Four or five day flexible wine and food tour based in Palermo

At a glance

Trip Summary

On day one of your Essential Palermo tour you will be met by your English speaking, private driver at the airport in Palermo who will drive you to your hotel in the heart of the vibrant city of Palermo.   Once you have checked in you will have the afternoon to relax.  There are plenty of excellent bars and restaurants to choose from in the centre and the harbour is just a short walk from the hotel.

This evening you will join a small group of aspiring chefs in a relaxed environment to learn how to make pizza and gelato.  Guided by a Pizzaiolo, you’ll learn to stretch the dough and make the base ready for fresh toppings of tomato and mozzarella cheese.  You’ll  see how a traditional “sfincione palermitano” (Sicilian style pizza) is made. Literally translated as ‘thick sponge’  this version differs from the thin-based traditional Neapolitan pizza you might be used to.  Watch and learn as the Pizzaiolo shows you how to make the thick dough and, while your dough is resting there will be plenty of time to learn how to prepare your gelato and enjoy the wine tasting section of the evening.  There will be a selection of wines for you to sample before it’s time to create and cook your pizza.  Once everything is ready you’ll sit down for dinner and enjoy everything you have prepared.  A really fun and memorable way to spend your first evening in Palermo.

Day two of your Essential Palermo tour is a full day in Marsala.  After breakfast, you will meet your private driver in the lobby of the hotel and depart for Mozia, an ancient Phoenician city founded in the 8th century BC, situated on San Pantaleo Island.
You will join a shuttle boat to reach the small island and enjoy approximately 2-hours exploring this fascinating and beautiful place on foot. Take some time to explore the ancient Phoenician ruins and visit the museum which tells the story of how the island has been preserved since it was bought in the early 20th Century by the Englishman, Joseph Whitaker, keen ornithologist, and amateur archaeologist, who built his fortune thanks to the Marsala wine trade.  This is a visit you will never forget, a truly ancient and unique place.

The afternoon will be spent visiting the Marsala Salt Pans and you will also taste wines at the well known Cantine Florio Winery where you will enjoy a guided tour of the cellars and a tasting of three new Florio Marsala wines,  paired with small tasting dishes of local produce.

Your driver will return you to the hotel. Evening at leisure.

Day three of your tour is a day dedicated to exploring Palermo.  After breakfast at the hotel it will be time to discover the culinary side of Palermo. Two types of tour are possible – you can either join a small shared group walking tour or why not jump aboard a three wheeled ‘Moto Ape Car’ for a private tour.   You will visit the heart of Palermo’s traditional markets, where together with your official guide you will visit popular food places and dive into the flavours of colourful Palermo.  The tour will include stops at the most traditional markets such as U Capu and Ballarò where you will observe the Quattro Canti, an important meeting point of the main streets of the city, You will admire the most beautiful churches that dominate the city, the legacy of the Arab-Norman domination and be amazed by the beauty of the large Gothic-Catalan portico of the Cathedral.  During the tour there will be several stops for tasting authentic local delicacies such as cannoli, typical street foods and other specialties. The last part of the experience will be dedicated to visiting the Monastery of Santa Caterina, where you can taste the typical sweets which are still prepared according to the recipes of the nuns who have lived in the monastery for many years.

Spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Day four is departure day.  After breakfast check out from your hotel and meet your private driver for your transfer to Palermo airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.

On Day four of the five day version of the tour  you will spend an entire day with a private driver for a full day wine tour including lunch at a winery and the opportunity to visit the charming town of Monreale.

Meet your driver at the hotel at 9.30am for your full day tour (approx.6 hrs). Your first stop will be the beautiful Sallier de la Tour Winery, a Tasca d’Almerita Estate in the heart of the Monreale DOC. In addition to growing Syrah the estate also cultivates the native varieties; Grillo, Inzolia and Nero d’Avola and you will taste three different vintages of La Monaca wine.  Your second winery visit of the day will be at the delightful  Spadafora Estate where you will enjoy a private wine tour and tasting followed by a delicious lunch under the shade of the ficus tree. You will taste three wines with your three-course lunch and a visit to the cellar is also available. After lunch, your trip back to Palermo will be via the picturesque town of Monreale to enjoy some time at leisure and to view the fine mosaics in the great Norman cathedral, overlooking the coast.  Following the stop in Monreale your driver will return you to your hotel in Palermo.

Enjoy the rest of the evening and dinner in Palermo, at your own leisure.

Day five (5 day tour) is departure day.  After breakfast check out from your hotel and meet your private driver for your transfer to Palermo airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.

Package Prices

• These prices are per person and based on two people travelling together and sharing a twin or double room.
• These are realistic guide prices, based on travel in standard season (usually April to the end of October). Discounts often apply for travel out of season (usually November to the end of March) or if there are more than two of you travelling together. Please let us know your preferred travel dates for a definitive price.
• Although we propose specific hotels as part of our standard packages, we enjoy excellent relationships and preferential rates at the majority of the hotels in each of our featured destinations. Therefore if you would prefer to stay in a different hotel, this can be arranged. Please contact us for the relevant supplements/discounts.
• Other room grades are available at most of the hotels that we work with. Just let us know which hotel you prefer and we will send you the relevant supplements for the various room grades.
• Single supplements and extra night prices are available upon request.

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