Tour of Sicily: History, Traditions and Gastronomy

Departure is an exciting time for many travellers. It marks the beginning of an adventure. Today you will start to be part of a community, which will give you a rewarding travel experience. You will have the opportunity to turn a simple trip into an opportunity for personal growth, cultural enrichment, Globest welcomes you in Sicily. On your arrival at the airport of Catania you will be welcomed by your Guide who will guide you to discover this wonderful land. You will reach your hotel by bus where you will take possession of the room and around 19h00, next to a good Sicilian Cocktail, together with all participants your guide will present you the Community and the most important stages of the Experience that awaits you. Dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at your hotel, you will leave for the excursion to Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. You will reach an altitude of 1,900 meters where you can admire an interesting landscape and visit the extinct craters of Mount Silvestri. It is possible to make the optional ascent at 3000 meters: to reach 2600 meters with the cable car and from there with off-road vehicles 4X4 altitude 3000 meters. You can feel the breath of the volcano, between lunar landscapes and breathtaking views. An adventure that will light your soul and stay in your heart.
The realization of the 4×4 excursion is subject to weather and volcanic conditions. (see optional activities)
After many emotions broken for lunch in a refined Pastry Restaurant that will welcome you with a Sicilian Buffet. An explosion of flavors, colors and traditions: Sicily on the plate!
In the afternoon, departure for Taormina, a flowery balcony suspended between the sky and the Ionian Sea.
Free time to walk along the most elegant pedestrian street and rich in monuments of Sicily. Return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel you will leave for Piazza Armerina to visit the Roman Villa del Casale, a treasure of history. The splendid villa is imposing with its 3500 square meters of polychrome mosaics of the III and IV sec. BC. to tell you millennial stories. An exciting journey between art, living history and authentic Sicilian beauty. You will have lunch in the vibrant heart of Piazza Armerina, where the crisp air brings with it aromas of history and joy. You will be delighted by a pizza tour that is not just a meal, it is a real feast for the senses, an immersion in the most authentic Sicilian hospitality. In the afternoon you will leave for Agrigento to visit the Valley of the Temples, an experience that goes beyond a simple visit, but it is an immersion in a heritage that still resonates today and whispers thousand-year-old stories. Among imposing columns and endless skies, you will be enchanted and inspired. Continuation to your hotel for dinner.
Under the moon, ancient temples light up, telling thousand-year-old stories. After dinner by your bus in the night silence you will leave so as not to miss the view of the illuminated valley surrounded by history and magic. An unforgettable experience, where the past meets the stars. Return to the hotel for the overnight stay.

After breakfast at the hotel you will cross a coastal road that runs along windmills and tiny archipelagos from Trapani to Marsala. The visit is a unique and different spectacle, every time of the year. Here lies a treasure of history and flavours. You will live an unique sensorial experience: a visit to an ancient cellar, where the immense barrels, guarded by silence and darkness, contain the soul of a wine just waiting to tell its story. You will be guided through the flavors and aromas that have made our Marsala famous throughout the world, savoring every sip like a journey. It’s not just a tasting, it’s an emotion. You will continue with a visit to the Salt Museum,  where in a mill of 1700, in a dance between salt and light, you will discover one of the oldest arts in history, the production of salt.  You will continue to Erice, where between ancient walls and perfume of history, you will taste a lunch based on Trapani busiate, a pure poetry. Each fork will be a journey of authentic flavors, enveloping and unforgettable, that nourishes the soul and stays in the heart, in a magical atmosphere. In the afternoon visit of Erice, small town on top of Mont Saint Julien, in a splendid panoramic position in silence among the clouds. Its historic center is typically medieval, made of small squares, narrow and winding streets in which appear beautiful flowered courtyards. You will find a village animated by shops of typical handicrafts: the finely plated ceramics, the colorful carpets, hand-woven, the traditional sweets based on almond and candied fruit. At the end of the visit we will take the road to Palermo, to reach your hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast in the hotel you will leave towards Monreale to visit its famous cathedral with 6800m2 of gold mosaics executed by Byzantine artists, jewels of the Arab-Norman world. You will continue the tour with the discovery of the capital of Sicily, the cosmopolitan city since the dawn of time. Guided walk through the Cape Market, where you will be enveloped by scents of spices, colors and authentic flavors. A pure emotion, which will enchant and remain in your heart. From there you will continue in the historic center of Palermo, each alley whispers thousand-year stories. You will feel the vibrant beat of interwoven cultures: Norman opulence, Arab vivacity, baroque elegance: with the churches of Martorana, San Cataldo, the cathedral… And then at the table! Lunch street food to taste the typical specialties of Palermo: a pure passion: crunchy arancine, fragranti panelle… An explosion of authentic flavors that will enchant your soul. Free time in the city.
(Optional activities to “Zisa Catacombs” and “Porta Felice”)
Return to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast at the hotel, you will leave for the village of Castelbuono, a village in the heart of the Madonie. You will visit the city and taste local sweets. You will have lunch in a farmhouse, you will be enveloped by the authentic scents of the most genuine Sicilian cuisine: freshly baked bread, vegetables picked from the garden, cheeses with an intense flavor and homemade pasta, prepared with love and wisdom handed down. Each course is a hymn to the earth, a story told through true and unforgettable flavors. In the afternoon, continue to Cefalù, an enchanted village where time stands still. Between the intense blue of the sea and the majestic Rocca, the Norman Cathedral will tell you eternal stories. Picturesque alleys, golden beaches and breathtaking sunsets: a dream that will leave you with an unforgettable memory. Free time, continuation to Catania. Arrival and accommodation in hotel for dinner and overnight

After breakfast at the hotel you will leave for Syracuse, home of Archimedes and eternal rival of Athens. You will visit the island of Ortigia, the cradle of the Greek myth of Arethuse and the physical and spiritual heart of the city. In the ancient city, the medieval architecture is sometimes hidden under the dazzling Sicilian baroque facades. Here in your free time you can take an optional activity, a boat trip. Imagine sliding on the crystal clear waters that embrace Ortigia, the ancient heart of Syracuse,  is not only an excursion, it is an emotion that will envelop you, a perspective that reveals the secret beauty of this magical island, you will admire the baroque palaces that are reflected on the water, the ancient walls that tell stories of centuries, the picturesque alleys that seem to plunge into the sea and the sea caves, where the sunlight creates unforgettable color games… You will have lunch in a typical Trattoria , a lunch based on fresh fish, a journey in the flavors of the sea. You will feel the smell of salt, taste excellence and live a pure emotion.
In the afternoon guided tour of the archaeological area of Neapolis where are hidden treasures of the Greco-Roman era: the Greek theater, the Roman amphitheatre, the latomies of Paradise (ancient stone caves) and the ear of Dionysius. Return to the hotel, free time or for those who still wish to visit Optional Excursion to the center of Catania, here the baroque soul is revealed. Between lava basalt and lively markets, every square and alley tells stories of fire and rebirth. An exploration that will ignite your senses, leaving a deep and unforgettable emotion. Dinner and overnight in hotel.

On this day of return, nostalgia for the places visited and enthusiasm for returning home mix. We will accompany you to the airport to help you with boarding logistics. Today a chapter is closed and a new one opens, we will say goodbye, but you are part of our Community, you will carry with you the promise of new future adventures even more extraordinary.  As you wait for your flight, reflect on the extraordinary experiences of your journey: from delicious dishes to natural wonders along the way. You will be prepared to face the daily routine with new energy. Have a good trip home.