Discover Sicily, White Lotus Style

Itinerary

1. Day 1 Arrival in Taormina

   Taormina is the most famous destination in Sicily, hosting actors and actresses in an atmosphere of glamor, luxury, and seaside relaxation. We recommend visiting the fascinating Greek theater, nestled in a splendid location with spectacular views of scenic beaches and the snow-capped volcanic Mt. Etna. Then take time for a walk among the picturesque medieval streets and go shopping for local handicrafts, which include coral, lace, ceramics, and sweets.

   Upon arrival at Catania Fontanarossa Airport, your driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall to take you directly to Taormina, a 40 minute drive.

   

   An Evening by the Beach

   What's better than a nighttime stroll along the beach in a city renowned for its vibrant nightlife? Take a deep breath and inhale the lovely breeze coming from the sea, sit on the beach, and enjoy the Mediterranean Sea at night. If you are up for the nightlife, the promenade in Taormina is full of pubs, bars, and discos, especially in the summer. They all promise a lively atmosphere, with live music or DJ sets.
   

   Suggestion to explore on your own

2. Day 2 Your First Full Day in Taormina

   

   Taormina Private Walking Tour

   Taormina is considered the pearl of the Mediterranean Sea: spectacularly perched on the side of a mountain, rich in history, art, culture and tradition, it is an unmissable sight in every Italian journey. Inhabited by the Siculi even before the Greeks arrived in 734 BC, it enjoyed great prosperity under the Romans and became a popular stop on the "Grand Tour" taken by European elites. On this three-hour private guided tour, you will enjoy Taormina's most important historic and artistic treasures and views.

   • Activity Level : Light
   • Duration : 3 hours

   Included in your vacation package price

   

   Swim and Dive Around Isola Bella

   The local beach in front of Isola Bella is a great spot for a relaxing afternoon and a sunset cocktail in one of the upmarket hotels with privileged access to the tiny beach. You can also try some easy diving around the local bay near the blue cave and the sunken Roman columns, which is ideal for beginners. We recommend a local company, Nike Diving Taormina: https://diveniketaormina.com/en/

   Suggestion to explore on your own

3. Day 3 Your Second Full Day in Taormina

   Mighty Mount Etna

   Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano, is a must-visit destination for anyone traveling to Taormina. Its dramatic landscapes, including craters, flowing lava, and ancient lava fields, offer an awe-inspiring experience for adventure seekers and nature lovers. Visitors can hike or take a cable car to explore its diverse terrain while learning about the volcano's history and geological significance. We recommend a guided tour to maximize your experience, allowing you to fully appreciate the volcano’s unique features and fascinating history while enjoying stunning views of the surrounding area.

   Suggested activities for an additional cost, depending on your choice

   

   Etna Countryside Food and Wine Small Group Tour

   On this full-day tour, you will journey through Sicilian villages, learning about culture and traditions. At a family winery, you will indulge in prosecco and wine tastings paired with local delicacies, then you will relax at a historic farmhouse with scenic views, all while savoring more wine and traditional dishes. At a final stop, you will conclude your experience with a tasting of authentic local liquors.

   • Activity Level : Light
   • Duration : 6 hours

   Suggested activities for an additional cost, depending on your choice

   

   Etna and Alcantara Group Hike

   If you want to hike Mt. Etna, this is the tour for you. Early in the morning, a 4x4 will take you to Mt. Etna, where you'll proceed on a 5 kilometer hike with an experienced guide. At the end, you'll climb atop a crater created by a volcanic eruption. You'll then head into a forest, to find what lies below the volcano's hard surface. In an underground adventure, you'll venture deep into the mountain to discover its innermost secrets, visiting a cave carved by a lava flow. After a break for lunch, you'll visit the scenic Alcantara Valley, with its columnar basalt, before heading home.

   • Activity Level : Moderate
   • Duration : ~ 8 hours

   Suggested activities for an additional cost, depending on your choice

   

   Exploring Mount Etna in a 4x4 SUV Private Tour with Lunch and Wine Tasting

   Experience the raw beauty of Sicily with a private SUV tour to Mount Etna, Europe's highest active volcano. Travel in comfort to Piano Provenzana at 1,800m (5,905 feet), where a nature guide will lead you through striking volcanic landscapes. After the trek, enjoy a traditional lunch and wine tasting at a renowned Etna winery. Your driver will then return you to your accommodations with unforgettable memories.

   • Activity Level : Moderate
   • Duration : 7 hours

   Suggested activities for an additional cost, depending on your choice

4. Day 4 Traveling to Ragusa by Private Transfer / Arrival in Ragusa

   

   Today you will be traveling to the pinnacle of Sicilian Baroque architecture, Ragusa. Our driver will pick you up from your accommodation in Taormina and take you to Ragusa. On the way, you will stop in Catania where you will enjoy a 4-hour small group street food tour that will showcase the flavor of Sicily. The whole journey should take about 7 hours. Please note that this is a non-guided transfer.

