SPECTACULAR SICILY

After your flight lands at Falcone-Borsellino Airport (PMO), make your way to the hotel where our Local Insider – who will accompany you for the rest of the trip – will greet you and the rest of the group at 6pm. Enjoy welcome drinks – we recommend starting with an Aperol spritz – and get to know the group over dinner at a local restaurant, and perhaps even a couple more spritzes before bed.

The best way to explore any city’s history, but particularly an Italian city, is through its food. That’s why this morning we’ll combine a walking tour of Palermo – discovering its 2,700-year history, from Phoenicians to Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans – with the very best of Palermitan street food. Stroll through squares and street markets, learning about history, art, culture and cuisine. After lunch, you’ll have some free time to explore the gold-sand beaches around Palermo, before regrouping for an evening cookery class. Under the watchful eye of a knowledgeable chef, you’ll prepare authentic Sicilian dishes and end the lesson by feasting on your tasty creations.

Trade the city streets of Palermo for the rugged scenery of the Madonie mountains on a winding road trip inland. You’ll stop off en route to walk along a Roman trail lined with centuries-old oak and maple trees that were originally used by traders to transport goods to the coast. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a golden eagle. Next we’ll stop at Castelbuono, for a wine tasting and lunch in a traditional restaurant, before continuing to the coastal city of Cefalù, where you’ll check into your hotel. The rest of the day is to be spent at your leisure – don’t miss the Norman cathedral and the palace of Osterio Magno in Cefalù, before cooling off in the Mediterranean sea.

Today, hop on the hydrofoil ferry to the Aeolian islands, a group of 12 tiny land masses off the north coast of Sicily. First stop is the largest, Lipari, where a row of pastel-coloured buildings frame the picturesque harbour. Our Local Insider will guide you through the narrow alleyways of the historic centre, leading towards the stunning old cathedral. Our next island hop lands on Vulcano, a Unesco World Heritage site. As you can probably guess, the island is characterised by its volcanic features, from craters and calderas to black sand beaches, sprouting fumaroles and natural hot springs. After making the most of Vulcano’s many wonders, you’ll be swept across to Taormina – the location of The White Lotus season two – for the night.

After breakfast we’ll visit Sicily’s most famous site – Mount Etna. It’s one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, and Italy’s highest peak south of the Alps. We’ll take you on an exploration of this fiery behemoth, reaching heights of around 1,900m (6,234ft) on our tour, before heading down for lunch on one of the farms located on the fertile grounds of Etna itself. After lunch we’ll transfer back to Taormina for a walking tour of this beautiful hilltop coastal town, made famous by The White Lotus. Our tour ends with a visit to the famous Greek Theatre which, as a remarkably well-preserved ancient amphitheatre, perched perfectly atop a hill with stunning backdrops of the Sicilian coastline, is quite the sight. This evening you can either explore Taormina at your leisure or join an optional cooking class.

Today we head south to the timelessly beautiful Syracuse, where the old city walls drop directly into the azure waters of the Ionian Sea. We’ll meet our local guide in front of Syracuse market, where you’ll get to taste, smell and see the glories of Sicilian culinary tradition through the perspective of a local. Our walking tour also takes us to Ortigia, the tiny island attached to the city, where you’ll see historical monuments and end up at a gorgeous old Sicilian market, where you’ll learn to become an expert on choosing the finest ingredients on offer. The rest of your afternoon and evening in Syracuse is free to spend as you wish.

Our last full day in Italy will star some of the island’s hidden gems, which form part of the Val di Noto Unesco World Heritage site. Our first stop will be the inland hilltop city of Ragusa and its old town, Ibla. Sloping piazzas and views of the surrounding countryside make this a dreamy spot to stop for a coffee, while the stunning architecture peaks with the majestic Duomo di San Giorgio. Next up is lunch in Noto, imbued with a reddish-gold hue from its baroque buildings, and famed for having some of the world’s greatest gelato. Finally we head to Modica where, amongst the densely lined buildings, lives a rich history of fine chocolate making. After learning about the city’s ever-changing story over the centuries, and gorging on some chocolate along the way, we head to our hotel in Catania and get together for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. After breakfast you'll say a fond farewell to your new friends before returning home or continuing with your travels.