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SICILY -
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Please join us as we explore Sicily,
the largest island in the Mediterranean, home to a rich and unique culture.
Discover the historic seaside town of Cefalù.
Visit the magnificent Doric Temple and Greek Amphitheatre in Segesta.
Walk through the largest archaeological park in Europe at Selinunte.
Enjoy a winery tour and tasting at Planeta. |
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Your Executive Cultural Tours
Itinerary
The Very Best of Sicily September 26 - October 08, 2017 Visit the valley of the Temples by day and by Night. Discover Mount Etna's craters and taste wines from grapes grown in it's volcanic soil
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Tuesday, September 26 – Depart from Ottawa International Airport for Palermo.
Flights can be arranged from other cities.
Wednesday, September 27 – Palermo
Arrival at Palermo airport and transfer to Hotel Garibaldi, located in the heart of Palermo,
walking distance from Teatro Politeama and Teatro Massimo.
Time at leisure.
Welcome dinner and overnight Hotel Garibaldi. D
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Thursday,September 28 - Palermo & Monreale
Breakfast at the hotel.
Morning walking private guided tour to discover the baroque city of Palermo, visiting the main sights of the city.
See Palermo Cathedral, the city's cathedral and main church.
Visit Palazzo dei Normanni, seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly and one of the most beautiful Italian palaces.
A notable example of Norman architecture, it is probably built over an Arab fortress.
It houses the famous Cappella Palatina, the royal chapel of the Norman kings of Sicily, a compact masterpiece.
The Teatro Massimo ("Greatest Theatre") was opened in 1897. It is the biggest in Italy, and one
of the largest in Europe (the third after the Opéra National de Paris and the K. K. Hof-Opernhaus in Vienna),
renowned for its perfect acoustics.
Visit Il Capo Market, with its evident Arabic origins, one of Palermo’s four main street markets and
possibly the busiest. Though the Capo market sells a variety of goods, locals bypass them in favor of the food.
Visit the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi. Started in 1255, built in a typically Italian Romanesque
Gothic style with a rose window and false arches.
The Church of San Cataldo, on the other hand, is a notable example of the Arabian - Norman architecture.
Free time for lunch on your own.
In the afternoon visit to the hilltop town of Monreale, dominated by its magnificent cathedral.
Built in the Norman period, with an incredible cloister, its walls are almost completely covered by Byzantine mosaics.
Although not so refined as mosaics in Cefalù and the Palazzo dei Normanni, the cathedral interior nevertheless
contains the largest cycle of Byzantine mosaics extant in Italy.
Return to Palermo.
Dinner on your own and overnight Hotel Garibaldi. B
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Friday, September 29 - Palermo – Cefalù – Palermo
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day excursion including the beautiful and historic seaside town of Cefalù, situated right under
a rocky promontory called ‘Rocca.‘
The town’s origins are largely shrouded in mystery, but it was only
under the Norman domain that it grew in great splendour with the expansion of the urban structure
and the building of the Cathedral, commissioned by King Roger II.
Free time for lunch.
On our way back to Palermo enjoy the sight of the coastlines and the Villas of Bagheria.
Dinner and overnight, Hotel Garibaldi. BD
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Saturday, September 30 – Palermo - Segesta - Erice – Mazzara del Vallo
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
Morning departure for Mazzara del Vallo.
Stop in Segesta to tour its magnificent Doric temple and Greek Roman Amphitheatre.
Segesta also boasts the archaeological remains of many other times and cultures,
such as the ruins of a Norman castle, a small church and a mosque.
Continue to Erice, set on the top of Mount Erice. Explore winding streets lined with examples
of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture.
Lunch on your own and time at leisure.
Depart for Mazzara del Vallo and check in at Visir Resort and Spa.
Located just 900 metres from the Mediterranean Sea, Visir Resort & Spa is set outside Mazara
Del Vallo. With a mix of Arab and contemporary western design, it offers free Wi-Fi, a cocktail reception
and an outdoor pool. The on-site restaurant specializes in Mediterranean cuisine.
Dinner and overnight Visir Resort and Spa. BD
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Sunday, October 1 – Mazzara del Vallo - Selinunte – Planeta winery – Valley of the Temples
Breakfast at the hotel, check out and depart for Agrigento.