   There are two Ragusas (three if you count Dubrovnik, once also known by that name). Ragusa Ibla and Ragusa Superiore. Ragusa Ibla is the one you've seen in pictures and maybe the Inspector Montalbano books and TV series. Before the 1693 Sicily earthquake, the town of Ragusa was located on the site of the current Ragusa Superiore. After that was destroyed, a new town was built on the slightly lower neighboring hill, in the late Baroque style fashionable at the time. This is the town known as Ragusa Ibla. It's one of eight towns that make up the "Late Baroque Towns of the Noto Valley" UNESCO World Heritage listing. Fast forward to modern day, when a new town was built on the ruins of the original, and this is Ragusa Superiore, where most locals live. The rabbit warren of narrow streets and alleyways of Ibla is in stark contrast to those of Superiore. Superiore is a great place to avail yourself of all the conveniences of a modern town, as well as some excellent restaurants where you'll be the only foreigner, it doesn't have the same magic that Ragusa Ibla enjoys.

   Your driver will bring you as close as possible to your accommodation located in the historic center of Ragusa Ibla.

   

   Granita and Walk

   You have just arrived in Ragusa and settled in your hotel, and now you have a couple of hours to explore the city on your own. Where to go, where to start? Our suggestion is to walk around the city center a little bit and stop at Caffè Italia in Piazza San Giovanni and refresh with a lovely granita (a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar and water and offered in various flavors). This is the best place to try it in Ragusa, where their go-to flavors are coffee and pistachio. If you add some fresh whipped cream on top, then it's just a dream!

   Suggestion to explore on your own

5. Day 5 Your First Full Day in Ragusa

   

   Noto, the Gem of Sicilian Baroque

   Today, you will be exploring Ragusa Ibla, Modica, and Noto on a private day trip. Starting in Ragusa, one of the world's most important places for Baroque art, you will then visit Modica, renowned for its Baroque beauty and famous chocolate. Here, you will visit a chocolate workshop and possibly enjoy a local lunch. Finally, you will continue to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Val di Noto to see its famous Baroque monuments and architectural masterpieces built after the 1693 earthquake.

   • Activity Level : Light
   • Duration : 8 hours

   Included in your vacation package price

6. Day 6 Traveling to Palermo by Private Transfer / Arrival in Palermo

   

   After breakfast, it's time to head towards Palermo. Our driver will pick you up from your accommodations and take you there. To take advantage of the journey, we have included a stop in Agrigento. There you can visit the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Temples (actually a ridge), home to one of the world's great concentrations of ancient Greek architecture (especially temples), spread out over several thousand acres.

   Palermo doesn’t care if you like it. It’s the capital city of Sicily, and its biggest. Reminiscent in parts of Naples. It's not a place you'll find thronged with tourists, but the locals sure like to be outside. A hub of activity and a gridlock in rush hour and at weekends. Despite the order of the main avenues, the twisting lanes of the Centro Storico provide plenty of opportunities to get lost. Cheek by jowl here you will find grand palazzos (much of European royalty had their vacation palaces in Palermo) and scruffy tenements. Turn a corner in a grungy alley and you’re faced with an ornate fountain or pomp and circumstance statue. All of this provides a rich backdrop to your time in Palermo. Many have come before. The city was founded nearly 3,000 years ago and Palermo has truly been a crossroads of the great civilizations. Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Germans, Spanish, Bourbon, and finally Italian rulers have held dominion over the city and left their mark. Its international airport and busy seaport make it a great starting or finishing point for an exploration of Sicily.

   Once you arrive in Palermo, your driver will take you to your centrally located accommodations.

   

   Palermo by Night

   First glimpses of Palermo can be quite overwhelming; this loud and colorful city engages all of your senses at once. We suggest starting easy, with a nice drink and a meal in some of our favorite spots. Piazza Olivella (two steps from Teatro Massimo) is one of the main areas for shopping, food, and drinks. A small part of the square, known as the Champagneria, is one of the places where young people hang out. Piazza San Francesco and Via Paternostro are two vibrant areas full of bars and restaurants where you can get a feel for the Palermitan way of (night)life. Piazza Sant’Anna is the best square to enjoy a drink in summer and enjoy a favorite local past-time, people-watching, because the bars there put all of their tables outside.

   Suggestion to explore on your own

7. Day 7 Your First Full Day in Palermo

   

   Discover Palermo on a Street Food Tour

   Today you'll have your local expert guide all to yourselves as you discover the places, dishes and drinks that embody the city's rich past. Visiting some of the city's legendary street markets you'll get a flavour of everyday life for Palermitans as you dodge the scooters. Between tastings, your guide's explanations will make the city come alive and leave you with a deeper appreciation than you'd have from a standard walking tour. Especially if you're brave enough to try the "Pani ca' Meusa" sandwich.

   • Activity Level : Light
   • Duration : 3 hours

   Included in your vacation package price

   Watch the video

8. Day 8 Your Second Full Day in Palermo

   Self-Guided Day Trip to Cefalu

   Although Cefalu might not feature too prominently as a destination itself in the series (it's where Jack and Portia spend the night while Tanya and Quentin take the yacht back to Taormina), Cefalu's beach certainly plays its part. Many beach scenes supposedly in Taormina were shot here, with Cefalu's distinctive Norman cathedral in the background. You can reach Cefalu easily by train from Palermo Centrale – the journey takes under an hour and costs just a few Euros.

9. Day 9 Departure Day

   Today your driver will meet you at your accommodations and take you to Palermo's airport. The drive takes approximately 45 minutes.