| A taste of Sicily - East coast |
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Welcome to Sicily in Company or “how to explore Sicily in affordable luxury”. A selection of tours specially designed for small groups of 10-14 individual travelers, created to give you an in-depth experience of particular aspects of Sicily, as you travel in affordable luxury. A Taste of Sicily - the East coast
7 nights – 8 days GROUP TOUR (max 14 persons) DAY 1) Independent arrival at Catania airport and transfer * by private car to Taormina. Accommodation in 5-star hotel and time to relax -6pm- Aperitif with the tour leader, followed by welcome dinner.D NOTE *We can include transfer in\out the airport and a welcome by a hostess who will accompany you to the car. If interested, this will be organised as soon as we have flight details and party numbers. DAY 2) Breakfast, followed by a walk around the town of Taormina, including its magnificent, and well-preserved Greco-Roman theatre, guided by an art history expert. We will then take traditional wooden boats out to the beach of Isola Bella and along the Ionian coast with its sea grottoes. Seafood lunch by the sea in a reputed “trattoria.” -Afternoon: Return to Taormina with free time for shopping, relaxing and dinner. Dinner (not included in price) at a restaurant of your choice (we can help you make your selection). B,L NOTE It is also possible, during the theatre season, to help you get tickets for a performance at the Greco-Roman theatre. DAY 3) Meeting with guides who are experts on Mount Etna, and depart for a trip up the most active volcano in Europe by off-road jeep, travelling past lava caves, and extinct craters into the eerie Valle del Bove, created by centuries of lava flow. We also take in the extraordinary lava formations of the Alcantara river gorge at the base of Etna, where you can either simply visit the canyon, or, more adventurously, take a “canyoning” experience down the river rapids. We will lunch on a variety of traditional local disches, accompanied by an excellent Rosso dell’Etna wine. Dinner of choice in a recommended restaurant. Back to your hotel at sunset. B,L NOTE **In order to take part in this activity you need to be reasonably fit. You will be provided with a neoprene suit, helmet and life jacket. Quotation on request. DAY 4) We leave Taormina for the province of Siracusa, visiting the city of Catania en route, where a local guide will accompany us on a walk through its fascinating Baroque centre, and bustling fish market. Trattoria lunch. After lunch, we continue into the countryside of Siracusa, where we stay in a beautiful 18th-century “baglio” (manor house) belonging to a local noble family who, as well as offering hospitality to guests from around the world, raise horses of Olympic standard. Surrounded by magnificent countryside, and with a typical ‘Italian’ garden, we stay here for 4 nights. Welcome dinner of typical local dishes prepared by the owner. B,L,D DAY 5) After breakfast we leave for the legendary city of Siracusa. Guided tour of the archaeological site and of the historic centre on the delightful island of Ortygia, connected by a bridge to the mainland. Right on the Piazza del Duomo in the core of Ortygia is an outstanding 18th-century palace, where we are invited for brunch and a tasting of wines produced by the owners. The ‘padrone’ called by the New York Times ‘the last Leopard’ after Lampedusa’s famous novel, will show us his private collection of ancient prints before hosting the wine-tasting. We return to the villa in the late afternoon for a cooking lesson “Pizza & more” with a chef, and for dinner we will eat the pizzas we have made! B,L,D DAY 6) – ore 9:00 We head to the zone of Ragusa to visit the Institute of Culinary Art of Sicily, where we get the chance to actively help in the production of the famous local cheeses, as well as to learn how to combine wines and cheeses and to take part in a cooking course on Sicilian cuisine. In the afternoon, we visit the historic towns of Ibla and Modica, making time in the latter to sample the famous local chocolate, made according to an ancient Aztec method imported by the Spanish. Return to the villa and dinner. B,L,D DAY 7) We go to the famous Baroque city of Noto, known as the ‘garden of stone’ and listed, along with other nearby Baroque towns and cities, as a UNESCO World Heritage site. An art expert will guide us around its myriad treasures, but there will be time too to taste the unique toasted almond “granite” and other delicious iced desserts or typical local stuffed pizza. Back to the villa for a farewell dinner. B,L,D DAY 8) Transfer to Catania’s airport for departure. NOTE: - Transfer from\to airport is not included and can be booked through Travel Sicilia - On the last day, a packed lunch will be provided based on the time of departure. - Please inform us of any dietary requirements, allergies or food intolerances in advance B= breakfast L =lunch D= dinner (meals included) PRICES on request The price includes: • Mini bus Mercedes Sprinter 2007 16 seats, fuel, parking, tolls. • Tour leader throughout (excluding the day on Etna) • 3 nights double room in 5* hotel • 4 nights in a double room in a private 5* residence • Aperitif and welcome dinner in hotel. • 6 visits with local guides (Taormina, Catania, Siracusa, Modica,Ibla and Noto) • 1 excursion in boat and lunch on Isola Bella. • 1 excursion in Jeep on Mount Etna with lunch in an agriturismo. • 1 visit, light meal and wine tasting in a historic palazzo in Siracusa. • 1 cooking- and cheese twisting- lesson, and tasting at Ragusa. • 1 lunch in a Trattoria • 1 tasting of local specialities • 1 cooking lesson ‘pizza e altro’ with chef, including dinner • Medical insurance • Agency fees and VAT Price does not include: • Flights • Transfer to and from Catania airport • Meals when not specified and extra drinks • And anything else not mentioned as inclusive. 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