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Sicily & the Aeolian Islands 2008 - Detailed Itinerary

Explore villas and volcanoes in this exhilarating tour of Italy's southern gem.

Day 1 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Depart US/Fly overnight to Rome

Depart from the U.S. for Italy. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of Rome

Upon arrival at the Rome airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. VBT's local representative meets you outside the customs area in your arrival terminal, then helps you transfer by private car (approximately 40 minutes) to your Rome hotel. The representative will be holding a VBT sign. At this time, please verify with your airport representative the time of your transfers from your Rome hotel to Fiumicino airport on the final day of your Post-Trip Extension. Please note: VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you fly in earlier than the scheduled program dates, transportation from the airport will be at your own expense. At the hotel you receive a city information package that includes tips and maps to help you explore Rome on your own. If you arrive early, your room may not be ready until 1 p.m. You can store your luggage with the Reception Desk. You have the rest of the day free to explore the city independently. An optional walking tour of Baroque Rome will be available. Highlights include Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the most famous Baroque Churches, Campo dei Fiori, Palazzo Farnese e Spada, and the Jewish Ghetto. This three-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 30.00 Euros per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Meals: B  Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 3 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Full day of independent exploration

Today's opportunities are endless. You might visit the Forum, the political and commercial center of ancient Rome when the empire was at its greatest power. Various emperors constructed the temples, monuments and other buildings here over a period of nine centuries. Today you can still see the Curia where the Roman Senate met. Take a walk up the Palatine Hill, where tradition says the first settlers of Rome built their huts under the direction of Romulus, and which was later the home of Caligula, Nero, Tiberius and Domitian. Or you can step out of Italy while you're still in Rome with a visit to the Vatican, an independent state. The Vatican museums are filled with magnificent art that goes far beyond such well-known pieces as the Pieta and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Tour Rome's famous Catacombs, located in tunnels carved out of rock along the Via Appia (“Appian Way”). Or spend an idyllic afternoon in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, one of Europe's most elegant parks. And by all means, do as the Romans do — sip espresso, savor Italian wine and, even in the middle of the rush of modern European life, take the time to enjoy la dolce vita. After a full day in the city, retire to your hotel or perhaps enjoy one of Rome's fine restaurants. Another optional walking tour of Ancient Rome is available also today. Highlights include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Capitolio, Marcello Theatre, and the Jewish Ghetto. This two-hour program may be booked with your VBT hotel representative upon arrival in Rome (it may not be booked in advance of travel). The approximate price is 20.00 Euros per person and includes the services of our local English-speaking guide.

Meals: B  Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 4 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Full day of independent exploration

Continue your exploration of this amazing city!

Meals: B  Hotel: River Palace Hotel

Day 5 of PRE-TRIP EXTENSION Fly to Palermo/Join VBT Air Package guests

Transfer to the Rome airport to fly to Palermo. Upon arrival at the Palermo airport, claim your luggage and then meet your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign, outside the customs area in the arrival terminal and transfer by private car (approximately 40 minutes) to your centrally located hotel in Palermo. If you cannot locate your representative, or have been delayed due to waiting in customs or lost luggage, please go to the bank counter of Banco di Sicilia. To find the bank office, as you walk out of the customs area, turn left and look for the sign. Wait for your driver near the ATM machine. At the hotel, you receive a city information package that includes tips and maps to help you explore on your own. You also are given a transfer reminder with the time of your transfer from your last hotel to the airport at the end of the trip. Use the rest of the day to explore the city on your own. VBT Air Package guests arrive throughout the day.

Meals: B  Hotel: Ai Cavalieri Hotel

Day 1 of AIR PACKAGE Depart US/Fly to Palermo

Depart from the U.S. for Palermo. The particulars of your arrival overseas are detailed with your flight itinerary and airline tickets.

Day 2 of AIR PACKAGE Arrive in Palermo

Upon arrival at the Palermo airport, claim your luggage and clear customs. Meet your VBT representative, who will be holding a VBT sign, outside the customs area in the arrival terminal and transfer by private car (approximately 40 minutes) to your centrally located hotel in Palermo. If you cannot locate your representative, or have been delayed due to waiting in customs or lost luggage, please go to the bank counter of Banco di Sicilia. To find the bank office, as you walk out of the customs area, turn left and look for the sign. Wait for your driver near the ATM machine (this is also a good place to change some money). At the hotel, you receive a city information package that includes tips and maps to help you explore on your own. You also are given a transfer reminder with the time of your transfer from your last hotel to the airport at the end of the trip. Use the rest of the day to explore the city on your own

Hotel: Ai Cavalieri Hotel

Day 1 of BIKE TOUR Meet Trip Leaders/Transfer to Villa Dafne

VBT No-Air Package guests: Meet the group at 9:30 a.m. in the main lobby of our Palermo Hotel. (Ai Cavalieri Hotel, via S. Oliva 8 , Palermo, phone +39 091583282). Your VBT Trip Leaders will be wearing VBT staff garments. Once the group has assembled, transfer by private motorcoach (approximately 1½ hours) to the Villa Dafne. On the way, you stop for a visit to the fantastic Monreale Cathedral, considered the most important monument in Palermo. Take some time to explore the cathedral and cloisters, and have lunch on your own. VBT No-Air Package guests please note: If you can't make it to the Palermo hotel by 9:30 a.m., or you are delayed, you must take a taxi at your own expense (approximately 130 euros/$185 USD) to the Villa Dafne, or take a train at your own expense (approximately 10 euros/$15 USD, travel time approximately 1½ hours) to Roccapalumba. Prior to taking the train, call the Villa Dafne to make arrangements to be met at the Roccapalumba train station. Please contact the Villa Dafne to advise of any travel delays or changes, so the staff can pass the message on to your VBT Trip Leaders. VBT highly recommends flying to Italy at least one day before the tour begins; this allows you to rest and recover from jet lag before you begin sightseeing and cycling. VBT Air and Pre-Trip Extension Package guests: After breakfast, meet your VBT Trip Leaders and transfer to your hotel for the next two nights, the Villa Dafne. After the stop in Monreale, continue your transfer to Villa Dafne. This is a welcoming farmhouse set in the countryside, surrounded by rolling green pastures. The villa is run by the two owner-families of Pina and Lino (sister and brother). Lino is not only an experienced chef but also a passionate horseman; he will be happy to take you with him if you wish to try an optional horse ride. During your stay, stroll the grounds or relax in the swimming pool, which offers sweeping views of the mountains and valleys. Later today, gather with the group for a safety and bike-fitting session and warm-up ride, followed by a cocktail reception and dinner. Please note: You may participate in optional horseback riding, on your own, at your own expense, during your free time at this hotel. The cost is approximately 15 euros/$20 USD per hour, per person.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Villa Dafne

Day 2 of BIKE TOUR Cycle to Regaleali estate (or to Feudo Tudia on weekends and holidays)

Today, cycle toward Vallelunga and take a detour, following a big sign for Regaleali. As you turn, the countryside immediately unfolds in sweet hills covered with wonderful vineyards: You have entered the grand, 1,200-acre country estate of Regaleali. The estate, owned for generations by the Tasca d'Almerita counts, produces 3 million bottles of wine a year, makes olive oil and raises sheep for milk used in its own cheeses. You are welcomed by a charming farm guide, who guides you through the ancient baglio (walled enclosure) and the wine-tasting room, full of wonderful portraits and memories of wine tastings and awards. Your hosts prepare lunch using produce from the farm, and offer a tasting of some famous Tasca d'Almerita wines. Alternate itinerary for weekends and holidays: Cycle toward Vallelunga Pratameno, a tiny 16th-century village whose name means “Longvalley Fairmeadow.” Home to only 3,800 people, this town produces some of the best wine in Sicily. Then continue on to Feudo Tudia to visit an ancient baglio. The “Feud” stretches over 250 hectares of terrain, including vineyards, olive groves, vegetable gardens, fruit orchards and woods. It is still owned and lived in by the Princess of San Teodoro, who divides her time between her beautiful Palermo palace and here. At Tudia, eat a meal made by your hosts with the farm's produce, then visit the baglio. This walled enclosure usually indicates a huge family farm or wine establishment. In days past, it was the main body or center of all the activities of a farm and symbol of the owners' power. Often, aristocratic families owned these immense estates but left the workings of the farm and baglio to a local mezzadro. The agriculture system was based on crop sharing. In the afternoon, retrace your way to Villa Dafne. Your Trip Leaders host a talk about local culture and the Mafia. Later this evening, gather back at the hotel to participate in a cooking class with Chef Lino. Please note: You may participate in optional horseback riding, on your own, at your own expense, during your free time at this hotel. The cost is approximately 15 euros/$20 USD per hour, per person.

Meals: B, L, D  Hotel: Villa Dafne

Day 3 of BIKE TOUR Cycle to Alia/Follow the Targa Florio/Ferry to Lipari

Cycle to Alia, and then to Sclafani into scenic Madonie Park. Eat an included lunch at Le Case di Cardellino agriturismo, which features spectacular views of the mountains. Later, transfer by motorcoach to Milazzo and board a hydrofoil to the beautiful island of Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian Islands. The islands are a volcanic archipelago named after Aeolus, god of the winds. Settled in Neolithic times, the islands were colonized by the Greeks in 575 BC. Once in Lipari, transfer to your hotel for the next three nights, the Hotel Tritone, imposingly located in a great panoramic position offering sea views. Dine on your own in one of the many restaurants in this typical Mediterranean village, which has pastel-colored houses and little churches huddled around the harbor. Stroll the narrow alleys, small piazzas and courtyards, where flowers abound.

Meals: B, L  Hotel: Hotel Tritone

Day 4 of BIKE TOUR Explore Lipari

After breakfast, begin one of the best rides of the week. Cycle all around the island along white sand beaches and high cliffs, including a couple of short, steep hills. Lunch is on your own in Canneto, famous for its tasty granita flavored with lemon, coffee or almonds. Back in Marina di Lipari this afternoon, you have time to explore on your own. This charming town boasts a reconstructed Norman cathedral, and an archeological museum and park. Lipari is dominated by Mount Chica, but its crown jewel is the 16th-century Spanish Castle. The oldest part of the castle was built in Grecian times, but the 13th-century walls that fortify the structure were built by the Spanish. After exploring the town, gather with your group for an amusing Italian and Sicilian language class led by your Trip Leaders. Tonight, dinner is at a local trattoria.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Hotel Tritone

Day 5 of BIKE TOUR Discover Salina Island

After breakfast, ferry to Salina Island and cycle to the fishing village of Lingua. Here, in the small local museum, you learn how the island got its name from salt, the source of its wealth. In Malfa, share a lunch hosted by Daniela Virgona and her family, producers of Malvasia wine and grappa. Salina is known to safeguard more than other Aeolian Islands its rural essence and authenticity, mirrored by the warm and simple hospitality of these hosts. With them, you can learn about the production of famous Malvasia wine (Passito, made from dried grapes), as well as the cultivation of capers, the base of the economy on this small island. In September, you may also see the grapes drying in the sun. After lunch, continue to explore Rinella village by bicycle or relax on the local beaches. Back on Lipari, shop for ceramics and obsidian jewelry or visit the famed Archeological Museum. Dinner tonight is on your own: you may choose a restaurant of seafood specialties, like Filippino's, a VBT guest favorite, or follow your Trip Leaders' recommendations to a local pizza spot.

Meals: B, L  Hotel: Hotel Tritone

Day 6 of BIKE TOUR Explore Vulcano and Taormina

After breakfast, ferry to Vulcano Island. Vulcano, an extinct volcano inhabited by 400 islanders, is studded with fantastic formations, both aboveground and underwater. Meet local volcanologist, Pietro, and hike with him to the summit of the Grand Crater. Along the way you learn about the volcano's history and activity, and how it compares to Mount Etna and Stromboli. Walking by the crater's steaming fumaroles and descending from the crater back to the beach are sure to be two highlights of your trip! After lunch, we transfer to Taormina. The rest of the day is free to explore the city. Don't miss the magnificent Greek Theater, the symbol of Taormina, an ancient Greco-Roman theater nestled in the mountains with spellbinding views of the sapphire-colored sea, Etna and the city. Stroll along the Corso Umberto with its classical music cafés and pastry shops. Dinner is on your own.

Meals: B  Hotel: Hotel Villa Diodoro

Day 7 of BIKE TOUR Mount Etna

This morning, shuttle to Mount Etna for the high point of your cycling this week. Mount Etna is probably the most active volcano in Europe and the oldest recorded active volcano in the world. Start from the mountain village of Linguaglossa and head through the wonderful Randazzo (where you stop for lunch) and finish at the Alcantara Gorge, one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in Sicily. Spend more free time in Taormina before a festive farewell dinner.

Meals: B, D  Hotel: Hotel Villa Diodoro

Day 8 of BIKE TOUR Transfer to Catania/VBT No Air Package ends

This morning enjoy some free time in Taormina for shopping and sight-seeing before boarding your private coach to Catania at 12:00 noon. VBT No-air Package guests: transfer to the Catania airport, arriving at approximately 1:30 p.m. Important: Flight departures from Catania prior to 3:30 p.m. are not recommended; those departing earlier must make transfer arrangements (approximately 1 hour) at their own expense (approximately 80 euros/$120 USD) from the last hotel in Taormina to Catania. VBT Air Package guests: transfer to your Catania hotel, where you receive a city information package containing maps and tips on what to do in Catania. Extension guests will also receive a city information package and tips for Syracuse. Since the 18th century, Catania has been Sicily's second-most important city. The city has two Roman amphitheaters; the smaller one was built upon an earlier Greek theater, while the larger one, closer to the commercial center, is a completely Roman structure reminiscent of the Colosseum. Most of Catania's wide streets and majestic palaces were built during the 18th century, coinciding with the Bourbon monarchy's development of Naples: The architectural similarity between the two cities is striking. Tonight, dinner is on your own — try one of the many wonderful seafood restaurants.

Meals: B  Hotel: Una Hotel Palace

Day 9 of AIR PACKAGE Depart for U.S.

VBT Air Package guests: After breakfast*, transfer to the airport for your return flight home. Please ensure you are ready in the hotel reception area at the designated time**. *Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served. **VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder” or with the hotel's reception desk the night before your flight. VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B

Day 1 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Transfer to Syracuse for your optional extension

If you have chosen the optional Syracuse extension, transfer (approximately 1 hour) to your centrally located hotel. VBT's driver will meet you in the lobby at 10:00 a.m. Early risers might try to make time to see the interesting local market near our hotel before departing. Consider starting your independent exploration in our beautiful Residence Hotel Alla Giudecca, in an ancient palace of Ortigia Island. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own the many treasures of Syracuse, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Meals: B  Hotel: Alla Giudecca Residence Hotel

Day 2 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Independent Exploration of Syracuse

Continue discovering Syracuse. You may choose to visit the archeological site, featuring one of the largest Greek Theaters in the world, the Ear of Dionysius and the Roman amphitheater. In Ortigia, you might walk to the Fountain of Aretusa and visit the cathedral.

Meals: B  Hotel: Alla Giudecca Residence Hotel

Day 3 of POST-TRIP EXTENSION Syracuse extension concludes/Depart for home

After breakfast*, transfer by taxi or small minivan to the Catania airport for your departing flight. Please ensure you are waiting in the hotel reception area at the designated time**. *Please note: For guests with early-morning departures, breakfast at the hotel may not be available. Please check with the Front Desk to verify the times that breakfast is served. **VBT recommends that you check your transfer time in your “Transfer Reminder” or with the hotel's reception desk the night before your flight. VBT transfer times and departure points are finalized in advance and cannot be modified for individual guests. If you extend your stay beyond the scheduled program dates, return transportation to the airport will be at your own expense.

Meals: B