Discover Italy - Sicily, Calabria & Naples Tour 2026

Travel Day - September 20: DEPART USA

Bus to JFK Airport will depart from Wooster Street Travel office at 11:30 AM (sharp) by private deluxe motorcoach. Our flight with United Airlines to Palermo departs in the evening US time and arrives in Rome the following morning Italian time.

September 21: ARRIVAL IN PALERMO

Today we arrive in Palermo, collect our luggage, and meet our driver Rocco for our tour of Sicily. We'll stop in the Mondello Beach area of Palermo for lunch. Hotel check-in at 3pm.

Palermo is an excellent starting point for visiting Sicily, serving as its capital and a hub for culture, history, and food. Visitors can explore Arab-Norman architecture, vibrant markets, and experience a lively urban atmosphere. Be sure to see sights like the Palermo Cathedral and Norman Palace.

September 22: PALERMO / MONREALE

After breakfast, we meet our Local Guide and embark on an afternoon tour of this marvelous city. We will visit:

• Quattro Canti - splendid example of Spanish Baroque architecture
• Palace of the Normans and its superb Palatine Chapel
• The Cathedral
• Benedictine Abbey of Monreale - 12th century Cathedral with magnificent mosaics representing the Old and New Testament

The Romanesque Duomo is one of the finest Norman Cathedrals in Italy. Both cathedrals are dominated by colossal mosaic figures of the Byzantine Pantocratic Christ.

September 23: PALERMO / ERICE / MARSALA / PALERMO

After breakfast, we journey to ERICE, a medieval hilltop town, then continue to the sea town of Marsala, rediscovered in the eighteenth century by English merchant John Woodhouse and known for its sweet wines and salt mills.

We will visit a wine cellar and sample some Marsala during a special wine-tasting session. We'll drive along Trapani's coastline before returning to Palermo.

September 24: PALERMO / AGRIGENTO / SIRACUSA

After breakfast, we journey to our destination for the next 2 nights. Along the way we stop in Agrigento, famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples.

Joined by our Local Guide, we'll tour the Valley including:

• Temples of Castor, Pollus, Zeus, Concord, and Hercules
• Tomb of Theron and the Porta Aurea

After lunch (on your own), we continue to Siracusa, the city of Archimedes, the Greek mathematician, and the place where Plato taught!

September 25: SIRACUSA

Today we enjoy Siracusa with our Local Guide. Siracusa is the birthplace of mathematician Archimedes and once a powerful Greek port whose fleet was feared throughout the Mediterranean.

We will visit the Neapolis Archaeological Park (5th-century BC):

• Sparkling white Greek Theater
• Garden of Paradise
• Ear of Dionysus
• Altar of Hieron II
• Roman Amphitheater
• Cordmakers' Cave
• Ortigia Island with its beautiful Duomo and Baroque buildings

September 26: SIRACUSA / Day Trip to RAGUSA

After breakfast we depart for Ragusa, a hilltop city in southeast Sicily. Ragusa Ibla, the old town, is home to many baroque buildings, like the Duomo di San Giorgio, a grand church with paintings and stained-glass windows.

There are sweeping views from the Giardino Ibleo, a public park with churches and fountains. In Ragusa Superiore, the city's more modern part, is ornate Ragusa Cathedral, with a museum of religious art and relics.

September 27: SIRACUSA / CATANIA / TAORMINA

After breakfast, we depart for the beautiful town of Taormina. En route, we visit Catania, considered a major cultural, artistic and political hub with great shopping and people watching.

We'll be joined by a Local Guide for a brief walking tour of this beautiful city. You'll have free time to browse the boutiques or stop at a local café. Later that day, we arrive in Taormina and settle into our hotel for the next 3 nights.

September 28: TAORMINA - MOUNT ETNA

After breakfast, we'll be joined by our Local Guide to visit the splendor and magnificence of Mount Etna, one of the most active volcanoes in the world and believed to be the world's oldest active volcano.

The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain and the broad Plain of Catania to the south.

In the afternoon, our Local Guide will lead a walking tour of Taormina's charming city center which includes the Greek/Roman amphitheater, with its beautiful view of Giardini Naxos and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe.

September 29: TAORMINA - FREE DAY

FREE DAY to relax and enjoy the beautiful little town of Taormina. You can either enjoy the endless shopping or just lounge around at a local café sipping an espresso or cappuccino or indulging in Taorminian cuisine.

September 30: TAORMINA / CALABRIA - AMANTEA

After breakfast, we depart Taormina (located on a hill with views of the Calabrian coast across the sea). We travel to Amantea, a seaside town in Calabria, known for its historic hilltop old town and modern coastal area.

Key features include beaches, a long promenade, the 13th-century Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Church of San Bernardino da Siena, and medieval castle ruins.

October 1: AMANTEA CALABRIA - FREE DAY

After breakfast, feel free to walk to town or enjoy the beach. There are several unpretentious places to eat and drink around Amantea, mostly in the modern part of town.

The smartest place to dine is the Palazzo delle Clarisse, on the winding road that leads along the hillside out of the centro storico. The restaurant is set in an old convent on the steep slopes below the castle.

October 2: AMANTEA to MATERA / CASERTA

After breakfast, we depart Calabria en route to stop in Matera - Sassi Di Matera ("Stones of Matera"). Here, we'll be joined by our Local Guide and tour the ancient cave dwellings considered the first dwellings of ancient Italy.

After lunch (on your own), we continue traveling along the "Highway of the Sun" and explore some of the little towns and villages en route to our next 2 nights in Caserta.

October 3: Tour SANTA MARIA CAPUA VETERE

This morning we meet our Local Guide and explore Santa Maria Capua Vetere, a town in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy.

Enjoy an amazing guided tour to one of the most interesting towns:

• Explore ancient Capua
• Visit the Temple of Santa Maria Capua Vetere
• Gladiator Museum - the amphitheater where Spartacus performed
• Mitreum - temple of the cult of Mithras, one of the few preserved in the world

After this amazing tour, visit one of the most famous wineries and taste different local wines with traditional food.

Early Dinner - Wood oven PIZZA in Yolanda's hometown Santa Maria a Vico, with nice Espresso, Cappuccino and hot Sfogliatella!

October 4: DEPARTING NAPLES FOR USA

This morning, we bid "ARRIVEDERCI NAPOLI" as we transfer to Naples airport for our return flight home on United Airlines.

Departure from airport is in the morning (Italian time) and arrives same day (US Time) at EWR Newark. We should arrive back in North Haven exit 10 about 9:30pm.