Day 1: Catania (overnight in Catania)
Your adventure begins in Catania, at the airport of this city in eastern “Sicilia”. Grab your luggage and make your way to your 4-Star Hotel in Catania.

X-Large Extras*:
- transfer from airport to your hotel

X-Large Travel Tip: We recommend that you arrange your vehicle rental to start on the morning of the tour’s second day as you begin travelling between cities.


Day 2: Antique Syracuse (overnight in Catania) (daily distance 70 km)
Visit the cathedral of Catania, dedicated to Saint Agatha, which has had a very eventful life; it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times due to numerous earthquakes and eruptions of nearby Mount Etna. Then drive to Syracuse (ca. 66 km). Nearby this famous seaside city you can find the vast archaeological park of Neapolis, with the Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre, and the “Ear of Dionysius”. There are also numerous archeological sites scattered throughout the city’s streets which you will be able to see by just walking through the city.

X-Large Extras*:
- guided city tour of Catania and/or Syracuse
- guided tour of the Neapolis Archeological Park


Day 3: Bikini girls in the Villa Casale in Piazza Armerina – Agrigento (overnight in Agigento) (daily distance 200 km)
This morning, you might head off to Piazza Armerina, closer to the centre of the island where you’ll find the Roman country house “Villa Romana del Casale”, a mystic site also called the “Sicilian Pompeii”. Its mosaics show the richness of the Romans’ life and lifestyle, the hunting scenes and the famous bikini girls being the most known and memorable examples. Continue on to the city of Agrigento (ca. 85 km) which occupies the site of the ancient Greek colonial city of Akragas – described by Pindar in the 5th century BC as “the “most beautiful city the mortals had ever built”. The nearby “Valley of the Temples” is a world-renowned archaeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most stunning buildings to be found there , the Temple of Concordia, has its front wall featured on the well-known UNESCO logo.

X-Large Extras*:
- guided tour of Villa Romana del Casale
- guided tour of the “Valley of the Temples”
- guided tour of Piazza Amerina and/or Agrigento


Day 4: Selinunte – Segesta – Palermo (overnight in Palermo) (daily distance 240 km)
Continue on your journey to Selinunte (ca. 98 km), the site of ancient Selinus, the most western of the Ancient-Greek colonial cities, destroyed by the Carthaginians about 250 BC. Five Ancient-Greek temples sit on the acropolis here. Going north, you will reach Segesta (ca 65 km) the arch-rival city of Selinus in antiquity, and here too are ancient ruins and current archeological “digs” in remnants of the Islamic and Norman occupations of Sicily. In the evening, drive to the Sicilian capital of Palermo (ca.80 km).

X-Large Extras*:
- guided tour of the archeological site(s) at Selinunte and/or Segesta


Day 5: Palermo – Monreale (overnight in Palermo) (daily distance 130 km)
Visit the Norman palace of Palermo with its “Cappella Palatina” and gold mosaic, continuing on to the cathedral where you’ll find the grave of Frederick II, one of the most powerful of the Holy Roman Emperors in the Middle Ages. And you’ll want to take in the Santuario di Santa Rosalia (the patron saint of Palermo), which sits in a cave on Mount Pellegrino, 450 meters above Palermo. The church and the convent extend 25 meters into a cave, and the views of the city and surrounding countryside are spectacular. In the afternoon, make an excursion to Monreale and you will find one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture existing anywhere in the world– the Monreale Cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in 1182.

X-Large Extras*:
- guided tour of the Palermo and/or Monreale
- guided tour to the Santuario di Santa Rosalia
- guided tour of Monreale Cathedral


Day 6: Cefalù – Taormina (overnight in Toarmina) (daily distance 300 km)
We suggest you go east this morning, to Cefalù (ca. 75 km), a small city on the northern coast and one of the most amazing landscapes in Sicily; the city is situated between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the abruptly falling cliffs of the “rocca di Cefalù” – it is astonishing and will keep your camera busy! The next sightseeing point is Taormina, which will put you back on the east coast (ca 200 to 250 km, depending on the route you choose). This picturesque city will enchant you with charming ambience and offers an incredible panoramic view that includes Etna’s peak and Naxos Bay. Archeological treasures, including the remarkable Ancient Theatre, are to be found everywhere in the city’s surrounding area.

X-Large Extras*:
- guided tour of Cefalù and/or Taormina


Day 7: Etna (overnight in Taormina) (daily distance 110 km)
We would never suggest you visit Sicily without seeing Mount Etna! At a height of 1900 meters, you will reach the “rifugio sapienza”, from where you can follow a ropeway or take an all-terrain vehicle to the 3000 meter mark on one of the most active volcanoes in the world (optional and depending on the weather). When you get back to the safety of the lower elevations, you might taste the red wine from the grapes grown on fertile southern hillside of Etna. Did you finish shopping for souvenirs?

X-Large Extras*:
- guided tour in Mt. Etna’s lava fields


Day 8: End of the excursion
Sorry, but you’ll have to pack your bags today and take a transfer to Catania Airport from where you’ll start your journey home, all the while reflecting on the many things you saw and did (and didn’t do but should have done). But don’t worry! You’ll be back.

X-Large Extras*:
- transfer from your hotel to the airport




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*X-Large Extras:
“X-Large Extras” are suggested activities that you can add to your tour to make it more interesting and enjoyable. At your request, our friendly and efficient staff would be happy to discuss content, timing, and cost of any of these activities and make arrangements suited to your taste and budget.

• Private Guided Tours:
  City tours in Catania, Syracuse, Piazza Armerina, Agrigento, Selinunte, Palermo, Monreale, Cefalù, Taormina (usually available full-day, half-day. Specialized subject-matter tours may also available e.g. the Neapolis archaeological park, Vila Romana del Casale, Valle dei Templi, archeological site(s) at Selinunte and/or Segesta, Santuario di Santa Rosalia, Monreale Cathedral, Mt. Etna etc.)
• Admission ticket and entrance fees to archaeological parks, museums, art galleries, buildings, palaces, cathedrals, etc.
• Airport/Hotel transfers

If there are any trips, tours, visits, meals, or events that are not included but would make your visit to Italy more enjoyable, just ask. We would be most happy to discuss how we could fit them into your budget and itinerary.

All of this you can reserve with X-Large Travel!





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Tour with 4-Star Hotel Accommodation (per person in double room)

€558.-

Private Guided Tours For Up to 8 People: full-day ca €300.- (6h) / half-day ca €150.- (3h) (recommendation only - choose in accordance with your budget/ineterests)

Catania	1x half-day	€150.-
Syracuse	1x half-day	€150.-
Piazza Armerina	1x half-day	€150.-
Agrigento	1x half-day	€150.-
Selinunte	1x half-day	€150.-
Palermo	1x half-day	€150.-
Monreale	1x half-day	€150.-
Cefalù	1x half-day	€150.-
Taormina	1x half-day	€150.-

Specialized Subject-Matter Tours e.g. archaeological sites (full-day/half-day tour price same as Private Guided Tours above)

Airport/Hotel Transfer (Catania)    (arrival/departure day) (prices each way: in public transport/in private minivan)

€8.- per person / €60.- (lump sum)

*Prices are based in part on quotations from third-party suppliers and may vary slightly at time of booking.