Sicilian Highlights Tour 2020

SICILIAN HIGHLIGHTS TOUR – FROM MARCH 29TH, 2020:

BEGINS ON SUNDAYS FROM PALERMO
ENDS IN TAORMINA

SEMI ESCORTED HOSTED TOUR | Sicilian Highlights: West to East
Begins on Sunday from Palermo
5 nights / 6 days | Palermo (3 nights) Taormina (2 nights)
Provided with: minimum of 2 clients
Limited to maximum: 16 people
Style of Accommodation: First Class

ROUTE:
1st Day (Sunday): Palermo airport > Palermo
2nd Day (Monday): Palermo walking street food tour and Monreale
3rd Day (Tuesday): Erice and Segesta with lunch at Farmhouse-Olive oil producer
4th Day (Wednesday): Palermo > Agrigento and Piazza Armerina > Taormina
5th Day (Thursday): Taormina at leisure
6th Day (Friday): Taormina > Catania airport

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Upon acceptance of the quotation, to place the program into operation, a Eur 300 deposit is required per person prior to confirmation of any reservations. This deposit is refundable, minus an administrative fee per person, for cancellations received up to 61 days prior to departure. For cancellations received less than 60 days before departure, this deposit is non-refundable.
Please surf on our terms and conditions page for more details about our cancellation policy and administrative fee. Once the tour is confirmed, we consider our terms and conditions accepted.

Booking process system:
Send us all Your details by filling in the automatic form. Your booking will be in pending until we will confirm the availability (within 2 days, weekend excluded). If not available, we will refund the deposit paid on Your credit card. As per our policy, the payment is needed to guarantee the booking.
The balance is due within two months before tour begins.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW:
This is a hosted tour that includes Hotel Accommodation, transportation, sightseeing and some meals. The person that will conduct the tour could be different day by day and other people could join the single day tours. Tours can have a maximum of 16 participants or less.

This tour is operated only with a Driver-Escort or Tour Director (depending the number of people confirmed on the activity planned for the day).
Driver Escort and Tour Director are not Licensed Tourist Guides —Licensed Tourist Guides: are the only professionals, with a Regional license, permitted to conduct visits and tours in all sites and museums within a city — and they cannot escort you inside the monuments because this is not allowed by Italian Rules.

Licensed Tourist Guide are provided on the spot as below specified:
– Palermo: for walking street food tour
– Monreale: to visit the Dome
– Agrigento: to visit Valley of the Temples

Every effort shall be made to provide the tour precisely as described. However, the itinerary may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Start and end times are general guidelines and may vary.

FEAUTURED PROPERTIES USED FOR THIS TOUR:
Palermo: Hotel Plaza Opera | Hotel Principe di Villafranca
Taormina: Hotel Monte Tauro | Hotel Villa Diodoro

Hotel may be substitued with similar category.
We do not guarantee all people on the tour will be lodging in the same Hotel.

ROOMS DEFINITIONS:
Single Room: room with a single bed for 1 person only
Double for Single use: double/twin room for 1 person only
Twin Room: room with a pair of single beds for 2 persons
Double Room: room with a large/double bed ideally for a couple
Triple Room: double with extra small single bed ideally for a couple with kid

IMPORTANT:
We do accommodate solo-travelers in Single Room
Double for single use surcharge is available ON REQUEST

PRE-POST NIGHTS: ON REQUEST
Whenever possible, lodging will be in the same hotel used during the tour.
Pre-nights: Palermo
Post-nights: Taormina

AIRPORT TRANSFERS: ON REQUEST
Arrival Transfer: from Palermo airport to Palermo hotel
-Rates based on 2 people travelling together and sharing the same vehicle.

Departure Transfer: from Taormina hotel to Catania airport
-Rates based on 2 people travelling together and sharing the same vehicle.

TOUR CODE: HIGHPMO20

Category
Escorted Tours from Palermo, Escorted Tours Sicily and Italy, Multi Days
Location
Agrigento, Monreale, Palermo, Piazza Armerina, Segesta, Taormina
Grade
Moderate
Days
6
Nights
5
Duration
6 Days
Category
Multi Days
Tour Type
Small group
Season
All Year

Day 1

Sunday - Palermo

Our Staff Disposal: no

Welcome to Sicily! Upon arrival at Palermo airport (PMO) please proceed through Passport Control and collect your luggage inside the customs area. Then independent transfer (Private Airport Transfer package is available on request) to Palermo city. Accommodation. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 2

Monday - Palermo walking street food tour and Monreale

Our Staff Disposal: full day from h 10:30AM
Information:
- meeting point in piazza Verdi, right in front of the stairs of Massimo Opera Theater (around 10 minutes walking distance from Palermo Hotel)
- walking tour of Palermo for around 3-4 hours to explore the town
- Transfer from Palermo to Monreale (and return transfer) by taxi: included

