Cooking, Wine, Volcanoes & Walking in Sicily: Mount Etna & S
Highlight
Experience local life in a feast for your senses as you meet fun Sicilians from chefs, to winery owners, to farmers to local residents. Enjoy 3 cooking lessons with 3 chefs, walk in exotic Mount Etna foot hills and Stromboli.
Minimum Duration
6 days
Maximum Duration
6 days
Price Range
$1630 - $2120 (EUR)
Season
May - October
Starting Point / Finishing Point
Catania / Catania
Itinerary
Day 1
After your arrival in Catania airport, transfer via private transport to your lovingly restored, 150 year old manor house on a magnificent 55 acre winery estate in the foot hills of Mount Etna near the little town of Linguaglossa. The fourth generation of a local family produces excellent wines here and will give you a warm Sicilian welcome as they show you around the estate and taste their wines with you.
Over lively conversation in your welcome dinner on the estate or in a typical restaurant, you’ll get to know the rest of your group.
Day 2
Wake up this morning in the quiet countryside and admire splendid views of vineyards all around you with Mount Etna in the background. Breakfast includes freshly baked croissants and delicious home made jams.
Today choose an easy or moderate hike in the foothills of Mount Etna. Following black volcanic sand paths and craters punctuated with green and gold trees overlooking the blue sea, this experience is a close encounter with a truly unique natural landscape.
After a brisk morning’s exercise, you'll feel ready for a lunch of cheeses, olives, salamis and a variety of antipasti at a cozy mountain restaurant with rustic wood paneling and fireplace.
After lunch, visit a second winery for a tasting of local Etna wines on their deck with views over vineyards and hills. Then drive back to Lingualossa for a walk through this typical, small Sicilian town and to meet a local resident who will share about her experiences living there during Mount Etna’s 2002 volcanic eruption.
If you have time, stop at a local pasticceria to sample the local specialty of Arab influenced almond pastries or pop into an ice cream store for a tangerine gelato, a traditional Sicilian flavor treat. Be careful not to fill up on these though!
In the late afternoon start your cooking lesson on seafood with two congenial and informative local men, the restaurant owner father and his chef son. In their well restored country house, now a popular restaurant, make authentic local dishes such as sardines with stuffed with bread, raisins and pine nuts, swordfish rolls, and semifreddo with local pistachio nuts. After your lesson, drink some prosecco wine and congratulate yourselves in a group cheer. Later, dig into your creations with some good Etna wines.
Day 3
Today explore beautiful Taormina during the morning with a friendly local guide who is a wonderful storyteller with a vast knowledge of history and local lore. On your strolls, come across many viewpoints where you’ll marvel at magnificent panoramas of snow-capped Mount Etna, historic homes, colorful gardens clinging to the hillsides and the azure sea far along the coast.
Discover fascinating layers of history at the amazing Greek theatre, build in the 3rd century B.C., and admire well-preserved 14th and 15th century palazzos on narrow, winding streets. The main street and its side streets will tempt you with their alluring bakeries full of Sicilian treats like almond, orange or pistachio cookies, cakes and cannoli and marzipan. You’ll also find in the many shops a wealth of high quality clothing, and for souvenirs, a good choice of ceramics, glass beads, lava articles and coral necklaces.
Lunch is on your own – perhaps at a relaxed local wine bar near your hotel where you can taste local specialties and learn more about the regional wines.
Drive back up the hills to a big farm in the country near Linguaglossa for an authentic Sicilian experience with the "do it yourself" family owners. They grow vegetables, olives, hazelnuts and have vineyards and sheep. The father sells coal and wood. The mother makes cheeses, salami, bread, and preserves like dried tomatoes and artichokes.
You'll have fun making the local maccheroni, tomato sugo and other genuine local dishes with the mother in her farmhouse kitchen. They'll show you their farm and chat with you about their every day life. Afterwards, you'll sit down to eat all your creations together and congratulate yourselves on your cooking skills. Afterwards, you’ll sit down to eat all your creations together and congratulate yourselves on your cooking prowess.
Day 4
Leaving your B & B just after dawn, you’ll catch the 8:30 a.m. boat in Milazzo to arrive at the island of Stromboli by lunch time. On the way there, your boat will stop briefly at ports in the Aeolian Islands off the northeast coast of Sicily. The last island in the archipelago is Stromboli, formed when an active volcano emerged from the sea. Its scenery of black sand and green, black and gold hills falling into the clear blue sea is so spectacular, you have to see it to believe it.
Once in Stromboli, we’ll stop for our second and typical Sicilian breakfast, a granita that you’ll enjoy as you laze on the balcony of our favorite Stromboli restaurant with amazing views over the island and the sea.
Then you’ll check into a pretty three star hotel on the beach, surrounded by gardens and with amazing views of the black sand and blue sea beyond.
Now, you’re free to explore the town with its white buildings and lush gardens hidden behind courtyards that reflect the influences of Southern Spain and North Africa, so characteristic of Sicily. Lunch is on your own today.
