SICILY TOUR

April 12-24, 2026

Join the Chautauqua Women’s Club for an unforgettable exploration of Sicily’s rich history and breathtaking landscapes! Our journey begins in eastern Sicily with visits to Taormina, Mount Etna, Catania, and Syracuse. We’ll then head west to discover the wonders of Agrigento and Palermo. Enjoy expert-led tours, cooking demonstrations, a Mount Etna wine tasting, and an abundance of local discoveries along the way. The tour will be led by Rainer Metzger, founder of Guided By.

PRICING:

$8,xxx per person (double occupancy)
+$1,xxx single supplement

A deposit of $2,000 (per person) and single supplement (if applicable) is required to confirm reservation.

Please email office@chautauquawomensclub.org with any questions.

what's included:

A small group experience of 15-18 people
12 nights accommodation, breakfasts included
6 group dinners and 3 group lunches, drinks included (reasonable limits)
Pizza making demo and cooking class
Mount Etna winery visit and tasting
All group sightseeing activities and local guides
Group transportation between cities
All tips for guides, hotels, restaurants, and drivers

what's Not included:

Airfare and airport transportation
Activities not included on the tour
Hotel extras and room service
Extra wine at group meals
Travel insurance
- The Chautauqua Women’s Club encourages all tour participants to purchase separate travel insurance to cover possible additional costs (airline tickets, loss of luggage, trip delay, medical evacuation, etc.) and/or trip cancellations.

Tour ITINERARY:

Day 1

April 12, 2026

After arriving in Sicily, a short transfer to Taormina, and checking into our hotel, we’ll gather to celebrate the start of our tour with stunning views of Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea. We’ll head out for a backstreets walking tour with a local guide, ending at a local restaurant for a group dinner together. We stay in Taormina for 3 nights.

Day 2

April 13, 2026

With a local guide we’ll make our way to Taormina’s gorgeous public gardens and learn about early Sicilian history at the ancient Greek & Roman theater. Finishing around lunch time, we’ll head to a local pizzeria for a demonstration and lunch together. With a free afternoon you’ll be able to hike to the castle above town, take a taxi to nearby Castelmola, or ride a gondola down to the beach. The evening is free for dinner on your own.

Day 3

April 14, 2026

Mount Etna, hovering in the distance, is our focus today. We’ll drive to its north slope, through almond, pistachio, and orange groves, to visit Randazzo, the center of the local wine region. After a wine tasting and group lunch, we’ll be well fortified for a 4×4 journey to the upper reaches of the volcano with a geologist mountain guide. The evening is free for dinner on your own back in Taormina.

Day 4

April 15, 2026

After checking out of our Taormina hotel, we’ll drive south to Catania for the day. Exploring the center we’ll visit its famous fish market, and have free time to climb a church dome and get a Sicilian street food lunch. Then we’ll head to the old industrial district, repurposed as a cultural center, and tour the excellent Museum of the Sicilian Landing of WWII. This evening we’ll arrive in Syracuse and venture to its island of Ortigia, our home for the next three nights. An orientation walk and group dinner await this evening. We stay in Syracuse for 3 nights.

Day 5

April 16, 2026

This morning we’ll begin peeling back the layers of history that is Siracusa. Our walking tour with a local guide will continue with a boat tour around the harbor. Archimedes, Santa Lucia, and Caravaggio are a few of the characters that once animated this city, as thriving local artisans do today. With the afternoon free, you’ll wander the backstreets and make wonderful discoveries of craft and creativity.

Day 6

April 17, 2026

Today we’ll take a day trip to the Baroque town of Noto. We’ll tour its stunning cathedral and fascinating parish churches, and enjoy a Sicilian granita at a streetside cafe. After free time for lunch and sights, we venture to nearby beaches to taste the Mediterranean. A lively group dinner awaits back in Syracuse.

Day 7

April 18, 2026

After breakfast and check out, we head westward to the deep interior of Sicily. We’ll visit the famous Villa Casale Romana–some of the best preserved ancient Roman mosaics in the world, featuring images of gods, animals, and the rituals of daily life. The day ends at an olive farm near Agrigento with a group dinner at our country house accommodations. We stay near Agrigento for 3 nights.

Day 8

April 19, 2026

Today is devoted to Ancient Greek Sicily and the incredible Valley of the Temples at Agrigento. With the benefit of a local guide, we’ll wander past soaring temples, fallen statues, and ancient ruins overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Then we’ll deep dive through Agrigento’s excellent archaeological museum to discover the amazing treasures unearthed here. This evening we’re back on the farm for dinner on your own at the farm’s restaurant.

Day 9

April 20, 2026

Today is all about rural life in Sicily. We’ll take a tour of the farm, learn about the olive harvest and milling process, then begin a cooking class leading to lunch together. After a proper siesta, in the late afternoon we’ll head to a nearby beach town to dip our toes in the sea, an aperitivo, and dinner on our own. Join us for an optional fish dinner feast at a local seafood restaurant if you like.

Day 10

April 21, 2026

Traveling north across beautiful green landscapes, we arrive in Segesta where we’ll visit one of the most beautiful ancient theaters in the world, still occasionally used today. We’ll continue toward the hilltown of Monreale and its Norman Cathedral above Palermo to experience the multicultural legacy of the Middle Ages in Sicily. We’ll peel back the stories, legends, and personalities that illuminated the church with our local guide, then descend into the bustling chaos of the city and check into our boutique hotel near the famous Ballaro Market. A welcome to Palermo group dinner awaits. We stay in Palermo for 3 nights.

Day 11

April 22, 2026

This morning we meet our local guide, a scholar of women in Sicilian history, and tour the artistic treasures of the city, peeling back layers of culture from the Phoenicians, the Arabs, the Normans, and eventually the Italians.

Day 12

April 23, 2026

Palermo’s more recent history is a story of struggle against the mafia. With our local guide we’ll venture into residential neighborhoods to learn how people have overcome its influence and brought new life and energy to the city. After a few afternoon hours exploring the center, we’ll gather for a fun last night dinner together to celebrate our trip.

Day 13

April 24, 2026

The tour is over after breakfast. We can help arrange private transportation to Palermo’s nearby airport.