+ Included: Dinner
Welcome to Italy! You’ll arrive on your own at your hotel in Palermo today. Then meet your tour director in the afternoon to learn more details about your itinerary. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner featuring Italian specialties at a local restaurant tonight, and get to know your fellow travelling companions.

+ Included: Breakfast
Fuel your busy sightseeing day with a breakfast of pastries, cereals, juices, authentic Italian espresso and more. Then enjoy a morning walking tour of Palermo, the capital of Sicily known for its Norman architecture. You’ll visit the city’s most important sites: the outdoor Capo Market, where you’ll find a little bit of everything, from clothing to souvenirs to food items; Teatro Massimo, a 19th-century opera house; the Palazzo dei Normanni (Norman Palace) with its ornate Palatine Chapel and Hall of King Roger II; the Four Corners, Piazza Pretoria, a square dominated by a large fountain and Quattro Canti, the traditional center of Palermo. Then it’s a short drive to Monreale to admire the Cathedral with its splendid 12th-century mosaics, and the cloister of the Benedictine monastery with its magnificent Moorish architecture. Return to Palermo for dinner on your own.

+ Included: Breakfast and dinner
After another sumptuous breakfast in your hotel, it’s onward to Cefalù, a quaint fishermen’s village and seaside resort. Here you’ll visit the huge Cathedral, dating back to 1131. There’s also time to walk through the narrow lanes of the historic center full of shops and restaurants. Transfer to Piazza Armerina, a town in the heart of Sicily. First enjoy lunch on your own, then visit the town’s best known site: the splendid Villa Romana del Casale. This luxurious Roman dwelling was built in the 4th century; its wonderful mosaics that cover the floors illustrate the ancient Romans’ way of life. Don’t miss the “bikini women” mosaic that shows women exercising! Next stop is Taormina, where you’ll enjoy an included dinner at your hotel.

+ Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
After breakfast, you’ll make an excursion to Catania, a coastal town known for its original baroque style and for its streets built with black lava stone from Mount Etna. Visit the city center and the Piazza Duomo, with its fountain of the ancient elephant. Transfer to Syracuse, the most beautiful former Greek colony of Sicily. A walking tour includes a stop at the town’s small island of Ortigia. After an included lunch at a local restaurant, visit of the Archaeological Park with its Greek Theatre dating back to the 5th century B.C, and the Roman amphitheatre. Return to Taormina in time for dinner at your hotel.

+ Included: Breakfast
Your day is at leisure in Taormina, a pretty and romatic town on Mount Tauro. You may want to visit the town’s famous Roman Greek Theatre on your own; here you’ll find a splendid view of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. Another option is an excursion to Mount Etna., Europe’s largest active volcano. If shopping appeals, stroll along the picturesque lanes of the city center before dinner on your own tonight.

+ Included: Breakfast and dinner
After breakfast, visit Caltagirone, known for its exquisite ceramics. You’ll have time at leisure here to browse the many shops selling beautiful handmade pottery. Proceed to Agrigento, set on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Visit the “Valley of the Temples,” a World Heritage Site, to see the remains of buildings constructed in the 6th and 5th centuries B.C. After dinner, you’ll enjoy an extra-special included excursion: tour Ancient Akragas (also known as the Valley of the Temples) by night, to see the temples’ ruins illuminated.

+ Included: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Today is dedicated to visiting the province of Trapani, famous for its gorgeous vineyards. Make a stop in Selinunte, with its Greek archaeological park in a serene, pastoral setting. Then it’s a scenic drive along the Salt Way Road with plenty of opportunities to snap photos of the romantic windmills. Take a break during a light lunch at a rural farmhouse. Then it’s on to Erice, a small medieval village with ancient Greek origin, situated on a hill, where you can enjoy a fantastic view on the Egadi Islands. Sample the almond biscuits this little town is known for. Return to Palermo for a farewell dinner at a typical local restaurant—a wonderful way to reminisce with your fellow travelling companions about your tour of Sicily’s highlights.

+ Included: Breakfast
After breakfast, say arrivederci to the other tour participants. Make your way to the Palermo International Airport (transfer not included) for your flight home, or continue your European vacation on your own. No matter what your travel plans, the experts at Italy 4 Real can help you with your arrangements.