SICILY CULINARY TOUR VACATION

DAY 1 – SATURDAY

Arrivals and pick ups in the afternoon at the Catania Airport or local hotel and transfers to our hotel on the Island of Ortigia, the ancient and most picturesque part of Siracusa, with its many Greek historical landmarks, Sicilian Baroque architecture, cool shops and local market. Check in and get settled. The afternoon is left open to relax and get acquainted with your fellow guests or discover on your own the island and area around the hotel. Our welcome dinner will be held at a popular seafood restaurant featuring the best of the local waters. We will introduce and discuss the details of your fun vacation week.

DAY 2 – SUNDAY

We head to nearby Siracusa for a guided tour of the Archeological Park, with its impressive Greek theater, Roman amphitheater and array of well-preserved ancient Greek and Roman monuments. We enjoy lunch at a restaurant in Ortigia. After lunch, our guided tour will continue in the island of Ortigia to enjoy its amazing Ancient Greek heritage and its well-preserved baroque architecture. There will be time to relax, shop, perhaps a spa, before heading to a local restaurant for dinner.

DAY 3 – MONDAY

We start with a scenic drive to an authentic Sicilian Baglio, an old world farmhouse-fortress with its own private olive mill and chapel, a rare find. After a tour, we will have a hands-on cooking lesson and lunch with the nonna of the casa. The lunch lesson includes classic Sicilian favorites and as is tradition, quite large. On our way back to Ortigia, we stop at the UNESCO-heritage town of Noto for a brief visit for exploration of this gem with its beautifully preserved Sicilian Baroque architecture. After such a magnificent lunch, dinner will be on your own and at your leisure.

DAY 4 – TUESDAY

We start with a visit to a Nero d’Avola winery, a highly regarded Sicilian red wine, where you enjoy a tour at a winery situated between almond tree groves and the coast. We’ll enjoy a Sicilian lunch following the tour and tasting. After lunch, depart for the picturesque seaside fishing village of Marzamemi, to explore the town and its heritage of tuna fishing with its many canneries. We enjoy dinner at a local restaurant back in Ortigia.

DAY 5 – WEDNESDAY

We depart Ortigia and start the second leg of our journey with a drive back to Catania for a market visit with a local chef. The chef will explain the many products, herbs, produce, and seafood found at their market, one of the largest in Sicily, while weaving interesting stories and anecdotes. Once we pick our ingredients, we head to our lunch lesson with the chef at a palace in the city’s center. This will include a cannoli making demonstration. We continue our day with a drive to beautiful Taormina for check-in at our hotel with its coastal view. Relax, get settled and then head to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Taormina.

DAY 6 – THURSDAY

We begin our day with a walk through the town center to an amazing ancient Greco-Roman amphitheater, for a guided tour and visit. Then head to Michelin-Star Chef Pietro D’Agostino’s Cooking Lab for a cooking demonstration and lunch. You learn his secrets to making some of the amazing seafood dishes he’s famous for. The afternoon and dinner is open to explore and to take advantage of the many artisanal and trendy shops in town. Or take a break and head to the beach if the weather is nice!

DAY 7 – FRIDAY

We begin our morning with a short drive up the mountain above Taormina to see the tiny jewel of Castelmola. Built on the ruins of an ancient Norman castle is a well preserved Medieval town, and at 500 meters above sea level, it boasts unsurpassed panoramic views of Mt. Etna and the whole coastline to the south. The amazing views don’t end. We drive to the highest point of Mt. Etna accessible by car, where we take a walk around an extinct crater and lava flow enjoying spectacular views of the volcano and the coastline. For lunch we visit a winery on the side of Mt. Etna where we enjoy a wine paired lunch with some of the distinct fine wines that Sicily is known for producing in its rich, volcanic soil. After lunch, return to Taormina in the late afternoon. Take a break because in the evening we enjoy our ‘Arrivederci Dinner’ in Taormina and our farewell celebration.

DAY 8 – SATURDAY

Departure for the Catania airport to catch your flight home or other destinations. Flights can be scheduled from Catania to Rome or other major European cities for international flights. (From Rome, if returning to the US directly, we recommend a late departure from Rome Saturday or Sunday morning.)