A Sicilian Odyssey

ARRIVE CATANIA & ON TO SIRACUSA

Siracusa, Italy

A transfer is included from Catania – Fontanarossa Airport to the Grand Hotel Ortigia, a century-old landmark hotel ideally located in the historic heart of Siracusa on the island of Ortigia. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel tonight.

Dinner

Grand Hotel Ortigia

MYTHICAL SIRACUSA

Siracusa, Italy

Walk in the footsteps of ancient Greek explorers who settled on this historic island in 734 BC, building a city of archaeological splendors, economic prosperity and political power that rivaled Athens as the most important city in the world until it fell to the Romans in 212 BC. Your locally guided walking tour today reveals some of its treasured Greek and Roman sites as you explore Neapolis Archaeological Park, including the 16,000-seat Greek Theatre (Teatro Greco), the Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio de Dioniso), and the 3rd-century Roman amphitheatre.

Ortigia, Italy

Back in Ortigia, visit the Theatre of Apollo, the Baroque Duomo and, schedule permitting, view the Caravaggio painting, The Burial of Saint Lucia, in the Basilica Santa Lucia al Sepolcro.

Lunch today is a noble affair when you dine at the family palazzo of the Barone Pietro di Beneventano, and taste wines from the family vineyard. Free time this afternoon offers you an opportunity to see more of the city or walk back to the hotel with your Tauck Director, where the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch

Grand Hotel Ortigia

BAROQUE GEMS OF NOTO & MODICA

Noto, Italy

Drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Noto this morning where a walking tour along the elegant Corso Vittorio Emmanuele promenade showcases the city’s Baroque buildings, golden-hued palazzi and churches among them, rebuilt after a devastating 17th-century earthquake. View from the outside the Basilica di San Salvatore and the Duomo di Noto as well as the ornate Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, before exploring on your own.

Ragusa, Italy

A tour of a local herb farm later this afternoon introduces you to the freshly picked aromatic spices that add true regional flavor to today’s family-style tasting lunch. Dinner this evening is at the hotel.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Eremo della Giubiliana

LOCAL FLAVORS OF RAGUSA

Ragusa, Italy

This morning, drive to Ragusa Ibla for a guided walking tour of its ancient labyrinthine lanes and a behind-the-scenes look at the private garden in an inside courtyard, century-old Circolo del Conversazione (Gentlemen’s Club) and intimate Il Piccolo theatre of the Arezzo family, who have lived in their 19th-century palazzo here for more than 200 years. Join us for a special dinner this evening in the hotel's wine cellars.

Breakfast, Dinner

Eremo della Giubiliana

MOSAIC MAGIC AT A ROMAN VILLA

Agrigento, Italy

The nearby town of Piazza Armerina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been called an “art city” woven into the fabric of Sicily for good reason. The mosaics you will see here are considered among the most beautiful and best preserved of their kind anywhere in the world.

Your artful discoveries begin when you step inside the Roman Villa del Casale, dating back to 320 to 350 BC when it was built for a Roman official back in the day. Look down at the floors as you tour the villa; the mosaics, both figurative and geometric, cover the surfaces measuring some 37,674 square feet, telling eloquent tales of Homeric poems and myths, nature and scenes from aristocratic life. You will also discover mosaic murals on the walls and columns, and statues and coins that pay further homage to the glory days of the Roman Empire.

Drive back to your resort after lunch for an afternoon at leisure and join us for a private pizza party tonight!

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Hotel Villa Athena

TEMPLES OF AGRIGENTO AND ON TO PALERMO

Agrigento, Italy

Drive to Agrigento today for a guided visit of its archaeological treasures at the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built on a hillside facing the sea with a history that dates back to 581 BC. Your exploration starts at the top of the Valley with a visit up a steep hill to see the Temple of Juno up close. From there it is a downhill walk along cobblestone roads to see columned temples and tombs impressively built and remarkably awe-inspiring today.

