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INDEPENDENT TRAVEL SERVICES
FRANCE Transfers,Transportation-PARIS
Cruise Ship Port of Call Services
ITALY
ROME - LAZIO Transportation - Transfers Cruise Ship Port of Call Services
FLORENCE - TUSCANY Day Trips from Florence, Tuscany Transportation - Transfers Cruise Ship Port of Call Services
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SICILY Guided Tours and Day Trips Transportation - Transfers Cruise Ship Port of Call Services
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Independent Travelers - Service Request Form
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SMALL GROUP TOURS IN ITALY
Sicily Tour Nov. 2 - Nov. 12, 2009 Open to All Adults Limited to 14 People
Touring: Palermo, Erice, Segesta, Cefalu, Agrigento, Noto, Ortigia-Siracusa, Mt. Etna, Taormina, Ragusa, Castelmola, Savoca, Forza d'Agro
Join one of our small group tours to Sicily. Amazing architecture and incredibly rich history await you.
UPSCALE TRAVEL
Roman, Byzantine, Arab-Norman Architecture in Palermo
Ancient Town of Erice
Doric Temple of Segesta
Quaint Fishing Village of Cefalu
Greek Theater & Roman Amphitheater of Siracusa
Greek Temples of Siracusa
3rd-Century Greek Theater in Taormina
Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
Piazza Armerina's Imperial Roman Villa for Some Of The Best Mosaics of The Roman World
Baroque Noto, A Unesco World Heritage Site
Mt. Etna & Surrounding Villages
The Villages of Castelmola, Savoca & Forza D'Agro
Ragusa, A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Sicily's Fantastic Cuisine
Chocolate Factory Visit
Winery Tour & Wine Tasting
What our clients say about us......
TOUR COST: $3,795.00 Single Supplement: $850.00, if rooming alone
ITINERARY (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner) NOTE: Activities or order of activities are subject to change due to unforeseen closures, etc. We reserve the right to replace an activity.
Day 1 - Nov. 2 - Arrival Day in Palermo, Welcome Cocktails and Dinner, Overnight in Palermo We will meet you at the airport in Palermo and our private transfer will take you to our hotel, where we will spend the next 2 nights.
Palermo has amazing history. Colonized by the Phoenicians, Sicily flourished under the Arab and Norman rule and it boasts a rich 3,000 years of history. Nearly every great European empire once ruled Sicily's capital contributing to wonderfully diverse architecture from Roman to Byzantine to Arab-Normal are evident in the city's palaces, churches and crypts.
Our local guide will show us the highlights of Palermo. We'll experience a unique flavor of Italy, one may feel a touch of Africa, as we enjoy the street life and of Palermo's ancient colorful markets, the Mercato della Vucciria. We will also see the eclectic Cathedral. It was originally Norman, then Catalan Gothic and in the 18th-century, the interior was transformed into a baroque and neoclassical styles.
Welcome cocktails and dinner follows. (D)
Day 2 - Nov. 3 - Erice, Segesta, Overnight in Palermo Today, we will tour the historic town of Erice, which sits on top of Mt. Erice, overlooking the city of Trapani. It is an ancient city and remains of ancient Elymian and Phoenician walls depicts prior settlement in ancient times. Two castles remain. Pepoli castle from the Saracen times and Venus castle, from the Norman period, was built on top of an ancient temple of Venus. Erice also has ancient 5th century and 12th century well preserved walls, an interesting museum and a 14th century church.
We will also travel to Segeta, one of the major cities of the Elymian people, one of the indigenous peoples of Sicily. Ancient settlements high on top of Monte Barbaro have vanished but ruins and a magnificent Doric temple remains.
Return to Palermo late afternoon. Explore and have dinner on your own. (B)
Day
3 - Nov. 4 - Excursion to Cefalu, Guided
Tour of Winery and Wine
Tasting, Overnight in Agrigento
Late in the morning, we’ll go inland into the heart of
the wine country and enjoy a guided tour of a beautiful winery and
surely one of the
biggest wine producers of Sicily. We will enjoy a fabulous lunch accompanied by
different varieties of wines. After the tour, we will head to Agrigento where we'll stay in a hotel by the beach. (B, L)
After, we will drive to Piazza Armerina, to a important 3rd century Imperial Roman Villa, Villa Romana del Casale. It is said to have been the hunting lodge dating back to 4th-Centruy A.D. and where you will be able some of the best mosaics of the Roman world.
In the afternoon, we will proceed to our next home base, a gorgeous 18th-century villa surrounded by olive groves and beautiful gardens, where we will stay the next 2 nights.
Dinner tonight will be in our beautiful villa. (B,
D)
Day
5 - Nov. 6 - Guided Tour of Noto, Overnight in Noto
Later in the afternoon we will enjoy our leisure time at
the villa. Group dinner to follow. (B, D)
This morning, we will have a guided tour of Ragusa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ibla or lower Ragusa, the ancient city with an incredible history was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake the devastated Southeastern Sicily. It is an incredible site to see, as it built on a hill that seems to be practically on vertical walls. Superiore is the new city built in the early 1700s that now offers its visitors Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture.
