SICILY Group Tour for Easter 2027
12-days/ 11 nights
March 15 – 26
8 – 12 people
(Scroll down for prices, payment terms and deadlines, at the conclusion of this itinerary.)
A touch of history, mainly a taste of gourmet
The visit to Trapani is an optional extra, however it is likely we will go directly from Palermo down through central Sicily towards Caltagirone instead.
The Mediterranean has for centuries witnessed
a blending of many cultures and races.
The influences of the Moors in Sicily
are particularly fascinating to explore.
For Easter in 2027 you could be enjoying the
tastes and rich past of the Sicilian lifestyle.
We will be journeying through Sicily at a particularly special
and busy time of the year for this island – in Spring
during the lead-up to Easter.
BOOKINGS CLOSE Friday, 25 September, 2026
(or when fully booked, whichever is earlier)
(insert map)
Taste of the Moors in Sicily
12 days / 11 nights
DAY 1 – March 15: Palermo (Monday)
MEALS: Dinner (D)
Moorish theme today: Invasion of Sicily (ha ha) and the capital of the former Emirate of Sicily: Palermo
Airport pickup. This is arrival day in Sicily so you will have the time to relax and settle in before gathering for the welcome dinner. Stay for two nights at Divisi Suites & Spa in central Palermo (or equivalent).
Cassata made around Palermo is particularly good.
DAY 2 – March 16: Palermo (Tuesday)
MEALS: Breakfast (B) & D
Moorish theme today: the Moors’ influence still exists in some architecture and in the food
A guide will take you on a market tour today where you can select street food for lunch (not included). The Moorish influence can be seen in the local food – the iconic Sicilian dessert, cassata, derives its name from the Arabic. Keep an eye out for panelle (fried strips of chickpea flour). You can visit a chiesa (church) with minarets, the Duomo di Monreale (cathedral) with its columns elaborately carved in Arabic style. A special museum with mosaics. There is so much to see.
Return to our accommodation in time for dinner.
The Moors brought citrus fruits to Sicily.
DAY 3 – March 17: Palermo > Caltagirone > Siracusa (Wednesday)
MEALS: B Lunch (L) & D
Moorish theme today: check out Sicily’s famous ceramic “teste di mori” (Moors’ heads)
Today we drive from Palermo to Caltagirone (about 2.5 hr drive), then on to Siracusa (another 1.5 hr drive). Caltagirone is famous for its ceramics and the 142-step staircase of Santa Maria del Monte where every step is decorated with ceramic tiles depicting motifs from 10th to 20th century design. We will also visit the Ceramiche Gurreri for fine examples of the local ceramics and “le teste di Mori” (ceramic heads of the Moors). If enough of us purchase items, the bottega can freight them home to Australia as one shipment, saving each person significantly on shipping costs. We can play this by ear somewhat. We will have a nice lunch together in this baroque town. Much of Sicilian village architecture is baroque because in around 1601 there was a massive earthquake flattening much of what had preceded it.
After lunch we will drive on to Siracusa for dinner, and where we will stay for 4 nights.
Carciofi or artichokes feature regularly in Sicilian dishes.
DAY 4 – March 18: Siracusa (Thursday)
MEALS: B L & D (what you cook in the cooking class)
Moorish theme today: learn to cook with Moorish ingredients, Sicilian-style
Although Ortigia is an island, it is connected to Siracusa by bridge. Join us for a market tour and enjoy the street food for lunch. Your must try the arancini – fried rice balls stuffed with vegetables or meat, fruit-flavoured granita (an icy treat for a hot day), fried cone of fish, and Sicily’s famous dessert – cannoli. We also have a 4pm cooking class scheduled for you, which includes Arab-introduced ingredients and recipes.
Needs no introduction.
DAY 5 – March 19: Siracusa (Friday)
MEALS: B & D
Moorish theme today: the Greeks who preceded them
Today we go on a guided tour of Siracusa visiting such places as the cave known as the Ear of Dionysus with its amazing acoustics, the Greek theatre above it (one of the largest in the world), the regional Archaeological Museum, castles, springs, fountains. Choices will just depend on how much time we have that day as we have also planned a drive into the countryside for a tasting at an olive oil farm.
You will observe how similar is the flora of Sicily and Morocco: palm trees, bougainvillea, cacti, olive trees, and more.
We’ll be back for dinner in Siracusa.
Siracusa’s Greek Amphitheatre. Interestingly this photo looks to have been taken from the vantage point of the associated tombs, now empty of course, but welcome refuges from the Sicilian summer heat, if visiting at that time.
DAY 6 – March 20: Siracusa > Noto > Siracusa (Saturday)
MEALS: B L & D
Moorish theme today: Noto is where the Emirate of Sicily had its last stand before being rooted out of Sicily by the Norman crusaders. Be aware of echoes of Islam’s minarets in the churches.
Today, we travel 30 minutes out of Siracusa to Noto, where we will breakfast at the luxurious Palazzo Castelluccio. We can then explore Noto at leisure, with its baroque architecture, artisanal shops, ceramics, and of course great food. We will stop at Archivio Atelier and lunch all’aperto (in the open) under almond trees. That night, we will have dinner back in Siracusa.
