2-night stay on the Isle of Salina. • Ascend the sides of Mount Etna (UNESCO) on off-road vehicles.
IT’S YOUR CHOICE!
Be sure to choose your option before departure. • Day 2 — Take a panoramic tour of Palermo and head to Monreale
Cathedral -OR- explore Palermo’s
WWII history on a walking tour.
CULINARY INCLUSIONS
12 Breakfasts (B) • 1 Lunch (L) • 6 Dinners (D) • Sample Sicilian “street food” during a walking tour of Palermo’s Ballarò
Market. • Enjoy world-renowned Marsala wine on a wine cellar tour. • Taste award-winning olive oil and learn about the Slow Food movement at a local farm.
ACCOMMODATION
Days 1-2
Days 3-4 Day 5
Days 6-7
Days 8-9
Days 10-12
Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo I Mulini Resort, Trapani Baia di Ulisse Hotel, Agrigento ROOM UPGRADE AVAILABLE During your stay at the Baia di Ulisse Hotel, Agrigento, you can choose to upgrade your room to a frontal Sea View Room. CALL FOR DETAILS Poggio del Sole Hotel, Ragusa Hotel La Salina Borgo Di Mare, Salina Hotel Villa Diodoro, Taormina ROOM UPGRADE AVAILABLE During your stay at the Hotel Villa Diodoro, Taormina, you can choose to upgrade your room to a frontal Sea View Room. CALL FOR DETAILS Taormina
Day 1: Palermo, Italy - Tour Begins You’re on your way to Sicily – an island paradise nestled amongst the deep blue waves of the Mediterranean. Look past the Italy you think you know and see how this coastal farmland balances ancient traditions and modern comforts. Start your journey in Palermo (UNESCO), Sicily’s welcoming capital city. Uncover the island’s deeply rooted heritage, teeming with ArabNorman architectural masterpieces and delicate Classical designs. Come to know your fellow travellers over a welcome dinner. (D)
Day 2: Palermo Decide how you explore because it’s your choice! Tour Palermo and head to Monreale Cathedral, ascending on foot to see the gold Byzantine mosaics -OR- descend into a WWII air raid shelter before exploring the historic city centre with a guide. No matter how you spend your morning, you’ll spend your afternoon tasting your way through Ballarò Market’s olives, spices, and other local produce. End your day at a medieval palace, where a countess guides you through her family’s home, joining you for an aperitif and hors d’oeuvres. (B)
Day 3: Palermo - Impact Moment - Trapani Experience an impact moment with Addiopizzo, an anti-Mafia not-for-profit that supports locals who refuse to pay the Mafia’s protection fees. Visit Capaci and Cinisi, the site of two terrorist acts led by the Mafia, and pay tribute to fallen activists. Chat with locals for a personal perspective and learn how they overcame the Mafia’s reign. As the day draws to a close, settle into Trapani for two nights and watch the sunset fade against the crashing waves and whirling windmills. (B, D) Day 4: Trapani - Isle of Mozia - Marsala - Optional Excursion Venture to the isle of Mozia, once a great trading port for the Phoenician, Greek and Roman civilisations. On the way, sail next to a submerged Roman road, once traversed on foot. Explore Mozia with a guide, visiting the ruins of its ancient port, and a museum featuring impressive Greek statuary. Then continue to Marsala, heading down into a cellar for a taste of its renowned wine. The remainder of the day is yours. Perhaps you will join an optional tour to Erice to visit Maria Grammatico’s famous bakery for a hands-on pastry-making class. (B) Day 5: Trapani - Gibellina - Agrigento - Valley of the Temples - Agrigento Begin in Gibellina, a humble countryside village. See how this town rebuilt itself after an earthquake, transforming ruins into a sprawling piece of contemporary art. Head to an awardwinning olive grove and learn about the Slow Food movement, which supports local cultures and preserves traditions. Try their unique olive oil at lunch before departing for Agrigento, where ancient roots and medieval buildings blend into modernity. Wander through the Valley of the Temples (UNESCO) with a guide at dusk. (B, L, D) Day 6: Agrigento - Ragusa Make your way to Ragusa (UNESCO), an ancient city perched upon a hill. Meander through its Baroque neighbourhood with an expert guide, passing by winding lanes, cobblestone streets, and wrought iron balconies. Make the most of a
This tour requires you to walk and for long periods of time, navigate uneven ground, and climb into various modes of transportation.
