SICILY & AEOLIAN ISLANDS

• 2-night accommodation in Palermo in a unique 4* hotel category, in a superior room.
• 2-night accommodation in Catania in a unique 4* hotel category, in a superior room.
• 3-night accommodation in Lipari in a unique 4* hotel category, in a superior room.
• 1-night accommodation in Taormina in a unique 4* hotel category, in a superior room.
• Visit of Monreale, Palermo, Cefalù, Historic Center of Catania, Etna.
• Unaccompanied excursion to the Aeolian Islands that includes:
• 1 group excursion by boat, without a guide, from Lipari to Salina or Volcano.
• 1 group excursion by boat, without a guide, from Panarea to Stromboli.
• Roundtrip ferry to Milazzo / Lipari.
• Local guides or audio guides when necessary.
• All necessary transfers as mentioned in this itinerary.
• Entrance fees to the Aeolian Islands.
• 24/7 Emergency phone line.
• Daily breakfast, 3 lunches & 1 dinner.

DAY 1

Upon your arrival in Palermo, the capital of Sicily, one of our vehicles will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you comfortably and quickly to your hotel. The rest of the day will be free to relax and begin enjoying Palermo at your own pace.

In the evening, we have included dinner at your hotel.

DAY 2

After a tasty breakfast you will visit Monreale, a beautiful city with its imposing Arab-Norman Cathedral, which is thought to be of Arab origin. The city was built by the Norman King William II, being one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe and its Cloister, square, a masterpiece of 228 columns with different decoration.

The tour continues to Palermo, the capital of Sicily, where Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards passed through, where gastronomy plays a key role in the daily life of its inhabitants. It preserves monuments from the Arab-Norman period such as the beautiful Cathedral, a World Heritage Site and also with Nordic and Arab elements in its architecture, the Chiesa della Martorana, with Byzantine, Norman, and Baroque elements and a place where some nuns invented “the Martorana fruit. “, some sweets made of almond flour and sugar in the shape of fruits and the Palatine Chapel, located inside the Palace of the Normans and one of the best-known churches in Sicily, dedicated to Saint Peter, the first Pope of the Christian church. During the tour, we will make a stop at a historic focacceria to enjoy a pleasant gastronomic surprise.

After our tour, you will have dinner and accommodation in Palermo.

DAY 3

After a rich breakfast, you will leave for Cefalu, a small and beautiful fishing village, famous for its Norman cathedral, its medieval old town, its archaeological museum, and its gastronomy loaded with seafood. You will stroll through the charming streets of the center and you will have the possibility of visiting the famous Mandralisca Museum that exhibits one of the most beautiful and mysterious portraits of Antonello Da Messina, the portrait of the “Unknown Man”, whose enigmatic smile seems to have inspired the Mona Lisa of Leonardo da Vinci.

Then you will continue to Catania, a city that was not lucky in terms of the countless invasions in the course of history, but that was able to find a balance in the beauty of its historical center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Once in Catania, you will walk through the historical center passing through the old fish market in Plaza Alonso de Benedetto until reaching the Plaza del Duomo with the Cathedral of Santa Agata, rebuilt after the earthquake in 1693, and then the fountain with a stone elephant holding an obelisk on his back (symbol of the city). We will make a stop at a very cozy bar where you will taste the typical sweet granita with brioche.

After this amazing tour, accommodation in Catania.

DAY 4

After a delicious breakfast, you will make a quick visit to the historic fish market. Then you will go to visit Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will arrive at the Sapienza Refuge at 1,800 meters of altitude where we will visit the extinguished craters or, “Crateri Silvestri”. The beauty of this place is based on the fact that for centuries the volcano has created a place where nature, culture, and history have come together to give rise to a unique place in the world.

Then you will visit a beekeeping company, exactly a honey extraction laboratory, you will taste artisan honey and typical products of the area.

At the end you will continue to Taormina, to discover the romantic streets of the city or to visit the famous Greco-Roman Theater, a typical postcard image of Taormina, we will marvel at its architecture and the panoramic view with Etna in the background. The theater was built in Hellenistic times and was almost entirely rebuilt in the times of Roman rule when the venue was used for gladiatorial fighting. Currently, the Taormina Film Festival is held here.

The day will end with panoramic views of the splendid Cyclops Riviera.

After the tour has finished, you will return to your hotel in Catania.

DAY 5

After a delicious breakfast, you will have free time to enjoy the center of Catania at your own pace, a city that was not fortunate in terms of the countless invasions in the course of history, but that was able to find balance in the beauty of its historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Late in the morning, you will be transferred to the port of Milazzo to embark on a ferry to your next destination, the island of Lipari, capital of the Aeolian Islands and the largest and most populated. After your arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel and the rest of the day is free to discover the surroundings of your accommodation at your own pace. Lipari is famous for its obsidian and pumice quarries and the city is made up of two bays separated by the acropolis, where the cathedral and the castle are located.

In the evening, we have included dinner at your hotel. 

DAY 6

After a rich breakfast, you will visit the most incredible coves of Lipari and the green island of Salina. After seeing the Castle of Lipari and the bay of Monte Rosa and Canneto, at the port, you will get on a boat to your first stop on the way, Santa Marina di Salina where you will visit the most important town on the island.

Then you will go to the eastern side of the island to contemplate the Malvasia crops, the town of Capo Faro and the town of Malfa. We will stop for a swim in the surprising bay of Pollara, a crater with views of the sea, black sand beaches and carmomid mountain by lava, and also famous for the film of The postman and Pablo Neruda.

Back to Lipari, you will be able to contemplate the beautiful Lipari caves and take a last swim in Vinci beach, opposite the Faraglioni, two rocks located in the southern part of Lipari, between Lipari and Vulcano.

In the afternoon, you will return to your hotel in Lipari to have dinner.

DAY 7

After a delicious breakfast, you will leave for the port of Lipari for a full day boat trip to Panarea and Stromboli. Our first stop, still in Lipari, will be a brief visit to the pumice caves, then we will continue to the island of Panarea, the smallest of the Aeolians, you will visit the Cave of Lovers and the ancient prehistoric town (14th century BC. ) of Cabo Milazzese, which preserves the plant of 23 cabins, most of them oval and paved with stone.

Then you will have free time for lunch (included) and then continue with the boat to the island of Stromboli, the Mediterranean lighthouse, through the small islands that surround it and discovering from the sea the town of Ginostra, the other town of Stromboli. You will have free time in Stomboli to walk at your own pace, where you can see its extensive black sand beaches and if you move away from the coast, you can wander in its white streets and enjoy the peace that is breathed on the island.

At the end of the tour you will return to your hotel in Lipari.

DAY 8

After a pleasant breakfast, you will move to the port of Lipari to get on a ferry to Milazzo and from there move to Taormina and enjoy an unforgettable day off in this city, one of the most beautiful areas of Sicily, where you will walk along the narrow alleys full of jewelers and elegant shops that retain all their medieval fascination or enjoy its gastronomy.

We suggest you visiting Bella Island, one of the most beautiful beaches, known as the “Pearl of the Mediterranean”, a quiet beach protected from currents by a natural bay and the mountains, and one of the best places for snorkeling and diving in Sicily.

You will then check in at your hotel in Taormina and enjoy a lovely dinner. 

DAY 9

After a delicious breakfast we will be transfer to Catania airport.

After spending some fantastic days with Greca, we hope to see you again to enjoy some wonderful moments that will remain forever in your memory.

Have a good trip! Or as you say: “Buon Viaggio!”