Daily Itinerary

Day 1
Welcome to Palermo, crowned the capital of culture in 2018, the Sicilian capital packs a punch, with mouth watering street food, ancient markets and rich heritage such as The Palantine. Once you have checked into your hotel you can head to the giant Ficus tree at Piazza Marina. Close by you will also find the Museum of Italian tiles, Le Stanze al Genio, a unique collection of over 2300 Italian tiles. For dinner, remain in the Piazza area. The evening reveals plenty of authentic restaurants and bars, sure to serve delicious Sicilian cuisine and wine.

Day 2
Strap on your walking shoes today. Start at Via Maqueda and visit some of the historic buildings in Palermo. Very close to each other you will find Palazzo Comitini, Palazzo Sant’Ella, Palazzo delle Ferrovie and Palazzo Jung. Nearby is also Palazzo Mirta, You wont have time to visit all these amazing Palazzo’s so we recommend you take a look at the websites and pick just one or two. Palazzo is very much in the historical centre so this is a great place to stop for lunch. In the afternoon take a bus or a taxi to Mondello, a nearby fishing borough. It’s a great place for a more leisurely stroll along the promenade or pier, topped off with fresh local seafood for dinner.

Days 3 to 9
A more leisurely day could be in order but don’t miss the famous Capuchin Catacombs in Palermo and the Puppet Museum. You may even want to take in a Puppet Opera. Other food tour participants will start to arrive this afternoon and tomorrow morning you begin the mouth watering adventures. Lucky you’ve done all that extra walking! For the next 8 days, you’ll enjoy world-famous Sicilian food while discovering the region’s best heritage sites. From Cannoli to Arancini, Sicilian food is diverse and delicious! Sicily is a melting pot of ancient civilisations and reaps the rich cultural rewards of this. This is apparent too in the island’s culinary riches. Definitely Foodie heaven!

Day 10
Your Exodus tour ends this morning in Catania. We don’t think you should leave Sicily without spending time in Taormina, a stunning seaside town with views to Mount Etna and home to Teatro Antico di Taormina. We have arranged a comfortable private car transfer around 10am after your hotel check out. Once you have settled into your lovely Sea View hotel room, you may want to do nothing more than enjoy an afternoon aperitif or two. The historical centre is just a short stroll away. Heading to the beach? Take the historic Cable Car connects the old town with the beach in just on two minutes. The ride is worth it, just for the views.

Day 11
Awake and enjoy those magnificent views as you eat breakfast and then head off to meet your guide at 9am. Today discover the Teatro Greco, visit the Roman Odeon along with the most beautiful buildings in the center. Taormina is considered among the most beautiful places in all of Sicily. The tour ends at 11am back in the centre. Anyone wanting to visit Mount Etna needs to allow at least 7 hours. At a small surcharge we can change these arrangements for you. In fact, the flight to Malta will leave quite late tomorrow so you can still do your highlights of Taormina tour then.

Day 12
Today is the final day in Italy, You will need to vacate your hotel room around lunch time. The hotel will store luggage until the driver collects you around 7pm for the drive to Catania Airport and flight to Malta.

Day 12…continued
Why not take a late and lingering lunch, admiring the views of Mt Etna and then a stroll around Taormina to pick up any last minute mementos and gifts.

Day 13
Put the walking shoes on and head out early so you can wander around old Valletta. Must see landmarks are St Johns Cathedral, Grand Masters Palace and the Museum of Archaeology. In the afternoon, pre-lunch take a ferry and head over to the 3 small fortified towns just opposite Valetta harbour. They are Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua. After you re-fuel, visit the Inquisitors Palace, Malta War Museum and also the Tarxien Temples and Hal Saflient Hypogeum. You must buy tickets for a timed entry to the Hypogeum. Each day they have last minute tickets for the 12 noon and the 4pm entry, We recommend 4pm. When you visit is over you can dine at one of the many restaurants along the waterfront before you take the ferry back across to Valletta.

Day 14
Visiting the South of Malta one gets the opportunity to see the natural side of the Southern part of the island which is largely undeveloped and unspoiled. On your 4 hour private tour you’ll get to see the famous prehistoric temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. They are the oldest freestanding monuments in the world and sit atop magnificent sea cliffs. Moving on you will board your boat and travel along the rocky coastline to the massive arch which marks the entrance to the Blue Grotto site.

Plotting a return toward Valletta you head to Marsaxlokk, the most colourful and picturesque harbour in the south of Malta . The colourful fishing boats, beautifully painted with moulded eyes, another link to Malta’s rich past. You will have some free time to explore the marketplace before you head back to your hotel.  

Day 15
Mdina and Rabat are must visit locations in Malta. We suggest you head to Mdina first. This fortified city once served as the islands capital from Antiquities to the medieval period. The city is still confined within the walls and this historic and hallowed site is stunning. Many will recognise Mdina from the TV series Game of Thrones.

After you have wandered through Mdina you can take a short stroll to Rabat. The Catacombs of Saint Paul are located in Rabat but you will find plenty to see just wandering the cosy and colourful alleyways of the old city. Palazzo Castelletti is a great place to stop for lunch. You may need to reserve. If you feel like pushing on and walking off lunch, nature lovers might like to head to Buskett Gardens for a stroll. This beautiful green area planted by the Knights of Malta as a hunting ground now serves as home to the Presidential Palace.

Day 16
You have definitely earned something more like R&R today. Why not take a Gozo, Comino and Blue Lagoon cruise. You’ll visit sea cave and have time to swim and snorkel in the turquoise waters. If that sounds like too much effort then take a taxi to St Julians, wander around the seaside and hang out at St Georges Bay.

Day 17
Bid a sad farewell to Malta, vowing to return someday. Take a taxi to the airport where you’ll commence your journey home. Your “Succulent Sicily and Magical Malta” Quest comes to an end. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” Dr Seuss.

Not ready to go home yet?

You can continue travelling by adding free time, extending your journey or enjoying another Quest.
We will help fit Quests and extra travel together to ensure you take advantage of your already included airfares and the add-on component pricing.

Here are some fun ideas: