The Valley of The Temples, Agrigento
8 Day Sicily Tour – Fully escorted
Saturday Departures 2020: March 21 to October 24. All other months are available on request.
Visit: Palermo, Cefalu, Catania, Piazza Armerina, Catania Area, Mount Etna, Taormina, Siracusa, Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Agrigento, Selinunte, Marsala, Monreale, Palermo
Classic 8-day escorted Sicily tour departs from Palermo. This tour visits the many UNESCO World Heritage sites found on the island. These include the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, Mount Etna, Siracusa and the baroque town of Noto. This tour includes three delicious meals per day, so you will get a wonderful opportunity to taste the local Sicilian and Italian cuisine. There is also an opportunity for wine tasting in Masala on this wonderfully immersive tour. Available in English & Spanish.
Day 01 Saturday: PALERMO
Independent arrival at Hotel PALAZZO SITANO 4*, prestigious hotel located in the historical center of Palermo. Enjoy a welcome cocktail. Dinner and overnight in your hotel. Please note airport transfers are available upon request when booking your tour.
Day 02 Sunday: PALERMO – CEFALU’ – PIAZZA ARMERINA – CATANIA
After a buffet breakfast, depart to Cefalù, charming coastal town, a former fishing village which is also home to a breathtaking Norman Cathedral, famous for its Mosaic of Christ Pantocractor – a stunning Byzantine mosaic that’s considered as one of the most important pieces of religious artwork in Sicily. Take a stroll to the city center and down the main street to reach the Cathedral and the medieval wash-house built into the rock. Proceed to Piazza Armerina in the inland of Sicily: lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, visit UNESCO listed Villa Romana del Casale: it has the richest, largest and most complex collection of late Roman mosaics in the world. Continue to Catania. Accommodation, dinner and overnight at the GRAND HOTEL VILLA ITRIA 4* located near Etna’s Park, in Viagrande.
Day 03 Monday: CATANIA – MOUNT ETNA – TAORMINA – CATANIA
After a buffet breakfast, weather conditions permitting, we will take an excursion to Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. Across the fascinating landscape, we will reach a height of 1900 meters to visit the Sylvester Craters where you can enjoy a spectacular panorama over the Ionian Sea. On the way we will stop at the village of Zafferana Etnea, “the City of Honey” to visit a beautiful place where they produce honey. Here we will taste the precious nectar made by skilled hands. Back to your Hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, depart to Taormina, a charming city called “the pearl of the Ionian Sea”, founded in 400 BC and beautifully located overlooking the sea and the peak of Mount Etna. Enjoy time at leisure to shop for handmade lace, coral jewels, ceramics, home-made sweets and preserves down “Corso Umberto” or simply walk through its tiny streets. You may also wish to visit of the fascinating Greek-Roman theater. Tonight, enjoy a dinner in a local restaurant located in the historical center. Back to your Hotel in Catania/Viagrande.
Day 04 Tuesday: CATANIA – SIRACUSA – NOTO – RAGUSA
After a buffet breakfast, we depart to Syracuse to visit the most beautiful Greek colony of Sicily. Here we will visit of the archaeological park “Neapolis”, including the famous Latomie of the Paradise, the Greek Theater and the Dyonisios “Ear”. Visit the island of Ortigia, the small baroque old city center of Siracusa: here you can admire the Cathedral, which is built on the site of the Temple of Minerva, the legendary “Fontana Arethusa” and the Temple of Apollo. Entering Ortigia food market, you will experience the market stalls, admiring artistically arranged stands of vegetables, nuts, fruits, cheeses, meats and fresh fishes. Continuing through the vibrant market, you will stop in a Sicilian street food delicatessen vintage shop for an unforgettable light lunch with several samples of typical Sicilian appetizers. In the afternoon, we proceed to Noto, one of the most beautiful cities in Sicily renowned for the harmony and unity of its Baroque style and today declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The splendid cathedral is one of the most famous buildings in Noto. Proceed to Ragusa: accommodation, dinner and overnight at the Hotel MEDITERRANEO PALACE 4*.