In the late afternoon, take your cooking class in a B & B with a great local chef, who will teach you several simple typical island dishes. Before dinner, a member of the B & B family will taste Malvasia, a famous, local dessert wine with you and talk with you about life on Stromboli.
After cooking with and observing your charming chef’s moves, have some laughs together as you enjoy your creations and good wines around a table out on the patio as the gentle Sicilian evening breeze wafts through your hair.
Day 5
This morning you are free to catch some sun or swim in the clear sea at the beach, explore the picturesque streets too narrow for cars, browse in the shops or relax in the piazza high up in the town with views of the port and neighborhoods. If you enjoy art, one interesting option is to visit the studio of a local artist who specializes in painting enchanting Stromboli landscapes.
Enjoy lunch on your own.
This afternoon you can choose to take a two-hour boat excursion around the island with a stop in the tiny hamlet of Ginostra, home to a mere 27 residents. Only two years ago it got electricity and retains its feel of a time long past. After the town visit, board the boat again to view the steep, black hillside of Sciara del Fuoco, where volcanic fire and rocks run down from the crater to the sea.
In the late afternoon, hike up Stromboli. Start climbing in the light and as darkness falls, be staggered by the light show as the volcano spouts spirals of fire into the night sky.
Choose from three different hikes depending on your ability and desire, or go up later to the restaurant in a taxi.
Day 6
Today leave Stromboli on the boat to go back to the Sicily mainland, where your private van is waiting to take you to your modern four star Hotel Capo dei Greci, about 12 km from Taormina. Set high above the sea with incredible panoramas of the coast, awake to beautiful seascapes and the fresh sea air wafting through your bedroom window.
After settling in, drive to the quintessentially Sicilian hill town of Forza d'Agro. That afternoon, we’ll stroll to the castle and church and see where parts of “The Godfather” were filmed. After exploring the town, we’ll visit a local bar for a lesson on how to make Sicilian gelato and granita and lap up these cool treats.
Later you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at an excellent, lively seafood restaurant packed with local families in the town center. Banter and laugh with the friends you’ve made for a lively final evening in Sicily as you marvel at the plates of food and wine that keep arriving at your table!
Day 7
After breakfast, depart for Catania airport to mark the end of this immersion into the scenery, food, friendly people and vibrant culture.
After your arrival in Catania airport, transfer via private transport to your lovingly restored, 150 year old manor house on a magnificent 55 acre winery estate in the foot hills of Mount Etna near the little town of Linguaglossa. The fourth generation of a local family produces excellent wines here and will give you a warm Sicilian welcome as they show you around the estate and taste their wines with you.
Over lively conversation in your welcome dinner on the estate or in a typical restaurant, you’ll get to know the rest of your group.
Day 2
Wake up this morning in the quiet countryside and admire splendid views of vineyards all around you with Mount Etna in the background. Breakfast includes freshly baked croissants and delicious home made jams.
Today choose an easy or moderate hike in the foothills of Mount Etna. Following black volcanic sand paths and craters punctuated with green and gold trees overlooking the blue sea, this experience is a close encounter with a truly unique natural landscape.
After a brisk morning’s exercise, you'll feel ready for a lunch of cheeses, olives, salamis and a variety of antipasti at a cozy mountain restaurant with rustic wood paneling and fireplace.
After lunch, visit a second winery for a tasting of local Etna wines on their deck with views over vineyards and hills. Then drive back to Lingualossa for a walk through this typical, small Sicilian town and to meet a local resident who will share about her experiences living there during Mount Etna’s 2002 volcanic eruption.
If you have time, stop at a local pasticceria to sample the local specialty of Arab influenced almond pastries or pop into an ice cream store for a tangerine gelato, a traditional Sicilian flavor treat. Be careful not to fill up on these though!
In the late afternoon start your cooking lesson on seafood with two congenial and informative local men, the restaurant owner father and his chef son. In their well restored country house, now a popular restaurant, make authentic local dishes such as sardines with stuffed with bread, raisins and pine nuts, swordfish rolls, and semifreddo with local pistachio nuts. After your lesson, drink some prosecco wine and congratulate yourselves in a group cheer. Later, dig into your creations with some good Etna wines.
Day 3
Today explore beautiful Taormina during the morning with a friendly local guide who is a wonderful storyteller with a vast knowledge of history and local lore. On your strolls, come across many viewpoints where you’ll marvel at magnificent panoramas of snow-capped Mount Etna, historic homes, colorful gardens clinging to the hillsides and the azure sea far along the coast.
Discover fascinating layers of history at the amazing Greek theatre, build in the 3rd century B.C., and admire well-preserved 14th and 15th century palazzos on narrow, winding streets. The main street and its side streets will tempt you with their alluring bakeries full of Sicilian treats like almond, orange or pistachio cookies, cakes and cannoli and marzipan. You’ll also find in the many shops a wealth of high quality clothing, and for souvenirs, a good choice of ceramics, glass beads, lava articles and coral necklaces.
Lunch is on your own – perhaps at a relaxed local wine bar near your hotel where you can taste local specialties and learn more about the regional wines.
