Southern Italy
trip details
7 days / 6 nights
Add-on Packages Available
pricing
$4,245 per person
Based on double-occupancy rates.
Contact us for single-supplement pricing.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Activity Level
Food & Wine
trip highlights
- Explore the villages of the Val di Noto in southeastern Sicily.
- Experience the open-air fish and produce market of Siracusa.
- Have your own private chocolate tasting in Modica.
- Walking tours of Ragusa Ibla and Marzamemi.
- Hands-on cooking lesson with a local Sicilian family.
- Evening Stroll along the beaches of Marina di Ragusa.
sicilian cooking experience
personal encounters with food & wine throughout the val di noto
The Romans once called Sicily “the Empire’s breadbasket.” To this day mainland Italians consider the Sicilian cuisine to be the most authentic and most delicious in the country. For centuries the island has been home to numerous native vegetables, fruits, cheese and many ancient grains since antiquity. Settle in. Let us take you on a culinary journey through Sicily, where we narrate the Arab invasions and the French influence through our experience in the kitchen. You will learn how the meaning of “farm-to-table” has been fashionable in Sicily for centuries: it makes everything taste so much better!
JUNE 14 – JUNE 20 $4,245 / person
JUNE 28 – JULY 4 $4,245 / person
SEPT 6 – SEPT 12 $4,245 / person
DAY 1 – 2
After lunch we will take a short trip into the village center of Giarratana and discuss the famous onion from this small town, recognized by the “slow food” commission. With a late afternoon to yourselves, walk the grounds, take a nap or spend the afternoon by the pool. In the early afternoon we will meet for a general overview of Sicily, its food, and how our week together will unfold. Dinner will be a lovely group meal with a local Sicilian family.
DAY 3 – 4
Today we move inland to Ragusa Ibla and the stunning baroque beauty this ancient town center has to offer. Rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, Ragusa’s exceptional architecture and style will make a lovely backdrop during our tour. Lunch today will be on your own in the village center, giving you time to shop and enjoy the slow village life of the piazza. Modica has the oldest production of chocolate on the island. Located in an ancient river valley, a private tasting of Modica chocolate awaits us at one of the city’s oldest producers.
DAY 5 – 6
During an informal lunch in the garden, we’ll discuss Sicilian food and culture with our local family. In the late afternoon, we will transfer the group to Marina di Ragusa. Few choruses are more melodious than the fishmongers’ song in Siracusa’s early morning market. Meander the covered stands and the colorful arrays of fish coming in from Sicily’s clear waters. This is Ortigia: ancient Greek settlement and home to many special surprises. We will visit an old Greek temple converted into a Catholic church and one of Europe’s oldest Mikvehs.
DAY 7
Enjoy a late morning accompanied by granita al café and locally baked pastries. An early swim in the pool before we bid farewell to our hists and trasfer the group to Catania International airport for further connections. Or lengthen your stay at Arucimeli Resort: pearl of the Giarratana Valley.