EASTERN SICILY - THE 5 SENSES 2026-27

DAY 1: ROME > CATANIA – AEOLIAN ISLANDS km.145
Departure for Catania on scheduled Ita Airways flights - upon arrival transfer to Milazzo - boarding on the hydrofoil and departure for Lipari - check-in at the hotel – dinner at the hotel – free evening - tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 2: LIPARI & SALINA TOUR “myth and passion”
Breakfast at the hotel - full-day motorboat excursion - after leaving Lipari Castle, Monte Rosa and Canneto behind, first stop at the pumice quarries for an optional swim – we will sail along Acquacalda towards Salina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - stop at Marina di Salina and visit of the village –we will continue along the eastern side of the island with a second stop in the wonderful Bay of Pollara, made famous by Troisi’s film “Il Postino” - afterwards light lunch with wine tasting at Cantine Fenech, where Malvasia delle Lipari DOC is produced, accompanied by typical local tastings - stop at Lingua, where it will be possible to see the Salt Lake - on the way back, visit of the caves of Lipari and final stop at Vinci in front of the Faraglioni sea stacks – return to Lipari in the evening - dinner at the hotel – free evening – tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 3: AEOLIAN ISLANDS - VULCANO “black beaches and mud baths”
Breakfast at the hotel - full-day motorboat excursion - the tour around the UNESCO World Heritage Site will begin along Vulcanello, where the lava has created striking shapes - the Valley of the la Monsters, the Faraglioni sea stacks, the Grotta degli Angeli, and the Black Sands bay famous for its very long volcanic sand beach – we will continue to the Grotta del Cavallo and the Venus Pool - end of the tour at Porto di Levante – we will stroll through the little village with the possibility of bathing in the warm mud pool – typical lunch in a restaurant - free time for individual activities – tour leader at guest’s disposal - return to the hotel in the evening - dinner at the hotel – free evening - tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 4: LIPARI – MILAZZO – ETNA “the Volcano” & VIAGRANDE “Cooking Class & Wine Tasting” – CATANIA km.230
Breakfast at the hotel – transfer by hydrofoil to Milazzo - transfer to the area of Viagrande, a typical village on the slopes of Mount Etna, to enjoy at the highest level an engaging experience of land, food and wine at the renowned Benanti wineries - guided tour of the Monte Serra estate: the ancient pre-phylloxera vineyard of Nerello Mascalese, a native grape variety, the old Palmento and the picture gallery - tasting of the estate’s wines – in the afternoon guided excursion on Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – we will ascent to 1,900 metres to discover the wonders and lunar landscape of Europe’s highest volcano – we will walk on the Silvestri Craters, now small inactive craters – Please Note: guests who do not wish to go up the Mount Etna for health reasons may wait in Viagrande - in the evening accommodation at the hotel in Acireale or Catania – dinner at the hotel - free evening – tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 5: TAORMINA “a unique town” & ALCANTARA RIVER PARK “hidden trails” km.120
Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Motta Camastra, a small village set in the rock within the Alcantara River Park - weather permitting, possibility of a walk in the nature (duration 1 hou /2 km.) to visit the “gurne”, small round lakes formed in the bed of the Alcantara River - it will also be possible to visit the gorges, up to 25 metres high and from 2 to 5 metres wide - in the historic centre, away from the usual tourist routes and in close contact with the local community, we will be welcomed by the Mamme del Borgo (the mothers of the village), who will reveal the secrets of an ancient village, where life, still deeply tied to tradition and in harmony with the land, is marked by a slow pace that gives fullness and authenticity to everyday life - typical lunch with the Mamme del Borgo, who will prepare countless local dishes served informally in their homes, where conviviality enhances timeless aromas and flavours - in the afternoon guided visit of Taormina (the Greek Theatre, the ancient Cathedral, public gardens, historic centre, Palazzo Corvaja, Corso Umberto with craft shops and characteristic cafés displaying baskets of marzipan fruit, IX Aprile square with its breathtaking view) – free time for shopping - return to the hotel in the evening - dinner at the hotel – free evening – tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 6: SYRACUSE “the Greek city” & NOTO “where Baroque is the protagonist” km.180
Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Syracuse – guided visit of the UNESCO World Heritage Site (archaeological area: Greek Theatre, Roman Amphitheatre, Ear of Dionysius - Ortigia Island with the Cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa) – in the afternoon guided visit of the splendid baroque town of Noto (the capital of European Baroque and UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its magnificent cathedral, churches, monasteries and aristocratic palaces, Porta Nazionale and Town Hall) – lunch in a typical restaurant - in the evening arrival in Ragusa or Modica - dinner at the hotel – free evening – tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 7: RAGUSA IBLA – RAGUSA ALTA – MODICA km.30
Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning guided visit of Ragusa Ibla and Ragusa Alta, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which together form one of the most original art cities in Eastern Sicily - Ragusa Ibla is the ancient heart of Ragusa, a late-Baroque jewel made of evocative views and enchanting little streets; rebuilt on the structure of the original medieval village, Ibla is the setting for the imaginary “Vigata” created by writer Camilleri and for the television series “Inspector Montalbano” – external visits of the Church of St. George, Santa Maria dell’Itria, the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Purgatory Church, San Giacomo and San Giuseppe – Ragusa Alta is the modern town, built from scratch on the nearby Patro plain, where the 18th-century buildings found wider space within a grid of broad, symmetrical streets, and where we will visit the Cathedral of San Giovanni and, from the outside, the Church of the Collegio and the Bishop’s Palace - continuation to Modica – in the afternoon guided visit of Modica UNESCO World Heritage Site, another marvellous treasure chest of Sicilian Baroque art, rebuilt on a hexagonal plan according to fully Baroque aesthetic criteria – external visits of Palazzo San Domenico, Santa Maria and the house of Salvatore Quasimodo – internal visit of the Cathedral of San Pietro, the cave district of Sbalzo and the ‘corpo di terra’ quarter – finally visit of San Giorgio and stop at a renowned pastry shop to taste the famous Modica chocolate – typical lunch in a traditional osteria - dinner at the hotel - after dinner Modica by night, excursion by private coach with tour leader – overnight stay.