A local guide will show us the highlights including the magnificent Duomo di San Giorgio with its slightly asymmetrical staircase, the rich Baroque facade and a Neoclassical dome. We will also see the Church of Santa Maria delle Scale (St. Mary of the Stairs) which is noted for 242-steps one has to climb to get to it. We will also tour the square and see many aristocratic buildings, palaces and churches.
You will have free time after the tour to enjoy a labyrinth of charming narrow, intricate streets. Visit the The archaeological museum for ancient artifacts. Head to Via Roma and Corso Italia for shopping. Stop in via Veneto to taste some sweets at Di Pasquale. Lunch on your own during your free time.
We will also make a stop at the famous
Bonajuto Chocolate factory,
the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily.
Late this afternoon, we will continue onto Siracusa to the island of Ortigia, our home
base for the next 3 nights. Our beautiful boutique hotel is in the
heart of the old town, a short walk to the duomo, the Piazza Archimede
and the Temple of Apollo. (B)
Sleep in and enjoy our beautiful and comfortable hotel overlooking the sea.
Founded in 734 BC by the Greeks, Siracusa was one of the great ancient capital of Western civilization. This city quickly grew to rival and even surpassed Athens in splendor and power. Siracusa still has some of the finest examples of baroque art and architecture, along with fantastic Greek and Roman ruins. You will admire tan ancient Greek Theater, one of Sicily's greatest classical sites and the most complete Greek theater surviving from antiquity. You will also see a Roman amphitheater. Our local tour guide will take us on a guided tour of these amazing sites. We’ll enjoy a guided tour of the city and its archeological site, including the beautiful Greek temple, the famous grotto called the Ear of Dionysus.
Time on your own after the tour. Ortigia island of Siracusa
is very relaxed, comfortable and beautiful. You have a lively
baroque old town that is fun to explore. It has some interesting
shopping, charming piazzas and lots of outdoor cafes and bars.
(B) This morning, on the way to Taormina, we will detour for Mt. Etna, Europe’s largest and highest volcano in Europe and one the world’s most active volcano today. To the ancient Greeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and the home of the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. Along the way, we will drive through several Sicilian towns and villages. Our tour of Mt. Etna will continue to take us to see some old lava flows and the “Silvestri” craters (6.000 ft) and the last new lava flows and craters from 2002/2003.
We’ll drive to the cablecar station to get to the higher level. Weather permitting, from there, we'll get on a jeep to take us to the the very top.
We will stop for lunch and after we’ll proceed to Taormina, our next and final home base for 3 nights. Taormina and it great 3rd century B.C. Greek theatre, is spectacularly located, high above a cliff overlooking the sea and Mt Etna.
Our beautiful hotel is in the center of town, where you can walk to the sites and shops. Free time in the evening. Dinner on your own in town. (B)
Day 10 - Nov. 11 - Excursions to Castelmola, Savoca and Forza d'Agro, Farewell Dinner, Overnight in Taormina
Today, we will have a scenic tour to Savoca, one of the
most attractive places around this area that it was chose by
Francis Ford Coppola shot some scenes of
"The Godfather II" over the less appealing Corleone.
Stunning views of the sea can be had from its piazza. You may recognize
this piazza and bar, Bar Vitelli, with a gorgeous terrace, the set used
for the wedding reception in The Godfather. We will also visit
the beautiful cathedral with the catacombs of the Cappuccini convent
underneath.
Our next stop is the village of Forza d'Agro, another very charming medieval village on top of a hill with a fantastic view of the coast and Mt. Etna. We will visit its unique Norman castle with 3 castle-walls and a wonderful coastline view towards straits of Messina. Some scenes from "The Godfather III" were shot here. This is simply an enchanting place.
Tonight is our last night together. Farewell Dinner in a great restaurant in planned. Details to follow. (B, D)
Day 11 - Nov. 12 - Departure Day
Prepare for your flight home. A private transfer
will take you to the airport.
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UPSCALE TRAVEL
INCLUSIONS & HIGHLIGHTS: 11 Days of Land Tour Beautiful and Elegant Accommodations 4 Dinners and 1 Lunch with Wine Excellent Professional Tour Escort Throughout The Tour Guided Tour of Segesta Guided Tour of Siracusa and its Greek Theater and Roman Amphiteater
Guided Tour of Palermo & Monreale
Guided Tour of The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
Guided Tour of Piazza Armerina's Villa Romana del Casale for Some of The Best Mosaics of The Roman World
Guided Tour of Baroque Noto, A Unesco World Heritage Site
Excursion of Mt. Etna
Excursion to Erice.
Guided Tours of The Villages of Castelmola, Savoca & Forza D'Agro
Guided Tour of Ragusa
Transportation to All Planned Activities
Entrance Fees to All Scheduled Museums And Sites Airport Transfers
NOT INCLUDED: Gratuity to your tour manager.
HIGHLIGHTS: Roman, Byzantine, Arab-Norman Architecture in Palermo
Taormina and the 3rd-Century Greek Theater
Quaint Fishing Village of Cefalu
Sicily's Fantastic Cuisine
Chocolate Factory Visit
Winery Tour & Wine Tasting
Beautiful Small Villages Around Taormina
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