Guided Group Sicily | Hiking Jouney Sicily | Culture & Walks in Sicily

Italian culture, nature, outdoor and sustainability

Sicily Cultural Holiday, Deluxe Small Group Cultural Vacation in Sicily

CULTURAL DISCOVERY OF SICILY

"Without Sicily, Italy leaves no image in the soul. Sicily is the key to everything" wrote Johann Wolfgang Goethe in Italian Journey. It is Sicily: a distillation of three thousand years of history, a blend of zestful traditions, ancient cultures, outstanding natural beauty and exuberant people. In Sicily you can savour nuances of the Mediterranean's most captivating destinations. The island has always been a crossroads where many different civilizations have met and left a heritage of extraordinary cultural variety. It offers well-preserved Greek, Roman, Norman and Saracen ruins, vestiges of the classical world, ancient temples, Greek theatres and awe-inspiring active volcanoes like Etna, the highest Volcano in Europe, one of Sicily's most iconic sights. Climbing to the summit and seeing inside the smoking craters is a exciting experience.
Don't lose the chance to enjoy the essence of the Mediterranean crossroad!

ACTIVITY: guided small group tour
GRADE: easy
TRIP CODE: ICSIC
GROUP SIZE: min 4, max 16
DURATION: 8 days/7 nights

2013 PRICES & DATES

Please inquiry at info@icnosadventures.com - Prices depend on period required and size of your group.
Privately guided departures with minimum 2 persons on request

Itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Palermo Airport and transfer to the Hotel. Time for a brief relax in the charming atmosphere of our accommodation. We meet our tour leader and we receive a first briefing about what lies ahead. In the late afternoon we take a brief walking tour of Palermo, a city founded in the 8th Century BC by the Phoenicians who named it Ziz; later it was christened Panormos meaning "all port" by the Greeks. The Arabs brought the lemon, orange, cane sugar, and the cultivation of mulberry trees, dates, cotton and hard wheat. Palermo became one of the Muslim world's most splendid cities, surpassed only by Baghdad; furthermore, its Afro, Arab and Italian blend of architecture is unique and charming. Welcome dinner in a typical restaurant in Palermo. (D)

Day 02 – The Zingaro Nature Reserve
Today a private transfer takes us to the Zingaro Nature Reserve where an astonishing walk awaits us. From Scopello to San Vito lo Capo we explore one of the most well – preserved and pristine coastline of Italy. Here a typical Mediterranean vegetation grows above a azure sea against steep mountains. The Zingaro has been shaped by nature creating a countless of grottoes in the limestone cliffs and a series of enchanting rocky beaches. After a pleasant walk we enjoy a picnic lunch immerse in the nature reserve before returning to Palermo. Here we can indulge our self in a city walk discovering the highlights of the town. (B, L, D)

Day 03 – Monreale - Segesta
Today we leave Palermo and enjoy an excursion to a must see highlight, not far from the town, Monreale, for a panoramic view of the city’s outskirts in the legendary ‘golden shell’ the Conca d’Oro. We visit the sumptuous Cathedral built in 1183, a pinnacle of Arab-Norman art and architecture and famous for its 50,000 sq.ft. of shimmering Byzantine mosaics. Monreale drew artisans from Persia, Asia, Africa, Greece, France, Venice and Pisa and the Cathedral’s glistening gold interior fuses Arab purity with Byzantine majesty. AThen we explore the dramatic Temple of Segesta: the poet Goethe admired the Doric Temple of Segesta dating back to the 5th Century BC, set among steep valleys with a magnificent view of the surrounding peaks. We will follow in his footsteps and at the same time learn about the mysterious history of the Elymians. We continue to Marsala: our home for the next two nights. Our group dinner will be at a local restaurant not far from the Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 04 Salt road – Island of Mozia - Marsala
Today we experience a journey along a captivating route on the west coast of Sicily, the Salt Road or Via Del Sale: one of the most unique sights in the whole of Sicily. We visit a mill immersed in an amazing lagoon with heaps of salt and stretches of white crystallization tanks. After taking the boat across the lagoon we reach the island of Mozia, the most important Phoenician and Carthaginian settlement in the Mediterranean (8th century B.C.). We visit the Casa Whitaker and witness in the marble sculpture The Youth of Mozia the perfection of ancient statuary. The archaeological museum offers a range of interesting objects, from vases to masks to tomb stones. Then, we take a walk on the island, admiring the remains of the Punic town walls and the Kothon, the old Phoenician harbour. In the afternoon we enjoy a wine & food experience in a real oasi: one of the most remarkable Baglios that used to belong to the most important family that have made the Marsala wine so popular, The Florio’s. (B, L)

