Tour Sicily with Luke Piccolo and Outback Beds Tours

Day 1. Arrival Day, Palermo – Friday May 15, 2026

Welcome to Palermo, Sicily’s largest city and capital. Palermo is decaying elegance and such a contradiction. While you will see sagging facades, broken pavements, dysfunctional infrastructure and smell the occasional pile of uncollected garbage, Palermo is a retainer of stunning art, elegant mosaics, beautiful baroque palaces and delicious food. It is easy to see how Palermo was once a rich and powerful city.

Today is a travel day. Arrive in the city, settle into our hotel and recover from your flights. We will meeting again in the evening for dinner and a welcome drink. Flights are offered from most large Italian cities. Bill and/or Luke will collect you from the airport. Aim for flights arriving from about 2 pm. You can also get ferries from southern Italy (see Grimaldi Lines).

Day 2. Palermo – Saturday May 16, 2026

Begin our Sicilian adventure with a Mafia Walking Tour with Serena, delving into Palermo’s history with organised crime and the anti-Mafia movement. We will lunch at a local cafe. In the afternoon, visit Piazza Bellini and climb to the roof of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana) for stunning views of Palermo’s historic centre. We will also visit the Teatro Massimo, Palermo’s iconic opera house. Teatro Massimo is Europe’s third oldest grand opera house (after Vienna and Paris) and is truely spectacular. We’ll check if there’s a performance tonight or tomorrow night so you can enjoy a performance in style (optional and additional cost will apply).

We will also be visiting Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio (La Martorana) and San Cataldo in Piazza Bellini to admire their Byzantine mosaics and unique Norman-Arab architecture.For dinner, we will eat in the old city at somewhere like Antica Focacceria San Francesco, or similar, for authentic Sicilian street food.

Note that the order and day in which we do our sightseeing may change do to weather or other considerations.

Day 3. Palermo – Sunday May 17, 2026

Today we’ll, drive to the salt farms near Marsala for a guided tour to learn about traditional salt harvesting and soak up the arresting scenery. Enjoy a seafood lunch at somewhere like Trattoria Garibaldi, known for dishes like spaghetti ai ricci di mare (sea urchin pasta).

On our return from Marsala we stop at the ruins of the Greek theatre at Segesta (3rd century BCE). This site is known as the most romantic ruins in Sicily. Nearby is medieval Enrice, which is a hilltop village (accessed by cable car) with sensational views and equally sensational cakes.

If there is enough time we will pop into a cellar door at Marsala to try the fortified local wine. Masala was actually created by an English merchant, John Woodhouse, in the 18th Century. He fortified the local wine to preserve it during the shipping to Liverpool. The change in taste took off, although now it comes in and out of fashion.

We arrive back in Palermo late in the afternoon. We expect that you will be tired so grab yourself an easy supper and retire early.

Day 4. Palermo – Monday May 18, 2026

This morning we visit the Ballero Market. These markets are a crush of stalls, food, spices, fruits, juices, smells and people. Look up and you will see the exquisite domes of century old churches, stuccos from monasteries and cupolas from convent chapels. This place will overwhelm your senses. We will break into smaller group to be able to manage the crowds better, and wanter through the markets, tasting foods and eventually finding a place to sit for an early lunch. In the afternoon our tour of Palermo continues. We visit the south of the city and explore Palermo’s crown jewel, the Capella Palatina inside the Palazzo dei Narmanni (the palace built in the Norman style during a period of Paermo’s invading history when the French tagged in to take control of parts of Sicily). The Cappella Palatina is a masterpiece of Norman-Arab-Byzantine art with stunning mosaics. Nearby is another

Norman architectural monument, the Cathedral (you can also access the rooftop here to get a birds-eye view of the enchanting rooftops of old Palermo).

You can opt out of the afternoon tour if you have a particular interest you want to pursue, such as a museum or art gallery, or just need some extra rest or time to wander on your own.