Breakfast at hotel. A walking tour into a lively open air market, a place with strong Arab influences, resembling a souk, with picturesque stands of fresh fish, cheeses, fruits and vegetables. During the tour you will have the opportunity to observe local people in their dailly activities and to savor foods that a real Sicilian people love to eat! Tasting of typical street food is included. The walking tour through the ancient center of Palermo is around 3-4 hours and you will visit several monuments including Piazza Pretoria and the Cathedral. At the end of the walking tour you will reach Monreale by taxi for a short stop (about 45 minutes) to visit the Dome (Admission fee: not included), a wonderful example of the Arab-Norman art and architecture. Launched in 1174 by William II, the Dome represents scenes from the Old and New Testaments all in golden mosaics. Later back to Palermo by taxi. The balance of the day is at leisure. (BB S)

Day 3

Tuesday - Erice and Segesta with lunch at Farmhouse-Olive oil producer

Our Staff Disposal: full day from h 8:30AM
Information: walking tour of Erice for around 2 hours up-and-down to explore the town

Breakfast at hotel. Early departure to tour western Sicily where we reach Erice uptown. The Elymians settled the medieval town of Erice, which was an important religious site associated with the goddess Venus. Wander through its ancient streets and visit some of the famous homemade pastry shops—world-famous for marzipan candies and other delicacies like almond and pistachio pastries. At arrival, friendly walk along the city centre with stop at local pastry shop to taste some Sicilian local sweet. Later we proceed to have a light-lunch in a local farmhouse-Olive oil producer including tasting of mixed local product such as cheese, salumi, olives, local bread combined with their production of olive oil and wine. This afternoon we continue onto Segesta (independent visit), one of the major cities of the ancient indigenous Elymian people, to visit the unfinished Doric temple (Admission fee: not included), late 5th century BC, built on a hilltop just outside of the ancient city and has a commanding view of the surrounding area. Later we return to Palermo. (BB L)

Day 4

Wednesday - Palermo > Agrigento and Piazza Armerina > Taormina

Our Staff Disposal: full day from h 8:15AM

Following breakfast, departure to the Archaeological Park of Agrigento. Here you will visit the finest of all ancient Greek sites—the complete Doric Temples (Admission fee: not included). We drive through the interior of Sicily to reach the amazing Roman Villa of Casale (Admission Fee: not included) in Piazza Armerina. The mosaics discovered here are celebrated among scholars of antiquity. Later we transfer to Taormina, the world famous resort town of Sicily. (BB)

Day 5

Thursday - Taormina at leisure

Our Staff Disposal: no

Breakfast at hotel. Today is at leisure to relax, shopping or explore Taormina on your own. Taormina is a hill-village with a glossy sheen of glamour. A drink at the tables of Caffè Wunderbar (or similar) in Piazza IX Aprile may set you back a few euros, but you'll be basking where Tennessee Williams and Elizabeth Taylor basked before you. As well as the famed Greek-Roman Theatre (Admission fee: not included), there are several minor sites to be discovered around Taormina. The attractive principal thoroughfare, Corso Umberto is pedestrian and ideal for strolling and window-shopping. Picturesque lanes above and below the Corso are interesting to explore, while if you want to stretch your legs further there are attractive walks up into the hills, or down to the sea. Given its compact size, Taormina has a huge range of bars, cafes and restaurants where you can while away pleasant hours while admiring the views.
The balance of the day is at leisure. Enjoy your stay at leisure in Taormina or inquiry us for an Optional Excursion! (BB)

Day 6

Friday - Taormina > Catania airport

Our Staff Disposal: no

Breakfast at hotel. Time to say goodbye to Sicily. Today independent transfer (Private Airport Transfer package is available on request) to Catania airport (CTA) on time for your departure flight. (BB)

Meal Legend: BB Buffet Breakfast S Snack L Lunch or Light Lunch D Dinner

Included

All sightseeing & visits as per itinerary
Daily breakfast buffet
English speaking Tour Director/Driver (as per program)
Hotel accommodation
Licensed Local Guide as per program
one light lunch at olive oil factory
Tastings of street food
VAT
Vehicle/coach with air conditioning - no toilet

Not Included

Admission fees
Airport transfers
Beverage and meal not specified
City taxes
Fee for luggage handling fee at hotel
Gratuities and tips
Intercontinental/Local Flights
Licensed Tourist Guide if not specified
Optional Excursions
Porterage at airport
Travel Insurance

From March 29th 2020 the Sicilian Highlights Tour has a new schedule, itinerary and rate.

Please click here for the SICILIAN HIGHLIGHTS TOUR 2019, with weekly departures on Saturday from Palermo until March 21st, 2020.