Drive back up the hills to a big farm in the country near Linguaglossa for an authentic Sicilian experience with the "do it yourself" family owners. They grow vegetables, olives, hazelnuts and have vineyards and sheep. The father sells coal and wood. The mother makes cheeses, salami, bread, and preserves like dried tomatoes and artichokes.
You'll have fun making the local maccheroni, tomato sugo and other genuine local dishes with the mother in her farmhouse kitchen. They'll show you their farm and chat with you about their every day life. Afterwards, you'll sit down to eat all your creations together and congratulate yourselves on your cooking skills. Afterwards, you’ll sit down to eat all your creations together and congratulate yourselves on your cooking prowess.
Day 4
Leaving your B & B just after dawn, you’ll catch the 8:30 a.m. boat in Milazzo to arrive at the island of Stromboli by lunch time. On the way there, your boat will stop briefly at ports in the Aeolian Islands off the northeast coast of Sicily. The last island in the archipelago is Stromboli, formed when an active volcano emerged from the sea. Its scenery of black sand and green, black and gold hills falling into the clear blue sea is so spectacular, you have to see it to believe it.
Once in Stromboli, we’ll stop for our second and typical Sicilian breakfast, a granita that you’ll enjoy as you laze on the balcony of our favorite Stromboli restaurant with amazing views over the island and the sea.
Then you’ll check into a pretty three star hotel on the beach, surrounded by gardens and with amazing views of the black sand and blue sea beyond.
Now, you’re free to explore the town with its white buildings and lush gardens hidden behind courtyards that reflect the influences of Southern Spain and North Africa, so characteristic of Sicily. Lunch is on your own today.
In the late afternoon, take your cooking class in a B & B with a great local chef, who will teach you several simple typical island dishes. Before dinner, a member of the B & B family will taste Malvasia, a famous, local dessert wine with you and talk with you about life on Stromboli.
After cooking with and observing your charming chef’s moves, have some laughs together as you enjoy your creations and good wines around a table out on the patio as the gentle Sicilian evening breeze wafts through your hair.
Day 5
This morning you are free to catch some sun or swim in the clear sea at the beach, explore the picturesque streets too narrow for cars, browse in the shops or relax in the piazza high up in the town with views of the port and neighborhoods. If you enjoy art, one interesting option is to visit the studio of a local artist who specializes in painting enchanting Stromboli landscapes.
Enjoy lunch on your own.
This afternoon you can choose to take a two-hour boat excursion around the island with a stop in the tiny hamlet of Ginostra, home to a mere 27 residents. Only two years ago it got electricity and retains its feel of a time long past. After the town visit, board the boat again to view the steep, black hillside of Sciara del Fuoco, where volcanic fire and rocks run down from the crater to the sea.
In the late afternoon, hike up Stromboli. Start climbing in the light and as darkness falls, be staggered by the light show as the volcano spouts spirals of fire into the night sky.
Choose from three different hikes depending on your ability and desire, or go up later to the restaurant in a taxi.
Day 6
Today leave Stromboli on the boat to go back to the Sicily mainland, where your private van is waiting to take you to your modern four star Hotel Capo dei Greci, about 12 km from Taormina. Set high above the sea with incredible panoramas of the coast, awake to beautiful seascapes and the fresh sea air wafting through your bedroom window.
After settling in, drive to the quintessentially Sicilian hill town of Forza d'Agro. That afternoon, we’ll stroll to the castle and church and see where parts of “The Godfather” were filmed. After exploring the town, we’ll visit a local bar for a lesson on how to make Sicilian gelato and granita and lap up these cool treats.
Later you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at an excellent, lively seafood restaurant packed with local families in the town center. Banter and laugh with the friends you’ve made for a lively final evening in Sicily as you marvel at the plates of food and wine that keep arriving at your table!
Day 7
After breakfast, depart for Catania airport to mark the end of this immersion into the scenery, food, friendly people and vibrant culture.
Inclusions
Includes:
3 nights at 3 star country inn with breakfast
2 nights at 3 star hotel in Stromboli with breakfast
1 night at 4 star Hotel Capo dei Greci with breakfast
3 full menu cooking lessons
1 lunch
5 dinners
excursions in the itinerary
boat transport Milazzo to Stromboli, back to Milazzo
private transport from pick up to drop off at Catania airport with local driver
one group transfer from/to Catania airport
bilingual local guide/tour manager with you throughout the tour
3 nights at 3 star country inn with breakfast
2 nights at 3 star hotel in Stromboli with breakfast
1 night at 4 star Hotel Capo dei Greci with breakfast
3 full menu cooking lessons
1 lunch
5 dinners
excursions in the itinerary
boat transport Milazzo to Stromboli, back to Milazzo
private transport from pick up to drop off at Catania airport with local driver
one group transfer from/to Catania airport
bilingual local guide/tour manager with you throughout the tour
Exclusions
4 lunches so you can eat as light as you want
1 dinner
wines with meals so you can choose your wines
pastry tasting in Linguaglossa
1 dinner
wines with meals so you can choose your wines
pastry tasting in Linguaglossa
Contact Phone
800-557-0370 or 604-681-4074
Visit Website: www.italycookingschools.com
