Insight - Sicily in Depth - With 6 Days Malta Option, Small Group (05/2024 - 10/2024) (SE8346ZN19)

13 Days From Catania to Valletta 
Tour Style: Regional Europe
Insight Brochure Price from $4,950.00
Brochures: Europe & Britain Premium 2023 v2, Europe & Britain Premium 2024 v1
Visits: Italy, Malta

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See every slice of Sicily and experience the heart of Malta during this 13-day guided tour. Take off to Paradise Quarry in Syracuse with a Local Expert, who will show you its Ear of Dionysius, an ear-shaped limestone grotto: call out to your fellow travelers here, and your voice may echo as many as 16 times. Visit the Palermo Cathedral, a blend of architecture styles that combine for a stunning sight. Sample fresh olive oil at a lunch made of local produce from a farm near Trapani. Travel to the quaint fishing town of Cefalu, where you will stroll to the Porta Marina for a picture-perfect view of the harbor. In Taormina, perched above the Ionian Sea, join a Local Expert at the city’s cliffside Greek theatre, from which you can see Mount Etna, the island’s active stratovolcano. Venture from your waterfront hotel in Sliema to the capital of Malta: In Valletta, you will meet a Local Expert who will guide you through the Fortress City, filled with golden-hued buildings and anchored by St. John's Cathedral. Later, in Mdina, join a Local Expert on a walk through the fortified Silent City, nicknamed for its peaceful atmosphere. Then, toast to an incredible journey during a final celebration dinner with your fellow travelers.
Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Palermo: Visit the spectacular Arab-Norman Monreale Cathedral. Its sombre exterior gives away few clues to the riches inside. Step into a world where the walls glitter with 12th century mosaics, the best of their kind in the world.
• Palermo: Join your Local Expert for a walk through the lively Vucciria market.

Well-being

• : Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxury, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with onboard washroom. Alternate vehicles without onboard washroom or 40 seats may be used on occasion. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.   ​
• : Experience enhanced hygiene protocols to align with the latest guidance following COVID-19.All Travel Directors, Well-Being Directors and Drivers have completed training in enhanced well-being and hygiene protocols.
• : We only work with establishments we are confident will consistently adhere to our high well-being standards, which include hotels, restaurants and sight-seeing venues.
• : Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Travel Director

• : "A type of food I really love introducing my guests to is the street food because it tells a lot about the habits of the locals, it can be a slice of pizza folded up or a sfogliatella in Naples, an arancini, a gelato in Sicily, or a cannolo. "
• : "I really love about showing guests the huge variety that Italy has to offer, from quaint countryside villages to cities full of stupendous art and architecture."
• : "One thing I really love about showing guests about Italy is how art and beauty can be found around every corner of some of Italy's cities, which are real open air museums."

Authentic Dining

• Catania: Join your Travel Director and fellow guests for your Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.
• Palermo: Choose between a variety of restaurants and cuisines on your Dine-Around Evening.
• Mdina: Toast to your trip with your fellow travellers and enjoy a Celebration Dinner at a wonderful local restaurant.
• Taormina: Your Farm-to-Table Celebration Dinner reflects some of Sicily's top culinary heritage.
• Sliema: Enjoy a Welcome Dinner with your fellow travellers at your luxury hotel in Sliema.
• Dining Summary: 6 Dinner with Wine (DW), 12 Breakfast (B), and 2 Lunch with Wine (LW)

