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Giardini Naxos
Agrigento
Piazza Armerina
Alcantara
Etna
Siracusa
Lipari Port
Lipari
Islands
Monreale |
Taormina &
Discover Sicily Tour
Starting on Monday
for 7 days/6 nights
Monday
Arrive in in central Taormina and check-in to your hotel.
After hotel check-in
the rest of the day/evening is at your leisure. Explore central Taormina,
visit the Greek Theatre and quaint streets which are lined with small
boutiques and curiosity shops. You can also take a cable ride down to
the resort of Giardini Naxos which lies at the foot of Taormina.
Giardini Naxos has a pretty seafront and opportunities to have a swim or
stroll the around Yacht marina.
During the evening
take a walk into central Taormina and enjoy dinner at a local
restaurant. Sicilian cuisine is renowned to be one of the best in the
Mediterranean region. After dinner find the ideal spot and enjoy the
stunning views as far as Calabria and inland views of Mount Etna....the
scenery is simply breathtaking.
Tuesday
Tour visiting Agrigento - Piazza Armerina
Depart
0630hrs/Return 1930hrs
This tour
will take us through central Sicily and on to the west coast, across the
vast countryside which will enable us to enjoy a great variety of
sceneries. Our first stop includes a visit to Agrigento. Agrigento his
home to the magnificent Valley of the Temples which date back to 6th
century B.C. We will visit
the temples of Juno,
Concordia, Hercules, Olympian Zeus, Castor and Pollux.
These temples
represent the most impressive and beautiful examples of Greek
Civilization in Sicily. After our visit to Valley of the Temples you
will have free time for lunch. Our afternoon tour will continue into the
very heart of Sicily and the typical town of Piazza Armerina. Located a
few minutes from the old town of Piazza Armerina is the Roman Villa of
Casale. This ancient Villa which was part of a larger settlement is
surrounded by beautiful hills and is nestled at the top of a valley,
protected by the rising hills surrounding it. The Villa which dates back
to the 3rd & 4th century A.D. offers 3500 square metres of magnificent
mosaic flooring. Parts of the building have been preserved and restored
and you can get a very good idea of what this magnificent Villa used to
look like. You will have free time to admire the Villa and surroundings
before we return back to our coach. At this stage our tour comes to an
end and we make our way back to Taormina.
Wednesday
Tour visiting Etna - Alcantara
Depart
0700hrs/Return at 1630hrs
We start our tour
with a scenic drive to the slopes of Mount Etna. The enchanting
landscape, fabulous views, pretty villages are delightful as we make our
way into the heart of Etna. We will arrive at the
extraordinary Gole Dell’Alcantara (Alcantara Gorge)
which has some
beautiful rapids and waterfalls. Our next stop is the medieval town town
of Randazzo which is located on the Etna slopes. This town has been
miraculously spared the mountains eruptions over the years. You could
actually call Randazzo the 'black town' as many of the streets in the
old city centre are paved with the dark lava. From Randazzo we will
board the Circumetnea Train. This special old train
circumnavigates
Etna and is a delightful way of exploring the natural beauty as it makes
its way around the foot of the mountain. Our train adventure ends at
Adrano where we rejoin our coach for our tour up the mountain.
The drive up the Mount Etna mountain slopes takes us through the
different landscapes of the mountain. The lower slopes are extremely
fertile with groves of oranges, lemons and other Mediterranean flora and
of course vines which produce Sicily's best wines. We go through forests
of chestnut trees which gradually give way to oak, beech, birch and
pine. We
will drive across fascinating land scenes including the old lava fields
and volcanic trails, admire the stunning views and
superb panorama of the Ionic
Sea.
Our tour will
reach a peak of 1900 metres above sea level when we reach 'Etna Refuge'.
You will have free time to explore the area and for lunch during our
stop here before returning back to Taormina.
Thursday
Tour visiting Siracusa
Depart 0730hrs/Return 1800hrs
Today our tour will visit
Siracusa which
is located in the south-east corner of the island. It was
once the most powerful Greek
colony in Sicily, founded by the Corinhtian Greeks in 734B.C. and was a
very powerful city-state and the biggest rival to Athens!