Day 05 Selinunte – Agrigento
Today we leave Marsala heading the temple of Selinunte, one of the most important of the Greek colonies in Sicily. Facing the Mediterranean Sea, the Acropolis is situated in a scenic position of evocative splendor. We continue to Agrigento. Located on a plateau overlooking Sicily's southern coast, Agrigento was founded as Akragas around 582 BC by a group of colonists from Gela, who themselves were the immediate descendants of Greeks from Rhodes and Crete. Christened Agrigentum by the Romans and Girgenti by the Saracens, the city was renamed Agrigento in 1927. We will visit the Valle dei Templi, certainly one of the most outstanding sites of the ancient world and one of the highlights of our trip. We have time to explore the Temple of Juno, built around 450 BC, which is still intact; the Temple of Concord, built around 440 BC; the Temple of Hercules built in 520 BC in archaic Doric style, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Upon arriving to the hotel the outdoor terrace of our hotel beckons us for an relaxing time. (B, L)

Day 06    Taormina
After breakfast, we leave Agrigento to reach the charming village of Taormina. Upon arrival we can choose to simply relax on the terrace of the hotel or to stroll the medieval streets of this delightful town and to be tempted to shop along Corso Umberto, the main pedestrian thoroughfare. We can enjoy a walking tour of Sicily’s most sophisticated and dramatic resort, celebrated by poets and writers alike! Visit on your own the Teatro Greco and the famous Villa Comunale: its scenic footpath lined with benches faces the view over the sea and Mt. Etna. Stop at the Piazza IX Aprile for a glittering view of Mt. Etna before making our way across to the church of Sant’Agostino, the Palazzo Ciampoli to the Badia Vecchia. (B)

Day 07   Mount Etna or Siracusa
Today, we make an excursion to the summit of Mount Etna. Looming over eastern Sicily, Etna is the highest and largest active volcano in Europe! Feared and loved, it is both snow and fire, lush vegetation and lava. Weather permitting, we reach the summit by cable car and 4×4 bus. As alternative, in case of bad weather, we could opt for a lovely visit of Siracusa. Located on the southwest coast, Siracusa was founded in 733 BC and was once a powerful Greek port whose fleet was feared throughout the Mediterranean. It was the birth place of the scientist Archimedes and attracted visitors such as the philosopher Plato and later the Apostle Paul. We visit Ortigia, the cultural island linked to Siracusa by the Umbertino bridge, strolling through the historic Piazza Archimede to the Duomo, once a 6th Century BC temple dedicated to Athena before it was converted to a Christian cathedral in 640 AD. Then we explore the archeological sites - the sparkling white Greek Theatre, the Ear of Dionysius, the Altar of Hieron II, the Roman Amphitheatre and Cordari Grotto before returning to Taormina by private transfer. This evening, we enjoy our farewell Dinner in a typical restaurant near the Hotel. (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Departure
Our trip ends after breakfast with a group transfer to Palermo (B)

INCLUSIONS:

English speaking local tour leader
English speaking licensed cultural guide in Palermo, Monreale, Segesta, Mozia, Selinunte and Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
2 nights Hotel **** in Palermo
2 nights Hotel *** in Marsala
1 night Hotel***** in Agrigento
2 nights Charming Sicilian Villa in Taormina
7 breakfasts
4 dinners
5 picnic lunches
1 wine tasting
Guided visit to Mount Etna
Transfer from Palermo Airport on day 1
Transfer from Taormina to Palermo on day 8
All transfers according to the program