Cheese market, Palermo, Italy

Gastronomy Tour of Sicily: Food, Wine, Cooking Class

Ratings of Zicasso's Service
Customizable Itinerary

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

Countries Visited

Italy

Places Visited

Sicily, Agrigento, Siracusa, Mount Etna...

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Suggested Duration

8 Days

Puffs of smoke drift into the blue sky from the various craters of Mount Etna. Vineyards sweep across the foothills adding lush vines to the rugged landscape and absorbing the unique characteristics of the terrain. A local chef prepares artichokes in a farmhouse overlooking the lush prairie, and a decadent aroma fills the kitchen. Your gourmet Sicily tour shows you the flavors of the island, from brilliant wines to eclectic cuisine, ancient architecture to exquisite Mediterranean waters. Discover...

Customizable Itinerary

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Trip Highlights

  • Delight in private cooking lessons in celebrated locations around Sicily, along rustic farmland to modern cityscapes
  • Indulge in the exceptional flavors of Sicilian cuisine that changes from province to province
  • Sample the unique flavors at a vineyard located in the foothills of Mount Etna
  • Witness the exceptional Greek ruins in the Valley of the Temples
  • Discover the coastal beauty of a medieval town overlooking the water
  • Settle into the countryside in an ancient town set atop a bluff
  • Traverse the antique streets of Palermo on a guided tour to find the extraordinary history and treasured historic flavors
  • Venture up Mount Etna to visit the active craters along the tallest mountain in Europe

Detailed Description

Sicily is an epicurean dream emanating from the island’s coveted position in the Mediterranean Sea. Over time, travelers from around the globe have settled in, or taken over, leaving bits of their culture behind. Today, remnants of the Greek and Arabic architecture mix with Roman and Norman elements. The combination of cultures has done more than affect each city around the island but has amalgamated in the cuisine to create special flavors unique to Sicily. Your 8-day gourmet Sicily tour has you sampling heritage, from wines to meals, cooking classes to cities, ruins to the countryside, taking in the vast history and vibrant flavors changing with each province.

Your tour of Sicily begins with your arrival in Palermo, the island’s largest city, and considered the capital. Your private transfer escorts you to the luxury hotel located in the heart of the old city where you can enjoy your first Sicilian dinner. After your meal, your guide meets you at the hotel and leads you through a night tour of the eclectic architecture and vibrant streets. The following day, you leave for the ancient city of Segesta, home to a marvelous Greek Theater and Doric Temple.

Visit the nearby medieval town of Erice, where you can stroll through the mountaintops overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and Egadi Islands. After lunch, you make your way to Marsala for a wine tour before delighting in a cooking course at an 18th-century villa. Next, you venture to the exciting archeological city of Agrigento to view the Valley of the Temples and explore the preserved Greek ruins. Continue to Piazza Armerina to explore a 3rd-century Roman villa before experiencing a cooking course of typical Sicilian cuisine at a wonderful rustic farmhouse.

On your fourth day, you visit the modern, yet ancient, city of Siracusa where you can see antiquated Greek and Medieval architecture. Later in the day, you arrive in the foothills of Mount Etna for a wine tour and tasting at Tenuta San Michele. For dinner, you will have a private cooking lesson with a local chef who will teach you about the sensational, provincial cuisine. The following day, you follow your guide to the summit craters around Mount Etna before settling into the medieval coastal town of Taormina.

Visit the province of Castellana Sicula for a half-day cooking lesson in a charming farmhouse with views of the rolling prairies. Continue to the quaint town of Polizzi Generosa and relax in the charming medieval streets and sensual flavors of the local cuisine. Then, return to Palermo for a full day walking tour of the historic sites and markets. On your final day, your private transfer meets you at the hotel after breakfast to escort you to the airport for your flight home.

Starting Price

$3,600 per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

  • Accommodations
  • In-country transportation
  • Some or all activities and tours
  • Expert trip planning
  • 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

Reviews of Zicasso's Referral Service

4.9 stars based on 5762 reviews.

