New Page 1
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)
Day 5 (Wednesday) Taormina
Today at leisure to rest or shopping or OPTIONAL ETNA VOLCANO JEEP RIDE (BB)
Day 6 (Thursday) Caltagirone and Agrigento
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)
Day 7 (Friday) Segesta, Salt Way Road, Erice & Olive Oil Factory
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)
Day 8 (Saturday) Palermo
Time
to say goodbye to Sicily. Own transfer to Palermo airport. (BB)
Meal Legend:
BB Buffet Breakfast L Lunch or Light Lunch FC Farewell
Cocktail D Dinner
First Class Hotels on this Tour:
Hotel may be substituted
with similar category
Highlights:
-
Palermo Capo Market and the Sicilian Capital
- Monreale Dome and the great mosaics
- Cefalù Norman Cathedral
- Piazza Armerina Ancient mosaics in the Roman Villa
- Catania Elephant Square
- Syracuse Great Archaeological Park and Ortigia Island
- Taormina Renowned Mediterranean Resort
- Caltagirone Sicilian Pottery
- Agrigento Valley of the Temples
- Segesta Doric Temple
- Erice Castle built on the rest of Venus Castle
- Trapani province Saltpan works
New Year Departure (December 29): supplement
Easter Departure (March 22): supplement
What is Included:
-
Palermo: Three nights accommodation in
First class Hotel, standard room
- Agrigento: One night accommodation in
First class Hotel, standard room
-
Taormina: Three nights accommodation
in First class Hotel, standard room no sea-view
-
Buffet continental breakfast daily
-
Deluxe Vehicle-coach with Air
Conditioning, no toilet
-
English speaking Tour Director/Driver
as per program
-
Welcome cocktail
-
Welcome Dinner with group set-menù, 3
course
-
Two dinners at Hotel with group set-menù,
3 course
-
One lunch at local restaurant in
Syracuse with group set-menù, 3 course
-
One Farewell Cocktail at olive oil
factory-farmhouse in Trapani province with tasting of typical local dishes
-
All sightseeing, tasting and
excursions as specified in the itinerary
-
Hotel & City Taxes
What Is Not Included:
-
Intercontinental Flight
-
Gratuities to Tour Director and Driver
-
Porterage at airport
-
Baggage Handling of one piece of
luggage at hotel
-
Gratuities to Local Guide
-
Beverages and meals not mentioned in
the program
-
Travel Insurance
-
New Year Galà Dinner
-
Cablecar to Erice city centre (subject
to weather forecast)
-
Cablecar to Etna Volcano (subject to
weather forecast)
-
Admission fee included for all sites
and other activities as per itinerary
-
Airport transfers
List Of Hotels will be advise 10 days before departure