Sicily (2012)

Palermo • Agrigento • Taormina
  • 13 days
  • from only:
  • $1795
  • $139 per day
    Land Tour Only
  • 14 days
  • from only:
  • $2645
  • $189 per dayIncludes international airfare and government taxes
SIC map 2012
IN THIS SECTION:
Detailed Itinerary
Video: Travelers' experiences of Sicily
It's Included
Know Before You Go
What Makes This Trip Unique
Featured Accommodations
Pre- & Post-Trip Extensions
Optional-Tours
Your-Travel-Handbook
Air information
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Customize your trip

Learn how to customize your vacation, or view standard air routing and travel times. The choice is yours with our True Choice program.

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Customize your trip

With our True Choice Program, you can choose to stay longer before or after your trip on your own, or combine two vacations to maximize your value. Here are more ways to create the Grand Circle vacation that’s right for you:

  • Choose our standard air routing, or work with us to select the airline and routing you prefer
  • Make your own international flight arrangements directly with the airline, applying frequent flyer miles if available
  • Stay overnight in a connecting city before or after your trip
  • Request to arrive a few days early to get a fresh start on your vacation
  • Choose to “break away” before or after your trip, spending additional days or weeks on your own
  • Extend your vacation with our optional pre- and post-trip extensions
  • Combine your choice of Grand Circle vacations to maximize your value
  • Upgrade to business or premium economy class

The air options listed above will involve an additional fee of $100 per person for confirmed requests (as well as incremental airfare costs based on your specific choice). This service fee will be waived for Inner Circle/Sir Edmund Hillary Club members.

Or, when you make your reservation, you can choose our standard air routing, for which approximate travel times are shown below.

GATEWAY

TRAVEL TIME*

Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami

14hrs

Boston, New York (JFK)

12hrs

Chicago, Newark

13hrs

Dallas, Detroit

16hrs

Denver, San Francisco

19hrs

Orlando, Tampa

18hrs

Philadelphia, Washington, DC (Dulles)

21hrs

Phoenix

20hrs

Seattle

23hrs

* Estimated total time, including connection and layover. Actual travel time may vary.

The information above reflects approximate flight times from the gateway cities listed to Palermo, Sicily. Routing is based on availability and subject to change. You will receive your final air itinerary approximately 14 days prior to departure.

REFER and EARN

Earn increasing rewards as a Vacation Ambassador

REFER and EARN as a Vacation Ambassador with
the BEST referral program in the industry

Inspiring new travelers to join the Grand Circle family is a rewarding experience—both for you and your new travelers.

Share your love of travel with others and, for each referral who embarks on a Grand Circle trip, you will earn $100 in CASH or credit. With your 4th referral departing on a 2012 departure, your reward increases to $200 in CASH or credit per person. And once you refer 8 travelers departing in either 2012 or 2013, you'll earn a FREE trip valued up to $4,500 per household—which will bring the total value of your earned rewards up to $5,600.

And you are also passing along savings to your new traveler: We'll instantly deduct $100 off the cost of their reservation when they mention your name and Customer Number while reserving.

To learn more about the benefits of our Vacation Ambassador Referral Program, please call us toll-free at 1-800-221-2610
or click here.

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Optional Tours

Day 4:
 Erice $65 per person

Join us this morning as we drive to the city of Erice, standing atop Mount Erice, about 2,500 feet above sea level. It overlooks nearby Trapani and the beaches of San Vito Lo Capo, and is surrounded by a lush park and hilltop castles, which offer charming old stone streets to stroll and several medieval churches to investigate.
Day 6:
 Cefalu $90 per person

Set off for an optional excursion to Cefalu, where you’ll enjoy a walking tour. This enchanting fishing village and summertime resort sits on a rocky outcrop in the center of Sicily’s north coast. A perfect town for strolling, Cefalu is close to beaches and the blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Greeks thought the rocky outcrop, the Rocca, resembled a head—kephalos in Greek—thus, the name of the town. Cefalu lies in a scenic locale between the massive peak and a long sweeping beach. Against this backdrop rise the lofty twin towers of the cathedral built by Roger II in 1130. This splendid cathedral is one of the finest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, and contains luminous mosaics. After the tour, enjoy a special included lunch at a traditional restaurant.
Day 10:
 Messina $80 per person

Embark on a full-day optional tour of Messina. Throughout a fascinating history filled with conquest, earthquake, fire, and rebirth, Messina’s natural beauty remains. You’ll begin with a panoramic tour of the city, located on the Strait of Messina, then stop in Piazza Duomo, the historic center. Here you’ll see the 500-year-old Fountain of Orion (designed by Montorsoli, a student of Michelangelo) and the Duomo, a cathedral originally built by the Normans. After the tour, enjoy a special lunch at a traditional restaurant.
Day 12:
 Siracusa $65 per person

Set off on a full-day optional excursion to Siracusa. It is said that Siracusa is the birthplace of comedy in Greek theater, and was the only school of classical drama outside of Athens. You'll see remarkable Greek and Roman ruins, including the cave called "The Ear of Dionysius," because of its unusual shape, resembling a human ear. The cave is more than 200 feet long, and has such good acoustics that the ripping of paper can sound like a gunshot. It is said that the tyrant Dionysius forced his prisoners into the cave at night and was able to hear every word they said. From its rich archaeological park, we move to the elegant island of Ortigya, where we will admire the architectural splendor of ancient medieval streets, Baroque structures, and the Cathedral—which was fashioned out of an Ancient Greek temple. You'll have free time to make your own discoveries in this picturesque district, and to enjoy lunch on your own.