In Brief
| Giardini Naxos - 3 nights. Agrigento - 1 night. Monreale - 2 nights. Giardini Naxos - 1 night. |
Day 1 Fly from London Gatwick to Catania and transfer to the 4-star Sant Alphio Garden Hotel and Spa in Giardini Naxos close to Taormina for a three-night stay.
Day 2 Morning sightseeing in Taormina, a small picturesque town famous for its Greco-Roman theatre, includes the Palazzo Corvaja, Odeon and the attractive public gardens.
Day 3 A full-day excursion to Syracuse visits the island of Ortigia, its historic centre, a bustling mix of temples, churches and museums, including Arethusa’s Fountain and the cathedral. Later, visit the ancient archaeological area with its Greek Theatre, stone quarries and ‘Dionysus’s Ear’.
Day 4 Travel inland to Piazza Armerina to visit the Roman Villa del Casale, a former hunting lodge of an important Roman official, with its fine and extensive Roman mosaics. Continue to Agrigento, on the south coast, for a guided visit of the ‘Valley of the Temples’. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel della Valle.
Day 5 Visit the archaeological museum of Agrigento with its remarkable collection of Greek vases and the enormous ‘Telamon’. Continue to Cefalù, a small Medieval town situated on the coast, with its Norman cathedral and exceptional Byzantine mosaics, en route to Monreale for a two-night stay at the 4-star Hotel Guglielmo II.
Day 6Full-day sightseeing in Palermo, first settled in the 8th century BC includes the cathedral, the Palatine Chapel in the Norman palace, the Church of Martorana and San Cataldo; and Monreale with its Gothic cathedral, impressive mosaics and Benedictine cloister.
Day 7 Return to the Taormina area for overnight at the Hilton in Giardini Naxos, visiting Mount Etna en route, Europe’s largest active volcano and reaching a height of 1,900 metres by coach (extra charge for a 4-wheel drive mini-bus ride towards the summit). Dinner in Taormina.
Day 8 Transfer to Catania for the return flight to Gatwick.
Please click here for important Italy travel information.
