Sicily Luxury tour | navigate3600

At your arrival in Palermo airport  you’ll be welcome by our driver guide and transferred to your hotel : Grand Hotel Villa Igiea , luxurious 5-star-hotel place in a liberty style building, overlooking a small bay on the outskirts of the city. The building is completely surrounded by gardens that cover a large area, sloping down to the sea.
Dinner at leisure (try one of our suggested restaurants!)
Overnight at the villa.( BB,)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
Depart to Monreale where you will visit  the cathedral, an architectural masterpiece that dates back to the Norman period. Its walls are almost completely covered by Byzantine mosaics and it covers a very large area, including a magnificent cloister surrounded by 228 columns with inlaid capitals.
In the late morning  you will transfer  back to Palermo where you will continue your guided tour of the city . The visit includes the Palatine Chapel , a superb exemple of Arabic- Norman architecture built in the period 1130- 1140. Nearby is the church of St. John of the Hermit which was built by Roger II in 1132. The features of the structure are unique in that it was first constructed as a mosque and then later converted to Church
Then stroll through il mercato della Vucciria, one of the oldest and most frequented fresh produce markets in the city, the Cathedral, Quattro Canti square, etc.
Lunch and dinner at leisure (We'll give you lots of suggestions for things to see and truly off-the-beaten track places to have lunch/dinner!)
Overnight in Palermo ( BB)

Transfer to Parco delle Madonie, passing through central Sicily from Catania towards Palermo. Arrival in Polizzi Generosa,  a small, medieval town, with an extraordinary wealth in artwork from the Norman period. Visit of  Polizzi Generosa.  It 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
Have a half-day cooking lesson at the home of an authentic Sicilian family. The host will demonstrate how to prepare homemade pasta and some special sauces.
Lunch  with our new friends.

Afternoon : depart for Cefalù , known for its long golden beach as well as for other monumental and artistic "jewels": the Norman Duomo, initiated under Roger II in 1131, preserves precious mosaics which adorn the apse and a representation of Christ Pantocrator that can be found inside the Cappella Paladina in Palermo and the Duomo in Monreale. In the same period the Osterio Magno was the probable residence of King Roger II. Of great interest is the striking medieval wash-house and the Mandralisca museum, the latter preserving the famous portrait of an unknown man by Antonello da Messina. A visit to Cefalù can not exclude a stroll along the lanes in the historical centre where you can linger amongst the numerous shops of ceramics and souvenirs
Back to Palermo . Dinner on your own . Overnight ( BB, L)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
leave for  Segesta to visit the ruins of the Greek temple, on the slope of Mount Barbaro.  Continue to Erice, a nearby medieval town, located  751 meters above  sea level which overlooks the whole Western region, the Mediterranean Sea and the Egadi Islands. Visit to the Antique Convent Pastry Shop,  one of the most renowned Sicilian bakeries. There, enjoy a taste of the fine Erician pastries first created within the convent walls .  As a special treat, sample some of the typical almond dough desserts filled with candied lemon. Afterwards, a guided walk down the narrow streets of the ancient town.
  Transfer to Fontanasalsa , a Village  on the Western coast and stop in a  Baglio  for a  Typical lunch and Oil tasting . This  Baglio is an 18th century country villa recently restored and converted into a charming and exclusive Farm house  surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and vineyards. There is a wide range of fruit-flavoured oils and wines

Continue to Mazara del Vallo . Check into your  hotel:.
Kempisky  5*  in room with a superb view on garden . Dinner at leisure  ( BB, L)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
This morning  will be devoted to a visit of the Valley of Temples.
You will have a private guided tout, with a specialized guide, and the rest of the day is free. The archeological ruins of the Greek domination are numerous and they were visited and narrated by Goethe in his work Viaggio in Italia In the middle of the valley the most spectacular structure, the Concordia temple, rises surrounded by the ruins of the temples dedicated to Juno, Jupiter, Castor and Pollux, Hercules, Vulcan and Esculapio. Lunch at leisure.
Continue to Modica. Check in at the hotel palazzo faille 4* or similar.

Dinner  at the Palace , comprised of dishes prepared during the lesson. ( BB, D)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
Today onto Piazza Armerina, a small town in the south-central part of the island.  Visit the Villa Romana del Casale, a Roman country villa of the 3rd century, famous for its precious mosaics.
Travel to Caltagirone,  today considered the capital of Sicilian ceramics, nicknamed the “Faenza of Sicily” . It belongs to the province of Catania, but from a cultural and geographical point of view it belongs much more to the province of Ragusa and aspires to become an autonomous province itself. Its name is derived from the Arab (cal'at ghiran: castle of vases).
Lunch on your own
Afternoon : back to Modica the ancient capital of Contea, a city full of fascinating architectural, artistic and scenic attractions, unique among those pertaining to the splendid Sicilian Baroque period. Take a guided stroll through the area and stop at the Antique Pastry Shop Bonajuto, where the Ruta family is famous for their chocolate, a delicacy they continue to prepare in the same style once used by the ancient Aztec people. Along with chocolate, enjoy their peperoncino, vanilla and cinnamon, which help lend their desserts their typical Ragusano flavour
Dinner  at leisure and overnight.  ( BB)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
Transfer in Siracusa, situated on the eastern coast of Sicily Accommodation at Grand Hotel (4 stars), an old patrician mansion, pleasant and comfortable or similar
Guided city sightseeing: Siracusa, splendid and magnificent, in the classic age was the richest and the most powerful among the Hellenic towns in Sicily and some archeological ruins testify the former glory: the impressive Greek Theatre, the Jerone's Altar and the ruins of the Apollo, Jupiter and Athena Temples.
Lunch at leisure   
Don’t  forget this memorable day will have a visit in a marvellous private palace : Palazzo beneventano where the baron we’ll receive us to say welcome in Syracusa
Dinner in a restaurant facing the port   Overnight in Siracusa   ( BB, D)

Buffet breakfast at the hotel
After breakfast , depart for your “Special morning  on Mt. Etna”  one of our unique  excursion.
You will see the highest active volcano in Europe. You will  discover  many habitats and beautiful scenary, characteristic villages at its slopes and, of course, the terrific power of nature.
You will see  Mount Fontane ( view of Valle del Bove) ; the Thieves Cave ( Grotta dei Ladroni ) ; Extinct craters of Sartorius Mounts ; the Lava flow from 2002 eruption
Following our excursion we’ll continue our drive to Tenuta San 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. At 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.
Lunch at the farm

Drive back to Taormina
In the afternoon  you will have free time to wander this famous resort town which offers also historical and cultural attractions, such as the Greek Theatre, used as stage for many important international events. You can also admire the various buildings in Corso Umberto, the main road that in the summer evenings is always crowded and just in the middle it widens on a "belvedere", with an unforgettable view on the whole bay.

Overnight at the hotel. Dinner on your own. ( BB, L)