Eastern Sicily & the Five Senses 2026-27

Departure on scheduled ITA Airways flights to Catania – transfer to the city – street-food lunch at a restaurant - guided visit of Catania (Palazzo Biscari – exterior –, the Elephant Fountain and the Cathedral, Via Crociferi, the Town Hall – exterior –, Palazzo dei Chierici – exterior –, the Benedictine Monastery – exterior –, and the Pescheria, the ancient and colourful fish market) – transfer to the hotel in the Acireale/Catania area - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, a stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - transfer to Viagrande, a typical village on the slopes of Etna, for an immersive experience of the very highest level combining land, food and wine at the celebrated “Cantine Benanti” winery. - guided visit of the Monte Serra estate: the old pre-phylloxera vineyard of Nerello Mascalese, a native grape variety, the ancient palmento (traditional wine press) and the picture gallery - traditional cooking class: preparation of a complete menu – starter, first course, main course with side dish – inspired by the produce and traditions of Catania and Etna, respecting the seasonality of the ingredients - followed by lunch at the winery with a starter of cured meats, cheeses and local produce, the dishes prepared in the class and traditional desserts - wine tasting of the estate’s wines – in the afternoon, guided excursion on Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - ascent to 1,900 metres to discover the wonders and lunar landscape of the highest volcano in Europe - walk on the Silvestri Craters, small craters that are now extinct – N.B. anyone who prefers not to go up Etna for health reasons may wait in Viagrande - in the evening, return to the hotel – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure – tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Motta Camastra, a small village set into the rock within the Alcantara River Park - weather permitting, the chance of a nature walk (1 hour / 2 km) to see the “gurne”, small round lakes formed in the bed of the Alcantara river - continuing on, you can visit the gorges, up to 25 metres high and between 2 and 5 metres wide - in the historic centre, off the usual tourist routes and in close contact with the local community, we will be welcomed by the Mamme del Borgo, the village mothers, who will show us the secrets of an ancient village where life, deeply bound to tradition and in harmony with the land, still follows a slow rhythm that lends fullness and genuineness to an authentic way of living - traditional lunch with the Mamme del Borgo, who will prepare countless local dishes served informally in their own homes, where conviviality brings out timeless aromas and flavours - in the afternoon, guided visit of Taormina (the Greek theatre, the old Cathedral, the public gardens, the historic centre, Palazzo Corvaja, Corso Umberto with its artisan workshops and characteristic cafés displaying baskets of frutta martorana marzipan fruit, and Piazza IX Aprile with its breathtaking view) - in the evening, return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Syracuse – visit of the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a local guide (archaeological area: the Greek theatre, the Roman amphitheatre and the Ear of Dionysius - the island of Ortigia with the Cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa) – in the afternoon, guided visit of the splendid Baroque town of Noto (the capital of European Baroque and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its stunning cathedral, churches, monasteries and noble palaces, the Porta Nazionale and the Town Hall) – traditional lunch at a restaurant - in the evening, arrival in Ragusa or Modica - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Ragusa Ibla and Ragusa Alta, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which together make up one of the most original cities of art in eastern Sicily - Ragusa Ibla is the ancient heart of Ragusa, a late-Baroque jewel of evocative views and enchanting alleys; reborn on the layout of the original medieval town, Ibla is the setting for the imaginary “Vigata” of the writer Camilleri and the television series “Inspector Montalbano” – exterior visits of the Church of San Giorgio, Santa Maria dell’Itria, the Church of the Immacolata, the Purgatorio, San Giacomo and San Giuseppe – Ragusa Alta is the modern town, built from scratch on the nearby Patro plateau, where the 18th-century buildings found more room to breathe in a grid of spacious, symmetrical streets, and where we will visit the Cathedral of San Giovanni and, from the outside, the Church of the Collegio and the Bishop’s Palace - continuation to Modica – in the afternoon, guided visit of Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, another admirable treasure chest of Sicilian Baroque art, rebuilt on a hexagonal plan according to thoroughly Baroque aesthetic principles – exterior visits of Palazzo San Domenico, Santa Maria and the House of Salvatore Quasimodo – interior visit of the Cathedral of San Pietro, the rock-cut quarter of Sbalzo and the ‘corpo di terra’ quarter – finally, a visit to San Giorgio and a stop at a well-known pastry shop for a tasting of