sellCasa Belvedere Rome & Sicily Magical Tour

Benvenuti a Roma! We are pleased to offer complimentary transfers from the Rome airport to your hotel at scheduled times. Your tour manager will be at the airport to greet you. There will be time to relax this afternoon before we enjoy an orientation with the tour manager to discover the highlights, followed “Welcome dinner” at our hotel or local restaurant (walking distance).
 

This morning, we travel ten-minutes to another country—Vatican City. With our expert local guide we’ll tour the Vatican Museums, a massive collection of ancient Greek sculptures, medieval tapestries and Renaissance paintings. Our visit culminates in the Sistine Chapel, renowned for its Renaissance art, especially the ceiling which was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512.
Next, we visit St. Peter’s Basilica, by far the largest church in the world. We’ll see Michelangelo’s Pietà, sculpted when he was just 24, as well as Bernini’s seven-story bronze canopy located above the main altar.
(Please note that the visit of St. Peter’s Basilica is subject to availability based on any events planned by the Pope
In the afternoon, all aboard our chariot for a panoramic tour of Imperial Rome including the Roman Forum, Largo Argentina (where Caesar was stabbed by Brutus), the Jewish Ghetto and the Circus Maximus. Then we’ll enter the Colosseum, reliving the brutal entertainment of the gladiators and the lions, refereed by the Emperor himself.
*Colosseum tickets subject to availability*

Today embark your flight to Sicily with arrival at Catania Airport. Upon arrival, be transferred to your hotel in Taormina. Check in and rest. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon at your leisure to explore or rest after your journey. Later on, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant within walking distance from your hotel before retiring for the night at your hotel.

AM: OPTIONAL COOKING CLASS IN TAORMINA
Enjoy one of two options on this morning. Either have a morning at your leisure to explore in Taormina or enjoy an optional morning cooking class. After breakfast, join Chef Massimo in Taormina, as he leads you through a guided market tour with the Chef Tour showcasing Sicily’s colorful foods. Visit the fruit and vegetable vendor to find out what is in season and the fishmonger to choose the best fresh catch of the day in Taormina’s historic fish market. Pick up the ingredients for your hands-on cooking class while learning about the local in-season products and Massimo’s family recipe and traditions. After the market tour, everyone returns to the kitchen and begins the cooking class, featuring Sicilian specialties. Each hands-on cooking class includes the preparation of a full Sicilian menu and typical Sicilian dessert. Lunch follows, featuring the foods prepared in class with local Sicilian wines and dessert (drinks included).
 

PM: The Best of Taormina city walking tour
Meet a local tour guide in the hotel’s lobby. You will go on a 2-hour walking tour of historic Taormina, which includes tickets to visit the Roman Greek Theater where you will view Remains of ancient Greco-Roman theater now used for entertainment events, with views of Mount Etna. Enjoy an exhilarating walk down the Corso Umberto with rows of shops, cafes & boutiques.
This afternoon is all yours! Why not stroll the medieval streets lined with interesting little shops, take a dip in the hotel pool, or treat yourself to one of Sicily’s greatest inventions – the cannoli! It’s like heaven in your mouth!

Experience one of the greatest and most beautiful tour destinations in Sicily, Mt Etna. This volcano is one of the world's largest and most active volcanoes and has been erupting for many years. This volcano has more than 400 craters, split all over the Catania county. To the ancient Greeks, Mt Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire, and the home of the one-eyed monster known as the Cyclops. Mt Etna is a World Heritage Site and from 6,000 feet you can enjoy the best views, as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on the ancient volcanic eruptions. The tour includes a visit with an inclusive wine tasting and light lunch focusing on Sicilian wines at a local winery.
Rest of the evening and dinner on your own

Enjoy a free day to explore in beautiful Taormina. Either explore on your own or just relax and enjoy the atmosphere of being in Italy!

Upon waking, prepare to travel from Taormina to Agrigento, which is about a 3 hour journey via motor coach. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch on your own before the exploring begins! Remarkable Agrigento is an historic delight, holding some of the largest and best-preserved ancient Greek buildings outside of Greece itself. Sicily’s star attraction, the Valley of the Temples, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Much of present-day Agrigento is modern, but the city has a number of medieval and Baroque buildings offering a taste of the Middle Ages. The impressive ruins and beautiful landscapes of Agrigento have long inspired poets, writers, and painters. Afterwards, enjoy dinner at your hotel later on in the evening.

After breakfast, depart to Siracusa, which is approximately 3 hours distance via motor coach. Enjoy a guided visit of Siracusa, the archaeological area that includes the famous Latomie of the Paradise and the Dyionisios “Ear”. Continue to the island of Ortigia, the small baroque old city center of Siracusa. Visit the Cathedral and the Arethuse fountain (OUTSIDE VISIT). (The stop in Siracusa includes a brief stop to visit the Commonwealth Cemeteries **according availability**. You will have some time to get lunch and explore on your own before departing to Palermo, which is approximately 2 hours by motor coach. Dinner at the hotel or local restaurant. Ovenight in Palermo.

After breakfast, meet the guide and start the PALERMO STREET FOOD WALKING TOUR.
Sample the best of Sicily’s street food during a 3- or 4-hour walking tour of Palermo. This small-group food tour, led by a local expert guide, explores the fascinating culinary world of Sicily’s capital. Visit the famous and bustling Vucciria and Mercato di Capo outdoor markets, tasting five different Sicilian treats along the way — including ‘panelle’ (chickpea fritters) and ‘arancine’ (deep-fried rice balls).
Pass major Palermo monuments during the tour, like the imposing Teatro Massimo, and round out your tour with some local sweet wine and a seasonal dessert. Get in line at neighborhood bakeries, cafes and street food stalls to try a variety of famous Sicilian street snacks. Munch on chickpea fritters called panelle and deep-fried balls of rice stuffed with meat, vegetables and cheese called arancine as you collect stamps in your foodie passport. Sip on a sweet Sicilian wine to wash down your fried treats, and then head for a seasonal dessert. You may indulge in Sicily’s famous cannoli (deep-fried pastry cylinders filled with sweetened ricotta cheese), some gelato or a refreshing granita (a fruity slushy).
Afternoon and evening at leisure.

After Breakfast at our hotel, this morning will be dedicated to a guided tour of the capital of Sicily, Palermo. A cosmopolitan city, where they live in harmony a mosaic of cultures which make the town a mystical and exotic at the same time.
Our tour begins in the center with a visit to the Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral of Palermo, the Quattro Canti.
We will move then to Monreale, for a visit of the famous Benedictine Abbey, dating from the 12th century, which houses beautiful mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testament.
Tonight enjoy a delicious Farewell dinner at the hotel or local restaurant and overnight at our hotel in Palermo.

Prepare to be transferred to Palermo airport from your hotel for your flight back home.
Grazie! (Thank you) for choosing Perillo Tours!