SICILY
September 1 - 8, 2020
September 1 - 8, 2020
Highlights
- Three Private Sicilian Cooking Classes with Meals Following
- Private Food Market Tour in Ortigia
- Private Day Trip to Catania with Guided Street Food Tour
- Day Trip to Etna with Cooking Class on a Winery
- Visit to Modica for Chocolate Tasting
- Visit to Ragusa
- Visit to Olive Oil Mill in Noto with Cooking Class on Location
- Evening Boat Ride Around the Island of Ortigia
- Welcome & Farewell dinners
- Leisure time on your own to enjoy Ortigia and surroundings
Overview
Enjoy an expertly designed week in Eastern Sicily visiting some of the most historical and delicious sites the region has to offer. Our week begins in Siracusa, and this will be our home base for the entire week. Siracusa, filled with Baroque architecture, is a wonderland of ancient civilizations that still resonates in the streets of this beautiful coastal city. Sicily is an easy flight from Rome, and you will want to land in Catania, Sicily's second largest city. Our hotel is in Ortigia, Siracusa's city center and what is considered the "old" part of town. Enjoy a welcome drink before heading off to your first taste of Sicilian cuisine. Some of our highlights for the week include three private cooking classes, plenty of day trips to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Catania, Modica, Ragusa, Noto and Etna, wine tastings and delicious meals on local locations. A trip to Sicily would be incomplete without a visit to the beautiful seaside town of Taormina. The week is filled with cooking classes, tastings, wine and laughs!
Scroll below to see images of our 2019 adventure!
Enjoy an expertly designed week in Eastern Sicily visiting some of the most historical and delicious sites the region has to offer. Our week begins in Siracusa, and this will be our home base for the entire week. Siracusa, filled with Baroque architecture, is a wonderland of ancient civilizations that still resonates in the streets of this beautiful coastal city. Sicily is an easy flight from Rome, and you will want to land in Catania, Sicily's second largest city. Our hotel is in Ortigia, Siracusa's city center and what is considered the "old" part of town. Enjoy a welcome drink before heading off to your first taste of Sicilian cuisine. Some of our highlights for the week include three private cooking classes, plenty of day trips to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Catania, Modica, Ragusa, Noto and Etna, wine tastings and delicious meals on local locations. A trip to Sicily would be incomplete without a visit to the beautiful seaside town of Taormina. The week is filled with cooking classes, tastings, wine and laughs!
Scroll below to see images of our 2019 adventure!
The beautiful island of Ortigia is waiting for you!
Day 1 - Arrival & Welcome Dinner
Arrive at the highly rated and centrally located Royal Maniace Hotel to check in, unpack and settle in. Get to know your new host city by taking in all the sites and sounds. Perhaps grab your first gelato of the week, but save room for dinner.
Meet & Greet: In the evening, we will enjoy our first group activity with a delicious wine tasting and snacks to hold us over until our welcome dinner. We will get to know our fellow travelers, get a first taste of Sicily's unique cuisine, and enjoy some local wine. Questions about the week will be answered so you know what to expect during the week to come.
Arrive at the highly rated and centrally located Royal Maniace Hotel to check in, unpack and settle in. Get to know your new host city by taking in all the sites and sounds. Perhaps grab your first gelato of the week, but save room for dinner.
Meet & Greet: In the evening, we will enjoy our first group activity with a delicious wine tasting and snacks to hold us over until our welcome dinner. We will get to know our fellow travelers, get a first taste of Sicily's unique cuisine, and enjoy some local wine. Questions about the week will be answered so you know what to expect during the week to come.
Enjoying a welcome dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Ortigia.
Day 2 - Cooking Class on the Foot of Etna + Afternoon in Taormina
Grab your apron, your wine glass and your camera because today, you will need all three! In the morning, we head towards a beautiful winery located at the foot of Etna. Enjoy a delicious wine tasting before we roll up our sleeves and work for our lunch! Enjoy a hands-on culinary experience as we prep a typical Sicilian lunch, enjoyed with wine made on location, of course!
Named as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean," Taormina is our next stop and is a must-visit destination for anyone making their way to Eastern Sicily. A favorite for travelers visiting Sicily since the 19th century, Taormina can easily be called the tourist capital of Sicily, and for good reasons, its beauty is unmatched! In Taormina, we will enjoy some shopping time and of course, a gelato at our favorite shop.
Grab your apron, your wine glass and your camera because today, you will need all three! In the morning, we head towards a beautiful winery located at the foot of Etna. Enjoy a delicious wine tasting before we roll up our sleeves and work for our lunch! Enjoy a hands-on culinary experience as we prep a typical Sicilian lunch, enjoyed with wine made on location, of course!
Named as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean," Taormina is our next stop and is a must-visit destination for anyone making their way to Eastern Sicily. A favorite for travelers visiting Sicily since the 19th century, Taormina can easily be called the tourist capital of Sicily, and for good reasons, its beauty is unmatched! In Taormina, we will enjoy some shopping time and of course, a gelato at our favorite shop.
