WESTERN SICILY PEARLS OF CIVILIZATIONS SOUTHERN ITALY - Sicily's known and hidden places

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea and fascinates visitors for its landscapes and its millenary history, thanks to the indelible marks left by the Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Arabian, Norman and Spanish civilizations.

This tour will take you to discover the sicilian eighteenth-century cities, its villages rich in tradition, well-preserved archaeological sites and impressive landscapes.

Once at the airport, our guides will pick you up to start our tour from the town of Segesta, where we will be impressed 
by the breathtaking beauty of the Doric temple of Segesta set in the archaeological park.

We continue to the picturesque medieval town of Erice, which is located in a magnificent position at 800 m above sea level. It is not surprising that, due to its strategic position, Erice has been occupied by many civilizations. From the Greeks and Carthaginians to the Romans and the Arabs, and finally to the Normans. We enjoy some free time to explore the narrow streets of the city on foot, and we will taste the famous desserts on one of the panoramic terraces at sunset.

We head west to Marsala, the city of the famous wine and we will reach the tourist port where a short boat ride will take us to the island of Mozia, an interesting archaeological site in western Sicily, between Trapani and Marsala. The site was once an important phoenician colony of Carthage with a small museum and numerous sites to be visited. We will admire the famous Charioteer of Mozia statue, which is a marble statue dating back to the classical period of ancient Greece.

The western part of Sicily is fascinating for the landscape of the salt pans of Trapani.

We move now to Selinunte, one of the largest Greek archaeological sites in Sicily.
The park is located south-west of the island and includes Greek temples, ancient city walls, remains of residential and commercial buildings, rural paths and areas still to be excavated. We will relax in a small fishing village, where you can also decide to have lunch and swim on the beautiful beach overlooking the Acropolis.

Driving back up north, our next stop is the Cretto di Burri: an artwork which is a memorial of the earthquake of 15 January 1968 that destroyed the little town of Gibellina.

The sicilian main city Palermo is now waiting for us!
A city that is “always on the move” and worthy of being called the capital thanks to its millenary history since the times of Arab domination.

With a local expert guide we will immerge ourselves on a walking tour of Palermo historic downtown, visiting some of the most iconic monuments of the city, including the Royal Palace where the oldest Parliament in Europe is located, the famous Chapel Palatina, the Martorana Church, Santa Caterina and Casa Professa, the Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria, and Piazza Marina. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to taste Palermo street food specialties.

A short transfer will take us to admire Monreale cathedral, extraordinary masterpiece considered the largest example of Norman architecture in the world. Inside, a huge area is covered with shining golden mosaics, which present an interesting combination of Norman, Byzantine and Islamic art created in the most glorious period of Sicily.

Our last stop is the fascinating Cefalù.
We start visiting the magnificent Norman cathedral of Cefalù, place where we can find beautiful Byzantine mosaics and the restored 12th century cloister. We will stroll through the winding medieval streets of the historic centre and visit the Arab wash house of Cefalù and stop for lunch near the picturesque harbour.

To end our tour in a very special way we suggest to spend some days in a beautiful private villa on the coast or return to Palermo to take our flight back.

For the ones who want, it is also possible to add to this tour a couple of days to admire the Valle dei Templi and the town of Piazza Armerina.