SATURDAY : ARRIVAL - CATANIA – TAORMINA AREA
Arrive in Taormina area at any time and you can rent a car Overnight in the hotel.
SUNDAY : Optional SAVOCA – CEFALU’ - PALERMO
Breakfast in Hotel. and departure to Savoca where chosen by Francis Ford Coppola as location to shot the film “The Godfather”. On to Cefalù to visit this lovely medieval town and its famous cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Sicily, founded by Ruggero II, the first King of Sicily. The cathedral of Cefalù, and some monuments of the Normann period of Monreale and Palermo are acknowledged as a UNESCO heritage site in 2015. Continuation to Palermo. Arrival at the hotel in the afternoon. Overnight in the hotel.
MONDAY: - Optional MONTE PELLEGRINO and MONDELLO PALERMO - MONREALE
Breakfast in hotel. optional Visit of the Teatro Massimo, the third biggest opera theatre in Europe. Then we enter the popular market “Il Capo”, that looks like an African souk; at the end of the visit of the market we can taste in a bar the typical Sicilian “Arancino”, a speciality of the local street food. Now you will start the visit from the old part of the city with the Cathedral, the Royal Palace and the Palatine Chapel. Proceed to Monreale, famous because of its Cathedral with Byzantine mosaics representing Christ Pancreator and its cloister. After exploring the town excursion to Monte Pellegrino with its spectacular views of the city, its surrounding mountains and the ocean and the sanctuary of Saint Rosalia (the patron of the city) was once described as the most beautiful promontory in the world by Johann Wolfgang Goethe. and Mondello. to the small fishing village with its marvellous beach, where you will taste a typical Sicilian sweet. Overnight in the hotel.
TUESDAY : Optional ERICE – MARSALA - AGRIGENTO
Breakfast in the Hotel. Departure to Erice, the medieval town on the summit of Monte San Giuliano. You can admire the Norman Castle and the Cathedral. On to Marsala, famous because of the salt works (foto stop) and the production of wine (Optional wine tasting in a winery). Overnight in the hotel.
WEDNESDAY: Optional AGRIGENTO – PIAZZA ARMERINA – TAORMINA MARE
Breakfast in the hotel. In the morning drive to Agrigento and you will visit there the Temple Valley, where you can admire the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Concorde (one of the best preserved Doric temples in the whole Greek world), the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Castor and Pollux. After that drive to Piazza Armerina where you will have a short break for Optional tasting some typical Sicilian food, like olive paté, olives, marmalades and wine. You will visit the Villa Romana del Casale, famous for the most beautiful collection of late-Roman mosaics. On to Taormina beach, where you will arrive in the late afternoon for the overnight in hotel.
THURSDAY : Optional ETNA - TAORMINA
Breakfast in the hotel and drive to the Mt. Etna, the highest and most active volcano of Europe. The territory surrounding the Vulcan is the “Park of Etna”, one of the largest protected areas in Italy: you will be astonished about the great variety of vegetation and landscapes that we will meet along the way before arriving at the “ Silvestri Craters” (about 1.900 mt). From here on you will have the possibility to continue the excursion by jeep. Stop at a local beekeeper for a honey- and wine tasting. In the afternoon Optional visit of Taormina, situated on a plateau on the slopes of the steeply dropping Monte Tauro, dominating the Ionian coast from Capo Sant’Andrea to Capo Taormina. Possibility to visit the Greek-Roman theatre, the 2nd largest classical theatre in Sicily. Back to the hotel for the overnight in hotel.
FRIDAY : Optional CATANIA AND SYRACUSE
Breakfast in the hotel. Optional Full day excursion. First stop in Catania, that lies on the slopes of the Etna, rich in baroque buildings; visit of the typical fish market and walking tour of the city centre. Proceed to Syracuse, one of the most interesting archaeological sites of the island, in which we will explore the historic centre in Ortigia Island, the most ancient nucleus of the city with its stunning cathedral. Then the of the archaeological park of Syracuse including the Roman Amphitheatre, the Greek Theatre, the Ear of Dionysus. Back to the hotel for the overnight in hotel.
Breakfast and end of our serivices.
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