Departure from the US for overnight flight to Palermo. We’ll be flying into Palermo and returning from Catania. Airfare is not included but Celestial Voyagers can help you get the best airfare and schedule.
Meals: D | Hotel Plaza Opera 4*
Arrival in Palermo. English-speaking assistance and group transfer on arrival is included. If you will be arriving on a different flight, private transfer to your hotel in Palermo is available at an additional cost.
Check-in at HOTEL Plaza Opera for 3 nights.
After lunch on your own, meet your travel companions for an introductory tour of Palermo. In the evening, get a taste of Sicily at a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, then relax and get a good night’s sleep.
Meals: B, D | Hotel Plaza Opera 4*
In the morning, we drive to nearby Monreale where Arab-Norman art and architecture reached their pinnacle of glory. We will have a guided tour of its cathedral, begun in 1174 by William II, and see its famed dome covered with golden mosaics. Next, we meet the owner of a venerable bread bakery and sample the famed Pane nero di Monreale, crusty brown bread topped with sesame seeds, a legacy of Arab influence. Produced by artisan bakers by traditional methods, this bread has been designated a “traditional agri-food product of Italy”.
Return to Palermo for lunch on your own but be sure to leave room for dessert! After lunch with the group at a local spot, explore Palermo on a guided walking tour including the Cathedral, Piazza della Vergogna, Quattro Canti, the Politeama Theatre and the Massimo Theatre.
Free time to discover the city followed by dinner at our hotel.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Plaza Opera 4*
In the morning, we explore the lively Capo Market, a large open-air street market that captures the colors, aromas, and flavors of Palermo’s Saracen Arab past. This hodge-podge of general confusion amidst a jumble of vendor stalls winds toward the old gate (Porta Carini) of what used to be the city wall. You will learn about seasonal products at the market and meet some of the vendors. Taste typical Palermitan Street Food like arancini (crispy-fried stuffed rice balls), panelle (chickpea flour fritters), potato crocchette and Sicilian beers.
In the afternoon, we will participate in a traditional Sicilian Pastry Class at the Mama Corleone cooking lab. We will taste various local specialties like Frutta Martorana, exquisite marzipan sweets that perfectly reproduce vegetables and fruits artfully arranged in wicker baskets or wooden boxes. The most traditional of Sicilian sweets, Cannoli were originally prepared only during Carnival. We will learn how to make the justly-famous Sicilian Cassata Cake made from fresh ricotta studded with candied citrus fruits, layered with cake soaked in citrus liqueur, and chocolate or marzipan icing.
Free evening for dinner or a snack and a glass of “vino” on your own.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Carmine Marsala 3* (historic hotel)
After breakfast, check out and depart to Trapani on Sicily’s far western coast, about 1½ hours. We’ll have a private tour of Trapani followed by a cooking demonstration of Sicilian-style couscous, a legacy of its Arab inhabitants, today found in Sicily only in Trapani, which is close to the North African coastline where it is the national dish of Algeria and Morocco. Enjoy the couscous for lunch accompanied by local Trapani wine.
After lunch, we continue to the Marsala salt pans with its windmill, a charming place, where the “culture of salt” has shaped the territory in the wake of a tradition passed down through generations.
In the early evening, relax and take part in the rite of Italian Aperitivo served with olives and “bruschetta” facing the Salt Pans. Then proceed to our hotel in the Marsala city center.
Dinner, if you’re still hungry (!) is on your own in Marsala.
Meals: B, L, D | Agriturismo Feudo Muxarello (farm-inn)
After lunch, visit Marsala, the charming city that gave birth to the world-famous fortified wine. Here, civilizations following one another over the centuries left important architectural remains, including the Thermal Baths dating from Roman times. The historic center of the city, whose main monument is the cathedral dedicated to St. Thomas of Canterbury, was founded by the Normans.
After a tour of the fascinating baglio (Arab-style inner courtyard) and the modern underground barrique room, we’ll have a professional tasting at the historical wine cellars of Cantine Florio in Marsala accompanied by small tasting plates
We’ll stay two nights at Agriturismo Feudo Muxarello. With its extensive plantings of herbs, vegetables, fruits and olives, we will have the chance to experience the exquisite quality of locally-grown, seasonal, fresh-picked produce on a Sicilian farm.
Lunch on arrival at our Agriturismo prepared from the products of the farm.
Following lunch, have a demonstration on the making of fresh ricotta cheese with a tasting and learn how it is used in iconic Sicilian desserts like cannoli, and cassata.
During this trip, we’ll be sure to have the iconic Sicilian pasta dish, Pasta alla Norma created in Catania, Sicily and named for the Bellini opera Norma. The original recipe is made with large macaroni, tomato, fried or grilled eggplants, grated ricotta salata, and basil.
Meals: B, D Agriturismo Feudo Muxarello (farm-inn)
We depart to Agrigento where we will meet our guide to visit the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, the fascination of ancient history is enhanced by the beauty of its location with the sea on one side, the old city-hill on the other, and the majestic Doric style temples built from tufo (soft volcanic stone) in the center.
The Temple of Concordia is the most well-preserved of the temples because it was transformed into a church. The Temple of Juno still boasts 25 of its original 34 columns. The Temple of the Dioscuri is the most symbolic, while the Temple of Hercules is the oldest. Together with the Temple of Zeus, these five giants dominate the Valley of the Temples.
Free time at the site, lunch on your own and return to our agriturismo to explore the extensive grounds of the farm or its surroundings. Dinner at the farm.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Ferro 4*, Modica
After breakfast early in the morning, we depart for Scicli, a 50-mile drive through spectacular scenery. We begin a wonderful day with a walking tour of the elegant historic center of Scicli set in a large valley between rocky hills where three valleys come together.
