Semi Escorted
Today, individual arrival to your hotel in Catania (optional private transfer on request). Tonight, enjoy the evening for dinner on your own. Overnight in Catania.
This morning, after a short visit of the famous 'Pescheria', which is the Ancient Fish Market in Catania, the tour will continue with an excursion to the Mount Etna, the highest (3,350 metres) Volcano in Europe and one of the largest and most active in the world, nowadays a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its regional park protects 59,000 hectares of unique geology, flora and fauna, villages and farms, and traditional methods of forestry, beekeeping, wine manufacture, stonework and carpentry. Enjoy views of the stunning landscapes that will amaze you before heading to Rifugio Sapienza. You will reach the 'Crateri Silvestri', which are small Volcanic cones, now inactive, surrounded by ancient Lava flows. The view beyond the mountain’s, hundreds of subsidiary cones and craters, can extend across the whole of Sicily, the Aeolian Islands and Calabria. The spectacle is unique! You will have the chance to enjoy the local homemade Honey and some typical products of the area. The tour continues towards Taormina where you will have lunch in a restaurant in the historic centre of the city. Taormina is a charming town renowned for its magnificent position above the sea commanding a celebrated view of Etna. Visit of Taormina’s fascinating Greek Theatre, which will leave you breathless for its commanding view on Giardini Naxos Bay and the Etna Mountain! Enjoy some free time for a nice walk among the picturesque medieval typical narrow streets, to go shopping and looking around the local handicrafts. Afterwards, return back to Catania for dinner on your own. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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After breakfast, you tour continues to visit Catania’s historical centre, stated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its original Baroque style and its unique streets built with black Lava stone. The colour scheme of the city centre buildings is black and dark grey, relieved with white limestone details around doors and windows. The effect is extremely elegant! The walking tour will start from the scenic Duomo Square with its magnificent Cathedral and the famous 'Liotru' statue, which is an antique Lava stone Elephant, a symbol of the city. Not far from here we will reach University Square and walk along the splendid Baroque Via dei Crociferi, which is the most representative 18th Century street in Catania. Here, we will admire the famous St. Benedict Monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy a lunch break in a lovely restaurant. In the early afternoon you will head towards Acireale, which is a beautiful Baroque city known for one of the most famous and Ancient Carnivals in Italy. As every year, the Carnival of Acireale transforms the Sicilian town into a kaleidoscope of colours, music and joy. A theatre of wonders made of masks, music and art. The streets of the Old Town come alive with performances by street artists, jugglers and musicians, creating a magical and engaging atmosphere. One of the most anticipated events of the Carnival of Acireale is the parade of allegorical grotesque floats. These floats are real works of art in motion. They represent the result of months of work by local artisans and artists. Each wagon is a unique combination of satire, fantasy and technical mastery. The structures are animated by complex mechanisms that allow the figures to move, creating a spectacular and surprising effect. Participating in the Carnival of Acireale means immersing yourself in an atmosphere of celebration and joy, where every corner of the city comes alive with music, dances, lights and shows. Afterwards, we return to Catania for our overnight stay. Enjoy the evening free at leisure and have dinner on your own. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, we depart to Syracuse to visit the most beautiful and greatest Greek colony in Sicily and World Heritage Site! The visit will start with the Archaeological Park of Neapolis with its Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Latomie of Paradise and the Ear of Dionysius. Afterwards, we continue our visit to the splendid Ortigia, a small island that is the historical centre of Syracuse. In Ortigia, admire the beautiful Cathedral, which dominates the square with its authoritative presence. The façade is a powerful Sicilian-Baroque composition but it gives no hint that this building was once a Doric Temple! Stop to enjoy a lunch in a local restaurant. Afterwards, continue walking along the nice streets of the centre where you will reach a wide terrace on the waterfront surrounding the famous Arethusa’s Fountain, which is one of the most famous freshwater sources of the Greek world. We return to Catania for our overnight stay. Dinner is on you own tonight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, the tour continues in Agrigento visiting the famous World Heritage Site the Valley of the Temples. As one of the most prosperous of the Ancient Greek cities on the island, Agrigento presents a remarkable series of Doric Temples of the 5th Century. Among hundreds of Almond trees, admire the rests of the Ancient Akragas. You will see the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Concordia and the Temple of Heracles. Afterwards, visit the charming and well known town of Marsala, where Garibaldi went ashore in May 1860. You will walk through the streets of the centre where you overlook Ancient Noble Palaces, Monuments and impressive Baroque Churches. Afterwards, enjoy an exclusive guided tour inside the historic Florio Cellars. The visit starts in front of the majestic giant vats, built at the end of the 19th Century and still used for the refinement of Marsala Wine, and it continues inside the 3 fascinating barrel chambers. After a thirty minute tour through the barrel vaults, you will reach the Avant-Garde tasting rooms named Donna Franca and Duca Enrico. Enjoy a delicious light lunch and a memorable Wine tasting experience! The tour will continue visiting the popular Salt Road. Here, the salt marshes have given rise to one of the oldest salt extracting industries in the world! Between Trapani and Marsala, the Salt Road is now protected for its interesting birdlife, and also as an important site of industrial Archaeology. Afterwards, transfer to Marsala for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to Erice, which is a charming medieval village located on top of Mount Erice famous for its cobbled streets, Ancient Churches and breathtaking panoramic sea views. The city retains a unique historical atmosphere. You will visit the Cathedral of Erice, also known as the Cathedral Church, an impressive Gothic building of the 14th Century with an elegant rose window and a charming bell tower that offers panoramic views of the city. Enjoy some free time to walk through the narrow streets, to go shopping and taste the local confectionery delights before stopping for lunch in a local restaurant. The tour continues to Segesta, an ancient city in the hinterland between Trapani and Palermo. Here you will visit the Archaeological Park of Segesta, which is famous for its magnificent Solitary Temple and the Greek Theatre, both remarkably well preserved. Founded by the Elimi, the city offers a fascinating immersion in the history and culture of Ancient Sicily. The ruins are located in a beautiful hilly landscape, offering spectacular views and a charming atmosphere. In the evening transfer to Palermo for your overnight stay. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, the morning will be spent visiting Palermo. The city stands on a bay dominated by Mount Pellegrino. While the Baroque predominates, there is a profusion of different architectural styles reflecting the city’s multicultural past. Visit the wonderful eclectic Cathedral, the astonishing Martorana Church and the amazing Cappella Palatina, all admirable examples from a historical and artistic point of view, and proof of how different cultures and religions can coexist. During the day, stop to enjoy a typical lunch with local food. Along the path you will admire the famous Teatro Massimo and the debated fountain in Pretoria Square, adorned with 16th Century sculptures. You will stop at Monte Pellegrino, the sacred mountain of Palermo. You can observe panoramic views of the Gulf of Mondello, the imposing rock bastions of the mountain and the characteristic flora and fauna of the mountain. Dinner is on your own tonight. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast in hotel, your services end. Goodbye Sicily! Individually transfer to the airport for your onward journey. Meals: Breakfast
Tour Prices are per person twin share in Australian Dollars. Conditions apply and group tours are subject to change and availability. Prices are subject to currency fluctuations. (ds)
