Embracing English Only . 7 nights/8 days Land Only Escorted Tour April–October, 2020 from $1,689

Day 1, Friday, : Welcome to ! Proceed through passport control, retrieve your luggage & continue through customs to the arrivals hall. Our representative will be holding a sign with your last name and transfer you to the hotel. Upon arrival at the hotel, present your prepaid voucher. This afternoon, meet your tour guide at your hotel for a welcome dinner and briefing. This evening dinner and overnight in Palermo. (D)

Day 2, Saturday, Palermo – – – Palermo: This morning, before heading out, enjoy breakfast at your hotel. Then, depart for the town of Corleone, famous for being the birthplace of the Mafia, and more recently for being the place where the mafia is firmly fought against. First, you will participate in a cooking lesson where you will learn to prepare some of the most genuine and traditional Sicilian dishes. After the lesson, enjoy having your delicious preparations for lunch! Next, learn all about the Mafia during a lecture presented by one of our locals who will present a fascinating discussion on Mafia explaining its origins as well as the ways in which Corleone inhabitants have tried to eliminate organized crime. Overnight in Palermo (B, L).

Day 3, Sunday, Palermo – – Palermo: After breakfast at the hotel enjoy a morning tour of Palermo, a city full of character Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Visits will include: Quattro Canti - a splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture, the Norman Palace and its superb Palatine Chapel, and the cathedral. Next, off to Monreale to visit the stunning Benedictine Abbey of Monreale. Admire this 12th century cathedral, one of the world’s most beautiful monuments of Moorish architecture. It houses very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments. The remainder of the day is at leisure to relax or take an optional tour with your tour leader to the picturesque fishing village of Cefalu. This evening enjoy a festive dinner with a delectable cuisine in a trendy restaurant. This evening overnight and dinner in Palermo (B, D).

Day 4, Monday, Palermo – Marsala – Trapani – Palermo: This morning, once again, enjoy breakfast at the hotel and continue on to the sea town of Marsala, re-discovered in the 18th century by English merchant John Woodhouse and known for its sweet wines. Visit a wine cellar and get to sample some Marsala during a special wine tasting. Drive along Trapani’s coastline and stop for a special Sicilian lunch in a restaurant. Driving along the coast from Marsala towards Trapani, you’ll come to a place, where shimmering heaps of white crystals, red roofed windmills and contained ponds grow in the horizon. Return to Palermo. Tonight, dinner will be at a local restaurant and overnight at your hotel in Palermo (B, L, D).

Day 5, Tuesday, Palermo – Agrigento – Taormina: Before embarking on today’s tour, enjoy breakfast at the hotel. Then, depart for Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent valley of the temples, a UNESCO world heritage site. Enjoy a guided tour of the valley. Dating back to the 15th century, B.C. the poet Pindar described the site “as the most beautiful city built by mortal men”. The temples, all constructed within a century, face east, a standard criteria for both Greek and Roman temples as the statue of the god housed in each temple faced the rising sun. The Temple of Concordia (similar in design to the Parthenon in Athens) is in almost perfectly preserved condition. Your local guide will highlight the history and architecture of Concordia and of the other temples that are part of this archaeological treasure-trove. After visiting the Valley of the Temples, continue on to Taormina, where you arrive in the evening in time for an enjoyable and relaxing dinner at your hotel. Tonight dinner and overnight in Taormina (B, D).

Day 6, Wednesday, Taormina – Mt. Etna – Taormina: Once again, this morning, breakfast at the hotel and then head out on a morning walking tour of Taormina’s charming city center. Visit includes the Greek/Roman amphitheatre, with its spectacular view of the Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Next, enjoy an excursion to Mount Etna, up 1800 meters and visit the Sylvester Craters where you’ll have the best views, as you drive through the fertile slopes and villages that sit on ancient volcanic eruptions. On the way back to Taormina, you may take an optional “Godfather” tour featuring the authentic villages chosen by Francis Coppola in his Godfather movies. This is a good way to explore the real untouched Sicilian countryside, local lifestyle, and culture. This evening have dinner on your own in one of the many colorful restaurants of Taormina. Tonight dinner and overnight in Taormina (B).

Day 7, Thursday, Taormina – Syracuse – Taormina: Today, after breakfast, enjoy an excursion to Syracuse. A guided tour of this venerable city will take you to the Archaeological Park, the Greek Theater, the Latomia del Paradiso and the Cave of Dyonisius’ Ear. This evening, savor a special Sicilian dinner & wine at a restaurant serving typical regional cuisine. This evening overnight and enjoy your last dinner in Taormina (B, D).

Day 8, Friday, Taormina: Arrivederci! Today, before setting off, enjoy one more breakfast at the hotel, then private transfer to the Catania Airport for your return flight (B).

Reservations: 1.866.446.1897 www.ez-italy.com email: [email protected]

Embracing Sicily English Only . 7 nights/8 days Land Only Escorted Tour April–October, 2020 from $1,689

Departures on Select Fridays, April – September, 2020 All rates are per person in U.S. Dollars. (Except for July and August) Double $1,719 Single $ 2,199 Triple $1,689 * Round trip transfer to and from the airport * 7 nights in 4-star Hotels (4 in Palermo and 3 in Taormina) April 10, 24 * Daily breakfast * 2 lunches May 8, 22 * 5 dinners * ¼ Wine + ½ Mineral Water + Coffee or Cappuccino served with lunch June 5, 12 and dinner at hotels & restaurants * Deluxe motor coach transportation throughout September 4, 18, 25 * 1 Cooking Class & 1 Mafia lecture in Corleone * Document holder NOTE: City taxes to be paid locally at the end * English speaking tour escort throughout Of your stay up to Euro 5,00 per person per night. * Sightseeing tour as per itinerary * Local guides where necessary * Tasting of typical products * Excursion to Mt. Etna up to 1800 meters * Headsets during the tours * Hotel service charges and VAT taxes * Document holder

* Meals: B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner

Entrance fees to be paid locally/ approximately €83,00 per person

* ASK ABOUT OUR OPTIONAL AIRFARE FROM U.S.A.

Hotels or Similar:

Palermo: 4* Hotel Ai Cavalieri or 4* Hotel Principe di Villafranca Taormina: 4* Hotel Villa Dio D'Oro or 4* Hotel Caparena or 4* Hotel Excelsior Palace

Reservations: 1.866.446.1897 www.ez-italy.com email: [email protected]