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Price Euro
1400 (double occupancy) Euro 1600 (single occupancy) Sea
View Room: supplement Euros 120 per person
Tour
type first class escorted tour. English speaking only:
Local guides where necessary
Duration
10 days/ 9 nights - Malta, Saint Julian (2 nights)
Sicily, Taormina (4 nights), Agrigento (1 night),
Palermo (2 nights)
Destination Malta and Sicily
Activities
Sightseeing
Hotels
(may be replaced with same category) Malta: Hotel
Corinthia Marina Taormina: Hotel Lido Caparena Agrigento:
Hotel della Valle Palermo: Hotel Politeama
Highlights
Malta: Valletta, Carvaggio's 'Beheading of St. John', prehistoric
Hagar Qim Temple,
Mdina, Taormina, Mt Etna, Siracusa, Caltagirone, Agrigento's
Valley of the Temples, Segesta, Saltpans
Season
Spring, summer and autumn. Every Friday from April 4, 2008
to October 17, 2008
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Day 1 (Friday)
Arrival in Malta
You are greeted at Malta airport and transferred to your hotel.
Time at leisure to rest or shopping.
Day 2 - Saturday: Malta - Valletta, Mdina & Marsaxlokk
After breakfast, our full day tour includes a tour of Valletta,
the capital city, built in 1565 by the Knights of St. John.
We start with a visit to the Upper Barakka Gardens where you
can enjoy stunning views over the fortified Grand Harbour.
Then,
on to the magnificent
St. John's Co.Cathedral: here you will also see Caravaggio's
'Beheading of St. John'. After a tour of the Grand Masters
Palace, the old seat of the order of St. John and today used
as home to the parliament, we drive to the pretty traditional
fishermen village of Marsaxlokk, in the south of the island,
the best place for fresh fish and an ideal stop for lunch.
In
the afternoon, we continue our tour visiting the prehistoric
Hagar Qim Temple (3300BC), with its staggering heavy
megaliths ( even 20 tons heavy!). Our final stop for today
is the medieval city of Mdina, which is otherwise known
as "The Silent City". Built in the 9th century by
the Arabs, it is the islands old capital. Our walking tour
includes all the main highlights and also a visit to St.
Paul's Cathedral.
(Buffet continental
breakfast included)
Day 3 (Sunday)
Malta Q flight to Sicily: Catania/Taormina
All day long at leisure to rest or shopping or optional
excursion to Gozo Island. Tonight transfer at airport and
independent departure to reach Sicily: Catania airport. On
arrival in Sicily you are greeted at Catania airport and transferred
to your hotel in Taormina (BB)
(Buffet
continental breakfast included)
Day 4 (Monday) Sicily: Taormina.
All day long at leisure to rest or shopping
(Buffet
continental breakfast included)
Day 5 (Tuesday) Sicily: Catania & SyracuseBreakfast
at the hotel. Departure to Catania, the second largest
city on the island with its imposing baroque buildings and
for its streets built with black lava stone. Visit of the
old city centre- Piazza Duomo with the fountain
of the "Liotru" elephant statue. Then, we
continue to Siracusa, once the most powerful Greek
city in Sicily. Upon arrival, we will walk in the old picturesque
centre of the town, Orthygia Island, and stop for lunch
in a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit of
the archaeological area which includes the stunning Greek
theatre, the Ear of Dionisios (type of large cave),
the Roman amphitheatre and Latomie- stone-quarries.
Return back to our hotel in Taormina.
(Buffet
continental breakfast and lunch included)
Day 6 (Wednesday) Sicily: Jeep Ride to Mount Etna
A short drive by 4x4 jeep takes us to the Northen slopes of
Mt. Etna. Weather and volcanic conditions permitting,
we will experience the lava fields and enjoy incredible view
of Europe’s highest and most active volcano. Visit Grotta
dei Ladroni (Cave of the Thieves) and Monte Fontana
with a spectacular view of Valle del Bove and the extinct
craters of Monte Sartorius. Stop at a typical Sicilian farmhouse
for lunch.After lunch, enjoy a stop at the entrance of Alcantara
Gorges. On the way back to Taormina, we will drive along the
old railway track route and along the Alcantara river and
the scenic coastal road. Evening at leisure.
(Buffet
continental breakfast and lunch included)
Day 7 (Thursday) Sicily: Caltagirone and Agrigento
All day long at leisure to own enjoy Taormina, one of the
world famous resort of Sicily for its views and atmosphereAfter
breakfast, we will drive through inner Sicily to Caltagirone,
renowned for its ceramic ware and its impressive flight of
142 steps known as Scala S.Maria del Monte and all
decorated with local and coloured maiolica tiles. Time at
leisure for shopping. Then, we will drive to Agrigento, a
Unesco World Heritage Site, with its imposing range of Greek
Doric temples. After dinner at the hotel, enjoy an orientation
tour of Agrigento by night to admire the Temples lit up.
(Breakfast and dinner included)
Day 8 (Friday) Sicily: Segesta, Salt Way Road, Erice &
Olive Oil Factory
Today we will drive to Segesta, one of the major
cities of the Elymians (one of the three non-Greek peoples
of Sicily), in the southwest coast of Sicily. The unfinished
hexastyle doric temple of Segesta, late 5th century BC, is
built on a hilltop with a commanding view of the surrounding
area. Continue to the medieval hill town of Erice.
Upon arrival, we will walk to the Castle built on the ruins
of the temple of Venus. Stop at a local pastry-shop to taste
the typical marzipans and almond pastries. Time for leisure.
Then, we we drive along the Salt road with its windmills
and saltpans to a local olive oil press and farmhouse: snacks,
cocktail and tasting of antipasti, local olive oil, bruschette,
pizza and local cheese. Then continue to Palermo.
(Buffet
continental breakfast included)
Day 9 (Saturday)
Sicily: Palermo
Following
breakfast at the Hotel, this morning enjoy a sightseeing tour
of Palermo at your own pace. Experience the new “Hop
on and Hop off” concept of sightseeing enjoyed around
the world. You’ll receive a ticket valid all day so you
can get on the bus and get off stopping at as many of the
important sites as you’d like throughout the day.
(Buffet
continental breakfast included)
Day 10 (Sunday) Sicily: Palermo
Following breakfast transfer to Palermo airport (BB)
(Buffet
continental breakfast included)
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