Eastern Sicily Discovery Experience

Programme & Itinerary

8 Days / 7 Nights

 

DATES

 

DAY ONE – Sunday

 

Welcome to Sicily! Catania - Siracusa

 

• 11:00: Arrival and meet at Catania Airport in the Arrivals Hall
• Private transfer to reach Siracusa, the 2,700 year old town founded by the Greeks and the birthplace of famous mathematician and scholar Archimedes
• Extremely rich in history, Siracusa offers an amazing combination of Greek and Roman Amphitheatres and Catholic Basilicas
• Check in at our Hotel on the exclusive Ortigia Island, the original Siracusa, followed by leisure time in Ortigia Siracusa for shopping and relax admiring the beauty of this Greek settlement
• Evening at leisure and dinner in the heart of Ortigia Siracusa
• ACCOMMODATION for 2 NIGHTS:

• Grand Hotel Ortigia 5*****:  https://www.grandhotelortigia.it/en/homepage/

Dinner Included: A Putia di Giugio: a nice and cozy venue to start tasting Sicilian flavours. 7 minutes on foot from the Grand Hotel Ortigia. Meet at the restaurant at 19:00. Link: https://aputiadigiugio.it/

 

 

DAY TWO – Monday

 

Ortigia Market - Siracusa History & Sites - Art & Baroque - Ortigia

 

• 10:00: After breakfast, short transfer with your Host to meet your Guide for a guided visit of Siracusa’s Neapolis Archeological Park to discover its intriguing history
• Morning will continue as you explore the lively local morning markets of the island leading to lunch
• 12:00: Meet your Host at “Fratelli Burgio” for lunch, a spectacular tasting feast amongst the buzz and lively atmosphere of Ortigia’s Farmers’ Market, a truly special celebration of flavours!
• 13:15/13:30: Afternoon will feature a guided walk of Ortigia to discover its stunning Baroque architecture
• Evening at leisure and dinner arranged by Guests

 

• Grand Hotel Ortigia 5*****:  https://www.grandhotelortigia.it/en/homepage/

 

Recommended Dinner Reservation: Taverna Giudecca. Real Sicilian flavours and a lovely venue. 9 minutes on foot from the Gran Hotel Ortigia. Booked for 19:00. Link: https://www.antoniorizza.com/

 

 DAY THREE – Tuesday

 

Noto – Modica & Chocolate Tasting - Cheese Tasting - Ragusa

 

• 10:00/10:15: After breakfast, meet your Host in the lobby to reach the beautiful town of Noto, that will welcome us with its stunning Baroque architecture of its monumental sites on our guided walk
• Our journey through Baroque Sicily in its South-Eastern corner continues with the nearby town of Modica, renowned also for its excellent organic chocolate production

• Typical lunch either in Noto or in Modica
• After lunch, our destination will be the beautiful Baroque town of Ragusa

• Late afternoon at leisure in Ragusa and dinner in Ragusa arranged by Guests
• ACCOMMODATION for 2 NIGHTS:

 

• A.D. Boutique Hotel 4**** : https://www.1768iblahotel.it/en/

 

Recommended Dinner Reservation: That's a Moro. Traditional gourmet & art in a lovely venue. 2 minutes on foot from the Hotel. Booked for 19:00. Link: https://thatsamoro.it/?lang=en

 
 

 

DAY FOUR – Wednesday

 

Ragusa - Wine Tasting Vittoria – Ragusa

*Montalbano Sites*

 

• 10:30: After breakfast, a leisurely guided Walking Tour to explore Ragusa’s mythological aura and the beautiful architecture enjoying the stunning views that Ragusa offers
• Lunch in town will follow
• 16:00: This afternoon will feature an elegant Wine Tasting knowledgably paired with local delicacies at a famous winery in Vittoria, the famous Donnafugata Winery
• OPTION: For Guests familiar with the internationally critically-acclaimed Commissario Montalbano books and series, this afternoon may feature a tour of the sites where the author Camilleri places his fictitious Commissioner-Detective and that appear in the series, a beautiful excursion through the South-Eastern coast of Sicily and its stunning villages and towns
• Return to Ragusa for a leisurely evening and dinner arranged by Guests

 

• A.D. Boutique Hotel 4**** : https://www.1768iblahotel.it/en/

 

DAY FIVE – Thursday

 

Mount Etna Off-Roading Experience – Taormina

*Ferrari, Lamborghini & Maserati Option*

 

• 08:30/08:45: After an early breakfast, we check out and head towards an amazing day of discovery as we head towards the majestic heights of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna
• Our appointment is with our SUVs for a climbing, hiking and off-roading experience near the craters of Etna
• OPTION: sit behind the wheel of our Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati to enjoy an epic drive today to reach the summit! Convoy will be entirely controlled by our pace vehicle for pure enjoyment and peace of mind! (Quoted separately)
• We will take on a short hike along the ridges of the craters on Europe’s largest active volcano climbing as close as possible to the craters or in one of our Off Road vehicles
• Lunch will be at a nearby Refuge in a lovely spot
• After lunch, time to reach the famous town of Taormina for an afternoon and evening at leisure in this most famous location
• Check-in at our beautiful Hotel followed by an evening at leisure for a spot of people watching and dinner arranged by Guests along the Corso

