A Sicilian Odyssey

Tour begins: 6:30 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.

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.

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. Arrive late afternoon at your hotel.

This morning, travel to the 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 your hotel for a cooking demonstration and wine pairing, followed by dinner.

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.

Start your day with a guided visit of the Royal Palace; visit the Palatine Chapel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showcasing the multicultural influence of Sicily's origins. Dating back to the 9th century, many 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.

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.

This morning, set out for a 4x4 Range Rover adventure up Mount Etna for a brief hike on its moon-like lava surfaces. Following free time in Taormina, join us for a farewell reception and dinner tonight at the hotel.

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.