DAY 8: DONNAFUGATA – PUNTA SECCA – SCICLI & THE LOCATIONS OF MONTALBANO km.90
Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – in the morning visit of Donnafugata Castle, a sumptuous late-19th-century noble residence which, with its more than 100 rooms, labyrinth and numerous artificial caves located within the park, is one of the most evocative places in the entire province – when visiting the rooms that still preserve the original furnishings and furniture of the period, it almost feels like stepping back in time, into the era of the last “Gattopardi” (the castle was used in the TV series as the home of the elderly mafia boss Balduccio Sinagra)  - continuation to Punta Secca, where the famous terrace of Inspector Montalbano’s house overlooks the beach just a few steps from the lighthouse - then visit of the “Gli Aromi” farm, where we will follow an engaging multisensory itinerary within the estate, which over the years has become a point of reference for chefs and lovers of fine food throughout Italy thanks to the 200 species of aromatic and medicinal plants cultivated there - the route winds through dozens of aromas, ornamental plants and medicinal herbs chosen for their uniqueness: pineapple sage, stevia, lemon thyme, orange geranium and bergamot mint are just some of the varieties that can be discovered, smelled, touched and in some cases tasted, revealing surprisingly new and unexpected flavours - sensory lunch with tastings of local specialties – in the afternoon continuation to Scicli UNESCO World Heritage Site, surrounded by hills that seem to protect it. It preservs almost entirely its Baroque layout, with numerous palaces featuring splendid richly carved balconies and fine portals, and several churches and oratories with beautiful façades rich in statues and sculptures - the heart of the town is the broad and scenic Piazza Italia, surrounded by beautiful 18th-century palaces, the mother church and the imposing limestone cliff on which the ancient Church of St. Matthew stands (Scicli is also home to Palazzo Iacono, alias the “Montelusa” police headquarters in Inspector Montalbano) – gourmet dinner in a restaurant with local specialties at I Banchi di Ciccio Sultano, a Michelin-starred chef - overnight stay.

DAY 9: BUCCHERI - PALAZZOLO ACREIDE “a UNESCO jewel” km.90
Breakfast at the hotel – departure to Buccheri and arrival at the “Oro Rosso degli Iblei” farm, specialized in the cultivation of saffron, where in a warm and convivial setting we will learn how to make cavatelli  - lunch of local specialties harmoniously enhanced by saffron - afterwards guided visit of Palazzolo Acreide, set in the splendid scenery of the Iblei Mountains, in the hinterland of Syracuse; this picturesque town opens up to the traveller like a treasure chest waiting to be discovered and a crossroads of civilizations, distinguished by the singularity of its urban layout, rich in traces from different eras - listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this extraordinary place steeped in history conveys all the fascination of an ancient site well integrated with more recent architecture (visit of the historic town centre with the Baroque churches of San Sebastiano and San Paolo, Piazza del Popolo, the Clock Tower district and the sumptuous façade of the Church of the Santissima Annunziata) - return to the hotel -  dinner at the hotel – free evening – tour leader at guest’s disposal – overnight stay.

DAY 10: MODICA – CAPO PASSERO – MARZAMEMI “the tuna fishery”– CATANIA > ROME km.180
Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning guided visit of Capo Passero, where the Mediterranean Sea and the Ionian Sea meet in an enchanting corner, one of the most evocative in Sicily – continuation to Marzamemi, visit of the characteristic fishing village, a charming fishing hamlet of Arab origin - visit of the Marzamemi tuna fishery, historically the most important in eastern Sicily (the core of the tuna fishery consists of Piazza Regina Margherita and the owner’s palace; also on the square are the old church, built in sandstone, the Arab courtyard and the fishermen’s little houses) - then visit of an artisan workshop where bottarga, olive oil tuna and salted anchovies are still produced today using traditional methods - fish lunch in a typical tavern restaurant - continuation to Catania airport – departure on scheduled Ita Airways flights for the return journey.

Please Note: The scheduled visits may be rearranged between the various days depending on museum opening hours or technical requirements, but the programme remains unchanged.