Sicily Food Adventure

What's Included

• Special guided tours in main UNESCO sights and cities

• All accommodation

• All breakfasts, 2 wine tastings, 1 cookery class and 5 food tastings/lunches included.

• London flights (if booking incl. flights)

• Airport transfers (if booking group flights or alternative flights arriving before or at the same time as the group)

• Transport by private air-conditioned minibus throughout the trip

• Meals

  7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 0 dinners.

• All accommodationAll breakfasts, 2 wine tastings, 1 cookery class and 5 food tastings/lunches included.London flights (if booking incl. flights)Airport transfers (if booking group flights or alternative flights arriving before or at the same time as the g

• All accommodationAll breakfasts, 2 wine tastings, 1 cookery class/lunch and 4 produce tastings (3 of which are also considered lunch)London flights (if booking incl. flights)Airport transfers (if booking group flights or alternative flights arriving befor

• — All accommodation — All breakfasts, 2 wine tastings, 1 cookery class/lunch and 4 produce tastings (3 of which are also considered lunch) — London flights (if booking incl. flights) — Airport transfers (if booking group flights or alternative flights arr

What's Not Included

• City taxes (approx. €10-15)

• Travel insurance 

• Single accommodation 

• Visa or vaccinations

• Travel insurance Single accommodation Visa or vaccinationsCity taxes (approx. €10-15)

• — Travel insurance — Single accommodation — Visa or vaccinations — City taxes (approx. €10-15)

Food

All breakfasts, 2 wine tastings, 1 cookery class/lunch and 4 produce tastings (3 of which are also considered lunch) are included.



Sicilian cuisine is a melting pot of all the different cultures that have occupied the island, from the Arabs to the Normans. The island itself is incredibly fertile, enjoying a perfect climate which is ideal for the cultivation of fresh produce such as olives, oranges, lemons, eggplants, tomatoes, pistachios, almonds, grapes, and more—not to mention all of the seafood, tuna and swordfish fished right off the coast. The result? A cuisine that’s fresh, varied, and absolutely delicious! Sicilian wines are also superb and known to be strong and syrupy, like Marsala and Moscato. These are some of the regional specialities we recommend to try during this trip:



Caponata: a tasty salad made with eggplant (aubergines), olives, capers and celery, makes a great appetizer.

Sfincione: a local form of pizza made with tomatoes, onions and (sometimes) anchovies. Prepared on a thick bread and more likely found in a bakery than in a pizzeria.

Pane e pannelle: A favorite street food of Palermo, panelle—or chickpea fritters—are served between bread, like a sandwich.

Arancini (also known as arancine): fried rice balls stuffed with meat or cheese.

Pani ca meusa: The name of this street food means, literally bread with spleen! But don’t let that scare you. It is delicious speciality of Palermo!

Cannoli: tubular crusts with creamy ricotta (made from sheep's milk) and sugar filling. A must!

Cassata siciliana: A sponge cake is soaked in liqueur, its slices layered with sweetened ricotta, and the whole thing covered in almond paste, then icing. It is also studded with candied fruits and other goodies.

Pasta alla Norma: it’s made with fried eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and salted ricotta.

Pasta with pistachio pesto.

Pasta con le sarde: Sardines are popular in Sicily, so it’s common to see them as a topping for pasta. One common variety is bucatini with sardines, fennel, saffron, pine nuts, and raisins.

Frutta martorana: Other places call this 'marzipan' but here in Sicily, the almond paste is molded into little (incredibly realistic) fruits—hence fruits of Martora, or frutta martorana.

Granita: The perfect summer refreshment, granita, originally from Sicily, can now be found all over Italy. It’s just ground ice with sugar and fresh fruit, simple but truly delicious.

Involtini di Pesce Spada: Little rolls of thinly sliced swordfish are stuffed with pine nuts, raisins, bread crumbs, anchovy filets, orange juice and lemon juice, eggs and grated pecorino.

Tonno e Spada Affumicata: Smoked tuna and swordfish shaved paper thin, and layered on a plate. These can be accented with shaved fennel and oranges, or olives and sun-dried tomatoes, or can be served with just a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some good crusty bread.

Accommodation

On this Sicily trip, we use comfortable three- and four-star hotels. Some have been chosen for their warm hospitality and typically Sicilian character and others for their convenient location. They are often near the historic centres we visit so we can easily explore the towns in the evenings or during our free time. Below are the hotels normally used: 



Palermo: B&B Hotel Quattro Canti (nights 1-2) 







Our first stop is Quattro Canti, a three-star hotel in the historic centre of Palermo. For foodies, the highlight may well be the rooftop restaurant, which serves Italian cuisine with views over the city. 



Marsala: Villa Favorita bungalow (night 3) 







In Marsala, we stay at the Villa Favorita resort. It was built by wine entrepreneur Salvatore Amodeo in 1860 and we typically stay in simple igloo-style accommodations within the property. There’s also a pool with loungers, plus plenty of green space to wander.  



Agrigento: Hotel della Valle (night 4) 







After visiting the Valley of the Temples, we head to the nearby Hotel della Valle. Relax post-exploration with a dip in the pool or dine together in one of the two restaurants, which serve a mixture of Sicilian and international cuisines.  



Ragusa: Hotel Mediterraneo or Hotel Barocco (night 5) 







In Ragusa, we either stay at Hotel Mediterraneo (above) or Hotel Barocco, depending on availability. The former is a modern hotel within a few minutes’ walk of Ragusa Ibla (the old town); it has a restaurant-bar serving Mediterranean cuisine. The latter is within Ragusa Ibla and has a restaurant-pizzeria. 



Catania area: B&B Hotel Catania (nights 6-7) 







We spend our final two nights at the modern Hotel Catania. It’s well placed for our activities, and, when we’re not out exploring, it has a lobby shop for food and drink and a solarium with showers and loungers on the terrace.