A Sicilian Odyssey

- From $7,490.00 USD

View Itinerary

Discover Sicily’s myriad cultures through the ages on authentic behind-the-scenes experiences.

 

 

 

  • Be our guest for a private lunch at a Baron’s palazzo in Siracusa, dating back to the Middle Ages and enticing today with a tasting of his family wines.
  • Feel like part of the family when you visit the intimate theatre and “gentlemen’s club” of the noble Arezzo family who welcome you to their 19th-century palazzo.
  • Experience an authentic taste of la dolce vita during lunch at a famous wine resort.Walk back in time to the days of the Greeks and Romans when you explore Neapolis.
  • Archaeological Park in Siracusa where remarkable sites date to the 3rd century BC.
  • Enjoy an exclusive evening at a private historic villa in Palermo, where the Baronessa’s son will welcome you with a tour of the villa and the family’s art collection, before dinner.
     

 

2023 PRICE PER PERSON (price subject to change)
JUNE 2, 2023 (final payment due March 30, 2023)

Double $7990

Single $9761

Triple $7598

2023 PRICE INCLUSIONS
20 meals (9 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches & 6 Dinners), airport transfers as noted, service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage.

2023 PREMIER ACCOMMODATIONS

Night 1, 2GRAND HOTEL ORTIGIASiracusa
Night 3, 4EREMO DELLA GIUBILIANARagusa
Night 5VERDURA GOLF & SPA RESORTAgrigento
Night 6, 7GRAND HOTEL ET DES PALMESPalmero
Night 8, 9BELMOND GRAND HOTEL TIMEOTaormina

 


 

Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Please confirm details and booking information with your travel advisor.

Itinerary

  1. Arrive Catania / Siracusa

    Tour begins: 6:00 PM, Grand Hotel Ortigia. A transfer is included from Catania-Fontanarossa Airport to Grand Hotel Ortigia in the heart of Siracusa. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner tonight at the hotel. Meals D

  2. Mythical Siracusa

    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. Back in Ortigia, visit the Theatre of Apollo and the Baroque Duomo. 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. Meals BL

    Mythical Siracusa
  3. Baroque gems of Noto and Ragusa Ibla

    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. This afternoon, drive to the lovely Baroque town of Ragusa Ibla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A local guide introduces you to the town
    on a guided walking tour of its ancient labyrinthine lanes, the main Piazza and historic sites. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the Arezzo, the “noble” family of Ragusa Ibla; visit the century-old Circolo del Conversazione the original “Gentlemen’s Club” of the day, and Il Piccolo – the private, small family theatre of the Arezzo family who have lived in their 19th-century palazzo for more than 200 years. Dinner this evening is at your hotel. Meals BD

  4. A villa in Piazza Armerina

    This morning, travel to the nearby town of Piazza Armerina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been called an “art city,” woven into the fabric of Sicily. 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. Look down at the floors as you tour the villa; the mosaics, both figurative and geometric, tell 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 Roman Empire. Following lunch at a local agriturismo, return to Ragusa for a very special dinner this evening in the wine cellar located in the medieval crypt underneath an old church, featuring 400 labels of the best Sicilian and international wines. Meals BLD

    A villa in Piazza Armerina
  5. Explore the Greek temples of Agrigento

    This morning, depart for a visit to Agrigento and the amazing Greek temples. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, dating back to 581 BC, must have been the favorite neighborhood of the gods if the number of temples there is any indication – the site is on the UNESCO World Heritage
    List. Built on a hillside facing the sea, explore temples honoring deities the likes of Zeus, Hercules, Concord, Pollux and Castor with a local guide in this amazing archaeological site. Visit the temples of Zeus, Concord and Hercules, the Temple of Juno and more. Head to your spa resort mid-afternoon; the remainder of the day is free to enjoy the resort’s amenities as you please. Meals BLD

    Explore the Greek temples of Agrigento
  6. Morning at leisure & Palermo

    The morning is free to enjoy the amenities of your resort. Refreshed and relaxed, depart for lunch at a charming wine resort where you will enjoy farm to table specialties. Travel to Palermo for a two-night stay. This evening, 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 the Teatro Massimo. Meals BLD

  7. Palermo, past and present

    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. A walking tour of Palermo is followed by lunch at a local restaurant 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. Meals BL

  8. Seaside village of Cefalù & Teatro Greco

    Journey to Cefalù for a guided tour of its Norman cathedral, constructed in 1240. View its soaring twin pyramid towers outside and elaborate Byzantine mosaics inside before driving by the Madonie Mountains. Then, it’s on to Taormina this afternoon on a scenic drive that views the Aeolian
    Islands dotting the seascapes. A guided uphill walking tour of Taormina takes you to the Teatro Greco built in 3 BC by the Greeks and remodeled by the Romans. Your evening is at leisure. Meals B

  9. A Mt. Etna adventure

    Embark on an active 4x4 Range Rover adventure this morning up volcanic Mount Etna for a brief hike with a naturalist guide on its moon-like lava surfaces. Return to Taormina for time to explore as you wish. Join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight. Meals BD

  10. Journey Home

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

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