Our cooking classes in Sicily are hands-on, fun and delicious!
Day 3 - Day Trip to Modica and Ragusa
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, today we visit Modica, an authentically Sicilian baroque town famous for many things, but most of all, for its chocolate! Rich, dark and delicious, the chocolate in Modica is served solid or melted, plain or flavored with vanilla or other extracts and you will be able to find it in all the shops and cafes. Today we get a lesson on chocolate, how to spot an imposter and how to really taste it, yes, there is a way!
After Modica, we head towards Ragusa, one of the most picturesque towns in all of Sicily. In Ragusa, we will enjoy a lovely walk in the town square, visit the Duomo, enjoy the elegant streets, take pictures of the beautiful buildings and visit a small cheese bottega for a tasting of the local cheese. A wonderful lunch at one of the most favored restaurants in Ragusa awaits us to be enjoyed leisurely.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, today we visit Modica, an authentically Sicilian baroque town famous for many things, but most of all, for its chocolate! Rich, dark and delicious, the chocolate in Modica is served solid or melted, plain or flavored with vanilla or other extracts and you will be able to find it in all the shops and cafes. Today we get a lesson on chocolate, how to spot an imposter and how to really taste it, yes, there is a way!
After Modica, we head towards Ragusa, one of the most picturesque towns in all of Sicily. In Ragusa, we will enjoy a lovely walk in the town square, visit the Duomo, enjoy the elegant streets, take pictures of the beautiful buildings and visit a small cheese bottega for a tasting of the local cheese. A wonderful lunch at one of the most favored restaurants in Ragusa awaits us to be enjoyed leisurely.
Day 4 Market Visit and Cooking Class + Evening Food Tour
One of our favorite aspect of traveling to Italy is visiting the food markets, and Ortigia certainly has one of the most entertaining and lively market. Today we will visit the market to purchase our ingredients for our cooking class. Walk along the market and be educated on the products locals use every day to prepare delicious meals for their families. After the market, we head over to our culinary studio to prepare a delicious meal. What's the menu? We won't know until we visit the market, of course, because we will purchase what is freshest and best that day.
In the evening, we will bypass a traditional dinner and enjoy a food walking tour instead. We will visit several of our favorite restaurants and sample their specialties. After sampling seafood, meats and other treats, we will end it all with dessert. Because what's a foodie walking tour without dessert?
One of our favorite aspect of traveling to Italy is visiting the food markets, and Ortigia certainly has one of the most entertaining and lively market. Today we will visit the market to purchase our ingredients for our cooking class. Walk along the market and be educated on the products locals use every day to prepare delicious meals for their families. After the market, we head over to our culinary studio to prepare a delicious meal. What's the menu? We won't know until we visit the market, of course, because we will purchase what is freshest and best that day.
In the evening, we will bypass a traditional dinner and enjoy a food walking tour instead. We will visit several of our favorite restaurants and sample their specialties. After sampling seafood, meats and other treats, we will end it all with dessert. Because what's a foodie walking tour without dessert?
Cooking class in a private Sicilian home? Yes, please!
Day 5 - Day trip to Catania
This morning we will enjoy a private food & culture tour of Catania, expertly led by a native guide. We will learn all about the history of this interesting city, often called the "black city," due to the color of the buildings, blackened by soot and ash from the nearby volcano. Learn about its frequent sad history, walk the baroque streets all while enjoying some delicious local food & wine. A UNESCO-World Heritage Site, the city's fighting spirit will be evident as we learn how, despite its tragedies, it has always managed to bounce back, even better than before. Our walk will take us to Via Etna, the Duomo, the Elephant Fountain, the Cathedral and the Amphitheater. But being also a foodie tour, we will visit some of the best local wine bars and foods shops along the way, not to mention a detailed market visit sampling arancini and other specialties.
This morning we will enjoy a private food & culture tour of Catania, expertly led by a native guide. We will learn all about the history of this interesting city, often called the "black city," due to the color of the buildings, blackened by soot and ash from the nearby volcano. Learn about its frequent sad history, walk the baroque streets all while enjoying some delicious local food & wine. A UNESCO-World Heritage Site, the city's fighting spirit will be evident as we learn how, despite its tragedies, it has always managed to bounce back, even better than before. Our walk will take us to Via Etna, the Duomo, the Elephant Fountain, the Cathedral and the Amphitheater. But being also a foodie tour, we will visit some of the best local wine bars and foods shops along the way, not to mention a detailed market visit sampling arancini and other specialties.
Eating our way around Catania is fun!
Day 6 - Day Trip to Noto + Cooking Class
Today, we head out of Ortigia and visit the beautifully historic city of Noto, another UNESCO World Heritage Site from our week in Sicily. Known for its baroque architecture and the Noto Cathedral, this small town, which is easily covered by foot, begs to be visited, explored and photographed. After a walking tour, we head over to lunch. But it's not going to be any lunch, we will visit one of the most reputable olive oil mills in the area. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the area, learn all about the olive oil making process and enjoy a wonderful hands on cooking class. We will enjoy our efforts outside, eating and savoring the best olive oil you have ever had.
