sellGolden Week in Sicily - For Women Only

Board your overnight flight and you're off to your exciting Golden Week in Sicily! 

*Flights are not included in the price of this package.  We are happy to arrange them for you.

Benvenuta! You’ll be met by our driver at the Palermo airport, then transported to your city center 5-star hotel, where you’ll be immersed in Old World elegance. You’ll have time to relax and unpack, perhaps enjoy a treatment in the hotel spa, or explore the wonders of the nearby historic center.

In the evening, we’ll gather for an aperitivo to toast the week ahead.  Susan will give you tips about keeping a travel journal, so you can create a treasured souvenir of your week through journaling. We’ll dine nearby in a cozy trattoria, enjoying Sicilian specialties, the first of many memorable meals.

Meals Included: Dinner

Buongiorno! After enjoying the hotel’s abundant breakfast buffet, we’ll set off to immerse ourselves in the beauty and deliciousness of Palermo. We’ll begin our cooking lesson with a chef guiding us through Palermo’s bustling Capo market to choose the best seasonal ingredients to make our lunch.

Class will take place in our teacher’s 18th century palazzo, where we’ll roll up our sleeves for hands-on pasta making. Lunch, enjoying the fruits of our labors, will follow.

The rest of the day is yours to enjoy this fascinating city, with Susan’s guidance. You may enjoy some sight-seeing and shopping, an aperitivo on a rooftop bar, or dinner on your own.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

We’ll depart Palermo this morning for a short ride to a medieval treasure: the Cathedral of Monreale. We’ll be guided through its interior--a massive splendor of dazzling mosaics depicting Biblical stories. There will be time to enjoy the hilltop village on our own, and have lunch on your own.

Next, we’ll ride through the lovely Sicilian countryside to arrive in Agrigento’s stunning Valley of the Temples, built by the Greeks in the sixth century BC. We’ll have time to settle into our boutique hotel, relax amidst the lovely landscaped gardens and perhaps take a dip in the pool before dinner, savoring southern Sicilian flavors and a most inspiring sight: the Temple of Juno under the starry night sky.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll set out to the Agrigento seaside to enjoy a view of a natural masterpiece: the Scala dei Turchi, or Turkish Steps. These white cliffs, created by waves and wind, were named by the Sicilians during the times of Turkish (actually Saracen) invaders, who took shelter here.

From there, we’ll have time to discover the historic center of Agrigento, a colorful pedestrian only stretch of shops, caffes, and restaurants–and enjoy lunch on our own.

Back at the hotel, after a little rest and perhaps a swim, we’ll take a guided sunset walk through the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The experience, in the glowing light, is one for the memory books.

For dinner we’ll enjoy deliciousness at one of Agrigento’s most beloved-by-locals restaurants.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll depart Agrigento and set out to discover the hilltop village of Caltagirone, that for centuries has been famous for its tradition of ceramics. The centerpiece of this enchanting spot is a stairway of 124 steps, each decorated with vibrantly painted tiles. There will be time to meet artisans in their shops and enjoy lunch on our own.

From Caltagirone, we’ll travel to Sicily’s east coast, and land in the island’s jewel: Bella Taormina. Perched on a cliff overlooking the sparkling Ionian sea, it’s been a haven for pleasure seekers since the days of the Roman Empire.

After settling into our luxurious hotel, which we’ll enjoy for the next 4 nights, dinner will be on your own, with my recommendations of choices that range from folksy pizzerias to chic upscale restaurants.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we’ll experience the joyful side of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dramatic spot. Vineyards thrive on the volcano’s fertile slopes. We’ll visit a winery that is dedicated to tradition, and innovative, as it’s also dedicated to hiring women. We’ll take a walk through the vineyard, be guided through the cellar, and have a wine tasting and lunch of local specialties in this idyllic setting.

We’ll return to Taormina in the afternoon, and then enjoy an early evening walk through town with a local guide, including a stop at the Teatro Greco, originally created by the Greeks, that the Romans rebuilt in the third century.

Afterwards will be twilight strolling, shopping, and dinner on our own.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

We’ll travel back in time with a day in marvelous Siracusa, where Greeks first settled Sicily and built a city that flourished and rivaled Athens. We’ll be guided through the evocative remains of ancient times, including a Greek theater, Roman amphitheater, and the Ear of Dionysus, a cave that’s inspired fascinating legends.

Moving on to the island of Ortigia, the city’s historic center, we’ll be amazed to be surrounded by remains of ancient civilizations beautifully blended with Baroque architecture and pastry shops selling Sicily’s finest sweets. We’ll visit the Duomo, built over a temple that honored the Goddess Athena, with a chapel dedicated to Ortigia’s beloved Santa Lucia.

There will be free time for strolling and shopping, we’ll have lunch together at an excellent restaurant in the piazza, and end our visit with a leisurely boat ride, discovering sea caves and toasting the superb experience with local wine.

We’ll return to Taormina by evening, to enjoy dinner on our own.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Today is your day to enjoy Taormina according to your desires, with Susan’s recommendations.

You may choose to enjoy the hotel’s pool, head to the nearby beach, wander and shop Taormina’s charming alleyways, or take a “Godfather Tour” to see villages nearby where the movie was filmed.

In the evening we’ll gather for a Farewell Dinner at one of Taormina’s most beloved restaurants, to celebrate our Golden Week, refreshed and inspired.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

You’ll depart by private transfer to the Catania airport or train station, with Golden Memories of our week together.

Meals Included: Breakfast