Deal

Transfer to your hotel in the charming city of Catania. Enjoy a day at leisure.

After breakfast depart for Syracuse to visit the largest and most powerful Greek colony in Sicily: the Archaeological Park of Neapolis. Visit of the old town centre of Ortigia, with its stunning Piazza Duomo and Cathedral. Proceed to Noto, the capital of Sicilian baroque also called the “stone garden”, full of beautiful buildings and declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Enjoy a walk through the streets of the centre to admire the skill and ingenious creativity of local craftsmen. Noto’s baroque architecture is a plethora of elegant curves, floral weaves, perspective views, palaces and gardens, capitals and cherubs that adorn the façades of churches and monasteries. At the end of the visit proceed to Ragusa for an overnight stay.

Enjoy breakfast in the hotel before visiting Ragusa Ibla with its beautiful churches and the Ibleo garden. Then proceed to Modica, to admire its many baroque style treasures, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. To end the visit, stop for a taste of the typical products of the area. Depart to Piazza Armerina and visit the splendid Villa Romana del Casale, a building from the late imperial period and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today you’ll visit the famous Valley of the Temples, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Giunone, Concordia and Ercole temples can be admired. Next depart for Marsala which preserves a multitude of signs of the Phoenician, Arab and Norman dominations. At the end of the visit enjoy a wine tasting of the typical local wine. Proceed to the famous Via del Sale. The lagoon and the islands of Stagnone constitute a large nature reserve of enormous environmental value. Even today the salt marshes represent one of the oldest salt mining industries in the world.

After breakfast, depart to Monreale, with its impressive Arab-Norman Cathedral and stunning Cloister, before returning to Palermo. This city preserves monuments of the Arab-Norman period, including the beautiful Cathedral, the fascinating Byzantine Church of the Martorana and the Palatine Chapel, a higher example from the historical-artistic point of view of the coexistence between cultures and religions. Along the visit stop for a food surprise in a local bakery.

Today you’ll visit Cefalù, a beautiful medieval maritime village with its Norman Cathedral. Enjoy time at leisure to visit the famous Mandralisca Museum before proceeding to Catania. Visit the old town centre and its baroque architecture, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a walk in the centre, passing through the old ‘pescheria’ (old fish market) to reach the scenic Piazza del Duomo with its stunning Cathedral and the lava stone Elephant (symbol of the city). Stop in a delicious bar to taste the local granita with brioche.

This morning you’re in for a quick visit of a historic “fishmonger” (old fish market) before reaching Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe (3,350 m), and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Etna Park, covering 59,000 hectares, is home to extremely varied and rich flora, along with many protected species. The first glimpses of captivating landscapes can be seen when approaching Rifugio Sapienza. From there, proceed to Crateri Silvestri, volcanic cones dating to 1888, now inactive but surrounded by more recent lava flows. The view that can be enjoyed through the multitude of volcanic cones and craters extends to the Aeolian Islands and Calabria, making it a truly unique sight to behold. Afterwards, visit a beekeeping farm to see the honey extraction laboratory and taste some home-made honey and typical products of the area. Proceed to Taormina, famous for its natural landscape, marine beauties, historical monuments and an unforgettable view of the sea and Etna. Visit the fascinating Greco-Roman theatre, with a breathtaking view of the Naxos Bay. The day will end with a beautiful panorama of the stunning Riviera dei Ciclopi.