Sicily & The Aeolian Islands

Meet your Tour Manager at the airport today, ready to begin your
fantastic adventure in Sicily. After arriving in Palermo, transfer
to the heart of the city and the 4-star Centrale Palace, where we
enjoy our first dinner together.

On Day 2 we begin our explorations of historic
Palermo, starting with the intriguing 'Quattro Cante', or 4 Songs,
a beautiful baroque square with a fountain on each corner,
representing the 4 Spanish kings of Sicily. Meandering along the
shaded streets, visit the beautiful Palatine Chapel, and Palermo's
Cathedral, a wonderful example of Sicily's unique Arab-Norman
architecture. We continue to Capo Market, teeming with colourful
activity, for the opportunity to sample some of Palermo's best
street food, arancino - delightful fried balls of rice, crammed
with delicious fillings.

After free time for lunch and to explore the market, continue to
Monreale for a guided visit to the magnificent cathedral, famed for
its mosaics and multi-coloured marble. This evening we enjoy one of
our tour highlights, visiting the Palazzo Conte Federico near our
hotel for a drinks reception with one of Palermo's oldest families,
and the chance to discover a truly historic home that lies behind a
nondescript door in the heart of the city.

Please Note: For departure PSJ2004 you
will fly into Catania and then transfer to your hotel in
Palermo.

Leaving Palermo behind we board the train on Day
3 for an incredibly scenic journey, hugging the coast
overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea as we make our way to the port town
of Milazzo. In Milazzo, board the ferry for our journey to the
stunning Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago rising from cobalt
waters, these 7 UNESCO-protected islands are a piece of paradise
just waiting to be explored. We arrive in Lipari, and make the
short walk to the 4-star Hotel Tritone, where we spend 2 nights.
This evening, enjoy dinner in a local restaurant, operated for over
100 years by the Bernardi family.

We enjoy a morning at leisure in Lipari - perhaps lounge by the
pool, or explore the historic port town. This afternoon we continue
our Aeolian adventure, as we sail to the island of Panarea,
possibly the most elegant of the islands. After time to explore, we
continue to Stromboli, one of the most active volcanoes in the
world. The volcano, which is fringed by a black sand beach and
rises 8000 feet from the sea bed, is thought to have been erupting
almost continually for at least 2000 years, providing an
incredible, natural pyrotechnics show. We land on Stromboli and
enjoy dinner in a local restaurant, as well as time to wander
through the town. We return to the boat to witness the eruptions by
night, the most spectacular time to see the incredible fiery
outbursts (weather dependent).

Leave Lipari this morning, sailing back to the mainland port of
Milazzo and transferring by coach to Messina. Here, join the train
for a journey southward, this time flanked by the Ionian Sea, to
Taormina-Giardini station, a wonderful Art-Deco building featured
in The Godfather films. Make the short transfer to the stunning
clifftop town of Taormina, to the 4-star Hotel Ariston where we
spend the next 3 nights. This afternoon, learn more about
Taormina's ancient history on a guided walk, including the Greek
Theatre, as well as tasting one of the towns most delicious treats,
Canolo, a crisp pastry filled with sweet ricotta cheese.

Enjoy a full day at leisure in Taormina. Relax around the hotel
pool, drink in the stunning views from the hotel terrace, or
perhaps take a stroll through the delightful winding lanes and
myriad of shops. You could visit Bam Bar, a local institution, for
a 'granita', a refreshing sorbet usually served with brioche
bread.

Mount Etna is one of the most iconic Sicilian sights, and we
visit it today on a wonderful full-day excursion. Travel to the
Rifugio di Sapienza, located at an altitude of 1920 metres on the
slopes of Etna. From here, you can choose to relax and enjoy lunch,
take a walk to the nearby Silvestre Craters, or journey further
upwards by cable car or 4x4 (payable locally). We continue to
nearby Adrano, to join the Circumetnea Railway (Standard Class),
viewing this iconic volcano from a wonderful and different angle.
The unique soils of Mount Etna mean the slopes are an excellent
place to grow grapes for wine, which we discover as we visit the
Frank Cornelissen Winery this afternoon. We take a tour of the
winery and enjoy a tasting of 5 different wines before transferring
back to the hotel for a final dinner together.

Enjoy a morning at leisure, perhaps for some last minute
souvenir shopping, before we transfer back to Palermo airport for
our flight back to the UK.

*Please note: you will need to take your luggage to and from
the UK with you on your flights, rather than it travelling via our
luggage transfer service.

Please Note: For
departure PSJ2004 you will fly back home
from Catania.