Itinerary

Day 1

Day 1 Arriving Palermo or Castellamare
Arrival in Palermo airport and welcome by our driver. Transfer to Palermo city or Castellamare and check in at a charming four star hotel. Dinner in hotel and overnight.

Day 2

Day 2—Segesta/ Cooking Lesson
/Wine Tasting/Erice / Palermo
Morning: breakfast in hotel. Departure for Segesta, ancient village in the Western part of Sicily, and visit to its magnificent Greek Theatre . Then, transfer to a Baglio for a cooking lesson. The chef at Baglio will teach guests how to prepare some of the most representative recipes of the culinary tradition of the province of Trapani . All participants will help prepare the dishes for the lunch.
Visit to a famous winery, Cantine Pellegrino, where guests will enjoy a wine tasting and will learn about local production.
Transfer to Erice, a nearby
medieval town, located at the top of the homonymous mountain set 751 meters
above the sea level and overlooking the whole Western region, the Mediterranean Sea and the Egadi Islands. Walking visit of its characteristic historical centre.
Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day 3

Day 3—Agrigento / Piazza Armerina
Morning: breakfast in the hotel. Departure to Agrigento to visit the beautiful Valley of the Temples,
Lunch on your own in Agrigento.
Afternoon: travel to Piazza Armerina, a small town in the south-central part of the island, and visit to the Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman country villa of the 3rd century, famous for its precious mosaics. Transfer to a charming Farmhouse between Piazza Armerina and Caltagirone. Time for rest. Typical dinner in the characteristic restaurant room of the farm. Overnight at the farm.

Day 4

Day 4—Siracusa/ taormina
Morning: breakfast in hotel. Visit of Siracusa, which during the Greek Age
was one of the more powerful cities on the island. Visit to the archaeological zone: the Greek Theatre, the Roman
Amphitheatre, the Ear of Dyonisus and the Latomie. Walk through the historical center on the Ortigia Island to admire the
Cathedral, the Aretusa fountain and the ancient streets. Time for shopping. Lunch on your own in Siracusa.
Afternoon: transfer to Taormina. Check in at the hotel.
Then walk through the historical center of this beautiful town, . Taormina has been an exclusive Sicilian hotspot, since the beginning of the 19th century, and is where many noble and rich families of Northern Europe spent winter due to its mild climate. . Back to the hotel. Time for rest. Dinner on your own. Overnight.

Day 5

Day 5— Cooking class + Etna Wines/ taormina or optional Etna
Morning: breakfast in hotel. Leave at 10h00 x a Cooking lesson with a famous chef-teacher of traditional regional cuisine. Lunch in the farm, including the dishes prepared during the lesson.
Afternoon : transfer to Tenuta , an ancient estate located on the slopes of the volcano Etna. The farm, is surrounded by extensive vineyards and has a panoramic view of both Mt. Etna and the sea. Mt. Etna is the highest volcano in Europe. The climate and the volcanic soil help give wines a unique mineral taste typical of the region around Mt. Etna. Wine tasting and guided visit to the wine cellar with a member of the family.
Back to Taormina for free time or optional Excursion to Mt. Etna ( to pay directly to the driver) . Departure to Rifugio Sapienza, located 1.900 m. above sea level, where it will be possible to visit the small, inactive Silvestri craters. From Rifugio Sapienza, proceed by jeep up to 2.500 m. under the main active craters for an excursion accompanied by a volcanologic conductor. There visit the site of the last big eruption of 2002. Back to Rifugio Sapienza. Dinner on your own. Overnight.

Day 6

Day 6—Cooking Lesson: The Cuisine of the Country/The Madonie Park
Morning: breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Polizzi , a small village 70 kilometres away from Palermo . Polizzi lies in the Madonie Mountains' Natural Park.In Polizzi guests will have a half-day cooking lesson in a Farmhouse or a nice restaurant . The owner of the
farm will teach them to prepare some of the most popular and essential recipes according to the local tradition.
Lunch. Afternoon: visit to Polizzi Generosa, an ancient village rich in historical and artistic attractions. During the walk
through the town's medieval streets, guests will have a break for a sampling of typical sweetmeats. Check in at a farmhouse near Polizzi. Time for rest. Dinner. Overnight.

Day 7

Day 7—Arab-Norman and Baroque Palermo/Food Market/Monreale
Morning: breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Palermo for a full-day visit to this ancient town that has been a crossroads for civilization in the Mediterranean for ages and ages. Here, visit and seek out signs of its ancient "grandeur": the Norman Palace and the Palatine Chapel, the church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Cathedral, Quattro Canti square, etc. Walk through the streets of the historical center, and visit to the town's popular Vucciria market. Lunch on your own in town. Afternoon: transfer to Monreale, ancient village near Palermo, famous for its wonderful Norman Cathedral and the adjoining cloister. Return to Palermo, with time for a stroll through the city. Check In at the hotel. Farewell dinner at a typical restaurant where guests will enjoy superb and refined dishes based on typical recipes from local culinary traditions. After dinner, sightseeing tour of "Palermo By Night". Back to the hotel and overnight.

Day 8

Day 8—Departure
Breakfast in hotel. Transfer to the airport in Palermo, assistance with check-in and departure

General Information

Duration:

8 Days

Location Start:

Palermo

Location Finish:

Palermo

Payment Types:

Paypal, Travellers Cheque, Payment Transfer

We Speak:

Italian, English

Extra Information

Inclusions -

- Accommodations: 4*/3*sup. hotel and charming reconverted farmhouses (agriturismo) in rooms with private bathroom with shower

Exclusions -

- Tips and extras of any personal nature

Extras -

Guaranteed departure March 15- March 22 ,2007 / April 5 – April 12, 2007 / April 20 – April 27, 2007 / May 03 – May 10, 2007/ May 24 – May 31 , 2007 / Jun 7 – Jun 14 , 2007 / Jun 21 – Jun 28, 2007 / Jul 12- Jul 19, 2007 / Aug 9- Aug 16, 2007 / Sep 06 – Sep 13 ,2007 / Sep 20 – Sep 27, 2007 / Oct 04 – Oct 11 , 2007 / Oct 18– Oct 25 2007 /Nov 01 - Nov 08 2007 / Christmas : dec 20 – dec 27, 2007 / NEW YEAR : Dec 27 ’07 – Jan 03 ‘08