Throughout the centuries, Sicilian-style cooking has been strongly influenced by conquerors, kingdoms and many different cultures (Spanish, Greek and Arab) resulting in a delicious blend of styles and flavors found nowhere else in Italy. Unique, fresh with powerful flavors, it’s a fact that Sicilian cooking is widely known as one of the premier cuisines in all of Italy. This exclusive ten-day journey delves into the history and cuisine of Sicily. Meet with artisans and chefs to explore Sicilian cooking, from olive farmers and cheesemakers to Michelin-starred chefs. Soak in the long history of the region, from Baroque architecture to ancient ruins. Meet with traditional cheese and chocolate makers, seafood merchants, vintners, olive farmers and other artisans to sample every aspect of traditional Sicilian cooking. Learn from professional chefs how the region’s best cooks are pushing the boundaries of their cuisine while staying true to its core.
Welcome to Sicily! Arrival at Palermo airport and meet your driver. Private transfer to an ancient Masseria in the Palermo area. Welcome cocktail and dinner. Meals: B, D
Breakfast with Sicilian products. Depart for Monreale and visit the Norman Cathedral, named also the golden Bible, and the Cloister of the Benedict Monastery. Enjoy Lunch in a local restaurant. Return to the Masseria for a cooking class. There is no better way to learn how to cook Sicilian food than by taking a cooking class from someone who knows the local food and wines. The Chef will guide you through each course explaining the tradition behind each dish and its importance to Sicilian cuisine. The dishes are based on the more historically important Sicilian recipes, focusing on pasta, fresh fish or meat, vegetable dishes and delectable sweets. Dinner and Overnight. Meals: B, L, D
Breakfast with Sicilian products. Full day in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, to visit its most important treasures of the city! First, a short city tour then, visits of the Norman Palace and its Palatine Chapel with the splendid mosaics of Byzantine tradition and the Christ Pantocrator, the Arab-Norman Cathedral. We will stroll in one of the famous city markets. This is a great way to experience Palermo’s culture and meet with local people. You will be able to see (and taste!) many of Palermo’s street food specialties and experience many of Palermo’s artistic and architectural points of interest. This will be an unusual tasting of Palermitani Food. Return to Masseria in the late afternoon. Meals: B, L, D
Early Breakfast and check out from your accommodation. Travel to the magnificent valley of temples in Agrigento, an exceptional historic testimony to Magna Graecia’s presence in this area, as well as to subsequent epochs. Sicily also caters for lovers of gourmet dining, and the 2018 edition of the Michelin Guide includes 14 Sicilian restaurants. Ristorante La Madia in Licata is one of the famous 2 Michelin Star restaurants where we will stop for an unforgettable lunch. We continue to a wonderful Masseria in the Ragusa area. Dinner and Overnight. Meals: B, L, D
After breakfast, travel to Modica designated a UNESCO site with other towns in the Val di Noto, renowned for its exceptional Baroque architecture. While the town is ancient, an earthquake in 1693 allowed the construction of many structures in flamboyant Sicilian Baroque style. Visit Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, the oldest chocolate manufacturer in Sicily. The family-run shop creates its chocolate using a traditional Aztec method first introduced in the 1500s. After a tasting, lunch will be served in a local restaurant where we will be able to enjoy the famous Scacce Ragusane. In the afternoon, we will meet the chef, who will explain the secrets of Sicilian pastry, by learning how to prepare the famous “Cannoli Siciliani”. Return to the Masseria. Meals: B, L
Breakfast with Sicilian products. We depart for Ragusa part of the Unesco World Heritage list since 2002. Ragusa consists of two separate centres: the picturesque Ragusa Ibla (the older town) and Ragusa Superiore built in Baroque style. A long stairway of 250 steps links the two areas. We continue to Chiaramonte Gulfi for a private visit to Villa Fegotto. The tour starts from the manor house, whose first floor – with no less than 18 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms – was where the nobility lived. The ground floor holds the first rooms connected with Fegotto’s agricultural production, such as the olive oil mill, with its late 1940s Breda Pignone – Sacmo machinery and presses, as well as various rooms which have been restored to their original architectural and decorative glory. After lunch return to Masseria. Dinner and Overnight. Meals: B, L, D
After Breakfast departure for Syracuse. Visit the impressive Greek theater at the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis. The amphitheater, built in the fifth century B.C. and the largest of its kind, could seat over 16,000 people and be used to stage the works of playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides. We also visit the special island of Ortigia. The group will visit a lush orange garden in Catania for “citrus lunch” before arriving in Taormina. Dinner at leisure and Overnight. Meals: B, L
Breakfast in the hotel. In late the morning, we will visit a donkey farm which will include a tasting. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided walking visit of the pearl of Sicily: Taormina. Upon arrival, the first stop is the Greek-Roman Theatre from where we can admire an amazing view of the Etna Volcano and the Taormina Bay. Walking along the main street named Corso Umberto we will visit Palazzo Corvaja, the Church of Santa Caterina and that of San Pancrazio, the Naumachie, the Palazzo dei Duchi di Santo Stefano. Dinner in a local restaurant on the main “Corso”. Meals: B, D
Morning visit to Mt Etna the biggest active volcano in Europe included since 2013 in the UNESCO List. Mt. Etna is an iconic site encompassing 19,237 uninhabited hectares. The eruptive history of the volcano can be traced back 500,000 years and at least 2,700 years of activity has been documented. The diverse and accessible range of volcanic features such as summit craters, cinder cones, lava flows and the Valle del Bove depression have made the site a prime destination for research and education. Mt. Etna is also one of the most exciting wine destinations in the world. At the slopes, we will visit Barone di Villagrande, a boutique winery set at an altitude of 700mt above sea level. The vineyards dominated by the estate slope down towards the sea into a natural amphitheatre. After a tour of the winery, we will enjoy a typical countryside lunch including their D.O.C. wines. Return to Taormina for your farewell Dinner. Meals: B, L, D
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Catania Airport. Meals: B