Day 5. Palermo to The Sicily House – Polizzi Generosa – Tuesday May 19, 2026

After breakfast we say farewell to Palermo and drive to Monreale to visit its famous cathedral, known for exquisite biblical mosaics. We loop back to Cefalu on the coast to take a walking tour of this very intact medieval seaside town. Visit the Cefalù Cathedral (a wonderful Arab-Normal architectural achievement set in a perfectly balanced piazza), Lavatoio Medievale, and Rocca di Cefalù for panoramic views. While you wander around Cefalu, stop to get you own lunch from one of the many cafes.

Continue to The Sicilian House near Polizzi Generosa for a 3-night stay. The centuries old stone village of Polizzi is perched high on a ridge top in the dramatic Madonie Mountains.

These mountains are dotted with charming stone villages, forests and rocky outcrops up to 1600m.

 The village is well preserved and with its narrow winding streets, flights of stairs and small arched alleyways, it is a great place to explore on foot.

There are many churches (seemingly more churches than there are gondolas in Venice), grand buildings, art treasures and artisan shops, plus restaurants with great local food. (When you are walking around note the bell tower of San Antonio Abate; it was once the minaret of a mosque from when Sicily was under Arab rule in the 9-11 century.)

Casual dinner at the Sicilian House prepared by Luke.

Day 6. Sicily House – Polizzi Generosa  – Wednesday 20, 2026

Wednesday is the village market day. Perfect timing to have our cooking day today with Luke.

Spend a relaxing morning visiting the market with Luke purchasing supplies for our cooking afternoon. For the rest of the morning enjoy the scenic surroundings of The Sicilian House.

In the afternoon, join Luke for a cooking session, preparing Sicilian classics like caponata (eggplant stew), pasta alla Norma, and cassata. We share our creations during a group dinner at the villa.

Day 7. Sicily House – Polizzi Generosa – Thursday 21, 2026

Day we propose a drive around the mountain top stone villages of Geraci (famous for its mountain spring water), Petralia Soprana (not only famous for its hazelnuts, but it was also voted the most beautiful village in Italy in 2018), Gangi (most beautiful village in Italy in 2014), and Castelbuono (renowned for its mushroom and wild boar). These are very intact stone villages with wonderful streetscapes and majolica tiled church steeples.

Castelbuono has a fabulous castle with a wonderful chapel with putti (those naked cherubs or cupid that you see in Renaissance art) said to be by an artist from the Serpotta School. There is also a very good in gelateria in Castelbueno that makes excellent Sicilian nougat.

On a clear day you can see Mt Etna from these mountains. Lunch in Petralia Soprana at restaurant Da Salvatore is not to be missed.

Return to The Sicilian House for a restful evening and a supper prepared by Luke.

Day 8. Polizzi Generosa to Modica – Friday May 22, 2026

Today we leave the Madonie mountains and head for the Modica region in south east Sicily. On the way we stop for a guided tour of Villa Romana del Casale. The villa is thought to once have been the country retreat of Marcus Aurelius Maximianus and has an astounding 3,535 square metres of brilliant Unesco-listed Roman floor mosaics considered to be the finest in the world. A 12th century landslide kept the mosaics covered until the 1950s. Each room of this large villa has a differently themed floor mosaic. Perhaps the most well known is the mosaic of the bikini girls in the recreation room.

Modica clings to a mountain side and is a maze of narrow streets and staircases. A 1693 earthquake flattened medieval Modica and it was replaced with stunning Baroque buildings. More importantly, a consequence of the Spanish rule of Sicily four centuries earlier, Modica learnt the Aztec cold-working method of making chocolate. This chocolate crumbles rather than melts which makes it a perfect food gift to take back to Australia or to keep in your backpack for emergencies (we will visit the chocolate factory tomorrow on Serena’s home town tour).

For the next 5 nights we stay in the quite beautiful resort-like Villa IDA. We have the Villa, complete with gardens and pool, to ourselves for the next 5 nights. Luke will be in charge of dinner tonight.

