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Regional Italy Tours: Sicily Tour
Tour Features: Stay and Visit ® Italy presents an unforgettable Regional Italy Tour of Sicily. Let us whisk you away on this luxury tour with excursions to Mt. Etna, Taormina, Agrigento, Siracusa, Palermo, Cefalu' and more... You will live the "dolce vita" while in our beautiful, hospitable and centrally located four-star hotels. Your dinners (D) are included as described in the itinerary. Breakfasts (B) will be continental style.
Day 2 – Palermo - Upon arrival at the airport in Palermo we will be met and transferred to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at your leisure. (D) Day 3 – Monreale - In the morning we will have a tour of the exotic city, Palermo. We will visit the Duomo, the Palatine Chapel rich with its spectacular mosaics, the richly decorated Church of San Giovanni and Piazza Pretoria with its ornate 16th century fountain. In the afternoon we will go to the hill town of Monréale, with its spectacular views of the “Conca d’Oro” (Golden Bowl). Are you ready for a middle eastern or Maroccan experience? In Palermo we could have a very nice dinner accompanied with a tastefully done “belly dancing” performance. (B & D) Day 4 – Cefalù - In the morning we will depart for Santo Stefano di Camastra, one of the oldest school of ceramic with very elaborate and unique creations. A demonstration of the process will be presented by an old and artistic maestro. We will stop in charming Cefalù, captured in the Oscar-winning film '' Cinema Paradiso''. Of Greek foundation, the city evidently derived its name from its location on a lofty and precipitous rock, forming a bold headland projecting into the sea. Some remains of the ancient city are still visible, but the nature of the site proves that it could never have been more than a small town. In the evening we return to our hotel in Palermo. (B & D) Day 5 – Segesta & Erice - We depart and travel south to Agrigento. We will stop to view the unfinished hexastyle Doric Temple (late 5th century BC). The temple was built on a hilltop just outside the ancient city of Segesta with a commanding view of the surrounding area. It is one of the best-preserved. On the way to Agrigento we will stop in Erice where the BEST pastries, prepared with an old and well kept secret recipe, can be savored. The views from the castle are breathtaking and the locals sustain that the African coasts could be seen on a clear day. We then travel to Agrigento, a dense town on the southern coast of Sicily, founded on a plateau overlooking the sea. Ancient Akragas covers a huge area but is exemplified by the famous Valle dei Tempii. (B & D)
Day 8 – Taormina - This morning we will have a guided tour of Taormina and its lovely streets and buildings as well as the imposing Greco-Roman theater, the Roman Bath and the Gothic church of St. Agostino. Taormina has popular beaches on the Ionian Sea, which is remarkably warm. The most remarkable monument remaining in Taormina is the ancient theatre, which is one of the most celebrated ruins in Sicily. This lovely resort town has been described as a Sicilian Monte Carlo without the casino or royal family. It was here, in romantic Taormina, that D.H. Lawrence was inspired to write Lady Chatterly's Lover, one of the most passionate and erotic love stories of its era. Taormina has endlessly winding medieval streets and tiny passages, each with its own secrets, great restaurants, cafés and ice cream bars. Some of these intriguing places are secluded gardens hidden by stone walls others are set on terraces overlooking the coast or in more public but equally pleasant squares. Taormina is beautiful by day but in the evenings its atmosphere is simply enchanting, whether you stroll the illuminated streets or indulge in the view of the coast over a delicious dinner. Then there's the spectacle of Mount Etna's nocturnal fires as lava flows along the snow-covered slopes of Europe's greatest natural wonder, leaving a stream of steam and light in its wake. The afternoon is free to explored shop, visit Giardini Naxos and/or Castelmola. (B & D) Day 9 – Mt. Etna - This morning (weather and conditions permitting) we will take a sightseeing drive to the slopes of Europe's largest active volcano Mt. Etna in a constant state of eruption. From Piazzale Sapienza a funicular will take you a very close proximity to the crater. The afternoon and evening is free for last minute shopping. (B & D) Day 10 – Palermo - Early departure from Taormina to Palermo. The rest of your last day in Sicily is completely free for you to enjoy as you wish…resting at the hotel, strolling the busy and characteristic streets, shopping in the open air markets. (B & D) We reserve the right to change the itinerary and schedule times for logistic reasons. Departures from North America
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Day 1 - Departure from your city to Palermo.
Day 7 – Taormina - We will tour Siracusa in the morning, visiting many of the sites of the ancient capital of Greek Sicily…the large 5th century BC Greek theater, the catacombs, the Roman amphitheater, Dionysius' Ear, the quarry that served as prison for captured soldiers. This afternoon we will tour the picturesque island of Ortygia…truly an open-air museum with its well preserved churches and palazzi. Later today we will continue on to Taormina with 
