Essence of Sicily

(9 Days - Departs Daily on a Private Basis)
Palermo, Segesta, Erice, Agrigento & the Valley of the Temples, Ragusa & vicinity, Syracuse, Taormina

This private tour features the most luxurious hotels in Sicily and comprehensive sightseeing with your own expert guides and drivers. Touring is flexible and features spectacular ancient ruins, charming villages, local markets, a cooking class, wine and olive oil tastings, and architecture spanning thousands of years of history—from Classical through medieval and the Baroque.

Begin in Palermo, one of Italy’s great culinary and art cities. Spend two nights in an Art Nouveau palace hotel surrounded by fragrant gardens on a cliff overlooking the sea. During private touring, explore interesting neighborhoods, colorful outdoor markets, the old Arab quarter, and unique Arab-Norman architecture. Palermo is a great place to sample local specialties such as blood oranges and arancini (rice balls). Also, take a private excursion to the stunning Cathedral of Monreale, a masterpiece of Arab, Norman and Byzantine art just outside Palermo.

Next, tour the highlights of the surrounding region. Visit Segesta, a well-preserved Doric temple in a bucolic hillside setting. Tour Erice, a beautiful medieval village perched on a hilltop that’s filled with cobblestone streets, flowering vines and the aroma of almond pastries, a local specialty. See the Trapani Salt Pans, where salt is collected using ancient techniques, and enjoy a private tasting at a local Marsala winery.

Continue to your relaxing resort hotel, set among vineyards and olive groves. One day, take an excursion to a local estate to tour the farm and olive groves, sample olive oil and learn to prepare Sicilian cuisine during a cooking class with a renowned local chef.

Next, tour ancient Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples. One of the most significant archaeological sites in Sicily and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Valley of the Temples is an outstanding collection of Doric temples, Hellenistic ruins and early Christian sites spread over a large area of rolling hills.

Continue to Ragusa, and spend two nights in a medieval fortification converted into a luxury hotel. Tour the Baroque architecture and atmospheric backstreets of Ragusa, Modica and Noto, which, with other nearby towns, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alternatively, opt to take a full-day excursion by ferry to Malta to explore the highlights.

Next, visit Syracuse, one of the most powerful and sophisticated cities of the ancient world. Tour highlights such as the Greek theater, Roman amphitheater, the cave known as the Ear of Dionysus, and the historic center of the island of Ortygia.

Continue to Taormina for two nights at a luxurious hilltop hotel with views of the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna. One day, take a private excursion to Piazza Armerina to tour the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The exquisite mosaics decorating the floors of this ancient Roman villa are considered among the most magnificent in the world.