Palermo City Break 3 Days – starts on SATURDAY

Our Team Disposal: from h 11AM and up to 3 hours


Highlights

• experience the markets with a local food expert


• sample selected street foods at authentic food spots


• learn about locals’ daily habits and meet the people of the streets

Description

The itinerary takes travelers around the intricate alleys of Capo and Vucciria districts. The food markets are the locations where the magic happens! During the morning street food tour participants will taste several samples such as the panelle (chickpea fritters) and the sfincione (tomato focaccia) but also some challenging specialties, such as the one and only pani ca’ meusa (veal lung and spleen sandwich). Guides will unveil the secrets of the local cuisine, giving  recipes, sharing historical info and curiosities. Travelers will visit family-run businesses and learn about their story and secret recipes. During the experience, guides also discuss other topics such as history, daily habits and controversial issues. Travelers also have the chance to step in the oldest bar downtown where to have a cheerful toast with the locals and samples some Sicilian cheese. This tasty experience ends with a seasonal dessert (cannoli or other cake in winter time, ice cream in summertime). We only offer our guests what’s seasonal and traditional. Our guiding style is very relaxed and laid-back, but also well trained and professional. Not only food!

*Water is normally not included. In order to save plastic we strongly recommend travelers to bring their own water bottle.

INCLUSIONS:
-Street food samples (substitutes a full meal)
-Seasonal dessert: gelato, or cannoli or other seasonal cakes
-3 alcoholic drinks: 2 beer + 1 wine or other*
-Licensed guide service
-Booking fees
-VAT

The tour will start from one of the meeting points located in Palermo.

The driver will pick you up and will start driving in direction of Piazza Armerina (approximately 2 hours and half from Palermo).
Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the visit of the amazing Roman Villa of Casale, that belongs to the Unesco Heritage. Built on the 4th century AD, the Villa was later forgotten and only in the 20th century excavations revealed the whole building. It is the supreme example of a luxury Roman villa (about 3500 square meters of floor mosaics) and was probably the residence of a member of the upper class of the Roman Empire. The mosaics discovered here are celebrated among scholars of antiquity. The visit inside the Roman Villa will be done independently: approximately 1 hour or 1 hour and half, depending the number of visitors inside the Villa. Every room has information boards. Admission fee not included: at the moment the price is Eur 14 per person for Adult.

Then we will drive approximately 2 hours before reaching the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. The walking tour of the Valley of the Temples will be done with a licensed Guide. Admission fee not included: at the moment the price is Eur 10 per person for Adult. This archaeological site belongs to the Unesco World Heritage since 1997. The visit of the Valley of the Temples covers the Temple of Hera, the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Zeus. Agrigento, according to legend, was founded by Daedalus and his son Icarus after they had fled from Crete “by air”. Historically, however, its origins date back to 582 B.C. when it was founded by Rhodian-cretan colonist from the neighbouring Gela who named their city Akragas after the nearby river of that name. It rapidly increased in size, importance and military strength under Phalarides, the first tyrant, and later under Theron, who extended his sway over northern Sicily as far as Himera. Agrigento was a city of artists and illustrious personages, amongst whom the philosopher Empedocles. Pindar defines it as “the most beautiful of mortal cities” and, in fact, in the Vth century B.C., those famous temples, whose beauty we still admire today, were built.

Later we will drive back to Palermo.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
-Pick up location: 15 Piazza Ruggiero Settimo, 90139 PA Palermo, IT.
-Multilingual tour: Italian, English and Spanish (guaranteed). French and German on request (not guaranteed).

Today h 9.00am be ready for pick-up at P.za Giuseppe Verdi, 59, Palermo (in front of Restaurant “Al 59”) to meet our driver and travel to Monreale to independently visit the Dome (Admission fee: not included, you can buy tickets here), erected by King William II (1167/71-1189) in a royal park on the site of an earlier Greek church. Part of the structure and its decoration were largely completed by the death of the king in 1189.The interior is impressive in its spaciousness and rich decor. Time to get some food for a light lunch.

At 12.00 departure for Segesta, one of the major cities of the Elymian people, one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicily. Segesta’s ancient Greek temple can make a valid claim to being the best preserved in the world, and its amphitheatre boasts a hilltop position on Mount Barbaro second to none. The archaeological site reflects the presence of several ancient civilizations, beginning with the elusive Elymians. While the magnificent Doric temple, though (strictly speaking) never completed – as the roof was never added and the pillars never fluted – is impressive, it is just the highlight of a large archaeological park. Upon arrival independent visit of the Archelogical Area (Admission fee: not included, you can buy tickets here) .

At 15.00/15.30 we return to Palermo. (estimated arrival time h 16.30/17.00 wish depending on the traffic situation. Different drop-off could be coordinated based on the ZTL –Limited Traffic Zone–)

Please note that if the tour does not reach at least two partecipants it will not be operated.