Day 1: Arrive in Palermo, Italy
Check into your hotel. Spend the rest of your day exploring this great city. Tonight meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. Included meals: Breakfast
Day 2: Palermo
A full day to enjoy this busy and colorful city full of interesting squares and marketplaces, churches, and palazzos in every style—from Moorish to Baroque. Join the included sightseeing tour to learn more about the history and culture, and visit the magnificent Baroque St. Catherine Church. Later, maybe join an optional excursion to complete your day. Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3: Palermo-Erice-Trapani-Marsala.
Two Sicilian treats are on the agenda today. First, visit enchanting Trapani with a Local Guide. Set on a harbor that was once at the heart of a powerful trading network stretching from Carthage to Venice, the city center stretches along the port and was built primarily in baroque style. Next, visit the medieval hilltop town of Erice, reached by cable car. Situated about 2,500 feet above sea level, it immediately impresses with its defensive walls and castle, affording breathtaking views over the Gulf of Trapani and Egadi Islands. On clear days, see all the way to the African coast. Overnight in nearby Marsala. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: Marsala-Selinunte-Agrigento.
This morning spend some time on your own in Marsala, known for its celebrated aromatic wine. Then head towards Selinunte, one of the most striking and interesting sites in Sicily. Here, you will see the remains of the acropolis, with its temples and fortifications. Continue to Agrigento. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: Agrigento-Piazza Armerina-Taormina Area.
Guided visit of the spectacular Doric temple of Concord, and the temple of Juno Lacinia, archaeological jewels of the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento. On to Piazza Armerina, a maze of steep streets positively overflowing with the colorful atmosphere of Sicilian life. At nearby Casale, visit the well-preserved Roman villa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and famous for its mosaics, including the whimsical “Bikini Girls”. Included meals: Breakfast
Day 6: Taormina Area. Excursion to Mount Etna
Drive up the heights of Mount Etna with the option of a jeep or cable-car ride for a better view of Europe’s largest active volcano (subject to weather conditions). Descend to sun-kissed Taormina, magnificently situated on a 700-foot plateau overlooking the Ionian Sea. The heart of Taormina is Piazza Nove Aprile, a paved square with unrivaled views of the sea and Mount Etna. Take a stroll along the Corso Umberto, and maybe taste a refreshing granita or a sumptuous cannolo. Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Taormina Area-Cefalu-Palermo
Arrive in the coastal town of Cefalu with its medieval squares, streets, and churches. During your visit, see the Norman cathedral, a 12th- century fortress-like structure with elaborate Byzantine mosaics and soaring twin towers. Later return to Palermo. During your final day in this glorious city, catch up on some last-minute shopping or explore more of the city on your own. Included meals: Breakfast
Day 8: Palermo
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Prices shown exclude flights and transfers, call Cosmos to add flights
Cosmos brochure price in black from £1079
Travel 55 discount price in red from £1004
Telephone Cosmos on 0330 0588 237 and quote Travel 55 code TR55C