 

• Hotel Splendid Taormina: https://www.splendidhoteltaormina.com/en/ 

 
 

 

DAY SIX – Friday

 

Taormina Experience - Greek Theatre – Italian Opera

 

• 10:00/10:30: After breakfast, meet your Guide in your Hotel lobby for a guided walk through Taormina’s fascinating Greek Theatre followed by lunch
• Afternoon at leisure leading up to an evening with a spot of Italian Opera at the lovely Nazarena Theatre staring at 21:15
• VIP ticket: early entrance at 20:30 with Welcome Drink and choice of seating
• Early dinner arranged by Guests
• The evening will feature the most beautiful arias and duetts from famous operas:
  • Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
  • Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni
  • Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
  • Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini

o   Norma by Vincenzo Bellini 

Hotel Splendid Taormina: https://www.splendidhoteltaormina.com/en/

Recommended Dinner Reservation: Ristorante and Pizzeria Tiramisu’ (19:30) or Arco Dei Capuccini (19:00): these venues are a few minutes from the Hotel and near the Nazarena Theatre (1 minute away) for this evening, Nice selection of food and very good. Links: https://tiramisutaormina.it/ & https://www.arcodeicappuccini.com/  

 

DAY SEVEN – Saturday

 

Culinary Masterclass & Taormina

 

• 10:00: Meet your Chef Host at Porta Messina (historical entrance to Taormina) to reach the local market to pick up fresh fish, vegetables and all ingredients for your morning Culinary Masterclass to explore the flavours and recipes of Sicily’s Eastern Coastline under his guidance!
• Sleeves up!...Today’s class will be unique, as your Hosts will guide through a hands-on preparation of the finest, yet simple, traditional Sicilian and fish dishes from the Mediterranean Sea …a tantalizing gastronomic experience!!
• Return to  Taormina for an evening at leisure in town and dinner arranged by Guests

Hotel Splendid Taormina: https://www.splendidhoteltaormina.com/en/

Recommended Dinner Reservation: Osteria Villa Zuccaro: along Corso Umberto in the heart of Taormina. Very nice restaurant for a romantic dinner booked for 19:00. Link: https://www.villazuccaro.com/en/osteria-villa-zuccaro/

 

 

DAY EIGHT – Sunday

 

Transfer to Catania Airport

 

• Transfer to Catania Airport…Arrivederci Sicily!!

 

 

Eastern Sicily Discovery Experience!

Elegance, History, Culture & Flavours of Eastern Sicily

History | Art | Culture | Cookery | Foodie

 

 

Highlights & What's included for

“Eastern Sicily Discovery Experience”

 

Eastern Sicily Discovery Experience (8 days/7 nights): €3500 Eur pp

• Guests: 2 to 7
• All Transfers included by Private Luxury Vehicles and Drivers
• Starting point: Catania Airport on Day One
• Ending point: Catania Airport on Day Eight
• Fully escorted by our Leader and Hosts
• Accommodation  5S & 4S  included (please note: the venues listed might be subject to change and proposal re-quoted)
  • 2  nights in the heart of Ortigai (Siracusa) Grand Hotel Ortigia 5*****:  https://www.grandhotelortigia.it/en/homepage/
  • 2 nights in Ragusa A.D. Boutique Hotel 4**** : https://www.1768iblahotel.it/en/ OR Itria Palace 4S  https://www.itriapalace.it/en/  OR  Palazzo San Giorgio 4S https://www.sangiorgiopalacehotel.it/en/
  • 3 nights in Taormina  Hotel Splendid Taormina 4S: https://www.splendidhoteltaormina.com/en/

OR NH Hotel Taormina 5S:  https://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-collection-taormina / 

OR Piccolo Giardino 4S

 

• Accommodation type:  Double or Single Room at Hotels, Luxury B&Bs and Special Venues.
• An exciting and unique journey of discovery through the very best of  Sicily
• Guided walks and Cultural Experiences arranged on a comfortable schedule and roll-out (private vehicle) with personal Guides
• Foodie Experiences as per the itinerary
• 1 Cookery Masterclasses in Taormina
• Meals as per the program with exclusive wines included: 7 Lunches & 1 Dinner. All restaurants and venues are highly selected and offer the most special Abruzzo1 & ItaliaSpeciale Experiences!

A word on Tipping

At Italia Speciale and Abruzzo1 our mission is to assure only the best experiences possible around Abruzzo and Italy through our highly selected network of Partners and Hosts, all committed to delivering the highest standards of knowledge and service to our guests. We do this by nature and soul, as proud as we are of our proposals and our people. Tips are never expected and always come as a nice bonus for our partners.

A token of gratitude. Ideally your Host should collect €95 eur in cash per guest on Day 3 to cover all tips that deserve to be shared among all Partners.

 

Leonardo De Flaviis || ItaliaSpeciale.com