Group Tours:
Bella
Italia | France
& Italy | Sicily
Tour | Best
of Tuscany & Umbria | Rome
& The Amalfi Coast Tour
Spotlight
on Tuscany Tour
SICILY TOUR: Upscale Sicily Small Group Tour
Rates
& Dates • Tour
Overview • Includes • Itinerary
Information
Request Form • I Reservation
Form
CLICK
HERE FOR RATES & DATES »
SICILY TOUR - Small Group Tour of Sicily, Italy
Touring: Palermo, MONREale,
Erice, Segesta, Cefalu, Agrigento,
Caltagirone, RAGUSA, Ortigia-Siracusa, Mt. Etna & Villages,
Taormina, Castelmola, Savoca,
Forza d'Agro
Tour Overview: Our upscale Sicily group tours are simply one of the most rewarding historical and architectural tours we offer. Join us in our Sicily tours and enjoyable the luxury of small group tours. Sicily
isn’t one of Italy’s top tourist
destinations, but we think it should
be. We’ll explore diverse cultures
and landscapes, and indulge our senses
with visits to top restaurants, wineries
and even a chocolate factory. Our
route will follow the Romans, Greeks,
and Arab-Normans, all of whom inhabited
the area; we will witness the amazing
architecture, and incredibly rich
history they left behind.
Join one of our upscale Italy small group tours to Sicily. Enjoy upscale travel and tour in a relaxed pace. We'll use comfortable vehicles, provide you with a mix of fabulous accommodations and the fantastic food and wine Sicily is known for.
Arrival
Airport: Palermo, Italy
Departure
Airport:
Catania, Italy
VIEW
Rates
& Dates
»
Note: Activities or order of
activities are subject to change due
to unforeseen closures, etc.
|
Tour
Includes:
- 11 Days’ Land Tour
- Beautiful & elegant
accommodations in centrally located
hotels
- 2 Dinners and 3 lunches
with wine
- Breakfast daily
- Welcome
cocktails
- Services of your excellent
professional Tour Manager throughout
the tour
- Guided Tour of Segesta
- Tour of Ragusa, Monreale
- Guided Tour of Siracusa and its
Greek Theater and Roman Amphitheater
- Guided Tour of Palermo & Monreale
- Guided Tour of the Valley of the
Temples in Agrigento
- Guided Tour
of Piazza Armerina's Villa Romana
del Casale for some of the best mosaics
of the Roman world
- Excursion to Mt. Etna & Its Villages
- Excursion to Erice, Cefalu
- Tour of Winery and Wine Sampling
- Chocolate Sampling at Chocolate Factory
- Excursions to the villages of Castelmola,
Savoca & Forza D'Agro
- Guided
Tour of Caltagirone
- Private transportation to
all planned activities
- Entrance
fees to all scheduled museums and
sites
- Gratuities to tour guides, drivers, restaurants
- Airport
Transfer on Arrival Day
Not included:
- Airline tickets
- Gratuities
to your tour manager
- Airport transfer on departure day.
|
| INFORMATION
REQUEST FORM › • RESERVATION
FORM › |
 ITINERARY
Note: Activities or order of activities
in our Sicily tours are subject to change due to unforeseen closures,
etc. We reserve the right to replace an
activity. (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D
= Dinner)
DAY 1:
Arrival Day in Palermo, Welcome Cocktails and Dinner, Overnight in Palermo
We will meet you at the airport in Palermo and our private transfer will take you to our hotel, a 19th century grand hotel in the historic district of Palermo.
Aperitivo at the hotel bar in the evening. Our group dinner tonight at a local restaurant will introduce you to Sicily’s fantastic and unique cuisine, distinctly different from that of any other region in Italy. (D)
DAY 2:
Palermo, Monreale, Overnight in Palermo
In this small group tour of Sicily, our local Sicily tour guide will show us the highlights of historical Palermo, capital of ancient Sicily. Colonized by the Phoenicians, Sicily boasts a rich 3,000 years of history, particularly flourishing under the Arab and Norman rule. The many great empires that once ruled Sicily's capital left behind wonderfully diverse architecture, from Roman to Byzantine to Arab-Norman, which we will view in the city's palaces, churches and crypts.
