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A Sicilian Odyssey
Tour Description:
Discover cultural footprints forever present... Over the centuries, the island of Sicily was colonized by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, Normans and assorted others before becoming part of Spain, then the Bourbon Kingdom, and finally part of Italy. And today...
Vestiges of the ancient Greeks and Romans entice in Agrigento and Taormina... the presence of the Normans lingers in Palermo... a distinctive style of Sicilian architecture began in the Baroque Valley centuries ago and flourishes today... Byzantine and Arab art mingle with Italian influences... taste impressive wines from grapes grown in volcanic soil... all for a taste of the authentic Sicily. Join us for an odyssey through time as you discover a history book of experiences, authentically engaging and always enlightening, as you become a part of Sicily's extended family.
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Dates & Pricing
| Friday 04 Apr 25 — Sunday 13 Apr 25 | Starting at $8,490 |  SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 11 Apr 25 — Sunday 20 Apr 25 | Starting at $8,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 14 Apr 25 — Wednesday 23 Apr 25 | Starting at $8,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 05 May 25 — Wednesday 14 May 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 09 May 25 — Sunday 18 May 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 12 May 25 — Wednesday 21 May 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 16 May 25 — Sunday 25 May 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 23 May 25 — Sunday 01 Jun 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 30 May 25 — Sunday 08 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 02 Jun 25 — Wednesday 11 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 06 Jun 25 — Sunday 15 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 09 Jun 25 — Wednesday 18 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 13 Jun 25 — Sunday 22 Jun 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 29 Aug 25 — Sunday 07 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 01 Sep 25 — Wednesday 10 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 05 Sep 25 — Sunday 14 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 08 Sep 25 — Wednesday 17 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 10 Sep 25 — Friday 19 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 12 Sep 25 — Sunday 21 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 15 Sep 25 — Wednesday 24 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 17 Sep 25 — Friday 26 Sep 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 26 Sep 25 — Sunday 05 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 01 Oct 25 — Friday 10 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 03 Oct 25 — Sunday 12 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 06 Oct 25 — Wednesday 15 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 08 Oct 25 — Friday 17 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 10 Oct 25 — Sunday 19 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 15 Oct 25 — Friday 24 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 17 Oct 25 — Sunday 26 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 20 Oct 25 — Wednesday 29 Oct 25 | Starting at $9,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Wednesday 22 Oct 25 — Friday 31 Oct 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Monday 27 Oct 25 — Wednesday 05 Nov 25 | Starting at $8,990 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
| Friday 31 Oct 25 — Sunday 09 Nov 25 | Starting at $8,490 | SPECIAL | Get a Quote |
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
Destination & Sightseeing
Destination & Sightseeing
Discover cultural footprints forever present... Over the centuries, the island of Sicily was colonized by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, Normans and assorted others before becoming part of Spain, then the Bourbon Kingdom, and finally part of Italy. And today...
Vestiges of the ancient Greeks and Romans entice in Agrigento and Taormina... the presence of the Normans lingers in Palermo... a distinctive style of Sicilian architecture began in the Baroque Valley centuries ago and flourishes today... Byzantine and Arab art mingle with Italian influences... taste impressive wines from grapes grown in volcanic soil... all for a taste of the authentic Sicily. Join us for an odyssey through time as you discover a history book of experiences, authentically engaging and always enlightening, as you become a part of Sicily's extended family.
Highlights
TAUCK EXCLUSIVES – Private lunch at a Baron's palazzo in Siracusa with a wine tasting from the family vineyard and dinner and an art tour with the son of a baroness at their private villa in Palermo
Visit to Palermo's grand Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, the largest opera house in Italy
Visits to the Sicilian Baroque UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Noto and Ragusa Ibla
Enjoy a wine tasting at a local winery
Highlights
TAUCK EXCLUSIVES – Private lunch at a Baron's palazzo in Siracusa with a wine tasting from the family vineyard and dinner and an art tour with the son of a baroness at their private villa in Palermo
Visit to Palermo's grand Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, the largest opera house in Italy
Visits to the Sicilian Baroque UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Noto and Ragusa Ibla
Enjoy a wine tasting at a local winery
ITINERARY
ITINERARYArrive Catania / Siracusa
Tour begins: 6:00 PM. A transfer is included from Catania – Fontanarossa Airport to the Grand Hotel Ortigia, a century-old landmark hotel ideally located in the historic heart of Siracusa on the island of Ortigia. Join us for a welcome reception and dinner at the hotel tonight.
