Exclusive: Small Group Tour with Maximum of 18
Note: While the tour is organized by a local tour operator, Tommaso Pantè will be the Tour Guide/Director. For additional information about this tour (including rates, dates, etc.), do not hesitate to contact him via E-mail: sunway.it@gmail.com.
Day 1 – Palermo
Independent arrival at the hotel in Palermo. Welcome drink. Meet Tommaso Pantè, an experienced guide and also a native of Sicily, and the other tour members. Enjoy dinner at the hotel. Overnight.
Day 2 – Palermo
After a buffet breakfast, free time for walking around or shopping. Lunch on your own. In the afternoon, meet Tommaso to start the guided walking tour of Palermo, the vibrant capital of Sicily. Visit Il Duomo di Palermo, one of the capital’s most important architectural monuments. Continue walking to the I Quattro Canti di Città, Piazza Pretoria, and Piazza Bellini. Next visit La Chiesa della Martorana, another spectacular church. Now head to the Ballarò Market, one of the most famous and historical markets of Palermo, to experience the authenticity of this lively and colorful city. The market tour will include tasting Palermo’s typical street food. Return to the hotel. Free time for shopping and for dining in one of Palermo’s many delicious restaurants. Overnight.
Day 3 – Palermo, Monreale, Cefalù, Messina, and Taormina
After a buffet breakfast, depart the town of Monreale, situated on a hill in a panoramic position and only a few kilometres from Palermo. First visit the Duomo of Monreale, one of the most beautiful monuments in the world with its Moorish architecture and very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments in the Arab-Norman style.
Next head to Cefalù, a former fishing village but now a charming coastal town. Enjoy a walk to the city centre and down the main street to reach the Arab-Norman Cathedral and the medieval washhouse built in the rock. Free time to explore more of the town or to shop with lunch on your own.
Now proceed to Taormina on the coastal road. On the drive through Messina, admire the impressive scenery of the Strait of Messina. Arrive at the hotel. Free time for dinner. Overnight.
Day 4 – Taormina and Mount Etna (Wine Tasting)
After a buffet breakfast, depart for an excursion to Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. Weather conditions permitting, walk across a fascinating landscape with different kinds of vegetation, a mixture of citrus groves, vineyards, and fruit trees. At a height of 1986 metres (6000 feet), visit the Silvestri Craters, with a spectacular panorama over the Ionian Sea. Next a visit to a local vineyard on the eastern slopes of Mount Etna and walk through the winery’s prestigious cellar. Enjoy a tasting of local wines, accompanied by local cheeses and cold cuts.
In the afternoon, return to Taormina, a charming city often called “The Pearl of the Ionian Sea.” Enjoy free time for shopping or walking around Taormina’s narrow, tiny streets. Or visit the Greco-Roman Theatre (ticket cost), with its spectacular views of Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna. Free time for dinner. Overnight.
Day 5 – Taormina
After a buffet breakfast, the tour ends. Say Arrivederci to tour members and Tommaso, who hopes that everyone will return to see more of Bella Sicilia!