9 days
The Unknown Sicily

Day 1: Palermo

Arrival at Palermo Airport, from which you will be transferred to the hotel. After check-in, enjoy a welcome cocktail, where you will meet your guide.

Dinner will be at the hotel.

After dinner, you will go on a panoramic tour of Palermo by Night. Return to the hotel and retire for the night.

Day 2: Erice & Marsala Wines

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Erice, a magnificent medieval city nestled in a picturesque setting that rests untouched apart from the days its guests spend visiting its ancient churches and rich historic city center.

Visit the Antique Convent Pastry Shop, in via Guarnotti, one of the most renowned Sicilian bakeries. There, enjoy a taste of the fine Erician pastries, first created within the convent walls, and as a special treat sample some of the characterisitic almond dough desserts filled with candied lemon. Afterwards, enjoy a guided walk down the narrow streets of the ancient town.

Next, transfer to Marsala, a city famous for the production of its namesake wine. Lunch will be on your own.

Check-in at the hotel for rest and relaxation. In the afternoon, attend the first cooking class, which will be held at Il Baglio Basile, an antique nautical beam from the end of the 1800s, recently restored, and set in the Marsala countryside. Before the start of the class, accompany the chef to the market to select ingredients and shop for groceries. The chef will demonstrate and explain the preparation of several typical Trapanese recipes, and guests will be guided through the preparation of the very dishes that they will have the pleasure of later savoring during dinner.

At the conclusion of the lesson, and before the meal, you will go on a brief visit to the Cantine Pellegrino for a tasting of Marsala Wines, conducted by an expert. Dinner at Il Baglio Basile: the menu will consist of the main courses highlighted during the afternoon's lesson. Return to the hotel and retire for the night.

Day 3: Agrigento, Piazza Armerina & Caltagirone

Breakfast at the hotel this morning. Depart for Agrigento for a guided visit of the extraordinary Valle dei Templi ("Valley of the Temples"), a masterpiece that stands testament to Greek art in Sicily. Afterwards, continue on to Piazza Armerina. Lunch on your own.

In the afternoon, enjoy a guided tour of the Villa Romana del Casale, built during the imperial age and famous for its precious Roman mosaics, which constitute some of the best conserved in the entire Mediterranean basin. Next, transfer to nearby Caltagirone, the Sicilian capital for ceramic artistry, and stop over at the wine cellars of the Antica Tenuta del Nanfro for a guided visit and tasting of typical vintages from the area: Nero d'Avola and the Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

Following the visit, you will register at the accomodations provided by the agriturismo, Valle dei Margi. The establishment is surrounded by a vast open territory dedicated to the cultivation of orange and lemon orchards. An authentic evening meal will be given at Agriturismo, whose exceptional kitchens showcase typical regional cuisine and local produce. Retire for the night.

Day 4: The Cuisine of Patrizia, Modica and Ragusa

Breakfast will be at the hotel this morning. Transfer to Eremo della Giubiliana, a hermitage in the province of Ragusa, for the second cooking class.
Lunch at the Hermitage, comprised of dishes prepared during the lesson.

In the afternoon, transfer to Modica, the ancient capital of Contea, a city full of fascinating architectural, artistic and scenic attractions, unique among those pertaining to the splendid Sicilian Baroque period. Take a guided stroll through the area and stop at the Antique Pastry Shop Bonajuto, where the Ruta family is famous for their chocolate. Afterwards, head toward Ragusa and stop in its old historic center, Dinner on your own and overnight stay in a nice and characteristic hotel of the town.