Italy Tour Review: Wine Tour, Cooking Classes, Local Cuisine,...

Zicasso’s travel company was wonderful in planning our trip on short notice and in line with our requests and preferences. Their suggestions of what to do and where to stay were perfect. And when we accidentally got off on the wrong island, the travel company quickly got us new ferry tickets to get to the right place. It was all seamless.

Reviewed By Sherry G.

Italy Honeymoon Review: Rome, Sorrento, Cooking Class, Private...

This trip was the greatest week of our lives! Everything planned was better than I could have imagined. The private drivers being coordinated behind the scenes made the trip so easy and removed all the stress of trying to navigate a new country. Every driver and our tour guide was so nice and I feel like we made friends with all of them.

My favorite part of the trip was definitely the cooking classes and that every tour was private and intimate for my wife and I. The connections Zicasso’s travel agent hooked us up with made the trip the most memorable experience. Our travel agent and the travel company took special care of all the tiny details of the trip; our hotel knew it was my birthday and had a special surprise for me! I’m beyond thankful for the perfect honeymoon they provided my wife and I.

Reviewed By Branson S.

Italy Trip Review: Sorrento, Cooking Class, Local Cuisine,...

The accommodations and private tours were worth the extra money. Our drivers were professional and helpful.

Reviewed By Claudia R.

Italy, Greece Travel Review: Como, Bellagio, Wine Tour,...

The overall trip was great. The weather was terrific and the countries we visited had so much to see. Zicasso's tour company did a good job of balancing relaxation with fun. Each of the guides we had was so pleasant and shared so much information with us. They were very attentive to our needs.

Reviewed By Nisha V.

Italy Vacation Review: Florence, Rome, Truffle Hunt, Cooking...

Wow, where to begin. This trip was an absolute dream.

When I first spoke to Zicasso’s travel consultant, I told her my main travel concern: traveling with nine- and 15-year-old boys as a single mom in Italy. I was excited to take the trip with them, but I really needed something that was meticulously planned to take away the nerves of having to navigate alone with two kids. She listened and executed the most beautiful trip.

She planned activities that captured the attention and imagination of a fourth grader and a teenager. And the experiences were unique. Probably the highlight of the trip was a truffle hunt with the hunter and his dog in the countryside outside of Florence. My oldest wants to move to Florence and start hunting! We had a personalized cooking class, a private Vespa tour of Rome, and a delicious and informative art and food tour, among other amazing experiences. As we were sending photos back home, I got so many requests for our itinerary because it was so special and unique. Both boys were hard-pressed to choose which part they liked best.

The hotels she selected were beautiful, comfortable, and right in the heart of the cities and attractions we wanted to see. When we encountered a small hiccup (by our hotel, not our travel agent), I contacted her and she responded right away, getting us a free room upgrade and free dinner! We felt very taken care of.

Aside from the amazing activities and locations we saw, the trip was fantastic because everything was so seamless. We always had a private driver arranged, pre-booked train tickets, and even someone to make sure we made it on time for our flight home. I never had to worry about a thing. It was also telling that every tour guide we interacted with had only glowing things to say about our travel agent and her keen attention to detail and organization.

If you're planning on visiting Italy, this travel company is the travel agency you need to select. It takes any of the stress and guesswork out of the travel process, and all you have to do is show up and enjoy.

Thank you so much! You helped us make some amazing memories!

Stephanie

Reviewed By Stephanie S.

Italy 25th Anniversary Travel Review: Positano, Sorrento,...

This was possibly the best vacation we have ever taken. A fitting trip to mark our 25th anniversary, we will remember our days in Positano and Sorrento forever. Everything was perfect and the service and support were extraordinary.

Zicasso's travel specialist and the other people were always super-helpful and friendly. The hotels they chose for us in particular were exactly what we wanted. I can’t think of a single issue. Transport, transfers, etc., were perfect. The only bad part was that we had to return to normal life afterwards! We highly recommend our travel company to anyone! Grazie mille!

Reviewed By Mauro A.

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