Wander with us as we get lost in the beauty of narrow stone streets, hilltops overlooking the Adriatic and seaside towns that make up the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Then head to Sicily where you will explore wineries and ruins, eating fabulous food in the shadow of Mount Etna.
4 nights in Puglia | 5 nights in Sicily | Optional additional 3 nights in Palermo
Welcome to this beautiful region of Italy - Puglia and Sicily! The heel of a fashionable, beautiful boot! Known for their whitewashed hill towns, centuries old farmland and hundreds of miles of Adriatic coastline.
Embark on a journey through Italy's southern gems! Explore Puglia's stunning towns, from the baroque beauty of Lecce to the iconic trulli houses in Alberobello. Enjoy a cooking class in the picturesque Itria Valley. Visit Matera's ancient cave dwellings and Altamura's historic charm. In Sicily, wander the magical streets of Ortigia, and take guided tours of Ragusa and Noto, famous for their baroque splendor. Discover Catania's vibrant energy, then hop on a tuk-tuk in Taormina for breathtaking coastal views. Conclude with an exhilarating Jeep tour on the slopes of Mount Etna. A perfect blend of history, cuisine, and adventure!
Day 1 | Private transfer to hotel and group arrival dinner
Day 2 | Towns of Matera and Altamura
Day 3 | Town of Lecce
Day 4 | Alberobello, Cooking Class & The Jewels of the Itria Valley
Day 5 | Transfer from Puglia to Ortigia
Day 6 | Guided Tour in Ragusa & Chocolate Tasting
Day 7 | Exploring Noto and Ortigia
Day 8 | Catania Walking Tour & Tuk-Tuk in Taormina
Day 9 | Jeep Tour on Mount Etna
Day 10 | Departure to airport or Palermo Add-on trip
Total of $12,295.00 per person
Deposit of $4,300.00 per person due at registration to guarantee your spot.
There is considerable interest in this trip so secure your spot now!
Credit Card payments are accepted with an additional 4% fee.
Ensure that your flights depart from the US to arrive in Puglia on the morning of September 16.
Arrival date is September 16 and departure date is September 25.
A maximum of 5 couples are able to go on the trip.
We have organised an Add-on option to this trip - an exciting 3 night visit to the beautiful and historic Palermo.
Contact us if you are interested in taking part in this extended part of the trip.
All breakfasts provided and included beginning on Day 2; Includes 4 lunches, 3 dinners and a few various tastings. Wine, beer and cocktails are not included unless stated.
Some walking through villages with uneven footing. Clients must be able to walk at least three miles without assistance.
*NOTE! If there is a significant exchange rate change between the time of deposit and balance due, we may adjust final fees.
We design our excursions with a degree of flexibility to provide our clients with the best possible opportunity for exploring a particular destination. Therefore, our itineraries may change due to any factor, at our discretion. We will do our best to keep any changes to a minimum. Many times, they are the final pieces of the puzzle, and they would only be made to enhance your trip!
Welcome to Puglia! Take a private transfer from the Airport to your Hotel in a comfortable and luxurious car.
Check in at hotel La Sommità Relais for the first few nights of the trip.
Enjoy a Group Arrival Buffet Dinner for the first night of the trip.
Dinner included
After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet our driver and guide in the hotel lobby and set off to Matera for a Guided Walking Tour. Explore Matera's Sassi districts, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and remarkable example of Mediterranean troglodyte settlements. Visit rupestrian churches like San Pietro Barisano and a traditional cave dwelling. Beyond the Sassi, admire the Cathedral, Sedile Square, and baroque landmarks. Discover why this "city of stone" was named 2019's European Capital of Culture.
Enjoy lunch as a group at a local restaurant.
Next, head to Altamura and Matera for a Bread Tasting class. While visiting the bakery, you will learn about the process of bread making. At the end of the visit, you will enjoy a tasting based on the typical bakery products of the area such as bread and focaccia.
After our day, we’ll head back to the hotel where you can enjoy dinner at leisure.
Breakfast and lunch included
Today you’ll be experiencing the rich history and stunning beauty of Leece.
Enjoy a guided tour of Leece and allow the the architectural spectacles to open your eyes. Lecce, known as the “Florence of the South”, beholds plenty of Roman ruins, including a huge ampitheater, and 17th century Baroque buildings built of limestone.
Enjoy lunch at leisure in Leece.
You will then have free time to explore Lecce at leisure, where you can shop and walk around the town exploring at your own pace!
After the day, we’ll head back to the hotel where you can enjoy dinner as a group.
Breakfast and dinner included
The driver will meet us at the hotel this morning and whisk us away to Alberobello for a Guided Tour. Alberobello is a small town in the Apulia region of southern Italy, famous for its unique and charming trulli houses.
Next our driver will take us to our next destination for a Apulian Traditional Cooking Class. The secrets of Apulian traditional cuisine are explained in the cooking class to learn how to prepare the most authentic Apulian recipes.
Our final stop of the day is visiting The Jewels of the Itria Valley. Locorotondo, known as Locus-rutundi in Latin, is a charming village perched atop a hill 400 meters above sea level, captivating visitors with its circular layout. It exudes a timeless atmosphere defined by a strong community spirit and beautifully adorned communal spaces filled with vibrant flowers.
Breakfast and lunch included
Check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport where we will catch a flight to Sicily.
Welcome to Sicily. Upon arrival, we will take a private transfer to Grand Hotel Des Etrangers.
When you arrive at the hotel, we will enjoy a welcome Aperitif as a group.
Enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast included
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before your Private Guided Tour in Ragusa. You will discover Ibla, the old town center of Ragusa. Since 2002, thanks to its impressive baroque architecture, Ibla has been a Unesco world heritage site, part of the cultural town centers of the Noto Valley. During this tour, you will learn about the origins of Ragusa and about the terrible earthquake which destroyed southeastern Sicily in the year 1693, and more.
After your guided tour, enjoy lunch at leisure at a local restaurant.
Your next adventure is a Chocolate Tasting in Modica. Modica is also famous for its very special chocolate, cold-worked, without milk and flavored in many original flavours: from Sicilian citrus fruits to chilli peppers.
Enjoy the afternoon to explore Modica at leisure, where you can shop and walk around the town exploring at your own pace!
Enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast included
Your first adventure for the day is a guided walking tour through the main streets of Noto to discover the pearl of the Sicilian baroque style.
Next, is Marzameni, the Tonnara and the Tuna! Marzamemi is a dream village characterized by yellow stone houses arranged around two natural harbors. Its history is closely linked to that of its tuna fishery and the two small ports, La Fossa and La Balata, from where, in the past, the commercial ships of south-eastern Sicily departed.
Enjoy lunch as a group at a local restaurant.
Next, you will have free time to explore Ortigia, which is Syracuse's old town center.
In the evening, enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast and lunch included
After breakfast, check out of your hotel before you enjoy the Catania Guided Walking Tour, which includes walking through the historic center, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Enjoy free time for lunch at leisure at a local restaurant.
Check-in at your next hotel destination, The Ashbee.
Your last activity fro the day is a Tuk-Tuk Tour in Taormina. This tour lasts 2 hours and includes a panoramic tour of Taormina with particular attention to the seaside with a view of the Isola Bella to move towards Castelmola, a small village a few kilometers from Taormina included among the "Borghi più belli d’Italia”.
In the evening, enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast included
This morning, depart from the hotel in Taormina to drive through the small villages surrounding the Volcano and a few stops here and there to admire the various lava flows that distinguish this area. This complex volcano, and still today mysterious, was formed during different eruptive phases. Several eruptions occurred throughout history, capable of modifying the surrounding landscape.
To end off the trip, enjoy one final dinner as a group.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
After checking out, your driver will take you to the airport for your flight home.
Alternatively, continue your trip for 3 nights to enjoy and explore the beautiful Palermo.
Day 10 | Start of Palermo Trip
Day 11 | Tuk-Tuk in Palermo and Noble Palace
Day 12 | Monreale
Day 13 | Departure
Pricing still to be confirmed!
There is considerable interest in this trip so secure your spot now!
Credit Card payments are accepted with an additional 4% fee.
Ensure that your flights depart from Palermo back to the US on September 28.
Arrival date is September 25 and departure date is September 28.
A maximum of 5 couples are able to go on the trip.
All breakfasts beginning on Day 10
Welcome to Palermo! Transfer to Palermo, where you will enjoy a Private Guided Tour in "Valle Dei Templi". This private guided tour will take you to discover the wonders of one of the most representative archaeological sites of the Greek-classical civilization, where it is possible to contemplate a series of important Doric temples in an exceptional state of conservation.
Enjoy free time for lunch at leisure at a local restaurant.
Check in at hotel Grand Hotel et Des Palmes where you will stay for the duration this trip.
Enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast included
Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, before going on a Tuk-Tuk adventure that explores the Arab neighborhoods where the Arabic dialect is still spoken today, the Cathedral, the Royal Palace, Quattro Canti, Piazza della Vergogna, and Europe's largest secular tree. You will also see the Sicilian carts museum, the convent of Santa Caterina with an aerial view, historic markets of Ballaró and Vucciria, Teatro Massimo and Politeama, the Convent of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, and much more.
Enjoy free time for lunch at leisure at a local restaurant.
After lunch, enjoy a Private Guided Tour of a Noble Palace in Palermo with an Aperitif. This noble palace has its entrance via Ruggiero Settimo and overlooks Piazza Verdi in front of the Teatro Massimo, built-in 1783.
Enjoy free time for dinner at leisure.
Breakfast included
After breakfast, explore Monreale. A bit like Assisi, Monreale is one of those cities that tourists immediately associate with a church. Why be surprised? The Cathedral of Monreale is an unrivalled architectural marvel, a true jewel of art capable of captivating even the most convinced agnostic with its majesty and sacredness.
Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure, and spend lunch and dinner at any restaurant of your choice.
Breakfast included
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and take a private transfer to the airport for your departure back to the US.
Breakfast included
Fees are non-refundable so we encourage you to purchase trip insurance at the time of your deposit. Allianz quotes will be provided to you at that time.
Please note that this tour assumes arrival in Puglia on the morning of September 16, and departure from Catania on September 25. Those who require alternative options please request and provide specific information. Airport arrival and departure transportation fees can vary. We are happy to help with transportation advice and information. Private transportation services will be determined once your flights are finalized.
Air travel to and from the USA is not included. Suggested flights will be provided once they are available.
There is an additional option to extend your tour, for anyone wanting to spend a few more days in Palermo. Please inquire about this “add-on” option if interested. (Additional itinerary planning at no extra cost.)
Watch “The White Lotus-Season 2” on HBO Max
Read “Eating & Drinking in Italy - Menu Translator & Restaurant Guide” by Andy Herbach
Watch “Stanley Tucci - Searching For Italy” on Amazon Prime
Read “How to Order an Italian Coffee in Italy” by Sara Rosso
Read “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle
Read “Extra Virginity” about olive oil in Italy, by Tom Mueller
Watch “Ben Hur” filmed in Puglia
Read “The Italian Wine Guide” by Touring Club of Italy
Watch “The Godfather” on almost any channel
Read Andrea Camilleri’s “Inspector Montalbano” Series, set in Sicily
Read “Mezza Italiana” by Zoe Boccabella
Read “Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walters
Watch “No Time To Die” filmed in Southern Italy
Read “The Sicilian” by Mario Puzo
Review Travel Tips from Galavant in your trip information
