Grand Sicily Culinary and Cultural Expedition!

Upon arrival at the Catania Airport, you will meet your private driver for the group, as well as your fellow travelers. Enjoy a picturesque transfer to your hotel, Castello di San Marco, which you will enjoy for six nights. This evening, you will meet your full-time host for a delicious welcome dinner at the hotel restaurant, Il Giardino di Pietra. (D)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

Enjoy a vibrant guided visit to the city of Catania, its market, and fish markets to learn the secrets of today's catch with local guide, Peppe. Enjoy free time for lunch in the center of Catania, perhaps grabbing a bite under the awnings as the fishermen noisily hawk their wares. In the afternoon, enjoy shopping and exploring Catania at your leisure. Afterward, you will be driven back to the hotel before dinner at a wonderful beachside restaurant, Blue Ice, which is just a short walk from the Castello. (B,D)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

Today, you will be transferred to the north-western side of Mount Etna, deep in the heart of the Sicilian Island. You will first visit an olive oil mill to learn the secrets of producing quality olive oil, and, guided by a tasting expert, enjoy tasting a selection of organic olive oil by the farm. After that, guided by your professional chef, you will learn how to make some of the best traditional Sicilian street food specialties, while sipping a glass of wine and enjoying an appetizer. This is a great opportunity to discover connections between recipes and Sicilian history and culture. You will then enjoy what you have prepared including dessert. In the afternoon, say goodbye to your new friends as your next stop is a winery on the south-western slopes of Mount Etna. Visit Terra Costantino Winery to try their wonderful wines made from Nerello Mascalese (red) and Carricante (white) grapes from the volcanic slopes. Enjoy tasting the wines with local specialties, to better understand the adage, 'what grows together, goes together.' After dinner at the winery, you will be driven back to the hotel. (B, L, D)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

With your host, drive up the slopes of Etna to Motta Camastra, a small Medieval hamlet at the foot of Etna, used as the setting of Don Corleone's funeral scene in the film "The Godfather." Visit the village with local ladies to learn their stories, and then stop at the village's ancient mill before your Sicilian cooking lesson in a private home. Cooking together in a friendly environment, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor as you all sit down to a bountiful lunch paired with local wines. In the afternoon, you will visit a family-run farm in Calatabiano and learn from Tino how homemade limoncello and fruit jams are made. You will end the day enjoying typical Sicilian cold cuts and cheeses at the farm before driving back to the hotel. (B, L, D)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

Meet your host in the lobby and return to the beachside restaurant, Blue Ice, for a private pizza baking lesson. Today, you will enjoy a hands-on cooking class where you'll learn the proper way to create true Sicilian pizza, from the dough to the toppings. Your class concludes with ample samples of your hard work, washed down with local beer and wine! Take time to relax back at the hotel before your private shuttle and host will take you to see the breathtaking city of Taormina, perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. Taormina is a jewel of the Sicilian coast, where you and your local guide, Peppe, can explore the rambling alleys, its Greek theatre, historic churches, and antique shops, and then find a place for dinner on your own before returning to the hotel. (B, L)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

Your first excursion today includes a visit to Avola, a charming town in southeastern Sicily, renowned for its rich culinary heritage. Avola is famous for its production of Nero d'Avola wine, one of Sicily's most celebrated red wines, as well as its almond-based sweets. At the Almond Museum, learn more about the almond, its properties, its uses, and its role in some of the best Sicilian pastries. You will then see and taste this local treat. Afterward, the marvelous city of Noto awaits you - a UNESCO heritage site where, according to legend, Hercules stayed after completing his seventh task. Rebuilt in the early 18th century after a devasting earthquake, Noto's streets are lined with grand palaces, churches, and elegant buildings crafted from golden-hued limestone. Take a moment to immerse yourself in its rich history and enchanting beauty that epitomizes Sicilian baroque art and architecture. After Noto, there will be free time for lunch on the beautiful island of Ortigia in Siracusa. After lunch your tour leader will take you to the heart of ancient Syracuse and its bridge-linked island, Ortigia. You will learn about the Greek Temple of Apollo, as well as the Byzantine, Norman, Medieval, Baroque and Neoclassical influences that make up the museum-like center of the historic city that was once one of the greatest ports of trade in the world. The tour continues through historic Ortigia with its lovely markets and other worldly underground city below it. With a network of streets, caverns and tombs the catacombs and crypts offer a captivating perspective on the early Christian population that lived here. Try some Sicilian treats at a traditional pastry shop before concluding your visit with a tour of the Archaeological Park of the Neapolis where you'll experience a Greek Theatre, Roman Amphitheatre, Hieron's Altar, Latomie, and Ear of Dionysius. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner among new friends. (B, D)

Start your day off right with a delicious Sicilian breakfast buffet to energize you for the adventures ahead. Savor fresh fruits, juices, coffee, yogurts, breads and pastries, charcuterie, as well as cooked items.

After a lovely week in Sicily, it's time to take the private shuttle back to the Catania airport for your departure. Buon viaggio! (B)