Sicily highlights - 8 Days 7 Nights

SICILIAN HIGHLIGHTS
Discover the Enchanting Island

7 nights / 8 days
Palermo (2 nights), Taormina (3 nights), Agrigento (1 night), Palermo (1 night)
Departure: GUARANTEED (with a minimum 2 guest)
Small size group: Maximum 25 clients

Operating 2008: Each Saturday, beginning December 29, 2007 until December 20, 2008

Price is PER PERSON based on Double Occupancy.

Day 1 (Saturday) Palermo

Upon arrival to Palermo airport own transfer to your hotel. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Dinner at local restaurant. (D)

Day 2 (Sunday) Palermo - Monreale

Morning walking tour through the old centre includes a visit to the lovely Capo Market. Continue to the Massimo Theatre square and visit the Palatine Chapel and Hall of King Roger II, the Four Corners and the great Pretoria Square with the lovely fountain. Afternoon dedicated to the visit to Monreale to admire the 6340 square meters gold mosaics into the Dome. Return to Palermo. Enjoy dinner on your own. (BB)

Day 3 (Monday) Cefalù - Piazza Armerina

Today departure to Cefalù, a charming coastal town, has a massive Norman Cathedral with outstanding mosaics. Here we will visit to the city centre and enjoy a walk in the main street to reach the Cathedral. Then drive through the interior of Sicily to reach Piazza Armerina. Time at leisure for your own lunch. Later you will tour the remains of one of the most sumptuous villas of the late Roman Empire whose floor mosaics comprise the most vital and colorful manifestation of Roman figurative art in Europe. Continue across the island to reach Taormina. Dinner at hotel. (BB D)

Day 4 (Tuesday) Catania - Syracuse

This morning departure to Catania, the city of lava and standing in the ominous shadow of Mount Etna. The town is called the city of “black and white”: white plaster and marble and black lava form major parts of its architectural adornment. Here we will visit the old centre of the city in the Piazza Duomo with the fountain of the ancient elephant. Then we will drive to Syracuse. On arrival walk in the island of Ortygia, the picturesque and densely built original centre of Syracuse. Enjoy the lunch at local restaurant. During afternoon we will visit the magnificent of the Archaeological Park where we will admire the 5th-cent BC Greek Theatre, the stone quarries and the Roman Amphitheatre and the Paradise Quarry. Later back to Taormina (BB L)

Today at leisure to rest or shopping or OPTIONAL ETNA VOLCANO JEEP RIDE (BB)

Following breakfast we will drive through the interior of Sicily to reach the nice Caltagirone, one of the important town for Sicilian pottery and ceramics. We will walk in the city centre and climbing on the famous steps all decorated with local and colored ceramics. Time at leisure for shopping in the nice ceramics-shops. Then we will continue to reach the great Agrigento to see the finest of all ancient Greek sites with the complete Doric Temples. Dinner at hotel. After dinner, we enjoy an orientation tour of Agrigento by night to admire the Illuminated Temples. (BB D)

Today we will drive to Segesta one of the major cities of the Elymian people and one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicilyin the southwest cost of Sicily. The unfinished hexastyle doric temple of Segesta, late 5th century BC, is built on a hilltop just outside the ancient city of Segesta with a commanding view of the surrounding area. Then we will continue to the lovely Trapani province where we will find the nice Salt Way Road and Sicilian windmills. Continue to the medieval hill town of Erice. On arrival we will walk to reach the nice Castle built on the rest of Venus Temple, then we will continue to a local pastry-shop to taste the typical marzipans and almond pastry. Time for leisure. This afternoon we drive to a local Olive Oil Factory for our Farewell Snakers & Cocktail and tasting of antipasti, local olive oil, bruschette, pizza and local cheese. Then continue to Palermo. (BB FC)

New Year Departure (December 29): supplement
Easter Departure (March 22): supplement