Example Itinerary

 

 

Please note that the below itinerary is only provided as a guide and is meant to help give you an idea of a possible schedule.

 

Your departure from Australia, either direct to Rome or from other destinations, needs to bring you to Catania, Sicily by Day 1 of the tour. (There are frequent flights from Rome to Catania.)

 

Day 1

All members of the tour group will arrive at the airport in Catania. (Transfers to the hotel are optional.) At the designated hotel, meet the other members of the party over welcoming cocktails followed by a relaxed dinner nearby at a local restaurant.

 

Day 2

Before we leave Catania get up a bit early for a 1st-hand experience of Catania’s fish market.

Move to Giardini Naxos, our base for 3 days. Until the 1970s, it was a quiet fishing village. Now it’s a popular tourist destination, famous for its beaches.

 

Day 3

'Climb’ Mount Etna via a spectacular scenic chairlift ride. Mount Etna dominates Sicily’s landscape, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is also believed to be the world’s oldest active volcano. Return to Giardini to enjoy the night life.

 

Day 4

Explore the narrow streets and alleys of 2 picturesque towns, Taormina and Castelmola. Both are steeply perched high above the sea with spectacular views. Taormina features fragments of ancient buildings, the most remarkable of which is the Greek Theatre. In Castelmola you can taste its famous Vino di Mandorla (Almond Wine). We return to Giardini for our last night at this popular coastal resort.

 

Day 5 & 6

We depart Giardini for the Aeolian Islands, all of which are volcanic in origin and separated from Sicily by waters up to 200m deep. We have 2 days to explore this area and, depending on the weather, will either sleep onboard our charter boat or stay in an exquisite boutique hotel in Lipari, the largest of the islands. There are seven islands (Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Filicudi, Alicudi and Panarea) and five small islands. Houses are typically painted white to protect against the sun’s heat.

 

Day 7, 8 & 9

We will move to the seaside village of Cefalù, famous for its beautiful beaches. This will be our base for the next few nights. We will enjoy a picturesque coastline and explore quaint streets and shops. We'll visit Palermo visiting Monreale along the way. Monreale is famous for its splendid gold mosaic ceilings, wall frescos and cloisters. All three nights will be spent in Cefalù.

 

Day 10

Today’s main attraction is the Agrigento area. It was founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century BC and since 1998 has been designated as a Unesco world heritage site. The Valley of The Temples contains the remains of the best kept Doric temples outside of Greece.

 

Day 11

Travel to Enna located in the central part of Sicily. We will spend 2 days here during which time we'll visit the ruined Norman Castle that towers above the village of Sperlinga. Founded on enormous rocks, it is also known for its cave dwellings – inhabited until relatively recently. We will be having lunch in a historic cave home. We'll stay the night in Enna.

 

Day 12

Today’s highlight is Piazza Armerina and its world heritage site, La Villa Romana Del Casale, famed for its magnificently preserved Roman mosaics. We'll stay the night in Enna.

 

Day 13 & 14

We will move to Noto for 2 nights. Noto is very special, indeed, featuring exquisite Baroque buildings well loved by tourists and locals alike. Noto is absolutely magical at night.

 

Day 15

We will head to Siracusa to explore the Greek and Roman ruins and the ancient Island of Ortigia. This will be our farewell dinner and tour wrap-up.

 

Day 16

After breakfast, our private driver will escort us to our respective train stations, bus terminals and airport. As a guide, it is suggested that you book your connecting flights to the major airport of your choice for an afternoon departure. Our tour officially concludes at around midday.

 

If you are interested in learning more about the tour, contact Enza for a chat!

 

Cheers to a great trip! ARRIVEDERCI !!!