The main thoroughfare of Noto is truly lovely with gorgeous baroque architecture.
DAY 7 – March 21: Siracusa > Taormina (Sunday)
MEALS: D
Moorish theme today: Taormina had been the capital of the Byzantine empire before being sacked by the Moorish invaders who succeeded them in ruling Sicily
Taormina, the jewel of Sicily, is just 1.5 hours away from Siracusa, and on arrival you’ll be taken on an introduction tour of the city. This will include an arancino lunch, giving you free time before watching the sunset from the Greek Roman theatre followed by dinner @ANNA’s.
We will stay for three nights at the Isoco Guest House overlooking the sea (or equivalent).
A nook in Taormina.
DAY 8 – March 22: Taormina > Castelmola > Taormina (Monday)
MEALS: B & D (for lunch you can find your own nook, while we are at Castelmola)
Today, we explore Castelmola, a small picturesque village high above Taormina, that provides a view of Mount Etna, the coast and surrounding countryside. It’s a good place to shop for ceramics, lacework and embroidery. You might also like to try their famous almond wine – its a white wine flavoured with almonds, oranges and herbs.
There is also a rather unique family-friendly café that is an ode to the ancient fertility god of this region. It is replete with phallic symbols everywhere you turn! Even Taormina is named after taouro or bull, who was likewise worshipped in ancient times as a symbol of male fertility.
Upon returning to Taormina we visit Casa Cuseni, the city’s art museum. You’ll then have free time for shopping (or maybe a spa at the guest house), and just leisurely sip an aperitif on the terrace of a popular hotel. We rendezvous and end the day with dinner at a good restaurant.
Mount Etna. When you visit it and place your hands on the ground higher up the mountain, you can feel the heat from within.
DAY 9 – March 23: Taormina > Pozzillo > Taormina (Tuesday)
MEALS: B L & D
Moorish theme today: we take a walk along the coastline first observed by many invaders of this island as they approached the shoreline.
This is the day you enjoy a lavascape and indulge in wild flower cuisine. We leave Taormina for a 1-hour drive to the eerie slopes of Mount Etna with its craters, steam vents and lava caves. From there it is about 45 minutes drive to the Pozzillo Lemon Farm. You’ll be taken for a walk through the property to view and pick the wild flowers. As Pozzillo is a fisherman town, we will have a walk by the sea before returning to the farm for a Sicilian lunch with a wild flower menu. We return to Taormina for out final night at our accommodation.
Girt by sea, as Australia’s national anthem says of our own country
DAY 10 – March 24: Taormina > Catania (Wednesday)
MEALS: B L & D
Moorish theme today: Sicilian puppetry was used to retell to Sicily’s illiterate population, tales of battles and love from Troubador poetry including interactions between retreating Moors and invading Norman Crusaders
Catania is just a 1-hour drive from Taormina. Today, you’ll be taken on a tour of Catania’s markets and make your choices for a street food lunch. Your day will include a traditional Sicilian puppet show, tour of the city and the sunset view from a church top. Dinner tonight will be at either a home restaurant or other good restaurant. We’ll be spending two nights at the Liberty Hotel (or equivalent).
Sicily’s puppets, now found mainly in museums and as ornamentation in cafes, are often about 1 metre high.
DAY 11 – March 25: Catania (Thursday)
MEALS: B & D
Your final full day is free. So, you can indulge in a bit of pampering. Linger over the buffet breakfast. Ask at the front desk about nearby beauty salons, day spas, and cafes. Or simply see some of the sights there was no time for yesterday.
Just be sure you are back at the hotel in time to rendezvous for our last dinner as a group.
The markets at Catania are not unlike the traditional souks in Morocco.
DAY 12 – March 26: depart Catania airport (Good Friday – so book your flights sooner rather than later)
MEALS: B
Single drop off at Catania’s international airport.
This delicate cake with flowers made from pistacchios is traditionally made and consumed in Sicily at Easter time.
We will price optional extras upon receipt of your request.
Your diary checklist
| Now: |
Make a 50% deposit to confirm your inclusion in the tour. First in, first served. AIMT Trust Account / BSB:032-097 / Account number: 441414 / Westpac Bank / Payment code: YOUR SURNAME / 20251210 |
| September 25, 2026: | Deadline for bookings to close and tour confirmation, unless we have reached maximum numbers (12 people) before then. |
| October 2, 2026: | Deadline to refund all deposits via EFT if tour is not confirmed, subject to provision of your bank account details at least 3 business days prior. |
|
BY NO LATER THAN January 29, 2027: |
Balance of the tour fee (50%) for confirmed tour to be received by AIMT™ and access to Client-only resources given. Whatsapp Group created. |
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Sicily Tour March 15 – 26, 2027 |
Twin or double share, per person |
Single |
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TOTAL |
AUS $11,990.00 per person |
Price on application |
CONSIDER combining this tour with one of the others we have on offer.
The 7-days Eros Spring tour of Morocco
begins about a week after this one.
Think about making the most of your time here
and chat with us about the possibilities.