Day 9. Modica – Saturday May 23, 2026

Relax in the morning at Villa Ida, enjoying its serene atmosphere. In the afternoon, we will have another guided tour with Serena of Modica (Serena’s home town). Modica is famous for it unique Sicilian-Baroque architecture – the use of theatrical dramatic features that are meant to intrigue the viewer defines Sicilian-Baroque architecture. Serena will guide us on a walking tour in the Baroque labyrinth visiting Corso Umberto I, San Giorgio Cathedral, and local chocolate shops to sample Modica’s famous Aztec-inspired chocolate.

We have lunch during our tour of Modica and dinner prepared by Luke back at the villa.

Day 10. Modica – Sunday, May 24, 2026

Spend a leisurely morning at the villa. In the afternoon, join Luke for another cooking session, focusing on Sicilian street food like arancini, panelle (chickpea fritters), and sfincione (Sicilian pizza). We end our cooking afternoon with a celebratory dinner enjoying eating what we have made inn the afternoon.

Day 11. Modica – Monday May 25, 2026

Another day with Serena who will expertly guide us on a regional tour to Syracruse and the island of Ortygia which is the historic heart of Syracruse and World Heritage listed. Serena is trained in fine arts, so we will spend some of the time looking exploring some of the famous artists of Sicily including the amazing painting of “The Burial of Saint Lucy” by Caravaggio which hangs in the Duomo di Santa Lucia. Other stops include the Fountain of Arethusa, and the Syracuse Cathedral – a Baroque cathedral intriguingly built around a Doric temple. You will have some free-time to wander around the shops and cafes in Ortygia and find yourself some lunch. Make sure that you try a restorative granita.

In the afternoon, explore the Neapolis Archaeological Zone, including the Greek Theatre, Ear of Dionysius, and Roman Amphitheater. Return to Villa Ida in the evening for a light supper prepared by Luke.

Day 12. Modica- Tuesday, May 26

Yesterday was a big day so today is an opt-in regional tour of nearby Ragusa Alto and Noto. Noto is another beautiful UNESCO World Heritage site with fantastic Baroque architecture including the cathedral of Noto and the Palazzo Nicolaci (Noto was also destroyed by the 1693 earthquake giving the architects of Sicilian Baroque a clean slate to design a gracious city). Also tempting would be to take care not to overload yourself on stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sicilian Baroque cities and cathedrals and have a day at the Villa, taking short walks into the village, reading a book, or lounging by the pool waiting for aperativo hour.

Find your own lunch, there will be food to graze on at the Villa or the gelato in Noto is noto-able. A supper will be prepared by Luke.

Day 13. Catania- Wednesday May 27, 2026

Today we leave our Villa sanctuary after breakfast and drive the 1½ hours to Catania. We will check into our hotel and start a walking tour through (yet again) UNESCO World Heritage listed Catania to find lunch. We will include on our walking tour Va visit to Piazza del Duomo, the Fontana dell’Elefante, La Pescheria Fish Market, Via Etnea, and Castello Ursino. A feature of the architecture of Catania is the use of black and dark grey lava stones sourced from Mt Etna. Many building in old Catania are built with this stone with the detailing done with white limestone. The effect is extremely striking.

If we can get in, we will aim to have lunch at Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab for quick, delicious seafood and for dinner perhaps the Trattoria la Canonica. If you haven’t eaten them already on tour, we are getting to last chances to try Catania specialties like pasta alla Norma and granita with brioche.

Day 14. Catania and Mt Etna-  Thursday May 28, 2026

On our final full day of our Sicilian tour we will conquer Mt Etna. Mt Etna is Europe’s largest active volcano and as such we can only go with a professional guide. It is a bit of an adventure getting to the summit. We drive to a refugio on the southern side of the mountain and ride the Funivia dell’Etna cable car to 2,500m. From here we ascend another 400m by 4WD and continue by foot with a guide.

