Day 1: Catania/Taormina
Transfer to your hotel on your own. Meet with tour escort. Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Taormina/Optional Mt. Etna/Taormina
Buffet breakfast at hotel and morning at leisure or explore the slopes of Mt Etna with our optional tour (to be paid locally). Climb to 1800 meters, where you can enjoy the best views as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on ancient volcanic eruptions. Participate in a honey tasting in a farmhouse climbing on Mount Etna. Back to Taormina and tour of Taormina’s charming city center including the Greek/ Roman amphitheater, with a spectacular view of Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Dinner on your own in one of the colorful restaurants of Taormina.

Day 3: Taormina/Siracusa/Optional Savoca, Forza D’agro/Taormina
Buffet breakfast at hotel and excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this city highlights the Archaeological Park, Greek Theater, Latomia del Paradiso and Dyonisius’ Ear. On the way back to Taormina, we offer a once in a lifetime experience. You may take an optional “Godfather” tour featuring the authentic villages chosen by Francis Coppola for most of the scenes in the Godfather movies. This is a good way to explore the real untouched Sicilian countryside, local lifestyle and culture. This evening savor a special Sicilian dinner with wine in a characteristic restaurant.

Day 4: Taormina/Agrigento/Palermo
Buffet breakfast at hotel and depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guided tour of the valley, dating back to the 5th century B.C. The Doric style temples, all constructed within a century, face east, so the statue of the god housed in each temple faced the rising sun. The best temple is that of Concordia which is in almost perfectly preserved condition. Your local guide will highlight the history and architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure-trove. After, on to Palermo, arrive in the evening for an enjoyable, relaxing dinner at your hotel.

Day 5: Palermo/Segesta/Marsala/Trapani/Palermo
Buffet breakfast at hotel and journey to Segesta, a large archaeological zone, with a magnificent Doric Temple, 420-430 B.C., located within a beautiful and natural setting that ranks as one of the best-preserved Greek architectural sites. Continue to Marsala, known for its sweet wines. Visit a wine cellar and sample some Marsala during a special wine tasting session. Drive along Trapani’s coastline and stop for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant and return to Palermo. Your tour director can suggest restaurants that offer ambiance and traditional local cuisine for dinner on your own.

Day 6: Palermo/Monreale/Optional Cefalu/Palermo
Buffet breakfast. Morning tour of Palermo, a city full of character, the Quattro Canti - a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral, and the famous Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Here you will admire a 12th century cathedral, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments. Balance of the day at leisure or take an optional tour to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalù. In the evening, special dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight.

Day 7: Palermo/Corleone/Ficuzza/Palermo
Buffet breakfast at hotel and enjoy this special day dedicated to one of the famous social phenomena in Sicily. Depart in the morning to the inland of Sicily and specifically to the area of Corleone, known for being the place where the Mafia phenomena was born. We will firstly participate in a cooking lesson: prepare some of the most genuine and traditional Sicilian dishes (for those interested). After the cooking lesson, enjoy this special lunch. After lunch, experience an interesting lecture on Mafia. One of the inhabitants of Corleone, born in the UK, will present a fascinating discussion on the topic of the Sicilian Mafia but also explaining the origins and what means Corleone inhabitants have taken to eliminate organized crime. Back to Palermo. Farewell dinner at your hotel. Overnight.

Day 8: Palermo
Buffet breakfast at hotel. End of tour.