Sicily: Palermo, Agrigento, Acireale | Malta: Valletta
Includes airfare
During your trip, you will have the opportunity to join optional tours to further your discoveries—all of which are noted below. Most of these tours can only be reserved onsite with your Program Director, however due to limited space and other special requirements, some optional tours must be reserved before your departure from the U.S. If this trip has optional tours that need to be purchased in advance, they will be noted with a disclaimer below.
Day 4 | $110 per person
Day 4 | $110 per person
Set off for an optional excursion to Cefalù, an enchanting fishing village and summertime resort that sits on a rocky outcrop in the center of Sicily's northern coast. The Greeks thought the rocky outcrop, the Rocca, resembled a head—kephalos in Greek—thus, the name of the town. Cefalù lies in a scenic locale between the massive peak and a long, sweeping beach.
On an included morning tour with your Program Director, you’ll take in the highlights of the village—including its picturesque harbor and splendid cathedral—and enjoy a chance to chat with local people as they go about their day to day lives. You’ll then have some free time to explore before a light lunch at a local restaurant (included in the cost of the optional tour).
As you return to Palermo, you’ll stop in the nearby town of Bagheria, where you’ll meet a local family and enjoy a taste of homemade cannoli, the iconic Italian pastry.
Day 8 | $150 per person
Day 8 | $150 per person
Dating from the third and fourth centuries BC, Taormina is perched dramatically high on a rocky promontory overlooking the Ionian Sea. It's a charming medieval town with typical cobblestone streets leading into spacious squares graced by lovely 15th-century palazzi.
On this half-day optional tour, you’ll explore the upper town's historic center, including a visit to the classical Greco-Roman theater. This is Taormina's most-visited site, offering a view of rare beauty: Mount Etna and the seacoast. In the third century BC, the Greeks carved this theater on the slopes of Mount Tauro out of rock, and even today, the superb acoustics of the theater allow listeners in the last rows to hear a whisper on stage.
Then, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant (included in the cost of the tour), featuring a demonstration of how to make arancini, stuffed and fried rice balls that are a staple of Sicilian cuisine. You’ll even have a chance to roll up your sleeves and try your hand at making arancini yourself.
Day 12 | $95 per person
Day 12 | $95 per person
Travel back in time with a full-day optional excursion to Mdina and Rabat. Begin with a walking tour of Malta's ancient capital of Mdina, also known as "The Silent City." Surrounded by thick imposing walls, and limited access allowed to traffic, this medieval city abounds with peaceful winding streets. Continue to nearby Rabat, home to the Wignacourt Collegiate Museum, which, in addition to exhibiting fine art and artifacts, also includes numerous underground features such as St. Paul’s Grotto, Punic, Roman, and Early Christian catacombs, and a complex of World War II-era air raid shelters. You’ll tour the historic town, plus stop at a bakery to mingle with locals and savor pastizzi (a traditional Maltese pastry).
After your guided tour, you’ll have some free time to explore independently, followed by lunch at a local restaurant before returning to your hotel.
Day 14 | $185 per person
Day 14 | $185 per person
Join us on an optional half-day excursion. After breakfast, ride a bus to the pier for your ferry ride to Gozo, a small fishing and farming island with green, flat-topped cultivated hills, rugged cliffs, and beautiful inlets and beaches that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
First, visit a bakery for a taste of traditional Maltese bread. Then, ride by bus to Victoria, Gozo’s main town, for a tour of the hilltop Cittadella, or citadel, the fortified town center which was designed to keep Gozo’s people safe from marauding raiders and pirates. While this practical purpose has long since become obsolete, the Cittadella has been preserved as Gozo’s crown jewel, and serves as Victoria’s historic heart and administrative center.
After lunch (included in the cost of your optional tour), you’ll return to Malta via ferry.