Adventure and History
Traveling to Sicily without a guide can be intimidating. The mythology of the island’s passions, along with the reality of its closed, insular culture, can make it hard to get below the surface of tourist travel. Going to Sicily alone can make you feel like you’re standing on top of a large mountain of culture and food that was buried beneath you. Let us reveal Sicily’s food culture! Come, join us, for a unique, educational, and entertaining experience that you won’t soon forget.
This tour is six days and focuses on the eastern side of island of Sicily. We start in Siracusa and end in Linguaglossa at the foot of Mount Etna.
Eastern Sicily, 2025
LOCATION - Sicily
DATES -April 28 - May 3, 2025
10 spots remiaining
$7,800 per person
Who?
The trip is designed for experienced travelers with a passion for traditionally-made foods. Due to Sicily’s general location, you can expect many fresh seafood dishes during this adventure. If you have any other food allergies, please let your guide know upon registration.
We keep our groups small, only 10 to 12 guests traveling with an experienced host from Zingerman’s, plus our English-speaking Italian guide, Gioacchino Passalacqua, from Attavola. Guests should anticipate walking 1-3 miles throughout a day and be prepared for steep steps, often without handrails, and uneven cobblestone streets. (It’s part of Sicily’s charm!) We will have guided walking tours of some of the cities we visit, and, we build in time for our guests to explore on their own. The more curious and open-minded you, are the more you’ll enjoy your experience.
What’s Included?
Hotel accommodations for five nights.
All breakfasts, some lunches, and dinners. We will visit excellent, traditional Sicilian restaurants, and at our meals together you will enjoy a fixed menu of local specialties made from fresh, in-season ingredients, and a local wine pairing.
Behind the scenes visits to incredible, small-scale Sicilian food makers. We will visit a hundred-year-old chocolate maker in Modica and a producer of fabulous wines and olive oil.
A guided excursion to the storied Mount Etna.
A Zingerman’s tour host and our English-speaking guide, Gioacchino, will be at your disposal at all times.
Transportation by air conditioned private bus for the entire tour.
What’s Not Included?
Airfare
Airport transfers
Alcoholic beverages (other than beverages with dinner or when they are specifically included in the itinerary)
Personal spending money
A few meals
What about accommodations?
We’ve chosen clean, comfortable, conveniently located hotels. All have private washrooms.
Sample Itinerary*
DAY 1: Siracusa
April 28
Arrive at the airport in Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport.
Upon arrival to the hotel, relax, unpack, and explore Siracusa before the official start of the tour with a lovely dinner in Siracusa to get to know each other and learn what’s in store for the next few days.
DAY 2: Siracusa
April 29
We will start the day with a guided walking tour of Siracusa where we will learn about the city's long and fascinating history from its founding by the Greeks. In the afternoon we’ll have lunch. The city is yours for the evening as you find dinner on your own (we have recommendations, of course!)
DAY 3: Siracusa, Modica
April 30
This morning we leave Siracusa for nearby Modica. Where we will visit the artisanal chocolate producer Anitca Dolceria Bonajuto. They will show us how they make their chocolates while we, of course, get to sample their many products. Then we will go to a nearby restaurant for traditional chocolate lunch (one of our favorite meals on our Sicily tours.) On returning to Siracusa you will have free time. The city is yours for the evening as you find dinner on your own (we have recommendations, of course). Tonight we pack for Linguaglossa.
DAY 4: Taormina, Linguaglossa
May 1
After breakfast, we’ll travel north along the coast with views of the Mediterranean to the east and Mount Etna to west. We will stop in Taormina, an ancient city founded by the greeks and remnants of Roman, Norman, and Arab rule, where you have time to walk the city and grab lunch. Then we will head to our hotel an check in. Afterward we will visit a nearby olive oil and wine producer followed by free time at the hotel to rest or enjoy the spa. Dinner tonight will be at the hotel.
DAY 5: Linguaglossa, MOUNT ETNA
May 2
We are leaving early this morning for an excursion to Mount Etna. In this part of Sicily Mount Etna always seems to be on the horizon. One of the world's most active volcanoes, its eruptions have created fertile volcanic soils around the base which support extensive agriculture. Vineyards, orchards, and vegetable fields spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and across the broad Plain of Catania to the south. In Greek mythology, Zeus trapped the titan Typhon under Etna and it is also said to be the location of the forges of Hephaestus. You will have free time once we return to the hotel before we meet to enjoy a lovely farewell meal together.
Day 6:
Linguaglossa
May 3
This morning we bid you farewell and Buon Viaggio!. Some of us will be heading home and others have more to explore before they reach home. Ciao!
*This itinerary is a SAMPLE and things may change. We will make every effort to provide the tours and experiences that are described above. However, the nature of the places we’ll be visiting, not typical tourist destinations, means that plans may change.
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