Fiat 500 ride , Modica
ITALY
Fish market , Catania Valley of the Temples , Agrigento
ITINERARY
DAY 1 • Depart U . S . Fly overnight from the U . S . to Palermo , Sicily .
DAY 2 • Palermo Arrive in Palermo and meet your fellow travelers , including those who took our Puglia : Italy ’ s Undiscovered Heel pre-trip extension . Hotel Federico II or similar
DAY 3 • Palermo • Controversial Topic : The Sicilian Mafia Explore Palermo on a walking tour . Highlights include the Piazza Pretoria , where we ’ ll learn why its 16th-century fountain is referred to as the “ Fountain of Shame ,” and the Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele , a prominent opera house located on the Piazza Verdi . We ’ ll also stop at the Capo Market to sample some Sicilian treats . Later , gather for an enlightening Controversial Topic about the Sicilian Mafia ( also known as Cosa Nostra ). Meals : B , D | Hotel Federico II or similar
DAY 4 • Palermo • A Day in the Life of Castelbuono Today we ’ ll spend A Day in the Life of Castelbuono , an ancient hilltop town crowned with a medieval castle . Learn about the town ’ s garbage-collecting donkeys , tour the castle and adjacent museum , and stroll through the Piazza Margherita . This is a great opportunity to interact with local Sicilians and see what life is really like in rural Sicily . Meals : B , L | Hotel Federico II or similar
DAY 5 • Monreale • Segesta • Mazara del Vallo Drive to Monreale and enjoy a guided visit . View the town ’ s twelfth-century Norman Cathedral , which sits in the hills overlooking Palermo . Then , head to Segesta for an included lunch at a local agriturismo and learn about wine and olive oil production from the owner . Later , continue to Mazara del Vallo . Meals : B , L | Mahara Hotel or similar
DAY 6 • Mazara walking tour • Tunisian Kasbah
• Home-Hosted Lunch Embark on a walking tour of the UNESCOprotected city of Mazara . Here , some 3,000 Tunisians and other Maghreb Arabs live and work , a mingling of cultures and faiths that has deeply influenced the city . In Mazara ’ s historic Kasbah quarter , we ’ ll visit a museum built to house the famous “ Dancing Satyr .” Later , enjoy a Home- Hosted Lunch with a local family , dining on North African-influenced Sicilian cuisine . Meals : B , L | Mahara Hotel or similar
DAY 7 • Museo del Sale visit • Mothya Island Visit Museo del Sale , a semi-working salt museum , and learn about the Trapani tradition of salt production and refinement . Then , take a boat ride ( weather permitting ) to the small island of Mothya . There , explore the ancient island fortress and a local museum , enjoy a picnic lunch , and take a gentle hike on one of the many foothpaths that crisscross the island . Meals : B , L , D | Mahara Hotel or similar
DAY 8 • Overland to Piazza Armerina • Valley of the Temples • Agrigento Depart for Piazza Armerina . En route , stop at the Valley of the Temples , situated outside the city of Agrigento , and view the archaeological remains of several Greek temples . Then , arrive at an agriturismo , our home for the night . Meals : B , L , D | Vecchia Masseria or similar
DAY 9 • Villa Romana del Casale • Winery tour • Ragusa Depart for Villa Romana del Casale , home to the ruins of a Roman villa — a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Then , visit a family-run winery and meet the owners . Enjoy a wine tasting and lunch . Afterward , continue to Ragusa and explore the town ’ s Sicilian Baroque churches and palazzi . Meals : B , L , D | Hotel Il Barocco or similar
DAY 10 • Old Town Ragusa • Fiat ride through Modica Explore Ragusa Ibla , one of Sicily ’ s bestpreserved old towns , and a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Then , journey to nearby Modica , part of the Val di Noto UNESCO World Heritage Site and board vintage Fiat 500 cars to explore the city ’ s winding streets in true Siclian style . Meals : B , D | Hotel Il Barocco or similar
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