Day 1: Catania Welcome Tour & Aperitif
Arrival at Catania airport. Pick up the car and transfer to Catania. Accommodation in hotel centrally located hotel. In the afternoon sightseeing of Catania with our local guide and tasting of the Typical drink «chioschi». Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Overnight.
Day 2: Etna Trekking & Wine Tasting
After breakfast, meet your guide for a thrilling experience in the nature. You will experience a trekking on the volcano and visit another local winery for a tasting (possibility of having light lunch). Return to the hotel and time at leisure. Overnight.
Day 3: Taormina, Castelmola and Acireale
Breakfast.
Your tour will continue in Taormina, commonly known as the Pearl of the Ionian Sea. There is a unique atmosphere around its streets, architecture, squares, and monuments, like as its majestic Greek-Roman theatre.
Don’t miss the chance to admire the amazing scenery of the sea from the top of the tiny and picturesque village Castelmola, narrow streets and hidden artistic corners have to be uncovered!
Transfer back to Catania with a stop in the fisherman village of Acireale. Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 4: Siracusa & Noto
Breakfast, morning discovery of Siracusa. Here you will find our local guide, who will accompany you during an interesting excursion of the Greek archeological site and Ortigia.
Lunch at leisure and departure to Noto. Accommodation in hotel.
Meet our local guide for a personal discovery of the baroque town of Noto, capital of Sicilian Baroque-called “garden of stone”, full of beautiful buildings and declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Here the Baroque is inspired by the ideals of “open city” revealing a rare masterpiece and the clearest example of theatrical architecture of the XVIII C. We will walk through the streets of the town to admire the skill and brilliant talent of local workers. The baroque of Noto is in fact a game of elegant curves, floral weaves, perspective views, palaces and gardens, capitals and cherubs that adorn the facades of churches and monasteries. Visit Palazzo Nicolaci Villadorata, a wonderful noble residence in pure baroque style former home of Don Giacomo Nicolaci -man of great culture.
Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 5: Pantalica, Palazzolo Acreide & Cheese experience
Breakfast and check out. Meeting with the guide for the visit to the UNESCO Site of Pantalica which contains over 5000 tombs cut into the limestone between the 13th and the 7th century BC. Before the hiking you will stop in a local traditional cheese factory, where you can experience the production and taste some cheese.
Lunch at leisure before the visit to the ruins of the Greek colony of Akrai and the Medieval and Baroque town of Palazzolo Acreide, listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
As both part of the World Heritage List of UNESCO, Palazzolo Acreide and the protohistorical site of Pantalica represent the key to the understanding of the settlement dynamics of human beings in the Hyblaean plateau. We will visit the most important architectural and archaeological treasures of the Hyblaean plateau of Syracuse, which is entirely framed by an enchanting natural landscape made of an impressive protohistorical rocky necropolis, Greek civil and religious architecture, Paleochristian catacombs, Byzantine rocky churches, and medieval and Baroque buildings.
Accommodation in Noto. Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 6: Vendicari Natural Reserve & Marzamemi
Breakfast and day at leisure to reach the Noto coast and the beautiful Natural reserve of Vendicari Tower was built in order to defend the old dock in the first half of the fifteenth century. In addition, its position on the top of the promontory was suitable for tuna fishing. This aspect is currently shown not only by the near seventeenth tuna fishery owned by the Nicolacis of Villadorata, but also by the remains of an Hellenistic-Roman factory for fish processing.
In the Natural reserve there are several paths that you can walk by your own in the perfect peaceful atmosphere of this enchanted place.
You can enjoy your afternoon at Marzamemi, the charming fishing village. Dinner at leisure and overnight in Siracusa.
Day 7: Cava d’Ispica Archaeological Trekking & Modica
After breakfast, check out and departure to the Ragusa area.
Meet your guide and departure for an archaeological trekking in Cava d’Ispica, a fascinating canyon within the Hyblaean Mountains, which was inhabited from the prehistoric period to the 1950s. After trekking among prehistoric rock-cut tombs and medieval rupestrian settlements. You can have lunch at a local farmhouse before getting to Modica for an afternoon stroll at leisure.
Modica, the capital of one of the most important feudal states in Southern Italy Modica is the only city in Sicily with a chocolate making tradition which goes back to the 17th century. You will discover the local ancient method to make chocolate. Possibility to visit an artisanal workshop as extra on request.
Drive to the hotel in the countryside. Dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 8: Ragusa, Lunch in Traditional Mill & Scicli
Breakfast. Meet your guide. During a walk among nature, we will look at the signs of the most ancient origins of Ragusa. These signs are inscribed in the limestone: pre-historic tombs, latomies, country dwellings, mills, and ancient prisons. All these elements are visible from Vallata Santa Domenica that is an urban park which retraces the old road connecting Upper Ragusa to Ibla. Then, we will have a walk in the historical centre of Ibla in order to admire the religious buildings that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage.
Lunch in a traditional mill.
Afternoon self-guided tour in Scicli, another historical and artistic jewel of the Val di Noto. The city pearl of Hyblaean Baroque, designated as world heritage by UNESCO, is dominated by three hills. Our walk will start among the monumental streets of the lower city, with its churches and its near Baroque Palaces. Then we will reach the path that leads to the religious complex that dominates the entire city.
Return to Modica, dinner at leisure and overnight.
Day 9: Chiaramonte Gulfi, Caltagirone &Agrigento
Breakfast. Check out and departure to Agrigento. We suggest you to find some time to leave the main coastal road to get up to Chiaramonte Gulfi.
There you can have the chance to visit an olive oil mill: Frantoi Cutrera (optional). For generations the Cutrera family has been dedicating to the cultivation of olive trees and olive oil production, a profession carried on for decades with the passion and the love that binds this family to its land. The company’s origins date back more than a century ago, records show that in 1906, the family Cutrera was dedicated to the cultivation and care of olive trees in Chiaramonte Gulfi, a small town in the south-eastern area of Sicily. Tasting and lunch (not included).
Afternoon stop in Caltagirone – a city famous for the production of ceramics, founded during ancient Greek times, forces you to admire the beautiful and impressive 142 step staircase. It became a World Heritage Site in 2002. To visit Caltagirone is to discover a jewel of Sicily, thanks to a harmonious and well cared for historic centre. Proceeding towards Agrigento and settle down in a typical masseria in the countryside, relaxing time to appreciate the Mediterranean flavors and overnight.
Day 10: Agrigento Temple Valley
Breakfast and meeting with the guide for your guided tour in Agrigento Temples Valley.
Guided visit the Valley of the Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site, where among the almond trees are the remains of the ancient Akragas, described by Pindar “the most beautiful city built by mortals.” You can admire the Temple of Juno, that of the Concordia and the Temple of Hercules.
Afternoon at leisure, dinner and overnight in Agrigento countryhouse.
Day 11: Piazza Armerina & Departure
Breakfast and departure to Catania. On the way stop in Piazza Armerina, where you can have a guided visit of the splendid Villa Romana del Casale. Heritage of the late Imperial era , this majestic villa belonged to a member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy, perhaps a governor of Rome, it has a monumental entrance from which you can admire the finest collection of Roman mosaics scenes of hunting and entertainment, mythological episodes and scenes of everyday life.Transfer to Catania or Comiso Airport and departure. End of services.
PRICE: from 1870 euro per person