Valley of the Temples
Trapani Windmills
free afternoon to explore on your own. As the sun sets, retreat to your countryside resort just outside the city. (B, D) Day 7: Ragusa - Optional Excursion The entire day is yours. With free time, you might choose to relax in the countryside and enjoy the resort’s amenities. Or, perhaps you will join an optional tour to the picture-perfect towns of Scicli and Modica, where you’ll enjoy a savoury brunch at a ricotta farm before continuing to an Aztec chocolate shop for some sweet samples. (B, D) Day 8: Ragusa - Milazzo - Ferry to Aeolian Islands - Isle of Salina - Lingua Grab your bags and hop on a ferry in Milazzo. Sail by Vulcano and Lipari on your way to Salina a far-flung isle surrounded by vibrant blue waters and dark volcanic rock. Somewhat off the beaten path, Salina is one of the less-travelled Aeolian Islands, preserved as a holiday getaway for Italians. Settle into the hamlet of Lingua for a 2-night stay. Get your bearings on a brief tour and visit a local winery for a tasting of Malvasia, a locally produced wine. (B) Day 9: Salina - Caper Farm - Optional Excursion Dramatic landscapes of rocky cliffs and vibrant vineyards pass by on your way to nearby Pollara, famous for its traditional caper cultivation. Wander through the fields, tasting the salted flower buds. The afternoon is yours to do as you please. Perhaps you’ll take an optional cruise to Stromboli, where you’ll swim off your private boat and dine at sunset; relax and watch for the signature glow of the island’s active volcano. (B) Day 10: Salina - Ferry to Milazzo - Taormina After a relaxing morning, ferry back to mainland Sicilia. Journey along the Ionian Coast to Taormina, a seaside hub of ancient Greek theatres and hilly walkways. Settle into your new home for the next three nights and enjoy a free evening to explore on your own. (B) Day 11: Taormina Discover Taormina with a local guide, leading you to the city’s Duomo, public gardens, and the well-preserved Greek theatre. Walk in the footsteps of ancient attendees and take in an unparalleled viewpoint of the adjacent ocean. Spend the afternoon on your own. Perhaps you’ll grab a bite to eat at a sidewalk café, or peruse the local boutiques for handcrafted souvenirs. (B) Day 12: Taormina - Mount Etna - Taormina See Sicily’s wilder side on an off-road adventure to Mount Etna. Stare up at the iconic peak as your vehicle climbs along the sides of Europe’s largest active volcano. Spend the day exploring this legendary giant, passing by lava formations and basalt rocks. This evening, toast to your Sicilian sojourn at dinner, surrounded by local musicians. (B, D) Day 13: Taormina - Tour Ends Your journey through Sicily comes to a close today. Return home with memories of Italy’s favourite island. (B)
MAKE MORE OF YOUR TOUR
Choose to add more time to your trip:
PRE NIGHT
PALERMO CALL FOR DETAILS
1-2 NIGHTS
POST NIGHT TAORMINA CALL FOR DETAILS
EVEN MORE TIME? Combine Sicily & Its Isles with another tour for one seamless, non-stop travel experience. CALL FOR DETAILS
DOUBLE Starting at £2,999 Pricing is per person, land only,
SOLO Starting at £3,599 and varies by departure date. Prices based on 15 September 2021 departure.
May 2021 – May 2022
5, 12, 19 May 2, 16 June 21 July 11, 25 August 1, 8, 15, 22 September 6, 8 October 22, 27 April 4, 11, 18 May
Please note: This trip requires a passport. Our air passengers will arrive into Palermo and depart from Catania. All of our return transfers will depart from Taormina to Catania airport. Airport transfers are available for purchase. In the case of adverse sea conditions, the ferry to the isle of Salina may be delayed or cancelled resulting in partial reduction of your time on the isle (or cancellation of the visit). In case of this event, there will be a replacement accommodation arranged and a comparable program on the mainland. Occasionally the visit to the winery in Salina may be moved to a different time or day. Guests are responsible for handling their own luggage when getting on and off the ferry.