There is great environmental diversity and temperature ranges around Mt Etna. The lower slopes are intensely cultivated due to the rich volcanic soils. There are many wineries on the slopes of Mt Etna and we will celebrate our Mt Etna victory and our tour ending with a farewell lunch at one of the wineries like Tennuta di Fessina or Barone di Villagrande.

After savouring the food and the views we make our way back to Cantania. Find you own supper although we don’t think that you will need it after today’s lunch.

Day 15. End of Tour Catania or Palermo – 

Friday May 29, 2026

This marks the end of our tour of Sicily. After breakfast we will drop you at Catania airport for morning flights to you onward destination.

Alternately, Bill and Luke will be driving to Palermo to drop our vehicles back at the rental agency. You can also depart from Palermo if you have a return ticket from Palermo, however this is an additional half day of driving.

Aim for afternoon flights from Palermo (half day driving).

Importantly, people continuing with the optional 1 week tour of Sardinia with Bill will need to travel to Palermo in the morning with Luke and Bill. We will drop you at your accommodation in Palermo and the afternoon will be free time.

Optional Post Luke’s Sicily Tour to Sardinia with Bill – May 31 to June 7, – limited availability

As we travel on our week around Sardinia, Bill will introduce you to typical Sardinian dishes such as

Fregola with clams, culurgiones, porceddu (roast suckling pig), malloreddus (Sardinian gnocchi), pane carasau, seadas (fried pastry with cheese and honey). And beverages such as Cannonau (red wine), Vermentino (white wine), Mirto (myrtle liqueur), Filu ‘e Ferru (grappa-like spirit).

We will take a number of walking tours around Sardinia’s ancient cities and relax with a boat cruise along the dramatic eastern coast.

Free day in Palermo – Sat May 30, 2026

Catch up on laundry, rest, shopping, or re/visiting some of the great sights of Palermo.

Day 16. Ferry to Sardinia – Sun May 31, 2026

9am ferry departure. Catch up on some down time on the day crossing by ferry to Cagliari, the main city of Sardinia. There is 1 ferry per week and it takes 12 hours. You will have a day cabin where you can retreat to for naps and reading and there will be a buffet lunch and dinner on board. On arrival in Cagliari we will go to our accommodation.

Day 17. Cagliari – Monday June 1, 2026

This morning we will take a walking tour of the old city of Cagliari which will include the grand towers and city walls. We’ll explore the nooks and crannies of Cagliari’s medieval citadel, Il Castello before heading to Santuario and the Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria, Piazza Matteotti, via Roma and the Bastione di Saint Remy for sweeping views over Cagliari’s rooftops. We then head to the Marina district for lunch at Sabores / Sapori di Sardegna (Luke’s ex-colleague and chef works here). The Marina district is a good place to spend some time just wandering around the narrow lanes which are crammed packed with artisanal shops, trattorias and cafes.

In the afternoon we drive to the Sulcis Coast (about an hour away) end explore the coast between Buggerru and Porto Flavia. Port Flavia is a marvel of engineering. The port is dug into the cliff 50m above sea level. We take a tour of the cliff side port. There is a magnificent secluded beach at nearby nearby Cala Domestica if anyone feels like a swim and round off the day with an early supper at 906 Operaio for pizza with a clifftop view at Nebida.

We return to our accommodation in Cagliari.

Day 18. Dorgali – Tuesday June 2, 2026

We leave Cagliari and head for the east coast. Due to it’s rugged and beautiful terraine the east coast is a much less populated area of Sardinia. Our driving today takes us through some of this stunning wild landscape. A highlight on our driving tour would be the Orientale Sarda Road from Baunei to Dorgali (63km). The road winds around the mountains in the Cennargentu National Park. Some of the road has been hewn out of the rock my miners in the mid 1800s. We will picnic on our way through the national park.

We spend the next 3 nights at an Agritourismo in Dorgali. Dorgali is a charming town perched on a ridge.

Accommodation at Agroturismo Canales near Dorgali.