Today, we head out of Ortigia and visit the beautifully historic city of Noto, another UNESCO World Heritage Site from our week in Sicily. Known for its baroque architecture and the Noto Cathedral, this small town, which is easily covered by foot, begs to be visited, explored and photographed. After a walking tour, we head over to lunch. But it's not going to be any lunch, we will visit one of the most reputable olive oil mills in the area. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the area, learn all about the olive oil making process and enjoy a wonderful hands on cooking class. We will enjoy our efforts outside, eating and savoring the best olive oil you have ever had.
The stations are set for our cooking class on the olive oil mill!
Day 7 - Boat Ride + Farewell Dinner
Our time in Sicily is winding down and by this time, we've eaten our way through some of Eastern Sicily's most delectable cities. Today, you'll enjoy some time on your own to shop, return to a magical site in Siracusa, or simply enjoy Italy's Dolce Vita by relaxing by the sea and people watching in the town piazza.
In the early evening, we will meet for a sunset cruise ride and watch as the sun sets over the beautiful island.
A delicious final farewell dinner is planned for our last evening in Sicily. Enjoy some time with your travel companions, exchange stories and contact info as we salute to a wonderful week in Sicily!
Our time in Sicily is winding down and by this time, we've eaten our way through some of Eastern Sicily's most delectable cities. Today, you'll enjoy some time on your own to shop, return to a magical site in Siracusa, or simply enjoy Italy's Dolce Vita by relaxing by the sea and people watching in the town piazza.
In the early evening, we will meet for a sunset cruise ride and watch as the sun sets over the beautiful island.
A delicious final farewell dinner is planned for our last evening in Sicily. Enjoy some time with your travel companions, exchange stories and contact info as we salute to a wonderful week in Sicily!
Wine tasting is a lot of work, but someone has got to test the goods!
Day 8 - Check-Out
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out.
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out.
Travel companions always end as dear friends!
WHERE ARE WE STAYING?
Our hotel for the week will be the small Four Star Royal Maniace Hotel. Located in what is considered the "old" part of Siracusa, in Ortigia, the hotel is centrally located for easy access to some of Siracusa's main attractions. Enjoy sea views, the breeze and a delicious breakfast outside, with the scent of the ocean engulfing you. Royal Maniace Hotel is within close walking distance to the city's precious treasures. Enjoy the attention given to our group from this family-run hotel rated as one of the top hotels in Siracusa. Enjoy a delicious, freshly prepared breakfast every morning, before we head out for our day's activities.
We will get to know Eastern Sicily well during the week and our day trips include visits to: Etna, Taormina, Modica, Catania, Ragusa and Noto. Activities include cooking and baking classes, winery visits, culture tours and many more surprises along the way!
We will get to know Eastern Sicily well during the week and our day trips include visits to: Etna, Taormina, Modica, Catania, Ragusa and Noto. Activities include cooking and baking classes, winery visits, culture tours and many more surprises along the way!
SCROLL BELOW FOR IMAGES OF PAST SICILIAN ADVENTURES!
Francesca Montillo - Owner, Founder and Chief Travel Planner for Lazy Italian Culinary Adventures will be your host for the week.
INCLUSIONS
- 7 Nights Accommodations at Royal Maniace Hotel
- Daily Breakfast at Your Hotel, Five Lunches, Four Dinners
- Private Transportation Throughout Tour for Day Trips
- Visit to Etna with Cooking Class on Location
- Visit to Taormina with Afternoon Shopping Time
- Day trip to Catania with Private Food Tour
- 3 Private Culinary Lessons
- Visit to Modica for Chocolate Tasting
- Visit to Ragusa with Lunch on Location
- Evening Boat Ride
- Visit to Noto with Cooking Class and Lunch on Olive Oil Mill
- Market Visit in Ortigia with Cooking Class Following
- Cooking Class in Private Home in Ortigia
Price & Details
8 Days / 7 Nights
$4100 USD Per Person for Double Occupancy / Single Supplement is $450 USD.
$1,000 USD Non-Refundable Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Francesca Montillo, Native Italian, Owner and Tour Leader Accompanies all Activities
Contact Francesca at francesca@thelazyitalian.com for booking/reservation and further details.
If you would like to reserve a spot for this tour, or have any questions, please use the contact form below and we will send you the necessary booking instructions or additional information.
8 Days / 7 Nights
$4100 USD Per Person for Double Occupancy / Single Supplement is $450 USD.
$1,000 USD Non-Refundable Deposit is required to secure your spot.
Francesca Montillo, Native Italian, Owner and Tour Leader Accompanies all Activities
Contact Francesca at francesca@thelazyitalian.com for booking/reservation and further details.
If you would like to reserve a spot for this tour, or have any questions, please use the contact form below and we will send you the necessary booking instructions or additional information.