Programma

First Day:  Catania→ Siracusa;  Night in Siracusa

Arrive at the airport of Catania, pick up your hired car and departure towards Siracusa. Accommodation in hotel.  Spend the afternoon walking through the streets of Ortigia, see the Arethusa fountain, come across the Castle of Maniace, the Dome, Palazzo Bellomo, one legend after another.  
Accommodation in a country resort close to Siracusa city centre. 

Second Day:  Siracusa; Night in Siracusa 

After breakfast, we suggest to visit the Archaeological Park and the Greek Theatre. Have a relaxed afternoon admiring the great views on the sea.

Third Day:  Siracusa→ Noto→ Palazzolo Acreide; Night near Noto

Today you will move towards the Sicilian Baroque area. Seven baroque towns, part of world heritage defined by UNESCO, you will be flabbergasted by the honey yellow of the tuff stone in which they had been rebuilt. The Sicilian unique baroque style has imposed during a surge of rebuilding following the massive earthquake of 1693 in the Val di Noto area; it has a strong identity with its grinning grotesque masks and putti and a particular flamboyance.

We suggest to go first to the small delicious village of  Palazzolo Acreide, later to the elegant Noto and sit at the Café Sicilia to taste their excellent granita! Let’s take the route to your country resort near the Vendicari natural reserve and accommodation.
Vendicari Nature Reserve is a mixture of lagoons, sand dunes, beaches, ideal habitat for a wide variety of flora and fauna. A perfect place to have a nature walk in a really wild atmosphere and spend a day on wonderful beaches in summertime.

Forth Day:  Ragusa Ibla, Modica, Scicli ;  Night near Noto

Another day dedicated to the Sicilian Baroque. Let’s start in Ragusa Ibla, definitely a jewel of architecture, with its medieval lanes, churches and palaces that are among the most beautiful late-Baroque buildings, decorated with burlesque masks and golden stone laces.

Modica. Visit St. George Church, the main of the 100 spectacular churches and baroque monuments. Taste the famous chocolate: the history of modician chocolate dates back in the past, when Modica was related with Spain and consequently with the ancient civilization of Mexico, the Aztec.
Scicli, with its wonderful Palazzo Beneventano, probably the most representive building of the Sicilian Baroque style.

Consider a unique visit in a Iblean farm : a walk around the farm, see the flock of sheep, where Concetto gets milk every day. Learn how to work the almonds to create the famous Sicilian almond milk.  Enjoy a demonstration of how to work with sheep’s milk to create the delicious Ricotta cheese. All these products will be the base for your typical Sicilian lunch.

Fifth Day: Noto→ Agrigento ; Night in Agrigento area

After breakfast drive towards Agrigento. Visit the Valley of the Temples: the temples erected in the fifth century BC, following the ancient principle, face the East so that the rising sun would first illuminate the statue of the Divinity, as a font and principle of life.

On the way to Agrigento admire the south-western coast of Sicily full of pristine and beautiful beaches.
Later you will be welcomed in a charming olive oil farm. It is a warm and refined country house producing an excellent and awarded extra virgin olive oil you can taste during dinner. 

Sixth Day: Piazza Armerina; Night in Agrigento area

Today you will enjoy a funny family style cooking class with Silvia in which ingredients are plucked straight from the olive tree-filled gardens. Then sit all together around the big table and enjoy the recipes you prepared.
In the afternoon you may go to Piazza Armerina and admire the Roman Villa del Casale. 

Seventh Day:  Agrigento → Palermo ;  Night in Palermo

After breakfast drive towards Palermo. Spend the afternoon in Palermo walking in the historical centre: the refined cathedral, the enormous renaissance fountain of piazza Pretoria, Porta Nuova, the red Arabic bulge domes of the church of San Cataldo, the baroque church of Santa Caterina. In the mishmash of artistic styles you observe while walking you will find it difficult to fall in love with one single style. Accommodation in hotel.

Eighth Day:  Palermo ;  Night in Palermo

Early in the morning you can go to Ballarò the most famous and colorful fruit and fish market of the city. Don’ t miss to taste Sicilian street food.
Later, visit the Cappella Palatina considered by Guy de Maupassant “the most precious religious jewel ever sprung on a human mind and artists’ hands.”
In the afternoon you could visit the Cathedral of Monreale, a pearl of Arab Norman art, at ten minutes’ drive from Palermo. 

Ninth Day:  Palermo → Taormina ; Night at the slopes of Etna

After breakfast leave towards Taormina. Visit Taormina, a place that needs no introduction.  Accommodation in a country villa at the slopes of of the volcano Etna, at a short distance from Taormina. It is a rural estate dating 1609, belonging to the same family since then. The Villa is surrounded by a botanic garden, the very pride of the owner who is an agronomist and landscape designer.
Guests accommodation is in one of the 8 comfortable cottages, once the little rural homes of the farmers, surrounded by the garden and the organic citrus grove, that is still watered using the traditional method of saje. Dinner at the estate.

Tenth Day:  Etna; Night at the slopes of Etna

Today we suggest to visit Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe (3340 meters). 
Consider an exclusive half-day excursion by 4 wheel drive vehicle. 

Eleventh Day:  Catania airport. Leaving

After breakfast, leave towards Catania airport, drop-off your car and departure.

Date & Quote

Map

Booking & Cancellation Policy

HOW TO BOOK
You can initiate a booking by sending an enquiry by e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or telephoning us directly 0039 091 583728, or sending an enquiry online at our website formwww.privatesicily.it  . You will be contacted by a member of our staff within 48 hours (working days). We will send you a proposal and quote for the services required. Once we have receiced your written confirmation we will confirm all the service by issuing and sending via e-mail a pro-forma invoice. Please check this pro-forma invoice carefully as soon as you receive it and contact us immediately if there is any wrong information about you or the services confirmed.
GUARANTEED DEPARTURES
The tours marked as guaranteed departures will depart as scheduled with the minimum number of participants specified in each tour.  We will confirm the tour 30 days before the scheduled day. We try to make every departure work and only cancel when absolutely necessary and we may decide to operate a tour with less than the normal minimum number of people.
If your tour is cancelled because the minimum size group is not met, you will have the option to either transfer to another tour or receive a full refund of the deposit paid. 
PAYMENT
Usually to confirm your booking, we require a deposit of 30% of the total quote, and the balance is required 30 days before departure ; we will specify when different conditions apply in your pro-forma invoice.
CHANGES 
Any changes to your confirmed booking, must be notified us in writing.  Whilst we will endeavour to assist, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet the requests.  Changes in party size which result in a decrease in the overall cost of the booking will be treated as a partial cancellation and our normal cancellation charges will apply.
CANCELLATIONS
Any cancellation should be made in writing (by e-mail). Following penalties (% of total invoice) will be applied for cancellations made:

Up to 60 days           10%
from 59 to 31 days   30%
from 30 to 21 days   50%
from 20 to 01 days 100%
before arrival date
 
no show                 100%

If different conditions apply, they will be specified in the booking process.