Day 19. Dorgali- Wednesday June 3, 2026

Today we will have a wonderful day sailing around the Gulf of Orosei on the 100 yo sailing boat the Dovesesto. We’ll set sail from Cala Gonone to discover the coast’s most beautiful beaches and caves along the route of the “Wild Blue”. Our sailboat sticks close to the coast exploring numerous coves and bays until we reach Cala Biriola, a delightful little beach with a pinkish hue. Here, the Dovesesto drops anchor and we head to the beach. After Cala Biriola, the boat heads towards Cala Mariolu, where we can dive into the bright blue waters of the Piscine di Venere. We will organise a picnic lunch on Cala Mariolu. We continue to explore the coast after lunch and on our return to our starting base under sail if the winds are right. Hopefully we will get a dolphin escort.

Day 20. Dorgali – Bosa – Alghero – Thursday June 4, 2026

Today we head to the mural city of Orgosolo followed by a lunch with the shepherds in the Supramonte Mountains. With this lunch we discover the most genuine flavours traditional cooking.

We head to the mountain pastures where the shepherds cook the lunch open air, under the shade of the holm-oaks and age old junipers. A typical menu will be based on salami, cheese, boiled sheep with “patat’a perras” and roasted pork, traditional bread,

The shepherds insist that everything becomes “tasty twice” if accompanied by the full-bodied local cannonau wine. The is also a simple digestive liqueur to try, the local brandy, with an alcoholic content above 50°, it’s the ideal drink to end a hearty rich meal.

After lunch we head to Algehero via Bosa. Bosa is possibly Sardinia’s most pretty towns. We’ll have some time to walk around and grab a coffee before we continue to Alghero along pretty costal roads.

Day 21. Alghero – Friday June 5, 2026

Yesterday was a longish day so we have scheduled some free time in the morning for you to rest or do some self exploring of the town. Alghero thrived under Spanish rule from the mid 13 hundreds. It is often referred as Little Barcelona. The focus of Alghero is the historic centre and is a great place just to hang out. The historic centre is enclosed by robust honey coloured sea walls. It is a compact hive of cobbled lanes, Gothic palazzi and cafe lined pizzas. Below the yachts bob and entice you to the water. The whole place has a Spanish feel. If you have the enthusiasm to do some targeted exploring, highlights include: the bell tower (Campanile)the Cathedral of Santa Maria with it’s Gothic-Catalan architecture, the sea walls (Bastioni Marco Polo) featuring it’s scenic promenade, and the Coral Museum.

There is an option in the afternoon, either stay at you accommodation and explore more of Alghero or come with us on a ferry ride to Capo Caccia (the Bay of Nymphs). The nature reserve is highlighted by towering sheer white cliffs shooting up from impossibly blue water. Nearby is Neptune’s Grotto, a stunning sea cave with haunting stalactites and stalagmites.

Find your own lunch as you explore the city but we will have dinner on the sea walls tonight.

Day 22. Alghero to Cagliari – Saturday June 6, 2025

Today we return to Cagliari. On the way we will take tour of Su Nuraxi containing the remains of the largest and most complete Nuraghic (Sardinian civilisation from the Bronze Age) fortress. It is the only World Heritage UNESCO site in Sardinia and it is truely fascinating. The focal point of the site is the 1,500 BCE beehive-like central tower. The site was discovered only in 1949 after torrential rain exposed some of the tower.

As it’s our last day we will have a farewell lunch and wine tasting at nearby Se’entu Estate. As well as a great view and wines, the Estate has olive grove and a kitchen garden that supplies their restaurant Arieddas. The manager of the Arieddas is an ex-work colleague of Luke’s when he cheffed in Sardinia.

After checking into our hotel, and if you are still hungry, in the evening we can take an optional informal stroll back to the sea walls to find supper and a sundowner.

Day 23. Cagliari – End of Tour – Sunday June 7, 2026.

After breakfast, Billwill drop you at Cagliari airport for your onward journey. Book mid to late morning flights. Most likely you will need to transit trough a mainland Italian city.