Stop at Selinunte for a walk through the largest archaeological park in Europe.
Explore the Acropolis looking at the remains of temples, residential houses and the old town walls.
Continue to Planeta for a winery visit and tasting with a light lunch.
From the winery, proceed to the Valley of the Temples, one of the most representative sites of Greek
civilization in the Mediterranean area, located just outside the town of Agrigento.
Explore well-preserved Doric Temples dating back to the fifth century B.C., and the remains
of the Greek city of Akragas.
Check in at Demetra Resort, set in an antique country house inside the Valley of the Temples Archaeological Park.
After dinner, visit the Valley of the Temples by night.
Overnight Demetra Resort. BLD
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Monday, October 2 – Valley of the Temples – Piazza Armerina – Ragusa
Breakfast at the hotel and check out.
Depart for Ragusa with a stop at Piazza Armerina for a tour of Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A Roman villa built in the first quarter of the 4th century, Villa Romana del Casale contains the richest,
largest and most complex collection of late Roman mosaics in the world.
After the visit continue to Ragusa and check in at the Villa Carlottta, located in the heart of the former
estate of the Marchioness Carlotta Schininà. The Villa Carlotta mixes a contemporary design with the original
structure of a 17th-century farmhouse.
Dinner and overnight Villa Carlotta. BD
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Tuesday, October 3 – Ragusa - Modica - Ragusa
Breakfast at the hotel.
This morning enjoy a tour of the sights of Ragusa.
The city has two distinct areas,
the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa
Superiore (Upper
Town).
The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges.
In the afternoon visit Modica, a city of architectural, artistic and scenic attractions.
The tour will include a stop at a pastry shop, famous for its chocolate delicacies.
The traditional flavours of Modica chocolate are vanilla, cinnamon, and hot chilli pepper (peperoncino).
Return to Ragusa and overnight Villa Carlotta. B
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Wednesday, October 4 – Ragusa – Noto – Siracusa
Breakfast at the hotel, check out and depart for Siracusa.
Stop in Noto for a tour of its old historic centre, a place of extremely ancient origin
and home to an incomparable array of typical Sicilian baroque architectures and ambience.
Continue to Siracusa and check in at Des Etrangers Hotel and Spa, located in the centre
of Ortigia Island and boasting beautiful sea views.
Dinner and overnight Des Etrangers Hotel. BD
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Thursday,October 5 – Siracusa & Ortigia
Breakfast at the hotel.
Depart for a morning tour of Siracusa, one of the great cities of Magna Graecia,
displaying historical and mythological roots of Ancient Greece.
See the Cathedral of Syracuse, the Fountain of Diana in the Piazza Archimede, and the Roman Amphitheatre.
In the afternoon enjoy time at leisure to visit Ortigia, Syracuse's island heart.
The best way to see the
island of Ortigia is just to wander. It’s difficult to get lost (it measures just 1km by 500 metres), but the
tiny island is packed with over 2,500 years of history.
Architectural styles vary widely, encompassing Greek and Roman remains, Mediaeval Norman buildings and a great deal of Baroque.
Dinner on your own and evening at leisure.
Overnight Des Etrangers |Hotel and Spa. B
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Friday, October 6 - Siracusa – Mount Etna - Taormina
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out and depart for Taormina, stopping first at Mt. Etna, the tallest active volcano on the European continent.
Discover old craters, caves, and spectacular scenery.
Tour and taste the prestigious wines from grapes grown in the volcanic soil and enjoy lunch featuring
the authentic flavours of Sicily at a local winery.
Continue to Taormina and check in at the Hotel Il Piccolo Giardino which offers beautiful city a
nd mountain views from its small rooftop terrace and pool.
Overnight Hotel Il Piccolo Giardino. BL
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Saturday, October 7 – Taormina
Breakfast at the hotel.
In the morning enjoy a walk through the historical centre, visiting the Greek Roman amphitheatre,
one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily, on account both of its remarkable preservation and its beautiful location.
Afternoon at leisure to enjoy Taormina.
Farewell dinner and overnight Hotel Il Piccolo Giardino. BD
Sunday, October 8 – Departure
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check out and transfer to Catania Airport. B
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24 Selkirk Street, Suite 100
Ottawa. ON. K1L 0A4