Mythical Siracusa
Walk in the footsteps of ancient Greek explorers who settled on this historic island in 734 BC, building a city of archaeological splendors, economic prosperity and political power that rivaled Athens as the most important city in the world until it fell to the Romans in 212 BC. Your locally guided walking tour today reveals some of its treasured Greek and Roman sites as you explore Neapolis Archaeological Park, including the 16,000-seat Greek Theatre (Teatro Greco), the Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio de Dioniso), and the 3rd-century Roman amphitheater. Back in Ortigia, visit the Theatre of Apollo and the Baroque Duomo. Lunch today is a noble affair when you dine at the family palazzo of the Barone Pietro di Beneventano, and taste wines from the family vineyard. Free time this afternoon offers you an opportunity to see more of the city or walk back to the hotel with your Tauck Director, where the remainder of the day is at leisure.
Baroque gems of Noto and Ragusa Ibla
Drive to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Noto this morning where a walking tour along the elegant Corso Vittorio Emmanuele promenade showcases the city's Baroque buildings, golden-hued palazzi and churches among them, rebuilt after a devastating 17th-century earthquake. View from the outside the Basilica di San Salvatore and the Duomo di Noto as well as the ornate Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, before exploring on your own. A tour of a local herb farm later introduces you to the freshly picked aromatic spices that add true regional flavor to today's family-style tasting lunch. This afternoon, drive to the lovely Baroque town of Ragusa Ibla, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where a walking tour introduces its ancient labyrinthine lanes and the main Piazza. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of the Arezzo, the "noble" family of Ragusa Ibla, before dinner this evening.
A day in Piazza Armerina
This morning, travel to the nearby town of Piazza Armerina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been called an "art city," woven into the fabric of Sicily. The mosaics you will see here are considered among the most beautiful and best preserved of their kind anywhere in the world. Your artful discoveries begin when you step inside the Roman Villa del Casale, dating back to 320 to 350 BC when it was built for a Roman official. Look down at the floors as you tour the villa; the mosaics, both figurative and geometric, tell eloquent tales of Homeric poems and myths, nature and scenes from aristocratic life. After lunch, return to Ragusa for dinner in a wine cellar located in the medieval crypt underneath an old church, featuring 400 labels of the best Sicilian and international wines.
Explore the Greek temples of Agrigento & afternoon at the resort
This morning, depart for a visit to Agrigento and the amazing Greek temples. The Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, dating back to 581 BC, must have been the favorite neighborhood of the gods if the number of temples there is any indication – the site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Built on a hillside facing the sea, explore temples honoring deities the likes of Zeus, Hercules, Concord, Pollux and Castor with a local guide in this amazing archaeological site. Visit the temples of Zeus, Concord and Hercules, the Temple of Juno and more. Arrive at the resort mid-afternoon; the remainder of the day is free to enjoy the resort's amenities as you please.
Morning at leisure and on to Palermo
The morning is free to spend as you please. Enjoy a wine tasting en route to your Palermo hotel for a two-night stay. This evening, join the son of a baroness for an exclusive private dinner and tour of his family's art collection in their historic city-center villa, designed by Ernesto Basile, the architect of Teatro Massimo.
Life in Palermo, Past and Present
Start your day with a guided visit to the Palazzo dei Normanni, the seat of the kings of Sicily during the reign of the Normans and the main seat of power for Sicilian rulers for centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage Site together with the Palatine Chapel in the heart of the palace, the palazzo dates back to the 9th century and boasts multicultural touches that were added later. These include the spectacular mosaics of precious stones, many glittering in gold, you will see in the royal apartments and chapel, which also features inlaid carved marble floors and a painted wooden ceiling. A walking tour of historic Palermo is followed by lunch at a local restaurant and a guided visit to Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy and the setting where the final scenes of the movie, Godfather Part III, were filmed. The remainder of the day is free to spend as you please.
Seaside village of Cefalù and Teatro Greco
Drive to Cefalù for a guided tour of its Norman cathedral, constructed in 1240, before driving by the Madonie Mountains. Then, it's on to Taormina on a scenic drive that views the Aeolian Islands dotting the seascapes. A guided uphill walking tour of Taormina takes you to the Teatro Greco built in 3 BC by the Greeks and remodeled by the Romans. Your evening is at leisure.
Taormina & an optional adventure to Mt. Etna
A guided walking tour of Taormina this morning takes you up hilly lanes to the Teatro Greco built in 3 BC by the Greeks and remodeled by the Romans. The views from here are worth the climb! Enjoy time to explore the sights on your own for the remainder of the day. If you wish to experience an active adventure today, join us for a 4x4 Range Rover adventure up Mount Etna for a hike on its moon-like lava surfaces. Following free time in Taormina, join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight at the hotel.
Journey home
Tour ends: Taormina. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from your hotel to Catania – Fontanarossa Airport (a 45-60 minute drive). Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.
Disclaimer: Prices listed are per person, based on double occupancy, and in USD. All promotions are valid for new bookings only, capacity controlled and valid on select dates and departures. Individual Terms and Conditions will apply to all promotions. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. Please speak with your Pavlus Travel Planner for complete vendor terms and conditions, including eligible tour and cruise dates.