the famous Modica chocolate – traditional lunch at an osteria - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Modica by night: excursion by private coach with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – in the morning, visit of Donnafugata Castle, a sumptuous late 19th-century noble residence which, with its more than 100 rooms, its maze and the numerous artificial caves within its park, is one of the most evocative places in the whole province - walking through the rooms, which still contain the original furniture and furnishings of the period, is almost like stepping back into the past, into the age of the last “Leopards” (the castle was used in the television series as the home of the elderly mafia boss Balduccio Sinagra) - continuation to Punta Secca, home of the famous terrace of Inspector Montalbano’s house, overlooking the beach a few steps from the lighthouse - then a visit to the “Gli Aromi” farm, where we will follow a captivating multisensory trail through the estate, which over the years has become a point of reference for chefs, gourmets and lovers of good food throughout Italy thanks to the 200 species of aromatic and medicinal plants grown here - the trail winds through dozens of herbs, ornamental plants and medicinal plants chosen for their singularity: pineapple sage, stevia, lemon thyme, orange-scented geranium and bergamot mint are just some of the varieties you can get to know, smell, brush with your fingertips and in some cases taste, discovering surprising new and unexpected flavours - sensory lunch with tastings of local specialities - continuation to Scicli – in the afternoon, visit of Scicli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by hills that seem to protect it, which preserves its Baroque layout almost intact, with numerous palaces boasting splendid, richly carved balconies and fine doorways, and a succession of churches and oratories with beautiful façades full of statues and sculptures - the heart of the town is the wide, theatrical Piazza Italia, surrounded by beautiful 18th-century palaces, the mother church and the imposing limestone crag on which stands the ancient Church of San Matteo (Scicli is also home to Palazzo Iacono, alias the “Montelusa” police headquarters of Inspector Montalbano) – gourmet dinner featuring local specialities at I Banchi, the restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Ciccio Sultano - overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Palazzolo Acreide, set in the splendid scenery of the Hyblaean Mountains in the hinterland of Syracuse; this picturesque town opens up to the traveller like a treasure chest waiting to be discovered, a crossroads of civilisations distinguished by the singularity of its urban layout, rich in traces of different eras - listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this extraordinary place, steeped in history, brings to life all the charm of an ancient site well integrated with its more recent architecture (visit of the historic centre with the Baroque churches of San Sebastiano and San Paolo, Piazza del Popolo, the Torre dell’Orologio quarter and the magnificent façade of the Church of the SS. Annunziata) - continuation to Buccheri and arrival at the “Oro Rosso degli Iblei” farm, which specialises in growing saffron and where, in a convivial family atmosphere, we will learn to make cavatelli pasta - lunch of local specialities harmoniously enhanced by saffron - in the afternoon, visit of the picturesque village of Buscemi, where it is a pleasure to pause and admire the view which, beyond the ruins of the old medieval castle dominating the valley, stretches as far as the distant city of Ragusa – walking tour of the village (through silent alleys and little flights of steps you reach the beautiful Baroque façade of the mother church, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a splendid backdrop to the village’s main street, where the most significant monuments are found; Buscemi is famous as the “museum village” thanks to its fascinating museum project known as “I luoghi del lavoro contadino” – the places of rural work – an evocative ethno-anthropological trail dedicated to the local history of farming and crafts, housed in old houses and dammusi within the village) – return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure – tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, guided visit of Capo Passero, where the Mediterranean and Ionian Seas meet in an enchanting spot, one of the most evocative in Sicily – continuation to Marzamemi, visit of this characteristic seaside village, an enchanting fishing village of Arab origin - visit of the Tonnara of Marzamemi, historically the most important tuna fishery in eastern Sicily (the heart of the tonnara consists of Piazza Regina Margherita and the owner’s mansion; also on the square is the old sandstone church of the tonnara, while the Arab courtyard and the fishermen’s cottages are still visible) - we will then visit an artisan workshop producing tuna bottarga, tuna in oil and salted anchovies, still using traditional methods today - fish-based lunch at a typical tavern - continuation to Catania airport – departure on scheduled ITA Airways flights for the journey home.