Highlights tour of Sicily itinerary: 9 days – 8 nights (2 nights in Palermo – 1 night in Agrigento – 2 nights in Ragusa – 3 nights in Taormina scroll down to bottom page to see details of the tour).
Flying in to Palermo, flying out from Catania or vice versa.
Our Highlights tour of Sicily 9 days and 8 nights,
is the ideal trip to discover the island in a few days getting a first general knowledge of Sicily, touching the main historical, artistic and landscape locations.
Our Highlights tour of Sicily will allow you to experience a perfect mix of local culture and excellent food, visiting the most important highlights of Sicily as:
the capital city of Palermo – the Greek valley of the temples in Agrigento – Etna (the highest active volcano in Europe) – the UNESCO Baroque towns of Noto, Modica and Ragusa – the beautiful city of Syracuse and the charming village of Taormina.
Day 1, Arrival in to Palermo airport.
Pick up from airport and drive to your place in Palermo. Stay and overnight in Palermo.
Day 2, Half day visit of Palermo and Monreale.
Pick up at 9 am and meeting your personal licensed guide. A day exploring Palermo and it’s area during your Private week tour Sicily. The city was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Ziz.
Upon arrival into the city you will be met by your personal licensed guide starting to visit the medieval area of Palermo where the main features are from Baroque Arabian-Normand period.
Piazza Pretoria with it’s beautiful renaissance fountain, the heart of the city called ” quattro canti”, the magnificent Cathedral church and so on…
A must is the visit of a local market where you can experience the colorful local life and taste some Sicilian street food.
Then we drive outside Palermo to the medieval village of Monreale, driving along scenic roads overlooking the Conca d’oro valley where we will visit the magnificent “Duomo di Monreale” and on request the “chiostro dei cappuccini”.
According with your guide and keeping intothe 4 hours guided tour, you can choose to visit the following sights:
Cappella Palatina, Palazzo dei normanni, Zisa castle, Catacombs of Cappuccini…. of course cutting short some of the previous sights.
Stay and overnight in Palermo.
Day 3, Palermo – Agrigento (through Erice and Trapani).
Today, after breakfast, we will pick you up from your place in Palermo and transfer to Agrigento. Along the way we will visit the charming medieval village of Erice.
The splendid town of Erice, perched on top of Monte San Giuliano, has very ancient origins, as is shown by the cult of the goddess of fertility,Venus Erycina.
After a light lunch on a typical Sicilian restaurant, we move on and drive down to the western coast to admire the salt pans of Trapani.
The salt pans of Sicily were exploited in antiquity and reached the height of their importance in the 19th century when salt was exported as far as Norway.
The long periods of sunshine (five or six months a year) and the impermeable nature of the land made these pans very productive,
Stay and overnight in Agrigento.
Day 4, Agrigento – Ragusa (half day visit the Greek temples).
Today, after breakfast, it’s time to check out.
We will pick you up from your place at 9 am in Agrigento and drive on top of the Valley where you will be met by your personal licensed guide starting the visit of the Valley.
The archeological research so far reveals that the city exploited the favorable conditions of the land and probably developed regularly from the very beginning,
with a network of streets that met at right angles.
The hill of temples that forms the southern boundary of the urban area constitutes the city’s sacred district and is characterized by a series of temples in a breathtaking position that were built from local limestone between the sixth and fifth centuries BC.
After lunch on a typical Sicilian restaurant, we will transfer you to Ragusa.
Stay and overnight in Ragusa.
Day 5, Noto, Modica and Ibla.
Today, we will pick you up at a 9 am and drive to Noto to discover the wonderful Baroque gems of Sicily.
The great reconstruction began the same year, when sicily was ruled by the Spanish Viceroys. Some towns, were rebuilt where they existed as Catania and Syracuse,
while others were entirely rebuilt on a new sites as Noto, Avola, Ragusa Ibla.
The ornate style of Baroque architecture can also be admired in Modica and old Ragusa.
Stay and overnight in Ragusa.
Day 6, Ragusa – Taormina (through Syracuse).
Today, we will pick you up at 9 am from your place in Ragusa and transfer to Taormina, en route stop at Syracuse for an half day visit with your personal licensed guide.
Geographically and historically, Syracuse can be divided into two distinct areas.
On one side is the island of Ortygia, the site of first human settlements and home to Syracuse’s most ancient history.
On the other is the modern city, with its architectural, artistic and cultural wealth and contradictions between the old and and the new.
More than any other modern city in Sicily, Syracuse manifests a visible continuity from its ancient Greek past, both historical and mythological.
Stay and overnight in Taormina.
Day 7, day off in Taormina.
Today is your leisure day exploring this charming village on your own.
Day 8 Etna & winery visit.
Today we will pick you up at 9,30 am and drive to the Volcano, reaching the maximum altitude of 6000 feet.
Volcanic vents, fumaroles, hot springs and lava flows add to its changing landscape,
much of which you can explore (although not too close to the central crater) on foot or in all-terrain vehicles designed for traction in the volcanic surface.
Roads lead to the base of cable car station, here you can walk around the Silvestri’s craters.
In the afternoon enjoy your wine tasting at Barone di Villagrande.
A selection of 5 wines paired with a tasting of fresh and seasonal local products.
The wines could vary among the 8 ones they produce.
Stay and overnight in Taormina.
Day 9, departure for the airport in Catania.
Today we will transfer you to the airport in Catania,
we really hope you have enjoyed our Highlights tour of Sicily.
We are completely flexible with tailored some of the above itineraries, be aware that any changes or modifications made to the initial schedule may be subject to some price’s variations.
It is not included:
- We remind you that booking accommodations will be your responsibility.
- Our quote doesn’t include any local guides fees which we highly suggest you to hire in Palermo, Agrigento and Syracuse in case you have a particular interest in history.
- Doesn’t include entrances fees to sites and museums.
- Doesn’t include the winery fee, which you can pay directly on spot and vary according to the chosen menu.
It is included:
- English speaking driver and Mercedes vehicle for the whole tour duration.
- Water on board.
- Taxes and gasoline.
- Insurance