We proceed to Modica, about a 20-mile drive, and enjoy lunch on our own.
We proceed to Gli Aromi, a farm that specializes in growing fragrant culinary herbs where we will tour their fields and then taste their products at lunch at the farm.
We’ll stop in Noto, with its famous cathedral, designated the UNESCO European Capital of Baroque as seen on the Corso Vittorio Emanuele with its fabulous mansions.
In the afternoon we see a demonstration and tasting of traditional chocolate In Modica, stone-ground as was done in Mexico and brought directly to Sicily by the Spanish in the 16th century.
Our overnight stay is at the centrally located Hotel Ferro in the heart of baroque Modica.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Villa Fiorita 3*, Taormina
After breakfast, we depart for Syracuse and visit the important sites of this town that dates back to the ancient Greeks.
On to Ortigia, about 30 minutes away, for a private cooking class beginning for lunch using seasonal products of the region. Possibilities include ravioli with pesto made from deep-green Bronte pistachios for “primo.” The “secondo” could be scabbard fish rolls with crab or eggplant meatballs with basil and a salad of oranges and fennel. For “dolce” perhaps cassata siracusana or ricotta ravioli fried with honey and cinnamon.
After lunch, we will have free time to stroll through the town with its artisan shops and walkable streets.
We travel on to Taormina on Sicily’s east coast and check into our hotel for our last two nights.
In the evening, wander the narrow medieval lanes of Taormina and then choose a restaurant for dinner on your own. Perhaps you will order delicate, ultra-fresh anchovies fried or grilled, a dish enjoyed throughout Sicily.
Meals: B, L | Hotel Villa Fiorita 3*, Taormina
After breakfast at your hotel, we depart to Mount Etna. In Nicolosi, we take a cable car ride over the slopes of the volcano. Mount Etna is best seen early in the day. Visit a local bee-keeping company with a tasting of their honey and other local products.
We’ll enjoy a Gala Farewell lunch at Gambino Wine Cellars on the slopes of Mt. Etna.
After lunch, we met our local guide for a walking tour back in Taormina through the Corso Umberto to see the Greek Theater overlooking Mount Etna and the Bay of Giardini Naxos. We’ll have a tasting of granita, known in Philly as “water ice”. Typical flavors include Sicilian lemon, mandarin orange, jasmine, coffee, almond, mint, black mulberries and even wild strawberries. Granita is always accompanied by brioche, the light-rich yeast pastry familiar from French cuisine and likely of Norman origin.
Dinner or an aperitivo and snack is on your own.
Meals: B
After breakfast, drive to Catania Airport for flights home (or extend your stay in Sicily–we can help).
PROPOSED HOTELS
Your safety and comfort are our top priorities and final confirmation of hotels will depend on a careful selection related to the appropriate health regulations.
This itinerary is subject to possible changes or adjustments due to weather and traffic conditions or other unpredictable events. We will make every effort to ensure that any substitutions are of equal value and interest.
This trip is offered by Aliza Green Culinary & Cultural Tours www.alizagreen.com
Reservations are made through Celestial Voyagers
Price $6195 per person, sharing a double room
Single supplement + $885
| This trip is a land only program. You can book your airline ticket prior to travel. Celestial Voyagers is an IATA licensed tour operator. We will be able to advise the best schedule, the best routing and best value for your ticket. Your round trip ticket leaving from the USA will be issued to arrive in Palermo and return from Catania, Sicily. Please contact us before booking your flights. Should you choose to purchase your airline ticket on your own, please provide us with a copy of your schedule. You may have to book additional private transfers between the airport and your hotel. |
DEPOSIT:
A deposit of $600 is due at time of your reservation. This secures your place and helps us to determine the size of the group.
Your deposit is fully refundable until Friday, March 4 , 2022
After March 4, your deposit is sent to the local suppliers to confirm the tour services such as transportation, hotels, restaurants and activities.
BALANCE DUE:
Due to the changing nature of the Covid situation, your balance is now due no later than Friday March 18, 2022, instead of the customary 60 days. At that time, required payments will be sent to the suppliers and any refunds will depend on their willingness to return the money or give a credit for future use.
In case of cancellation due to Covid after Friday, March 18, 2022 we will negotiate with our suppliers to protect your payment. In the past, we have been able to get a full or partial refund and/or a full or partial credit for future travel. Although we will do our best, unfortunately, we cannot guarantee results.
Keep in mind that such refunds are to be considered in case the tour is cancelled due to Covid situation and you cannot be covered by travel insurance. In case of individual cancellation, because of personal issues, refunds will be processed by travel insurance, which you are required to purchase.
After March 18, 2022, suppliers in Sicily will be paid in full and refunds to participants will be subject to whatever refund or credit will be available from the suppliers.
A cancellation can always be replaced with a new participant and name change fees will be waived.
We highly recommend that you protect yourself with trip cancellation insurance including medical coverage.
All changes and cancellations must be provided in writing via email or postal service.
We advise all travelers to purchase travel insurance in case of any unforeseen circumstances and if you are no longer able to travel. We offer the following insurance policies through Allianz Travel Insurance: Basic, Classic, and Classic with cancel anytime. Prices vary with age and amount insured.
Click on the link below for more details:
https://celestialvoyagers.com/leisure/leisure-insurance-passports-visas/
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Most countries require that a passport be valid for six months beyond the completion of a trip. If your passport expires before November 3, 2022, you must apply to renew your passport. If you are not a US citizen please check with the consulate of Spain or a visa agency for the latest requirements. You will also need a re-entry permit to return to the USA
Aliza Green is a renowned chef, an award-winning author of 15 cookbooks, and a certified tour director who is experienced in planning and leading international culinary tours. She loves to share her deep culinary knowledge, her fascinating stories, and kitchen tips and tricks gained from her extensive experience in the kitchen.