Sicily

History and stories

8 days and 7 nights

Total1930

A tour that takes us on a discovery of the history, culture and gastronomy typical of western Sicily.

"History and Stories" is a relational and experiential tour dedicated to those who want to get to know the artistic and architectural heritage of western Sicily, the UNESCO sites of the Arab-Norman circuit and the unique food and wine of the area. The journey will touch on Palermo with its Arab-Norman and Baroque sites; Alcamo and Gibellina Nuova where we will experience the tasting of typical local dishes, as well as the history, culture and identity of a people - the Sicilian people - who, rising again after the earthquake of 1968, demonstrated strength and tenacity, starting from their roots; we will continue to Mazara del Vallo and subsequently to Marsala where a gastronomic tasting awaits us before making a stop at Ericeone of the most beautiful villages in Italy; we will visit Favignana with its crystal-clear sea and arrive at the Trapani and Paceco Nature Reserve which is home to salt pans and historic mills, and where pink flamingos can be spotted a short distance away.

This proposal includes (on request) the opportunity to extend your stay with a post-tour or a pre-tour  for an even more complete travel experience tailored to the traveller.

Programme

Day 1

Palermo

After arriving in Palermo and transferring to the hotel**** our tour will begin with a free lunch, followed in the afternoon by a guided walk through the city's colourful and bustling historic centre, moving between Baroque and Arab-Norman buildings that bear witness to Palermo's rich and glorious past. Alternatively, we can visit the famous Botanical Garden, a place surrounded by rich and varied vegetation that has always been a destination for scholars, naturalists and travellers of all times attracted by exotic plants and rare species. Dinner in a restaurant and overnight stay will follow.

Hotel planned for days 1 and 2
Hotel Porta Felice or equivalent
Programme
15.30 Guided walk through the historic city centre
19.00 Return to the hotel
20.00 Dinner

Day 2

Palermo between history, art and gastronomy

We will dedicate the day to discovering the city of Palermo, getting to know its history and the places that make it a multifaceted city, rich in historical influences and influences that have succeeded one another over the centuries: We will discover some of the most important and evocative sites thanks to a guided tour that will take us to the Cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, the Martorana, a Byzantine treasure chest that blends with works and influences from later eras, the Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria, and the Church of Santa Caterina, a triumph of the Baroque style that, with its stuccoes and decorations, literally invades every corner and surface of the building. We will have lunch of street food at the characteristic and famous Ballarò market, which will envelop us in its colours and genuine atmosphere. We will continue with our visit in the afternoon and, in the evening, return to the hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Guided tour of the historic centre of Palermo
13.30 Gastronomic street food experience and continuation of historic centre tour
19.00 Return to the hotel
20.00 Dinner

Day 3

Alcamo and Gibellina Nuova

We will set off for Alcamo, to enjoy a gastronomic experience of the typical flavours of western Sicily: we will visit the Quattrocieli winery, to discover its history and participate in a tasting of 3 wines accompanied by a picnic basket with typical local products such as: cold cuts, cheeses, vegetable couscous, pane cunzatu, caponata and seasonal fruit (with 1 bottle for every 2 people). The journey continues to Gibellina Nuova, where we will visit the Museo della Memoria (Belìce/EpiCentro della Memoria Viva) and the town centre to admire the town's artistic installations and the reconstruction work after the earthquake, an example of determination and love for one's own land. We will leave for Petrosino, where we will be accommodated in Hotel **** in reserved rooms. Dinner and overnight stay will follow.

Lunch at
Quattrocieli Winery or equivalent

Hotel planned for days 3 and 4
Baglio Basile Hotels or equivalent
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Visit to winery
13.30 Picnic lunch in the vineyard
15.30 Transfer Gibellina nuova; visit Museo della Memoria; visit the urban centre
19.00 Transfer to the hotel in Petrosino
20.00 Dinner

Day 4

Mazara del Vallo and the Dancing Satyr Museum

We will set off for Mazara del Vallo for an FD excursion where we will visit some must-see sights such as the Cathedral, the characteristic old town and the Dancing Satyr Museum, located in the 16th-century deconsecrated church of Sant'Egidio. The museum owes its name to the work of art of the same name housed inside: a fine bronze sculpture attributed to the school of the Greek sculptor Praxiteles. We will have lunch in a local restaurant where we can enjoy the famous cous cous, a typical dish of western Sicily that celebrates the meeting of East and West. Return to the hotel in the afternoon so we can enjoy a rejuvenating break in the wellness centre. Dinner and overnight stay will follow.
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Guided tour Mazara del Vallo and the Dancing Satyr Museum
13.30 Lunch
15.30 Return to the hotel and free afternoon at the wellness centre
20.00 Dinner

Day 5

Marsala

We will visit the city of Marsala, where the city centre is traversed by the rich and elegant lines of the Baroque style and the aromatic wine named after the city will be the sweet conclusion to our meal. In the city of Marsala, a food and wine experience awaits us with a tasting at the Cantine Florio, followed by an immersion in nature with a visit to the Riserva dello Stagnone (Stagnone Reserve), which hosts, in its romantic setting, the famous salt pans where the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) Sea Salt of Trapani is still produced. Here we will be able to enjoy a suggestive panorama of infinite shades and colours which, reflecting on the surface of the water, create unique plays of light. We will have lunch at a local restaurant and then continue on to Trapani for accommodation at our Agriturismo ****, followed by dinner and overnight stay.

Lunch at
Florio Cellars or equivalent

Hotel planned for days 5,6,7
Agriturismo Duca di Castelmonte or equivalent
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Transfer to Marsala and guided tour; food and wine experience with tasting at Cantine Florio; visit to the Stagnone Reserve
13.30 Lunch
15.30 Nubia transfer and farmhouse accommodation
18.30 Free time
20.00 Dinner

Day 6

Erice

We will arrive in Erice, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, where a guided excursion through the streets of the village and to its most important and suggestive places awaits us. The visit will be accompanied by a gastronomic experience dedicated to the tasting of typical sweets. After a free lunch, a transfer to Trapani will follow in the afternoon, where we will enjoy a guided walk through the city's historic centre. We will return to the Agriturismo, and prepare for dinner and an overnight stay.
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 HD excursion to Erice; gastronomic experience
13.30 Free lunch
15.30 Transfer to Trapani and guided tour of the historic centre
19.00 Return to the farmhouse
20.00 Dinner

Day 7

Egadi Islands

A day entirely dedicated to discovering the Egadi Islands. In particular, we will visit Favignana, where an excursion is planned among its unmistakable landscapes and along the beaches with their crystal-clear sea. We will have lunch in a restaurant on the island and return to Trapani for dinner and overnight stay.
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Favignana FD and lunch in a restaurant
19.00 Return to the farmhouse
20.00 Dinner

Day 8

Riserva Naturale Orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco

After breakfast, depending on your flight schedule, we will visit the Riserva Naturale Orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco where, as in Marsala, the IGP Trapani Sea Salt is produced. Inside the reserve you can admire the typical scenery dotted with the structures of the historic mills and lose yourself in the nuances and glare of the light on the water. At the end of the visit our guests will reach the airport, while those who wish can continue their journey (on request) with our post-tour proposal.
Programme
08.00 Breakfast
09.30 Visit to the Riserva Naturale Orientata Saline di Trapani e Paceco
13.00 Airport transfer and end of services
en_GBEnglish (UK)