We'll sample a unique flavor of Italy, one with a touch of Africa, as we experience Palermo’s street life and its ancient market, the Mercato della Vucciria. We will also visit the city’s eclectic cathedral -- originally Norman, then Catalan Gothic, and in the 18th-century, transformed by baroque and neoclassical styles. Afternoon visit to Monreale, a town above Palermo with its famous 12th Century cathedral built by the Norman King William II. This ornate cathedral is a mix of Byzantine, Arab and Norman architecture with its richly mosaic-covered interior. (B)
DAY 3:
Erice, Segesta, Overnight in Palermo
Today, our Sicily tour will take us to the historic town of Erice, which sits on top of Mt. Erice, overlooking the city of Trapani. The city’s  ancient remains are layered with history, from the Elymian and Phoenician walls dating from the 5th century to its twin castles -- Pepoli castle from the Saracen times and Venus castle, from the Norman period, built on top of an ancient temple of Venus. Erice’s sights also include an interesting museum and a 14th century church.
Our group will also also tour Segesta, one of the major cities of the Elymian people, one of the indigenous peoples of Sicily. Ancient settlements high on top of Monte Barbaro have vanished but a magnificent Doric temple remains.
Return to Palermo late afternoon. Explore and have dinner on your own. (B, L)
DAY 4:
Excursion to Cefalu, Guided Tour of Winery and Wine Tasting, Overnight in Agrigento
Today we’ll drive east of Palermo along the coast towards Cefalu, a lovely fishing village built on a rock that juts out into the sea. Its 12th-century Romanesque cathedral is considered one of the finest Norman cathedrals in Sicily. After the tour, enjoy the sites and do some shopping, or simply walk its medieval streets and promenade along the water.
Late in the morning, we’ll go inland into the heart of the wine country, touring a beautiful and very important winery in Sicily. We will enjoy a fabulous lunch accompanied by different varieties of wines. After, our group will travel to Agrigento where we'll stay in a hotel, a short distance from the Valley of the Temples, one of the highlights of our Sicily tour and the only reason for staying overnight here. (B, L)
DAY 5:
Agrigento - Valley of The Temples, Caltagirone, Overnight in Siracusa
This morning, you will have a guided tour of the Valley of The Temples in Agrigento, famous for its five Doric temples. Not even in Athens will you see Greek temples this finely preserved. Our guided tour will take us through the spectacular ruins of the archaeological park, where numerous temples, burial places, homes, and other artifacts give us clues to how the ancients lived.
From Agrigento, we will take you to Caltagirone, one of the liveliest Baroque town in central Sicily and known in Italy as “the city of Sicilian ceramics” that they have been producing since 2nd B.C. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The main city landmark is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. Each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making. Late afternoon, we will proceed to Siracusa, our home base for the next 2 nights. (B)
DAY 6:
Guided Tour and Overnight in Siracusa 
Sleep in and enjoy our beautiful and comfortable hotel overlooking the sea. Founded in 734 BC by the Greeks, Siracusa was one of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization. This city quickly grew to rival and even surpass Athens in splendor and power. Siracusa still has some of the finest examples of Baroque art and architecture, along with fantastic Greek and Roman ruins. Siracusa is definitely one of the most beautiful places to see in this trip to Sicily. A local guide will take us on a guided tour of this city and its archeological sites, including a Roman amphitheater, beautiful Greek temple, a famous grotto called the Ear of Dionysus, and the most complete Greek theater surviving from antiquity.
