Culinary & Wine Tours> Italy> The Sicilian Gourmet

Italy: The Sicilian Gourmet
Sicily, Italy - 7 nights

Enliven your senses and enlighten your fancy with our gastronomic tour of the amazing island of Sicily! Explore extraordinary ruins and enchantingly beautiful scenery, while visiting some of Sicily's most precious towns and select attractions. Our tour lets you uncover the gems of the "largest island in the Mediterranean", while treating you to a variety of pre-arranged and all-inclusive cooking classes, gourmet meals, wine tastings, and guided excursions. During the tour, you will learn to prepare traditional Sicilian dishes, sample vintages at local canteens and wine vineyards, relax each evening in idyllic accommodations—and even have the opportunity to climb Mt. Etna! There is no better way to experience the splendour of Sicily…and on this trip you will savour every moment!



SAMPLE ITINERARY
Day One - Arriving Palermo or Castellamare

Arrival in Palermo airport and welcome by our driver. Transfer to Palermo City or Castellamare and check in at a charming four star hotel. Dinner on your own and overnight.

Day Two - Cooking Lesson /Erice/Palermo or Castellamare

Morning: breakfast in hotel. Departure for a Baglio  for a cooking lesson. Baglio is a  villa recently restored and converted into a charming and exclusive little hotel surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and vineyards. The chef at Baglio will teach guests how to prepare some of the most representative recipes of the culinary tradition of the province of Trapani . All participants will help prepare the dishes for the dinner. At the end of the cooking lesson lunch in the baglio. Transfer to Erice, a nearby medieval town, located at the top of the homonymous mountain set 751 meters above the sea level and overlooking the whole Western region, the Mediterranean Sea and the Egadi Islands. Walking visit of its characteristic historical centre.

Back to the hotel. Dinner on your own  and overnight.
(BB, L)

Day Three—Agrigento/Piazza Armerina

Morning: Breakfast in the hotel. Departure to Agrigento to visit the beautiful Valley of the Temples, one of the most representative sites of Greek civilization in the Mediterranean area. Visit to the Temple of Hercules, the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Castor and Pollux and the wonderful Temple of Concord. Lunch on your own in Agrigento.

Afternoon: Travel to Piazza Armerina, a small town in the south-central part of the island, and visit to the Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman country villa of the 3rd century, famous for its precious mosaics. Transfer to a charming Farmhouse between Piazza Armerina and Caltagirone. In the still working farm, they produce oranges and lemons. Check in at the farmhouse. Time for rest. Typical dinner in the characteristic restaurant room of the farm. The cuisine is based on authentic food such as pasta, ricotta, salsiccia, local meat and vegetables. Overnight at the farm. (BB, D)

Day Four—Modica/Siracusa/Taormina

Morning: Breakfast in hotel. Departure  for Modica baroque town of the south Sicily.11h00:  Cooking lesson with a chef-teacher of traditional regional cuisine. Lunch  in the typical restaurant  including the dishes prepared during the lesson.Taste the famous chocolate then leave for Syracusa Visit of Siracusa, which during the Greek Age was one of the more powerful cities on the island. Visit to the archaeological zone: the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Ear of Dyonisus and the Latomie. Walk through the historical center on the Ortigia Island to admire the Cathedral, the Aretusa fountain and the ancient streets. Time for shopping. Transfer to Taormina. Check in at the hotel.

Dinner on your own. Overnight. (BB,L)

Day Five—Taormina – Optional Etna and its Wines

All day on your own in Taormina. Walk through the historical center of this beautiful town, famous for its Greek-Roman Amphitheatre and its enchanting view of the Ionic Sea and Mt. Etna. Taormina has been an exclusive Sicilian hotspot, since the beginning of the 19th century, and is where many noble and rich families of Northern Europe spent winter due to its mild climate. Nowadays, Taormina is famous for its "dolce vita" life style, its beautiful beach, and its shops. Or optional excursion to Etna with a lunch at tenuta S. Michele, an ancient estate located on the slopes of the volcano Etna. The farm, which belongs to the noble family of the Baron Scammacca del Murgo, is surrounded by extensive vineyards and has a panoramic view of both Mt. Etna and the sea. Mt. Etna is the highest volcano in Europe. The climate and the volcanic soil help give wines a unique mineral taste typical of the region around Mt. Etna. In Tenuta San Michele they produce some of the best wines of the area: Etna Rosso, Etna Bianco and the extraordinary Murgo Brut. Wine tasting and guided visit to the wine cellar with a member of the family.

Back to Taormina for free time. Dinner on your own. Overnight. (BB)

Day Six—Cooking Lesson: The Cuisine of the Country/The Madonie Park

Morning: Breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Polizzi, a small village 70 km away from Palermo, surrounded by cheerful countryside and green pastures. Polizzi lies in the Madonie Mountains' Natural Park. This internal region between the Northern Coast and Central Sicily has a wealth of ancient small villages, where many people still live according to the Sicilian traditions. In Polizzi guests will have a half-day cooking lesson in a Farmhouse or a nice restaurant. The owner of the farm will teach them to prepare some of the most popular and essential recipes according to the local tradition. Lunch.

Afternoon: Visit to Polizzi Generosa, an ancient village rich in historical and artistic attractions. Visit to the Park's Museum. During the walk through the town's medieval streets, guests will have a break for a sampling of typical sweetmeats. Check in at a farmhouse near Polizzi. Time for rest. Dinner. Overnight. (BB, L, D)

Day Seven—Arab-Norman and Baroque Palermo/Food Market/Monreale

Morning: Breakfast in hotel. Transfer to Palermo for a full-day visit to this ancient town that has been a crossroads for civilization in the Mediterranean for ages and ages. Here, visit and seek out signs of its ancient "grandeur": the Norman Palace and the Palatine Chapel, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Cathedral, Quattro Canti square, etc. Walk through the streets of the historical center, and visit the town's popular Vucciria Market. Lunch on your own in town.

Afternoon: Transfer to Monreale, ancient village near Palermo, famous for its wonderful Norman Cathedral and the adjoining cloister, architectural masterpieces of King Roger II. Return to Palermo, with time for a stroll through the city. Check in at the hotel. Farewell dinner at a typical restaurant where guests will enjoy superb and refined dishes based on typical recipes from local culinary traditions. After dinner, sightseeing tour of "Palermo By Night". Back to the hotel and overnight. (BB, D)

Day Eight—Departure

Breakfast in hotel. Transfer to the airport in Palermo, assistance with check-in and departure to the USA

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CANCELLATION POLICY

No refunds allowed for any unused portion of tours. No refunds will be made in the event of "no show" or trip interruption. Booking fees are non-refundable.
-3 days prior arrival 100% payment
-15/3 days prior arrival 75% payment
-30/15 days prior arrival 25% payment
-31 & more prior arrival No Penalty


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