Top Rated Highlights

• Syracuse: Walk through the gardens of Paradise Quarry, listen to the acoustics in the mysterious Ear of Dionysius and visit the Greek theatre.
• Ragusa: During your orientation with your Travel Director see the famous Baroque buildings and churches.
• Valletta: Explore the capital with your Local Expert. Visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens and get lost in its beautiful 16th century buildings including St John’s Co-Cathedral, designed in a baroque fashion.
• Agrigento: A Local Expert will lead you through the magnificent remains of the Greek colony in the Valley in the Temples. See the massive Temple of Concord and clifftop Temple of Juno.
• Palermo: Visit the spectacular Arab-Norman Monreale Cathedral. Its sombre exterior gives away few clues to the riches inside. Step into a world where the walls glitter with 12th century mosaics, the best of their kind in the world.
• Palermo: Join your Local Expert for a walk through the lively Vucciria market.
• Erice: Led by your Travel Director, explore the quiet alleys of this ancient walled town, as if you've stepped into the Middle Ages. See the medieval churches and marvel at the sea views from the gardens of the Castle of Venus.
• Mdina: Explore Mdina with a Local Expert in the late afternoon to explore this golden city. Known as the Silent City for its shady streets and peaceful atmosphere.
• Cefalu: Your Travel Director will show you the cathedral, built to fulfil a vow. Walk to the medieval stone fountain in the old fishermen's quarter, find the Gothic arch of the Porta Marina and see the harbour.
• Taormina: Should you awake early, you may see why this is known as 'The Dawn Coast of Europe.'
• Taormina: Visit the ancient Greek Ampitheatre with your Local Expert. Set on a cliff, open to the sky, take your seats and enjoy the view through the crumbling arches to Mount Etna.
• Taormina: During your orientation with your Travel Director, visit the courtyard of Palazzo Corvaja, seat of the first Sicilian parliament, and stroll along Corso Umberto to Piazza IX Aprile.

Insight Experiences

• Sliema: Visit the National War Museum, site of a former air raid shelter. Learn about the important role Malta played during WWII over a lecture by an historian.

Make Travel Matter

• Marsala: Enjoy a tasting of some of the island's richest Sicilian wines at Baglio Donna France. The estate uses sustainable farming practices, cultivates rare ancient grains and uses water management systems to reduce waste.