Time on your own after the tour to enjoy Ortigia island of Siracusa, a relaxed, comfortable and beautiful setting. The lively baroque old town has some interesting shopping, charming piazzas and lots of outdoor cafes and bars. (B)
DAY 7:
Guided Tour of Ragusa, Chocolate Shop/Factory, Overnight in Siracusa
This morning, we will have a guided tour of UNESCO World Heritage Site Ragusa. Ibla, or lower Ragusa, is an ancient city that was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake that devastated Southeastern Sicily. The city seems to defy gravity, being built on a hill that seems to be practically on vertical walls. Superiore -- the “new” city built in the early 1700s -- offers its visitors Baroque and neo-Classical architecture.
A local guide will show us the city’s highlights, including the magnificent Duomo di San Giorgio, with its slightly asymmetrical staircase, rich Baroque facade and neo-Classical dome. We will also climb the 242 steps to the Church of Santa Maria delle Scale (St. Mary of the Stairs), tour the square and see many aristocratic buildings, palaces and churches.
You will have free time after the tour to enjoy the narrow, labyrinthine streets on your own and find a nice lunch spot. The options here are many: ancient artifacts at the archaeological museum, shopping at Via Roma and Corso Italia, or sweets at Di Pasquale, along via Veneto. We will also make a stop at the famous Bonajuto Chocolate factory, the oldest in Sicily.
Late this afternoon, we will continue onto Siracusa to the island of Ortigia, our home base for the next two nights. Our beautiful boutique hotel is in the heart of the old town, a short walk to the Duomo, the Piazza Archimede and the Temple of Apollo. (B)
DAY 8:
Piazza Armerina's Villa Romana del Casale, Overnight in Taormina
We will This morning, we will make our way to Taormina. On the way, we will take you to Piazza Armerina, home
to an important third-century Roman villa and
imperial hunting lodge. Visiting Villa Romana
del Casale, you will be able to see some of the best
mosaics of the Roman world. Afternoon arrival in Taormina. (B)
DAY 9:
Excursion to Mt. Etna, Overnight in Taormina
This morning, on the way to Taormina, we will detour for Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest and highest volcano and one the world’s most active volcanoes. To the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and home to the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. Along the way, we will drive through several Sicilian towns and villages. Our tour will continue to take us to see some old lava flows and the 6,000-foot “Silvestri” craters as well as the last new lava flows and craters from 2002-3.
We’ll drive to the cable car station to get yet higher; weather permitting, we'll get a jeep from there to take us to the very top.
After a lunch stop we’ll proceed to Taormina, our next and final home base for three nights. Taormina’s great third-century B.C. Greek theatre is located high above a cliff overlooking the sea and Mt. Etna. Our beautiful hotel is in the center of town, where you can walk to the sites and shops. Free time in the evening; dinner on your own in town. Lunch with wine at a winery in a village of Mt. Etna. (B, L)
DAY 10:
Excursions to Castelmola, Savoca and Forza d'Agro, Farewell Dinner, Overnight in Taormina
Today, our small group tour of Sicily will take you to Savoca, selected by director Francis Ford Coppola as one of the settings for "The Godfather II." You may recognize the stunning seaside views from the piazza and terraced bar here as part of the set used for the wedding reception in the movie. We will also visit the beautiful cathedral and tour catacombs of the Cappuccini convent underneath. We will then head to Castelmola, a medieval hill town above Taormina with breathtaking views of the sea and Mt. Etna.
Our next stop is the village of Forza d'Agro, another charming medieval hilltop village with a fantastic view of the coast and Mt. Etna. We will visit its unique Norman castle with three castle-walls and a wonderful coastline view towards the straits of Messina. Some scenes from "The Godfather III" were shot in this enchanting place.
Tonight is our last night together. We will celebrate the end of this fabulous small group tour of Sicily with cocktails and a farewell dinner. (B, D)
DAY 11:
Departure Day
Prepare for your flight home. A private transfer will take you to the airport. (B)
Back to top |