Day 05 Wednesday: RAGUSA – MODICA – AGRIGENTO
After a buffet breakfast, we visit of the ancient city Ragusa “Ibla”, cradle of Sicilian baroque, with its Cathedral, situated in the beautiful square of the Dome and the “giardino Ibleo”. Depart to Modica to visit the city divided into two parts: Modica “Bassa” and “Alta”. Modica is also a UNESCO site and is famous for its Baroque churches and beautiful squares. Here we will enjoy a tasting of the famous local chocolate (Xocoatl) which is made with ancient methods brought to Sicily during the Spanish conquest. Lunch in a local restaurant. Continue to Agrigento in the afternoon, here we visit the magnificent Valley Of Temples of Agrigento, a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the Temple of Concord, which is in almost perfectly preserved. Juno and Heracles represent the most beautiful example of the Greek Civilization in Sicily. Accommodation, dinner and overnight at Hotel DIOSCURI BAY PALACE 4*.
Day 06 Thursday: AGRIGENTO – SELINUNTE – MARSALA – PALERMO
After a buffet breakfast, we depart to the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, the largest in the Mediterranean area with the impressive Temples and Acropolis. Stop in a local farmhouse famous for olive oil production where, before lunch, it will be possible to have a taste of their product. Continue to Marsala, a city on the western coast famous for its production of sweet Sicilian wine. Visit the historical center and stop at a prestigious winery, where we will enjoy a wine tasting and learn about local production. Proceed to Palermo. Accommodation, dinner and overnight at Hotel PALAZZO SITANO 4*.
Day 07 Friday: PALERMO – MONREALE – PALERMO
After a buffet breakfast, we will visit the capital of Sicily, Palermo. It is one of the richest towns on the island for its history and art. We shall see the wonderful Arab-Norman Cathedral (during the Holy Mass, exterior visit only). The amazing Cappella Palatina, a fine example from a historical and artistic point of view, of how different cultures, religions and ways of thinking can coexist. The debated fountain in Pretoria Square, adorned with XVI century sculptures. The most beautiful baroque church in Palermo, Santa Caterina and its cloister. Lunch in a local restaurant. Later on we will proceed to Monreale to visit its huge Norman Cathedral, proclaimed the Eighth Wonder of the World, with its splendid Cloister in Arab-Norman style, an admirable masterpiece of art, sculpture, and semi-precious stone marquetry. The remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. Dinner and overnight in your Hotel.
Day 08 Saturday: PALERMO
Buffet breakfast, end of the Tour. Please note airport transfers are available upon request, please let us know when booking your tour.
Includes:
- 8 Day Sicily Tour
- Accommodation in centrally located 4-star hotels
- Welcome cocktail
- 7 breakfast, 6 lunches, 7 dinners
- Mineral water (1/2 per person) at all meals
- 1/4 of wine & coffee only at lunch in local restaurants
- Entrance fees at Armerina Villa Romana del Casale, Siracusa Neapolis & Dome, Agrigento Valley of Temples, Selinunte Acropolis, Palermo Palatine Chapel, Chrurch of S. Caterina & Cloister, Monreale Dome & Benedictine cloister.
- Tasting of local traditional products: Olive oil, black bread tasting Castelvetrano, Olive tasting in Selinunte, Honey tasting in Zafferana Etnea (Mt Etna), Chocolate tasting in Modica
- Wine tasting in Marsala
- Street food tasting in Syracuse
- Transportation by Bus GT max comfort with FREE WIFI or minivan with driver/guide for groups with less than 8 people
- Tour escort at disposal for the whole tour
- Guided visits according to the program
- Whispers Kit – ear piece so you will never miss a thing the guides say
- Porterage at hotels
Excludes:
- Airport transfers at the start and the end of the tour. Transfers can be arranged with us on request.
- City Tax: Charged per person per night and is collected directly by the hotels
- Drinks not indicated as included above. (Coffee and wine at meals in the hotels)
Hotels:
- Palermo: Palazzo Sitano 4* or similar
- Catania: Grand Hotel Villa Itria 4* or similar
- Ragusa: Mediterraneo Palace 4* or similar
- Agrigento: Dioscuri Bay Palace 4* or similar
2020 Price Per Person in Euro – 8 Day Sicily Tour: US$ price will vary with the exchange rate
- Double 1151.00
- Single 1361.00
- 3rd person in triple room 1116.00
Additional services:
- Airport transfers are available on request
- Additional night’s accommodation in Palermo are available on request