2.650€
A unique chance to experience traditional Easter celebrations, religious events, festivals and food of Sicily.
You will be part of a small group of people and will be able to discover the region’s off-the-beaten-track secrets and atmosphere during Easter time.
Type of tour: Escorted small group tour
Min/max people: from 2 pax
Length of stay: 8 days/ 7 nights
Arrival/Departure: Palermo/Catania
Dates 2020: 9th -16th April
Arrival in Palermo. Depending on the time of arrival, transfer to the hotel and accommodation in the reserved rooms. Free lunch. Afternoon meeting with the guide and visit of Palermo. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight at Hotel.
Breakfast and departure for Trapani, visit of the salt pans, suggestive scenery and habitat of numerous animal species, including the famous pink flamingo. Nowadays a protected area entrusted to WWF Italia. Stop at the Salt Museum to explain the process of collecting and processing salt. Lunch.
Afternoon we will continue to Trapani where we will take part to the Procession of the Mysteries – one of the oldest procession in Italy. The first notice of this procession dates back to the XVI C, when the island was under the Spanish domination. The “mysteries” are the artistic representations of the death and passion of Christ. These 20 masterpieces realized by local artisans are carried during the procession along the streets of the village.
Return to Palermo in the late evening. Overnight.
After breakfast, continue exploring Palermo with our guided tour including a stop at the historic market Del Capo – a lively and colorful experience not to miss! Free lunch we recommend tasting of local street food. Afternoon visit of Monreale. Return to Palermo. Dinner in restaurant. Overnight.
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure for Piana degli Albanesi, a small village a few kilometers from Palermo where you will assist to the religious to the Easter Greek-Byzantine Rite. A unique cultural experience dating back to ancient times and part of the Sicilian tradition. The religious community is now assimilated to the Catholic Church, but the rites and liturgical celebrations have preserved all the details and the expressive richness of the Greek-Byzantine rite. Suggestive vestments, folklore events, songs and fascinating liturgies make it a real treasure to be known, participate and spread: a true religious and cultural heritage. Easter Sunday (Pashkët): it is really the very special day in which religion, folklore and Albanian identity are condensed all in one function. Among songs and rituals in ancient Greek, the magnificent procession of women will parade in the famous traditional costume, until you reach the church of Madonna Odigitria in the square where the blessing (bekimi) of the red eggs is given by the papas followed by distribution to the faithful and tourists that animate the village.
After this unforgettable and unique experience, enjoy a traditional Easter lunch at a local farm.
Return to Palermo. Overnight.
After breakfast, check out and departure to Catania. Arrival at the hotel, accommodation and free time at disposal. In the afternoon enjoy a walking tour with our local guide. Typical dinner and overnight.
After breakfast departure for an excursion on Etna with trekking, visit and tasting lunch in the cellar. Return to Catania in the late afternoon. Free dinner. Overnight at Hotel.
Breakfast at the hotel. Full day dedicated to the godfather’s tour. It will start with the visia of Savoca, a characteristic medieval village. The village is perched on a plateau and includes the Cappuccini Monastery, where the mummified bodies of some friars and noble Savocese are kept, the Vitelli bar and the church of Santa Lucia. Continue to Forza d’Agrò – a pretty medieval village that offers a splendid view of the coast and its inlets. Through a beautiful Durazzesco arch we reach the churchyard of the Chiesa della Triade; the whole of the arch and the church create a background of particular suggestion. Lunch in a local restaurant. Afterwards you will visit Taormina with the Greek Roman Theater.
Time available for shopping and return to Catania. Free dinner. Overnight at hotel in Catania.
After breakfast, room release and departure.
Price per person: 2650 euro in double room
The tour does not include:
Extras and Supplements:
