Savoring Sicily. Thursday, September 22, 2016 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (13 days/12 nights)

Transcription

1 Experience Sicily Let s experience Sicily together! Savoring Sicily Thursday, September 22, 2016 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (13 days/12 nights) Savor summer with a September/October trip to Sicily! We ll discover off-the-beaten path towns, interact with locals, immerse ourselves in Sicilian culture and history, explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, Siracusa s archaeological park, Palermo s Arab-Norman gems, and the enchanting towns of Taormina, Erice, and Cefalù. Our accommodations are characteristic family-run inns and elegant hotels. We ll be dining in some of Sicily s most sought-after restaurants and relishing long meals in traditional trattorias. This experiential tour is designed for a traveler who wants to savor every minute with a cooking class, olive orchard and vineyard tour, live music performances, intellectual discussions about Sicily s past, present, and future, and so much more! Palermo > Palermo Private Professional, Local Guide/Driver Limited to 12 Guests Price: $5,675 per person, double occupancy *, ** (Price does not include airfare or travel insurance.) * If you pay in full by May 15, 2016, you will receive a $300 discount per person. If you pay 50% deposit by May 15, 2016, you ll receive a $150 discount per person. ** Single Occupancy Supplement is an additional $ (Let us know if you d like to be paired up with someone to pay the Double Occupancy cost. We ll do our best to match you with a roommate.) *** Save $100 if you pay by personal check.

2 Savoring Sicily Thursday, September 22, 2016 Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (13 days/12 nights) This itinerary is subject to change. Day 1/ Thursday, September 22 Transfer from Palermo airport to our 4-star inn in Scopello Settle in, enjoy the beautiful property and charming village on your own Evening welcome meeting, review of our tour together Dinner as group featuring traditional Sicilian cuisine on the premises of our inn Meal Included for Today: Dinner Accommodations: Scopello, 4-star, family-run inn

3 Day 2/Friday, September 23 Tour the salt flats of Trapani with their magnificent windmills Wander through the streets of enchanting Erice, home of an ancient Temple of Venus (Lunch on your own) We ll enjoy a leisure boat cruise through Lo Zingaro nature preserve Dinner at a trattoria featuring local cuisine Meals Included for Today: Breakfast, Dinner Accommodations: Scopello, 4-star, family-run inn Day 3/Saturday, September 24 Learn about the annual Festa di San Giuseppe (Saint Joseph s Day) with a visit to Salemi, a town known for its extraordinary ritual bread and Feast altars Tour a working olive farm and learn about the olive oil making process Lunch as a group on the olive estate with an oil tasting, of course! Dinner as a group in Agrigento Gaze at the Valley of the Temples lit-up under the stars Accommodations: Agrigento, 4-star, family-run inn Day 4/Sunday, September 25 With our personal guide we ll tour Agrigento s magnificent Valley of the Temples UNESCO World Heritage Site Lunch as a group at an outstanding contemporary Sicilian restaurant overlooking the Valley of the Temples Hands-on cooking experience with a local mamma at a hip contemporary art museum Get ready to sing along during a private concert of Sicilian folk music Accommodations: Agrigento, 4-star, family-run inn

4 Day 5/Monday, September 26 Be fascinated by the intriguing UNESCO World Heritage Site, Villa Romana del Casale, a treasure of Roman mosaic scenes including the Bikini Girls Lunch as group at a local Slow Food designated trattoria Check-in to our elegant hotel, then enjoy time on your own to explore shops and restaurants in Ortigia, Siracusa s ancient center (Dinner on your own) Meals Included for Today: Breakfast and Lunch Accommodations: Ortigia, 4-star hotel Day 6/Tuesday, September 27 Spend the morning in Sicily s Stone Garden, in the beautiful town of Noto, part of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto UNESCO World Heritage Site Bask in a dreamy, long lunch on the seashore at an outstanding restaurant in a breathtaking fishing village For the evening, you ll have time on own for further exploration of Ortigia island s shops, galleries, and Baroque Duomo dedicated to Santa Lucia Optional: Take in the joys of the Opera dei Pupi, traditional marionette theater Dinner at your leisure Meals Included for Today: Breakfast and Lunch Accommodations: Ortigia, 4-star hotel Day 7/Wednesday, September 28 Environmentally charged visit to Etna, Europe s largest, most active volcano with expert, local guides Enjoy local specialties and wine for lunch Dinner as a group at a renowned, chef-inspired restaurant Accommodations: Ortigia, 4-star hotel

5 Day 8/Thursday, September 29 Early morning tour of Siracusa s archeological park featuring one of the ancient world s most impressive amphitheaters Be stimulated by ancient art and archeological finds in the Museo Orsi Lunch as a group in Ortigia s vibrant open-air marketplace Wine tasting and cantina tour at a spectacular vineyard at the foot of Mount Etna Dinner as group at one of Sicily s most celebrated Chef-inspired restaurants Accommodations: Taormina, 4-star hotel Day 9/Friday, September 30 Leisurely morning with time on your own to explore the cliff-top town of Taormina with its elegant boutiques, enchanting medieval alleyways, and stunning ancient Greek amphitheater After lunch as a group, we ll drive through the lush Nebrodi Mountains and along Sicily s splendid north seacoast (We may meet some friends along the way ) Shop for characteristic ceramics from an artisan in the town of Santo Stefano di Camastra and stop for a late afternoon gelato in Cefalù Dinner as a group at a Slow Food designated restaurant Day 10/Saturday, October 1 Slow morning to enjoy our agriturismo After lunch at a local seaside pizzeria, we ll spend the afternoon with our local guides contemplating the UNESCO-designated Cathedral of Monreale, a wonder of Arab-Norman architecture and craftsmanship Visit with local artisans in Bagheria Dinner as a group at Allison s favorite, local trattoria

6 Day 11/Sunday, October 2 Cafè and conversation with two prominent Palermitani judges who will discuss with us the current state of political affairs in Sicily Lunch as a group at a restaurant on one of Palermo s historic piazzas Walking tour led by our local guide of the Kalsa district where we ll be seduced by Baroque churches and oratorios and the fascinating cultural and ethnic mix that is Palermo Ala carte dinner at a renowned Palermitano focacceria Meals Included for Today: Breakfast and Lunch Day 12/Monday, October 3 Local expert guides lead us through Palermo s open-air markets on an exclusive street food tasting tour Experience the passion and fervor of a local fishing village s feast in celebration of the Madonna del Lume Time to relax and prepare for departure at our agriturismo Final dinner as a group Day 13/Tuesday, October 4 Transfer to Palermo airport Arrivederci Sicily! Meals Included for Today: Breakfast (If time allows) Contact Allison Scola today to reserve your place on this exclusive tour! Experience Sicily Boutique, Small-group Tours & Creative Travel Planning Blog Articles Events Allison Scola Owner/Curator AllisonScola@yahoo.com ExperienceSicily.com

7 Experience Sicily Important Notes to Consider The tour officially begins at check-in on Thursday, September 22 at our family-run inn. The boutique nature of this itinerary means that it is subject to change as we get closer to departure. Our objective is to include activities and events that are tailored to our guests interests. Therefore, in most cases, changes will enhance your experience, as it is our mission to provide you with the most memorable experience in Sicily that we are able. The trip price is for double occupancy and does not include airfare. There is a single supplement of $975. If you wish to share a room with someone, we will try to match you with another single on the trip. Fly into and out of Palermo airport. Flights from the U.S. will depart the night before (on September 21) and arrive the morning or afternoon of September 22. Our first group event will be in the evening of September 22. Please plan accordingly. The dates of this tour coordinate with direct flights on Meridiana airlines from New York JFK to Palermo. Details about our accommodations will be released once you have paid in full. All information will be ed to you approximately 30 days before departure. Tour price includes costs for all excursions, entertainment and ticket prices, tour transportation, and all but 5 meals (consult day to day description for details). Price does not include airfare, travel insurance, or personal purchases and gifts. Coverage of ground transportation to and from airport and accommodations in Sicily will be determined once an inventory of guests arrivals and departures is assessed. The cost of this tour does not include travel insurance; however, it is highly recommended that you purchase a comprehensive plan to cover the costs of your airfare, tour, loss of luggage, and medical expenses. Gratuities are included, however, at the conclusion of the tour, if you are pleased with the hospitality and service of our local driver/guide, additional recognition at your discretion is appreciated. Sicily is a large region that requires a lot of driving. It is also very mountainous and, as a result, has many winding roads. We have designed the itinerary to break up the driving as much as possible, but on some days, long drives will be necessary. If you suffer from motion sickness, please bring motion-sickness medication with you. You must be in good physical health to enjoy this tour. Although we will not be engaging in physically rigorous excursions, there is a significant amount of walking on various surfaces and types of terrain as well as standing for extended periods of time, especially at archeological sites. Please inform us in advance regarding any dietary restrictions, food allergies, and other personal concerns.