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Sicily Tour
Day 1: Arrival Catania
Transfer to the hotel.
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Day 2: Siracusa (Syracuse) (B,L)
Full day tour of the central Archaeological Park Neapolis comprises the Roman Amphitheater, the Teatro Greco and the Orecchio di Dionisio, a limestone cave shaped like a human ear. The Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi exhibits terracotta artifacts, Roman portraits and Old Testament scenes carved into white marble.
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Day 3: Piazza Armerina-Agrigento (Porto Empedocle)
Piazza Armerina, splendid art city woven into the heart of Sicily, boasts a slew of monuments that tell of its glorious past. The Villa Romana del Casale, UNESCO World Heritage originally the property of a powerful Roman family, it dates back to the 4th Century A.D.
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Day 4: Agrigento Full Day Tour
Agrigento is a hilltop city on Sicily's southwest shore. Founded in 581 B.C. by Greek, Rhodium-Cretan colonists, it become Akragas the following century, and was one of the most resplendent centers in the Mediterranean.
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Day 5: Selinunte-Mazara del Vallo
Selinunte is the largest archaeological site in Europe. On a par with pretty much anything found in Greece itself, Selinunte has lain abandoned for nearly 2,500 years, its numerous temples, its acropolis and its agora in dignified ruins.
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Day 6: Mazara del Vallo
Embark on a walking tour of Piazza della Repubblica, the city’s central piazza.
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Day 7: Mazara del Vallo – Segesta-Palermo
The Tempio di Segesta (Temple of Segesta) is perhaps the best-preserved Doric temple in the world, and the only freestanding limestone temple in Sicily.
This afternoon, a walking tour starting from the heart of Palermo, the Politeama Square with its magnificent theater built in 1874. We’ll walk down via Ruggiero Settimo, an elegant street with shops that runs through the city to the Central Station.
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Day 8: Palermo
Full day tour of Palermo, capital of Sicily. We start with a visit to the Regional Archaeological Museum Antonio Salinas. We will then walk down, the oldest street in Palermo, dating to the Phoenicians, passing thru the historic Vucciria market (La Vucciria).
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Day 9: Palermo – Cefalù – Messina
Drive to Cefalù, a coastal city in northern Sicily. We visit its’ Norman cathedral, a 12th-century fortress-like structure with elaborate Byzantine mosaics and soaring twin towers.
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Day 10: Messina – Taormina – Catania
We stop in Taormina, a hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily. It sits near Mount Etna, an active volcano with trails leading to the summit.
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Day 11: Catania: Excursion to Mount Etna
We enjoy a half day visit of Mt. Etna and lunch at a local farmhouse.
Return to Catania for overnight.
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Greece: Crete
Day 12: Arrival Athens
Transfer to the airport for flight to Athens.
Transfer to your hotel.
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Day 13: Fly to Heraklion
Visit El Greco museum in Fodele village, the archaeological museum in Heraklion and Knossos, the ancient capital of the great king Minos. Your guided tour will take you through the fantastic ruins of the ancient palace complex.
Visit Skalani and Karteros traditional villages.
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Day 14: Gortys – Festos – Rethymno
Drive to Gortys, an ancient Greek/Roman town where archaeologists found judicial laws pertaining marriage, inheritance, adoption, divorce, etc. dating to 500 B.C. written in the Cretan Doric language.
We drive westward to the beautiful town of Rethymno, one of the most historical and picturesque towns on Crete.
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Day 15: Rethymno – Arkadi – Chania
City tour of Rethymno and visit Rethymno fortress. Visit the historical Monastery of Arkadi. The Monastery is set in a spectacular scenic at the edge of a gorge and represents a symbol of freedom for the Cretans. Enjoy a city tour and visit the Archaeological Museum of Chania.
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Day 16: Chania – Seven villages excursion
You will visit traditional villages, taste original Cretan delicacies, view the beautiful nature of Crete and be introduced to the traditions of the island.
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Day 17: Fly to Athens & Depart
Transfer to airport.
