Sicily: An Island Adventure » Tuscany Tours - Gateway to Tours & Travels in the World of City

March 23 to March 31, 2012

There are few places on earth that have been conquered as many times by as many different people as the island of Sicily. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Moors, Normans and Spaniards were among the many cultures that each made their mark during their centuries of rule. Miserable as this experience must have been to live through, its aftermath is magnificent. Sicily has a richness of cultural layers and a heritage whose diversity is simply extraordinary.

Sicily: An Island Adventure begins in Palermo on the north-west coast of Sicily and concludes nine days later in Catania, diagonally across on Sicily’s south-eastern edge. In the course of our travels together we will make our way from the medieval cathedrals of Palermo south to the spectacular Greek temples of Agrigento, then east to the Spanish Baroque cities of Ragusa and Noto, and finally to Siracusa, one the largest and most important cities of the ancient world, where the many strata of Sicily’s multiple realities coexist in remarkable ways.

We’ll start out the week at the posh five-star Grand Hotel Federico II located in one of Palermo’s loveliest neighborhoods where the boulevards are peppered with stylish cafes that compete for the title of best cannoli. From our base we’ll head out to explore Palermo’s many fascinating neighborhoods and monuments. You’ll see fountains, churches and palazzos of extraordinary beauty right next door to crumbling buildings that were bombed in the last war and haven’t been touched since. We’ll take you to Palermo’s famous outdoor market, the Vucciria, where you’ll find everything you can imagine alongside of things that you never knew existed.

In the immediate environs of Palermo we’ll visit the Norman cathedral in Monreale which has the most spectacular mosaics that you will ever see. The cathedral sits alongside a cloistered courtyard that’s bordered by scores of columns delicately carved with an astonishing variety of Biblical, pagan and purely fantastic figures. (If you look closely, you may even come across the image of a mermaid clutching her two tails that was snatched for the Starbucks logo!) Then, in nearby Bagheria, we’ll descend from the sublime to the ridiculous and bizarre to visit the Villa Palagonia, designed by an eccentric 18th century nobleman who had a soft spot in his heart for monsters.

From Palermo we’ll make our way south through the lush heartlands of Sicily to the city of Agrigento on the south shore of the island. Here you will see the best preserved Greek temples in the world in a spectacular setting of olive and almond trees against a backdrop of blue sea and sky. Greece itself, alas, has nothing that compares with this.

The next phase our our adventure takes us east to the Baroque cities of Ragusa, Noto and Palazzo Acreide. We’ll spend a couple days enjoying the distinctive style of architecture in this part of the island which results from an earthquake in 1693 that virtually destroyed the region. The rebuilding that took place after the disaster reflects the aesthetic of Sicily’s 17th century Spanish rulers, and it gives these cities their unique flavor. (Italy’s most popular writer, Andrea Camilleri, sets many of his novels in this region, and scenes shot in these towns appear often on Italian TV whenever Camilleri’s novels are made into TV dramas.)

For the last leg of our journey, we’ll be based on the island of Ortigia which is a part of the city of Siracusa. We’ll have beautiful sea-view rooms to enhance the feeling one has here of being at the edge of the world. Siracusa was once a Greek colony that later rebelled against its founders. The Greek amphitheaters that we’ll see both in Siracusa and in Taormina (just north along the coast) are some of the most evocative ones that have survived from the ancient world.

These are some of the cultural highlights. Before and after our visits to temples and monuments, you’ll be eating some of the most delicious food and drinking some of the finest wines on the planet. If you enjoy fresh fish, this is definitely the tour for you. Fish is a main staple of the Sicilian diet; fresh fish is plentiful and is prepared in a myriad of delectable ways. Be forewarned that when you return home, you will experience severe cravings for fish, caponata and canolli that will remain unfulfilled until your next visit here.

As always, we will balance structured activities with ample free time for you to explore local shopping venues, wander about, or just relax and read.

The hotels we’ve chosen for this tour are all first-rate four and five-star properties with ambiance and style, along with cordial, helpful staffs. Transportation will be on comfortable, air-conditioned buses.

Sicily is likely to be warm and pleasant by the time we visit. The almond blossom festival actually takes place in Agrigento on the first Sunday in February! By the end of March we will be well into spring.

We hope to see you there!

Tour Specifics:

Dates: March 23, 2012 to March 31, 2012

Cost: The land cost of the tour is $3450 USD per person, based on double occupancy. Cash discount cost is $3375 per person for payment by check or wire transfer.
You may make your registration deposit using PayPal and/or your credit card and still be eligible for the cash discount cost if your final balance is paid by check or wire transfer. Single rooms are available for a supplementary charge of $550. Airfare is not included.

Accommodations: 8 nights lodging in elegant, historic hotel properties; (3 nights in Palermo, 2 nights in Ragusa, and 3 nights in Siracusa). All rooms have in-suite baths.

Meals: All breakfasts, one full-course meal daily, additional meals as scheduled. All meals–after breakfast!-include regional wines. We carefully choose the restaurants based on ambiance and quality of cuisine.

Wine Tastings: Scheduled tastings of various Sicilian wines (including small local producers and famous well known producers).

Transfers: All ground transportation during the tour subsequent to your arrival at the hotel in Palermo.

Admissions: Entrance fees for all planned visits to monuments, galleries and museums are included.

Small, Intimate Group: We will be limiting the number of participants to a maximum of 16.

Early Arrival/ Late Stay Options: Depending on hotel availability you may be able to arrive early or stay after the end of the tour. We’ll be happy to help you make these arrangements.

Arrival and Departure: The tour will begin at our hotel in Palermo and end with a transfer to the airport in Catania. If you require transfer services upon arrival or after the tour, transfers can be arranged through our travel partners for an additional fee.