PALERMO, SICILY

Arrival in Palermo, the capital city of the beautiful island of Sicily. Upon arrival, private transfer to your hotel. Enjoy the day exploring on your own.

PALERMO

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Begin your private morning walk and taste tour of Palermo. Begin a tour dedicated to Sicilian street food, the result of the many peoples who, over the centuries, dominated the island and enriched it with their culinary traditions. The Mercato del Capo is the perfect place to experience this heritage: a 14th-century gate marks the entrance to one of the liveliest and most colourful markets in the city. Here, displayed on stalls and loudly promoted by vendors, you will find groceries, fish, and irresistible street foods such as panelle, arancine, and sfincioni. From the market, a short walk leads to the Cathedral, an imposing Arab-Sicilian-Norman structure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside, among many notable works of art, is the tomb of Emperor Frederick II, who in the 13th-century made Palermo the capital of his empire. The tour continues to Piazza Bellini, where you can step inside one of the two 12th-century churches overlooking the square to admire their stunning decoration. Nearby is the final stop, the Santa Caterina Monastery, a magnificent example of Baroque architecture. Here, after visiting the church, you will enjoy a cannolo or a cassata, two desserts that perfectly reflect the richness of the surroundings. Spend the remainder of the day relaxing. 

PALERMO – AGRIGENTO

After breakfast at your hotel, depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take in the architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure-trove. Upon arrival at your hotel, spend the rest of your day exploring this magnificent city.

AGRIGENTO

Breakfast at your hotel. You will be picked up for a private tour of Valley of the Temples. This tour is a must for all those interested in history and archaeology, but also for those wishing to visit one of the most iconic places in Sicily. Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th-century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Today, its Valley of the Temples showcases some outstanding Doric temples. The Doric style is typical of Greece’s Archaic period, when the poleis, the city-states, consolidated their structures and power. During that period, the Greeks crossed the Mediterranean and founded, in Southern Italy, a number of cities later called Magna Graecia, or “Great Greece.” Besides the temples, the area also contains sanctuaries, tombs, and remains of the city gates, which testify to the rank the city held in Antiquity. After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel. 

AGRIGENTO – SIRACUSA

After breakfast at your hotel, depart for Siracusa, a timeless crossroads of history, myth, and Mediterranean beauty. Upon arrival, enjoy the balance of your day at leisure.

SIRACUSA

Enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Take off on a private full day tour to Ragusa and Modica, 2 destinations in the Noto Valley that belong to UNESCO’s World Heritage. Head for Ragusa, the crown jewel of the Val di Noto, offering its visitors a dive into the past and some unique monuments, such as St. George’s Gate and the Baroque cathedral, but also streets lined with workshops and great food. Your guide will take you to a workshop where two master craftsmen build and finely decorate Sicilian barrows. Saints, landscapes, and characters from Frankish romantic poems like Roland, Angelica, Bradamante, or Ruggiero are carved, painted, and brought to life with astonishing skill. Continue strolling in the heart of the city, partly rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake severely damaged it, and stop for a charcuterie board displaying the best that Ragusa has to offer in terms of cheese, bread, and olive oil. A glass of wine will be the perfect complement to all of this. Continue your journey to Modica to visit this pretty town, a delight for art and treat lovers, with its outstanding number of Baroque churches and its equally outstanding local chocolate production. Modica’s chocolate production dates back to the time when Sicily was ruled by Spain, making it one of the first places where the new product from America arrived. Sicilian noble families had their own personal chocolate makers and, for those not affluent enough to have one, there were wandering chocolate makers travelling the country. Modica’s chocolate is processed at low temperatures, the sugar and the cocoa mass do not blend completely and, when tasting it in one of the oldest factories in the city, you will distinctly perceive its peculiar grainy texture and the flavour of its various components. At the conclusion of this experience, you will be transferred back to your hotel. 

SIRACUSA 

Breakfast at your hotel. Take the day to explore on your own.