Taste of Sicily Gourmet tour

Day 1: Day 1 – ARRIVAL - PALERMO

1. Palermo
   1h
   Arrival at Palermo airport and welcome by our driver . Private transfer to Palermo city and check in at first class ( 4 - star) hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight

Day 2: Day 2: WESTERN SICILY

1. Marsala
   7h
   After breakfast in hotel departure to Marsala. Stop in a Baglio (typical ancient Sicilian manor) for a cooking class. This was recently restored and converted into a charming and exclusive little farm- hotel surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and vineyards. 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 dinner.
   At the end of the cooking lesson, lunch at the Baglio. In the afternoon transfer to Erice, a nearby medieval town, located at the top of the homonymous mountain set 751 meters above sea level and overlooking the whole western region, the Mediterranean sea and the Egadi Islands. Walking visit of the characteristic historical centre. Check in at a nice hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight. (Breakfast and lunch included).

Day 3: Day 3: AGRIGENTO - PIAZZA ARMERINA - MODICA

1. Agrigento
   7h
   After breakfast in the hotel, departure to Agrigento to visit the beautiful Valley of the temples, one of the most representative sites of Greek civilization in the Mediterranean area. Visit to the Temple of Hercules , the temple of Juno, the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the wonderful Temple of Concord.
   Pic nic Sicilian lunch at the Kolymbetra park, surrounded by pomegranate, pistachio, orange and lemon trees.
   In the 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 3rfcentury, famous for its precious mosaics. Transfer to a charming hotel near Modica. Check in. Dinner on your own . Overnight at the Hotel (Breakfast and Lunch included).

Day 4: Day 4: MODICA - SYRACUSA- TAORMINA

1. Syracuse
   8h
   Breakfast in hotel, then visit to the baroque town of Modica. Taste the delicious chocolate which locally is still manufactured has it was 500 years ago. Transfer to Syracusa, a prominent Ancient greek settlement in Italy. Visit to the archaeological zone: the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Ear of Dyonisus and the Latomie.
   Stroll through the historical center on the Ortigia island to admire the Cathedral, the Aretusa fountain and the ancient streets. Time for shopping. Transfer to Taormina. Check in at the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight (Breakfast included)

Day 5: Day 5: COOKING - TAORMINA

1. Taormina
   5h
   Morning :breakfast at the hotel. Meet your host, a professional local chef, and start your cooking experience with a stroll to the open market. Follow your chef and help him select the finest ingredients of the day to cook with. Now walk inside the restaurant for your cooking class. Put on your apron as your host explains the dishes of the day and gives an introduction to the Sicilian cuisine. After cooking your three courses, take a seat in the restaurant and savour your creations with samples of wine.
   Afternoon on your own in Taormina. Stroll through the historical centre of this beautiful town, famous for its Greek Roman Amphitheatre and its enchanting view on the Ionic Sea and Mt. Etna. 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. Nowadays, Taormina is famous for its “Dolce Vita” life style, its beautiful beach and its shops. Dinner on your own. Overnight (Breakfast and lunch included)

Day 6: Day 6: CASTELBUONO - CEFALU’

1. Cefalu
   8h
   Morning: breakfast at the hotel and check out. Departure to Castelbuono a nice village at 20 minutes from Cefalù. Have a walking tour of the village and stop in a very know pastry to taste the famous “pistachos’s panettone”.
   Have a lunch in a typical restaurant (based on mushrooms and asparagus)
   Then a stop in a particular place: Abbazia Santa Anastasia a former Benedictine abbey built in the twelfth century in the hills high above the north coast. The medieval abbey or "abbazia" is steeped in a natural landscape so extraordinary that the present owner, entrepreneur Francesco Lena, originally purchased the land to turn the estate into a holiday resort. Instead, he began experimenting with international varietals such as Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the indigenous Nero d’Avola.
   
   Continue to Cefalù . Check in at our hotel.
   Visit of this picturesque medieval town dominated by the gold - coloured cathedral, a Romanesque jewel built by the Norman king Roger II. The interior is decorated with fabulous mosaics executed in a spectacular array of colours on a gold background. Walking through the small streets of the historical city centre. The old roman lavatory can be seen here as a testimony of the strong ancient Roman presence here..
   Dinner on your own and overnight at the hotel (Breakfast and Lunch included)

Day 7: Day 7: POLIZZI - COOKING CLASS - MONREALE - PALERMO

1. Polizzi Generosa
   8h
   Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Polizzi Generosa, a small, medieval town, not far from Palermo, with an extraordinary wealth in artwork from the Norman period. Visit of Polizzi Generosa. It lies in the Madonie Mountains' Natural Park. This internal region between the Northern Coast and Central Sicily has a wealth of ancient small villages, where many people still live according to the Sicilian traditions.
   Have a half-day cooking lesson at the farmhouse of an authentic Sicilian family. The host will demonstrate how to prepare homemade pasta and some special sauces.
   Lunch with our new friends.
   Afternoon travel to Monreale the Norman “Mons Regalis”. The majestic dome was founded in the 12th century by the Norman king William II. It is 6.340 square meters of polychrome and gold mosaics and the access to the Benedictine cloister makes it one of the most magnificent testimonies of the Norman conquest of Sicily.
   Continue to Palermo for a sightseeing visit of the highlights of Palermo: the Palatine Chapel (inside the Royal Palace), rich in mosaics and Byzantine decorations; the Cathedral, a sumptuous example of a Norman structure, where imperial and royal tombs can be visited; the Pretoria Fountain, an unusual concentric circles of nymphs and monsters’ figures and the Martorana church with its fantastic interior decorated with wonderful golden mosaics and elegant frescos added in the 17th century. Check in at the hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight. (breakfast and lunch included)

Day 8: Day 8 – PALERMO AIRPORT

1. Palermo
   1h
   Breakfast in hotel. It’s time to say goodbye. Transfer to Palermo airport for your return flight. Departure.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels