Sicily & the Amalfi Coast

DAY 1-2: BENVENUTI A SICILIA, WELCOME TO SICILY!

After our overnight flight, arrive in Palermo, the capital of the Sicily region of Italy. Enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and unpack for two nights at the stunning 4-star Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa. Meals in Flight, D

DAY 3: PALERMO/MONREALE

Today our Sicilian journey truly begins. Take a guided tour of Palermo and nearby Monreale with an included lunch. Visit Monreale Cathedral, which boasts more than 6,500 square meters of gilded mosaics, depicting scenes from the New and Old Testaments. In Palermo, explore the Palazzo dei Normanni, the Church of St. John of the Hermits, and the famous Church of the Martorana with its golden mosaics. Tonight, explore Palermo for dinner on your own. B, L

DAY 4: SCIACCA WINE TASTING/VALLEY OF THE TEMPLES

Depart Palermo and head toward Agrigento. Along the way, enjoy a stop at a famous winery located on the wine road of “Ville Sicane.” Here you will have a typical Sicilian food tasting with wine pairings. After, visit the Park of the “Valley of the Temples,” an archaeological site that represents the Greek presence in Sicily. A local guide will take you on a journey of art and history through these sites. Check-in to the charming Hotel Baglio della Luna in Agrigento and enjoy dinner. B, D

DAY 5: NOTO

Noto is considered the “triumph of Baroque style.” See Val di Noto, the Valley of Noto, a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site known as a treasure of Sicily. Experience the golden color of Noto’s architecture, enjoy breathtaking views of the city at sunset, and stroll through the city center with its magnificent churches and palaces. Continue to Siracusa for dinner at a local restaurant, and check-in to the Hotel Alfeo. B, D

DAY 6: SIRACUSA

Enjoy a walking tour of Siracusa with a local guide as you explore the secrets of ancient Siracusa. Experience the famous Sicilian hospitality at authentic family tavernas hidden among alleyways in Ortigia along the way. This tour will combine wine and culinary experiences with a walk through the most breathtaking monuments of Siracusa, such as Piazza San Rocco, Piazza Duomo, the Jewish district, Santa Lucia Church, and more. Enjoy a food tasting (own expense) featuring fresh fish, bruschetta, homemade pastries, and other typical Sicilian appetizers all paired harmoniously with local wines and liquors. Later, enjoy dinner in Ortigia. B, D

DAY 7: TAORMINA

Today we depart Siracusa and make our way to Taormina. Enjoy stunning views as we drive along the coast of Sicily. Upon arrival, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and check-in to the remarkable Hotel Bel Soggiorno, our home for the next three nights. This charming boutique hotel is minutes from the city center and boasts a beautiful terrace for the best views in Taormina. B, D

DAY 8: TAORMINA

Explore Taormina on a guided walking tour. The downtown area represents a vast range of historical periods from the early Greek settlements and Roman Age to the remains of Byzantine and Medieval ruins. Visit the Greek Theatre and the courtyard of Palazzo Corvaja, and enjoy free time to wander through the public gardens. Enjoy an included lunch at a local restaurant. B, L

DAY 9: SICILIAN COOKING LESSON

Visit the Taormina Food Market to purchase ingredients from local farmers, butchers, and fishermen for your private cooking class, learning how best to select suitable products for your special menu. With your ingredients ready, head to the kitchen for your lesson. Prepare homemade pasta, fish, and vegetable dishes in true Sicilian style. Then, enjoy the fruits of your labor as you taste the foods from your lesson, paired with regional wines. B, L

DAY 10: AMALFI COAST

Today we say goodbye to beautiful Sicily and fly to mainland Italy. The region of coastline stretching from Sorrento, south of Naples, to Amalfi is called the Amalfi, renowned for its natural beauty and charming hillside towns. On our way from Naples to Sorrento, we will stop at the ancient ruins of Pompeii for a private tour, walking through the ancient streets, forums, baths, and villas dating to 80 B.C. Then, enjoy dinner and unpack at our Sorrento hotel for the next three nights, the 4-star Hotel Regina. B, D

DAY 11: SORRENTO

The day is yours! Just steps from our hotel, explore the city center’s nearby piazzas, shop for souvenirs, take in the surrounding views of the coastline, or simply relax at the hotel. If you're feeling adventurous, take a ferry ride to nearby Capri, or join a guided tour to a surrounding town (these additional excursions not included). Tonight, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. B, D

DAY 12: COASTAL DRIVE

Meet your local driver and enjoy a stunning all-day drive along the coastline to discover the jewels of the Amalfi coast. The winding road carved into the sides of mountains offers breathtaking views at every bend. Along the way, relish in the many photo opportunities, as well as stops in Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. The enchanting coves, rocky shores, lemon trees, olive groves, and tiny villages clinging on to plunging cliffs will leave you in awe. Enjoy an included lunch during the tour in Ravello. B, L

DAY 13: RETURN HOME

Our journey comes to a close as we depart Sorrento and head to Naples for our flight home. Arrivederci, Italia! B

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Nights 2-3: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa, Palermo

Night 4: Hotel Baglio della Luna, Agrigento

Nights 5-6: Grande Albergo Alfeo, Siracusa

Nights 7-9: Hotel Bel Soggiorno, Taormina

Nights 10-12: Hotel Regina, Sorrento

Dates:

• Depart: May 13, 2025
• Return: May 25, 2025

Pricing (Per Person):

• Double: $7299
• Single: $9499

*Passport required

*Included airfare from STL or MCI (call for other gateway cities)

*A $500 per person deposit is required

Helpful Hints
Sicilian cuisine isn’t too different from normal Italian cuisine, except Sicilian’s love to experiment with flavour. Sicily has a great variety of locally grown produce from lemons, to pistachios, oregano and tomatoes to name but a few, so you’re definitely in for a treat when it comes to mealtimes. Since Sicily is an island, you can expect to find a lot of fresh fish in Sicilian diets including Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish, Octopus, Squid and a lot of shellfish.

English is widely spoken and understood in many of the touristic areas in Sicily, but we recommend learning some key phrases in Italian before you go in case you decide to spend time on your own, without our local guides! If you get truly stuck, use a translation app or ask a younger local who may be able to understand a bit of English.

Hotel Bel Soggiorno, your hotel in Taormina, boasts stunning terrace views, both in the hotel's restaurant and in your room. Be sure to spend plenty of time taking in these views and enjoying the scenery!

Currency
Italy, including Sicily, uses the Euro (€)

Weather
The average highs in May range from 69°F to 75°F, rarely falling below 63°F.

Walking Distance
To fully enjoy your vacation, you should be in good physical health and understand there are times when a good deal of walking is involved in our tours. Those who have difficulty walking may not want to take this trip or should discuss their personal situation with their doctor before deciding. You should be able to walk at a steady pace for a mile at a time for a daily total of three to four miles per day and be able to manage steps to board/de-board the motorcoach several times a day. In addition, many US and European airports require lengthy walks to get from ticketing counters to your departure gate.

We are finding that larger European cities are closing their historic districts to motor traffic. This, of course, adds to the amount of walking involved when visiting a city (sometimes on uneven and/or cobblestone walkways). Many cities in Sicily have city centres that are closed off to motor traffic. Additionally, many of these cities require walking up unpaved, uneven stairs and steep walkways to get around. While rest times and days at leisure are built in, there may be occasions where we'll be walking 2-4 miles per day on this tour.

Identification
Valid passport required to travel.

Other General Information
We will send 3 key communications for your tour; “Get Ready” is your email confirmation and initial tour information sent upon registration, “Get Set” email will be sent about two months before departure, “Go” trip documentation mailing is sent via USPS 3-4 weeks before departure and will include your daily itinerary, luggage tags and final departure information.

Travel Protection is optional and highly recommended and can be purchased until the day before departure. We offer Travel Guard from AIG, which costs 8.5% of your tour, information about which will be sent with your Get Ready email.

Unless otherwise noted, your Sunrise Tour includes: Professional Sunrise Tour Director, meals as indicated, local step on guides including gratuity (international tour guide gratuity inclusion vary by tour), deluxe motorcoach transportation w/rest room, admission to activities and events as indicated, airfare from designated airports, transportation to/from designated airports from our convenient local pickup points*, luggage handling at hotels when available

We believe tipping is a personal and discretionary interaction between our guests and our staff. A typical gratuity for your Sunrise Tour Director and motorcoach driver may be $5-$7per person, per day on tour. Sunrise Shuttle drivers appreciate gratuities (suggest $5 per person) for excellent service as well. Our staff will not solicit gratuities or pass out envelopes.

We are happy to offer refreshments on most motorcoach travel days on tour. We recommend you bring a refillable water bottle to maintain healthy hydration.

If less than 4 people request a pickup point, we may ask that you choose another pickup point from which to join your Sunrise Tour.

If you would like to join a tour from a city not listed as a departure point, we would love to have you along! Please discuss arrangements with our friendly reservation team. From a departure city not listed, typical airfare will be +$100 higher than our published fare for domestic tours, and +$200 for international tours.

If you have a TSA precheck or Airline Rewards numbers, you MUST give those numbers to our reservations team at least 60 days before departure, otherwise they may not be applied.

Preferred seating may not be available on group air. In some cases, seats are not assigned until the airport. Your tour fare includes an economy seat on the flight; it does not include seat selection. Seat upgrades may be available at an additional cost.

To help make our tours the most comfortable in the business, we limit Sunrise Tours motorcoaches to 80% capacity, or 44 passengers on a coach built for 55. We reserve the right to amend this practice.

Your Tour Director will rotate seats on the motorcoach each day of your tour. A single fare does not guarantee two seats on the coach; you may be seated next to another friendly Sunrise Tours guest.

Terms and Conditions
Please refer to our policies HERE for more information on our terms and conditions.