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Insight Tour Itinerary

Day 1	Welcome to Sicily
	On arrival at Catania airport, transfers leave for your hotel at 10:00, 12:30 and 15:30. Relax and settle in before meeting your Travel Director at 17:30, for a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant.
	Visits: Catania
	Meals: Dinner with Wine
Day 2	Ancient Syracuse
	Sightseeing with your Local Expert takes you to Syracuse’s Paradise Quarry with its unusual Ear of Dionysius, an ear-shaped grotto with an unusual echo. Continue to the superb Greek theatre, carved out of solid rock, one of the largest of the ancient world. There is time to explore the atmospheric Old City, a maze of narrow streets lined with palaces, sprawling over the island of Ortygia. It was here that the famous geometrician Archimedes ran naked through the streets, crying ‘Eureka!' Continue around the southeastern corner of Sicily to Ragusa.
	Visits: Catania, Ragusa
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Mediterraneo Palace, Ragusa.
Day 3	Explore the Valley of the Temples and on to Palermo
	Journey along the southern coast of the island, past the oil producing town of Gela to Agrigento. Explore the Valley of the Temples with a Local Expert. See the massive Temple of Concordia and the clifftop Temple of Juno overlooking the sea. Your travels continue to the Sicilian capital of Palermo.
	Visits: Ragusa, Agrigento, Palermo
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 4	Palermo & the Golden Age of the Normans
	Explore Palermo with Insight Choice. Choose to visit the spectacular Arab-Norman Monreale Cathedral with a Local Expert. Alternatively, join your Local Expert for a walk through the lively market. This afternoon, visit Palermo Cathedral which has been altered many times over the years and observe its unique blend of architectural styles. For your dining pleasure, you are offered a selection of local restaurants on your Dine-Around Evening, each with its own ambience and cuisine.
	Visits: Palermo
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Day 5	Exploring Erice
	Venture to the charming hilltop walled town of Erice and explore the labyrinth of quiet alleyways. Pause to enjoy the sea views from the gardens alongside the Castle of Venus. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience in the countryside near Marsala, during a tasting of rich Sicilian wines. The estate uses sustainable farming practices, cultivates rare ancient grains and uses water management systems to reduce waste. Back in Palermo the evening is at your leisure.
	Visits: Palermo, Erice, Marsala
	Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
Day 6	Cefalu and the Taormina Riviera
	Travel to the quaint fishing town of Cefalu. The town's imposing cathedral was erected to fulfil a vow made by the Norman King Roger II. Stroll down to the medieval stone fountain and seek out the Gothic arch of the Porta Marina for a picture-perfect view of the little harbour.
	Visits: Palermo, Cefalu, Taormina
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: RG Naxos Hotel, Taormina.
Day 7	Taormina and the Dawn Coast of Europe Relaxed Start
	Your hotel faces east, so early risers may experience why D.H. Lawrence christened this 'The Dawn Coast of Europe.' After breakfast, perhaps take an Optional Experience through the vineyards to Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano. Travel to the old town of Taormina, which clings to the side of Mount Tauro overlooking the Ionian Sea and the peak of Mount Etna. With your Local Expert, visit the Greek theatre set on a cliff and open to the sky. Take a moment to sit in this ancient theatre and absorb the view through the crumbling arches to Mount Etna. Stroll on to the tiny courtyard of the Palazzo Corvaja, Taormina’s grandest building and further along the elegant Corso Umberto, the Piazza IX Aprile offers panoramic views. At a local restaurant, rejoice with your new-found friends over your Celebration Dinner of delicious, freshly prepared Farm-to-Table cuisine, accompanied by exquisite Italian wines.
	Visits: Taormina
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: RG Naxos Hotel, Taormina.
Day 8	Fly from Catania to Malta
	During your private transfer to Catania airport, appreciate the vistas of Mount Etna one last time. Board your short flight to Malta where on arrival you are met and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax and settle into your hotel. Join your Travel Director at 18:30 for a Welcome Dinner with wine.
	Visits: Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Waterfront Hotel, Sliema.
Day 9	Southern Delights Relaxed Start
	Venture south to Valletta, Malta’s striking capital, with a Local Expert. Once here you’ll visit the Upper Barrakka Gardens and the impressive St. John's Cathedral, designed in a baroque fashion. Find yourself captivated by the abundance of history as you walk through the elegant streets to see why it is named The Fortress City with its restored golden-stone buildings that mould the cityscape. For lunch feast on delicious meal made from fresh local ingredients.This afternoon visit the National War Museum. Learn about Malta’s important role in WWII with a lecture from an historian.
	Visits: Sliema, Valletta, Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast, Lunch with Wine
	Accommodation: Waterfront Hotel, Sliema.
Day 10	Free time in Sliema Relaxed Start
	Today is free for you to laze on the rooftop terrace and enjoy the marvellous seascapes from the seafront hotel. Perhaps take a relaxing stroll along the promenade filled with many restaurants and bars. If you’re feeling more active, why not take an Optional Experience with lunch on Gozo Island? Calypso Cave, found on the island, is said to be the one Homer wrote about in his acclaimed epic poem, The Odyssey.
	Visits: Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Waterfront Hotel, Sliema.
Day 11	Sliema Free Day Relaxed Start
	Your day is at leisure.
	Visits: Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast
	Accommodation: Waterfront Hotel, Sliema.
Day 12	Mdina the Silent City
	Head to Mdina with a Local Expert in the late afternoon to explore this golden city, known also as the silent city for its shady streets and peaceful atmosphere. Enjoy a Celebration Dinner at a wonderful local restaurant where you’ll toast to your trip with your fellow travellers.
	Visits: Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
	Accommodation: Waterfront Hotel, Sliema.
Day 13	Depart Malta
	It’s time to say goodbye to this beautiful island and your fellow travellers, as a transfer takes you to Malta International Airport for your homeward journey.
	Visits: Sliema
	Meals: Breakfast

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Available Room Types: Single, Triple, Twin
Child: ages 5 to 17