Unconventional Sicily
Starting at € 4.187,50 per person
9 Days, Private Journey: Unconventional Sicily
Visit Palermo, Corleone, Agrigento, Favara, Piazza Armerina, Enna, Calascibetta and Madonie villages
On a privately guided trip experience Sicily island life the way it was 100 years ago. Start with a couple of days in the amazing Palermo and then head to Sicily inland to explore places and landscapes unknown to most. Visit Enna, the highest provincial capital in Italy, discover lovely hilltop towns Calascibetta, admire breathtaking castles and enjoy pristine bucolic landscapes and fertile fields in the Parco Regionale delle Madonie mountains and Sikanian hills (so called for the Sikanians, the most ancient of the indigenous peoples of Sicily). Admire one of the most Italian notable archaeological sites, the Villa Romana del Casale at Piazza Armerina, visit a prestigious local winery and a cooking class in a lovely masseria.
Itinerary at a Glance
- DAY 1 ARRIVAL PALERMO, ITALY
- DAY 2 GUIDED TOUR OF PALERMO AND MONREALE
- DAY 3 CORLEONE, THE ANTI-MAFIA MUSEUM AND THE ANDROMEDA THEATER
- DAY 4 VISIT THE VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES AND THE FARM CULTURAL PARK IN FAVARA
- DAY 5 MEET A LOCAL BAKER AND ADMIRE THE ASTONISHING MOSAICS OF PIAZZA ARMERINA
- DAY 6 EXPLORE ENNA AND CALASCIBETTA
- DAY 7 TASTING AND LUNCH IN A PRESTIGIOUS LOCAL WINERY
- DAY 8 COOKING CLASS AT YOUR MASSERIA
- DAY 9 TOUR OF THE MADONIE VILLAGES
- DAY 10 DEPART PALERMO
INCLUDED WITH EVERY LUXURY TAILOR MADE JOURNEY
- Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
- Full Breakfast Daily Included
- Multilingual Local Guide
- Hand-Selected Luxury Accommodations
- 24/7 On-Call Support
The starting price is for a minimum of two travelers staying in shared 4-star or Luxury B&B accommodations. Please inquire for a custom trip quote based on your travel preferences and travel dates. Supplements may apply over holiday periods, festivals and special events. International air not included.
Unconventional Sicily | FULL ITINERARY
1
Arrival at Palermo International airport and private transfer to your accommodation. Rest of the day at your leisure for resting and relaxing.
2
This morning enjoy a private guided tour of the amazing historical city center of Palermo and discover some of its great beauties as the Palace of the Normans which houses the superb Capella Palatina, a gorgeous, gleaming example of some of the world’s most beautiful Byzantine mosaics, the Cathedral with its Norman tombs and the jewel-encrusted crown of Catherine of Aragon, the red-domed San Giovanni degli Eremiti building and the Teatro Massimo. Lunch at your leisure. After lunch your private driver will take you to Monreale to discover its world-renowned cathedral, a dazzling mixture of Arab, Byzantine and Norman artistic styles framed by traditional Romanesque architecture. Return to Palermo, dinner and overnight stay.
3
Following breakfast and check out your private driver will take you to Corleone known for being the set of the “The Godfather” movie and the hometown of the Mafia. Accompanied by your private guide explore the historic center of Corleone and visit the Anti-mafia Museum that recounts the terrifying history of Sicily’s Cosa Nostra crime syndicate, focusing on the brave efforts of the anti-Mafia campaigners and judges who spoke out against organised crime rather than succumbing to the Mafia-promoted culture of omertà (silence). Lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch continue to the Teatro Andromeda in Santo Stefano Quisquina. Lorenzo Reina, a sculptor and farmer, spent 30 years creating the Teatro di Andromeda as an amalgamation of his two great passions: art and nature. At the end of the visit your driver will take you to your accommodation in Agrigento.
4
This morning enjoy a guided of the Valley of the Temples. a superb archaeological park, that consists of eight temples (and their remains) built somewhere around 540 BC by the ancient Greeks, and reconstructed and restored in the 18th and 19th centuries. After lunch take the chance to visit the Favara Farm Cultural Park. In 2010, married couple Andrea Bartoli and Favara-born Florinda Saieva bought several abandoned buildings in the town’s dilapidated heart and set up this unique neighbourhood devoted to art. Since then, the Farm has become a centre for exhibitions by international and local artists, housing a gallery of thought-provoking, often politically charged, artwork, along with shops, bars and cafes, cultural events, talks, screenings, workshops and shows going on throughout the year. Return to Agrigento and overnight stay.
5
Following breakfast and check out your driver will take you to the tiny village of Santa Rita. Visit the Forno Santa Rita bakery opened by Maurizio Spinello who took the bold decision to stay — unlike many friends who migrated to larger towns. Spinello has begun to sell his artisanal pastas around the world made with organic flour milled from ancient wheat varieties grown by a local female farmer. Enjoy lunch at the bakery and next continue to Piazza Armerina where you will enjoy a guided visit of the Villa Romana del Casale, a Unesco World Heritage Site due to its containing the most complex and large collection of Roman mosaics in the world – there are 3535 square metres of them. Overnight in Piazza Armerina
6
Today you will explore places and landscapes unknown to most. First the discovery the delightful medieval center of Enna and its marvelous views over the surrounding hills that can be enjoyed from the top of its 900 meters. Walking through the streets of downtown you can admire beautiful churches, charming squares and private buildings that make the historic center so characteristic and valuable. The tour includes the visit to the castle “Castello di Lombardia” with its wonderful view over the valley. Lunch in a local trattoria. Next destination is Calascibetta, where we visit the wonderful Cathedral of Norman origin. In the area named Malpasso, we visit the Realmese Necropolis and the Canalotto area, a late-antique, rocky village. Return to Piazza Armerina and overnight stay.
7
Following breakfast and check out your driver will take you to one of the most prestigious Sicilian wineries. Here you will be immersed in a dramatic, mountainous landscape. In the distance the sheep are grazing quietly and olive and almond trees mix beautifully with the vines. Visit of the winery and tasting of their best award winning wines during lunch. Next continue to an amazing masseria where you will be spending the following 3 nights.
8
Today you will be relaxing at your lovely masseria. You can take a relaxing massage, spend some time by the pool and even enjoy one of the amazing cooking classes held at the Masseria: from biscuits and tarts to fresh pasta, bread and pizza.
9
Today is dedicated to the visit of some of the loveliest villages of the Madonie Park Petralia Soprana, Gangi and Castelbuono. The labyrinthine streets of their mediaeval centres lead to beautiful churches, picturesque piazzas, impregnable castles and awe-inspiring viewpoints. Your tour also includes the visit to a local patry shop with tasting of delicious specialties. Return to your masseria and overnight stay.
10
Following breakfast and check out private transfer to Palermo International airport to take your flight back home.