Palermo, Italy

After lunch, drive to your Palermo hotel for a two-night stay and enjoy dinner at leisure.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Grand Hotel Villa Igiea Palermo MGallery by Sofite

LIFE IN PALERMO, PAST AND PRESENT

Palermo, Italy

Start your day with a guided visit to the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the kings of Sicily during the reign of the Normans and the main seat of power for Sicilian rulers for centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Palatine Chapel in the heart of the palace, the palazzo dates back to the 9th century and boasts multicultural touches that were added later. These include the spectacular mosaics of precious stones, many glittering in gold, you will see in the royal apartments and chapel, which also features inlaid carved marble floors and a painted wooden ceiling.

A walking tour of historic Palermo is followed by lunch and a guided visit to Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and the setting where the final scenes of the movie, Godfather Part III, were filmed. After free time this afternoon, join the son of a baroness for an exclusive private dinner and tour of his family’s art collection in their historic city-center villa, designed by Ernesto Basile, the architect of Teatro Massimo.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Grand Hotel Villa Igiea Palermo MGallery by Sofite

A CATHEDRAL, MOUNTAIN VISTAS AND TAORMINA

Cefalu, Italy

Journey to Cefalù for a guided tour of its Norman cathedral, considered one of the jewels in Sicily’s Norman-Arab crown that includes the magnificent cathedral of Monreale and Palermo’s Palatine Chapel. View its soaring twin pyramid towers outside and elaborate Byzantine mosaics inside before driving into the Madonie Mountains.

Taormina, Italy

Then, it’s on to Taormina this afternoon on a scenic drive that offers picturesque views of the Aeolian Islands dotting the seascapes. Arrive at your hotel late afternoon and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Breakfast

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo

TAORMINA & AN OPTIONAL ADVENTURE TO MT. ETNA

Taormina, Italy

A guided walking tour of Taormina this morning takes you up hilly lanes to the Teatro Greco built in 3 BC by the Greeks and remodeled by the Romans. The views from here are worth the climb! Enjoy time to explore the sights on your own for the remainder of the day.

If you wish to experience an active adventure today, join us for a 4x4 Range Rover adventure up Mount Etna for a hike on its moon-like lava surfaces, followed by lunch and a tasting at a family-owned winery. Join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight at the hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner

Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo

HOMEWARD BOUND

Taormina, Italy

Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo to Catania – Fontanarossa Airport (a 45-60 minute drive). Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

Breakfast

• ALL guests must carefully verify the existing identification requirements for their particular travel situation DIRECTLY WITH THEIR LOCAL CONSULATES OR EMBASSIES or with a visa service, as these requirements may change. Guests without proper documentation may be denied entry and will not be entitled to a refund

• 60 days or more before departure: $350.00 per person
• 59-8 days before departure: $600.00 per person
• 7-1 days before departure: $900.00 per person
• On departure day and later: 100% of total price
• Any changes or cancellations to airline reservations made through Tauck either before or after departure are subject to the cancellation / change policies of the individual airlines. In n some instances these cancellation / change fees may be up to 100% of the ticket price.
• Cancellation fees may also apply to any additional services, including extra night accommodations, independently supplied services, and optional excursions reserved prior to, during, and after the tour. If flight changes, including, but not limited to, flight cancellations or name changes, are requested after full land and air deposits are received, revision fees, change fees, or airline cancellation fees will apply.
• All cancellations must be received in writing prior to tour departure. The cancellation policy will apply according to the date that the cancellation notification is received. The MINIMUM cancellation penalty is the deposit amount.
• The purchase to trip cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.

• Land only “from price” is per person based on two people sharing a room together and does not include airfare unless expressly stated.
• All prices are in US Dollars.
• A $350 non-refundable, non-transferable, per-person, per-vacation deposit is required to reserve space for you. Payment of the deposit indicates you have read and accepted all Terms & Conditions. Your booking is not confirmed until the deposit payment is processed and you receive a confirmation invoice.
• Final payment is due 75 days prior to departure. Within the final payment date, payment in full is required at time of booking to reserve space. Reservations (land, cruise, and air) are canceled if final payment is not received by the due date.
• Additional deposits or payments are required for international air added to the start and/or end of your vacation.