The visit of the capital of Sicily will let you admire the most important monuments that made Palermo famous all over the world. The “Quattro Canti”, the “Fontana Pretoria”, better known as the “fountain of shame”, the Norman Cathedral and the Royal Palace embellish the historic center of Palermo.
The excursion will then take you to Monreale by minibus, a medieval city known for its Arab-Norman Cathedral, built in the 12th century and famous for its Byzantine walls covered with splendid gold mosaics inside (the mosaic cycle is the second largest on earth, after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul) and for the adjacent Benedictine cloister.

Rosalia is the patron of the city of Palermo. Her sanctuary is built on the cave where, according to the legend, the saint lived and died. From the viewpoint we will enjoy a wonderful view of the Conca d 'Oro that will help us understand why Goethe defined Monte Pellegrino as “the most beautiful promontory in the world”.

We will then go down the other side of the mountain to reach Mondello, a small fishing village that has become a seaside resort renowned for its white sand beach, for the Charleston beach property dating back to the early 1900s and the famous lemon granita.

Mount Etna, with its 3340 m / 12,000 feet above sea level, is the highest and largest active volcano in Europe. We will climb from the southern side until we reach the Sapienza refuge at 1926 m / 5.906 feet. There we will take a pleasant walk through the spectacular lunar landscape of the Silvestri Craters formed in 1892.
Free time for lunch NOT INCLUDED in a panoramic restaurant with limited drinks (optional).
After lunch we will reach the city of Taormina which is located on a plateau on Monte Tauro and dominates the Ionian coast.
A pleasant walk will lead us to the magnificent Greek theater and to Palazzo Corvaja (seat of the first Sicilian parliament in 1411); then continuing along Corso Umberto we will get to the delightful Belvedere, between the churches of S. Giuseppe, S. Agostino and the ancient gate of the clock, crossing which we will reach the Cathedral of S. Nicola, dating back to the XIII century. and the baroque fountain in front of it.
Free time for shopping.

In Piazza Armerina you will visit the splendid Villa Romana del Casale, a historic Roman residence which is famous for its splendid mosaics depicting scenes of everyday life of the time. After the visit we will move to Caltagirone, a town located near the plain of Catania, home of the baroque and famous for its ceramics: there you will visit, among others, the imposing staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, the Museum of ceramics and the historic city center. Free time for lunch NOT INCLUDED in a typical restaurant (optional).

We will leave early to reach the famous town of San Vito lo Capo, where we will begin a small cruise aboard a catamaran to the Zingaro Nature Reserve. Stop at the Zingaro Reserve, where you will visit its splendid coves and you will have the opportunity to swim.
A small refreshment/aperitif will be served on board.
At 1 pm return to the small port of San Vito. Free time until 4.30 pm to enjoy the splendid beach of San Vito - there you could taste the delicious Caldo Freddo (Hot and Cold) ice cream.

Visit of Agrigento and its beautiful Valley of the Temples, a splendid testimony of the importance of ancient Akragas in the Greek world. Walking along the valley we will admire one after the other the temples of Juno, Concordia and Hercules built during the fifth century BC and declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
Lunch upon request in a panoramic restaurant overlooking the Concordia temple (not included). Immediately after lunch, visit of the Archaeological Museum.

Once in Syracuse, the magnificent archaeological park created by the Greeks awaits you: there, through the ancient Greek theater, you will see the Ear of Dionysus, a rocky inlet dug by the tyrant Dionysius I, where prisoners were imprisoned. The name derives from the fact that the natural acoustics of the cave allowed the kidnappers to listen to the speeches of the prisoners, even if they spoke in a low voice; their speeches, of course, were then reported to Dionysus.
After visiting the park, we will move to Ortigia, the true heart of Syracuse, the historic center of the city studded with white buildings: there you will admire the Temple of Apollo, the Cathedral dedicated to Santa Lucia, the Arethusa fountain and the Maniace Castle.
Return to Palermo in the afternoon around 7 pm.
Lunch not included.

The visit will begin by passing through “Porta Terra”, one of the ancient city gates. Adjacent to the gate is the baroque church of Santa Maria della Catena, which incorporates part of the ancient walls. Continuing the walk through the medieval streets we will see the Osterio Magno, a fortified building probably of Norman origin, which seems to have been the residence of King Ruggero. From there we will reach Piazza Duomo where the imposing Norman Cathedral stands, dominating the entire town.
Wonderful mosaics adorn the interior: the attention is immediately drawn to the majestic image of Christ Pantocrator, one of the most spectacular examples of Byzantine mosaic in Sicily. Continuing along ``Via Vittorio`` we will see the ``medieval washhouse`` dug into the rock.

After a journey of about an hour and a half, you will arrive at the ancient city of Segesta, strategically built on an elevated floor probably between the 5th and 4th centuries BC. Here you will visit the fairly well preserved theater and the magnificent Doric temple dating back to the 5th century B.C. After about 40 minutes, you will arrive at the salt pans of Trapani, that today are a nature reserve. The landscape is characterized by mirrors of pink water, separated by small strips of land and dominated by windmills.
We will then go up to Monte San Giuliano to reach the medieval town of Erice. You will enter through the Porta Trapani, one of the three still existing gates, and you will admire the fourteenth-century church and the bell tower. A walk through the winding ``vanedde`` (narrow streets) of Erice is a unique experience: it will lead you to the Norman Castle, also called Venus Castle because it was built on the site of the ancient temple of Venus, from where you will enjoy a splendid view of Trapani, the west coast and the Egadi islands.
Upon request, lunch in a restaurant in the center of Erice (about 20 euros per person to be paid locally).