Day 1: Arrival

You are met on arrival at Catania airport and transferred (45 mins) to your hotel in Syracuse for two night’s accommodation in one of the city’s finest hotels in the heart of the city. We include a welcome meeting and dinner with your tour director.

Day 2: Syracuse

Syracuse was founded by Greeks from Corinth in the 8th century BC, and became one of the most famous cities of ancient times, rivalling Athens in power and prestige. It is now a beautiful, honey-hued mix of ancient and historic buildings, and a World Heritage site which offers a unique testimony to the development of Mediterranean civilization over three millennia.

The nucleus of the city, both in ancient times and today, is the lovely island of Ortygia where we stroll through narrow, winding streets and small piazzas which effortlessly harmonise the city’s lively present with its distinguished past. On the nearby mainland we discover the wonderful archaeological park with its spectacular ancient theatre, massive altar of Hieron II, and vast stone quarries, and we explore Sicily’s finest archaeological museum named after Paolo Orsi, Sicily’s most famous archaeologist.

Day 3: Piazza Armerina & Morgantina

A treat is in store today as we leave Syracuse and head across to the island’s southern coast. En-route we find one of the world’s most stunning collections of in-situ Roman mosaics. They adorn the floors of room after room of an enormous 4th AD century villa and are simply breathtaking. This was no average Roman villa but more of a palatial complex at the centre of a large agricultural estate (latifundium). It is often regarded as the most impressive residence built in Italy since Nero’s Golden House in Rome. The owner’s identity remains uncertain but it may have belonged to the governor of Sicily or, some have argued, to the Emperor Maximian, who co-ruled the empire with Diocletian from 286-305 AD.

Nearby, we make sure not to miss the little gem of a site at Morgantina, a quiet spot in the hills tremendously evocative of the rich civic life of the ancient Greeks. The original settlement was in fact a pre-Greek native village of Early Iron Age date (c.850 BC) but by the 6th century BC it was affected increasingly by the Greek presence in Sicily and excavations here appear to show Greeks and natives living side by side in the urban structure.

We then continue to our hotel in Agrigento for the next two nights with dinner included.

Day 4: Agrigento

It can be said that Sicily has better Greek temples than Greece, and the most famous are those at the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. There were seven 5th century BC temples here, forming a sacred way along a ridge, and a highly visible statement of the power and wealth of the city. Collectively, the temples exemplify Greek architecture and are considered to be among the most extraordinary representations of Doric architecture in the world.

We have the whole day to explore it all, enjoying a guided walk along the sacred way and among the treasures of the site museum which houses numerous artistic masterpieces from the Agrigento excavations, including its centrepiece – the colossal telamon from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of the world’s largest ever temples.

Day 5: Selinunte and Mazara del Vallo

The ancient city of Selinunte enjoyed a long period of prosperity as a Greek city during the 6th and 5th centuries BC, followed by an interesting period of Punic occupation until the city was destroyed by the Romans around 250 BC. It is now one of Sicily’s most impressive and extensive archaeological sites, a dignified set of golden sandstone ruins in a beautiful setting overlooking the sea.

The ruins form a large archaeological park covering about 40 hectares, with two main excavated areas; the Acropolis with its surrounding defensive walls and grid plan of streets and buildings within, and the East Hill with its three massive temples.

After our guided visit and time for lunch on the seafront, we continue to nearby Mazara del Vallo, a fishing port with historic connections to North Africa and our base for the next two nights. Here we leave the evenings free for you to enjoy the excellent local restaurants within walking distance of our hotel, itself once one of the wineries for which this region is known.

Day 6: Motya & Marsala

It is rare to find good Phoenician sites and Motya is one of the best. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC, it grew into a chief Carthaginian stronghold until besieged by Dionysius I of Syracuse in 409 BC. Abandoned ever since, it is now preserved on a small island in a lagoon, accessible only by boat. The excavated settlement creates a memorable experience with a lovely walk around its sandy shores, peppered with ruins giving us a rare glimpse of life in a busy Punic town.

Nearby Marsala was founded when Motya was abandoned and is now a pleasant, historic town with a fine baroque centre. Its museum houses a rare Phoenician ship. The 18th century saw the first production here of the famous Marsala fortified wine.

Day 7: Segesta & Monreale

Leaving the south coast we head to Palermo, stopping en-route at two magnificent religious sites, one ancient and one medieval.

Segesta has a magical, remote, rural setting. It was a native Sicilian settlement surrounded by Greeks and Carthaginians, with whom it variously allied or clashed. Greek influence on the city is testified by one of the best preserved Greek temples in the world, and a spectacularly-sited theatre.

Closer to Palermo we find Monreale (literally ‘Royal Mountain’) where the wonderful Cathedral and cloister represent an unmatched 12th century ‘east meets west’ concentration of Arab, Norman and Byzantine art, the climax of the Sicilian Romanesque.

We then settle into our central hotel in the centre of Palermo for the last two nights.

Day 8: Palermo

A whole day to explore Sicily’s colourful, multi-cultural capital. Taking advantage of the multi-cultural influences of their new “Kingdom in the Sun”, the Normans transformed Palermo into one of the most splendid cities in Europe. The fusion of Latin, Byzantine and Arab influences is displayed to its full in the sumptuous Norman Palace of Palermo, where we visit its famous Palatine Chapel. We also visit “La Martorana” church and the splendid archaeological museum, and leave you time to wander through Palermo’s lively historic streets.

For our final evening together we include a farewell dinner in a local restaurant to celebrate our discoveries and the new friendships gained from our time together at the crossroads of the Mediterranean.

Day 9: Departures

You will be transferred from your hotel to Palermo airport for your flight home. There are also very good transport connections available from Palermo back to Catania airport by bus or train, and across to mainland Italy by ferry. Or why not stay longer in Sicily?