Upon arrival, we
will visit of the archaeological area which includes the marvellous
Greek Theatre, the Ear of Dionisios (type of large cave), a Roman
Amphitheatre, Latomie (stone-quarries) and many other ancient monuments.
In the afternoon we proceed to the old part of the city and the small
ancient island of Ortiyga. There are many historical landmarks in
Ortiyga and we include stops at the cathedral and also the Arethusa's
fountain. During your free time you can visit the port area and enjoy a
local lunch in one the local restaurants or trattorias. Our tour will
return back to Taormina via the eastern route which passes Catania.
Friday
Lipari & Vulcano
Depart 0700hrs/Return 1900hrs
We depart Taormina
heading north towards the coastal town of Milazzo. Here will board our
private boat for the start of our very interesting cruise tour to the
Aeolian Islands of Lipari and Vulcano. Our first visit is to Lipari,
named after the mythical king 'Lipara'. On arrival you will have free
time to visit the old city centre and port area. We return to our boat
and continue along the coast. This is the ideal way to explore this
island many coastal attractions including the 'Forgia Vechia', bed of
obsidian. The unique colours of the sea bed and White Sandy beaches are
beautiful. Our tour escort will point other interesting sites en route
including the
Faraglioni, Papa Giovanni's rock and the Grotta degli Angeli. We arrive
early afternoon to the island of Vulcano. The island has five vulcanos -
Punta Luccia, Serri di Lentia, Piano, Gran Cratere and Vulcanello.
During our visit of Vulcano you will have fee time for exploring and
lunch. During your visit you may also want to bathe in the warm
sulphurous muddy sea (not advisable for children under the age of 13,
pregnant women and for those suffering from asthma), particularly good
for suffers of rheumatic pains. On your return to the boat we settle
down for the final part of this fascinating island tour which continues
along the coast of Vulcano, visiting the Grotto del Cavello and Piscena
di Venere before returning back to the Sicilian coastal town of Milazzo.
Saturday
Palermo, Monreale & Cefalu
Depart 0600hrs/Return 1900hrs
This tour will cross from the eastern coast to the north/north west of
the island. We head towards the thriving city of Palermo, however before
exploring the city centre we visit Monreale. A visit to
Monreale Duomo, which
was built in 1174 by William II and is decorated on the inside with
beautiful mosaics and 24-carat gold! After our visit to this amazing
cathedral and cloister we will then make our way into the city centre of
Palermo. You will discover
the most important
Arab-Norman monuments, view popular sites such as
Piazza Pretoria,
Santa Caterina and San Giuseppe dei Teatini .... all important landmarks
in Palermo. At the very heart of the city is the the "Quattro Canti",
the four corners, a quartet of baroque palaces reminiscent of the
Spanish rule dating back to 1560. Free time for lunch before departing
for Cefalu. This charming coastal town is located on the northern coast
of Sicily, half way between the eastern tip of Messina and to the west
of Sicily, Trapani.
During our stop here you can visit the Norman Cathedral, which is rich
of Byzantine mosaics. After you may want to wander around the narrow
streets, quaint alleys which are filled with small shops or just enjoy
the scenery and the beach area. We depart for Taormina late afternoon.
Sunday
Breakfast at hotel and check-out.
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Prices & Availability
This tour is available from April to October. Prices are person,
based on 2 adults sharing.
€814.00 staying in a 3* Hotel
Supplements
(per person)
€42.00 for stays during August
€247.00 for upgrade to a 4* hotel
What is Included
• 7 day tour & hotel package
• 6 hotel nights on bed & breakfast
• Coach Transport
• Tour Leader (English, German &
• Italian Languages)
• Local Guide at historical sites
Not Included
• Entrance fees (paid locally)
• Lunch during tours
• Arrival & Departure transfers
Other Optional Extras
Arrival & Departure Transfers
Pre and Post Tour Accommodation
Single Travellers/Supplements
Contact us for a price including single traveller/occupancy supplement,
click here..>
How to Book/Make
an Enquiry..>
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