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- Sicily Cooking Vacation: Best of the West
Best of Sicily's West: Palermo Cooking Vacations
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Palermo Food and Wine Tour
Explore the best of western Sicily on this amazing culinary tour of one of the world’s most renowned islands. Sicily has been beguiling travelers for millennia! As the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has seen the rule and influence of many different cultures, including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, French, and Spaniards – not to mention the Italians! In some ways Sicily is still more “Sicilian” than “Italian,” with its unique culture, cuisine, and language permeating its every shore.
This 6-night Palermo cooking vacation will include some of Europe’s most iconic sites, from the cathedral of Cefalù, to the Greek ruins of Agrigento, to the Roman villa of Piazza Armerina, all accompanied by an expert Sicilian guide and flavored with amazing local food and wine!
You will explore Sicilian cuisine from the street food of Palermo to the fish fresh from the market, from hand-made pastas to delicious desserts like cannoli. And of course, you will also explore regional wines during fabulous wine tastings. Come explore western Sicily with us!
Highlights of Our Western Sicily Palermo Culinary Tours
Our Palermo cooking vacation will show you authentic Sicily, including some of its most fascinating cultural sites like the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the Roman villa at Piazza Armerina, medieval Erice, and more. You will also explore Sicilian cuisine during your hands-on cooking classes as well as:
- 2 winery visits with wine tastings
- a market visit in Palermo
- a visit of an olive mill with olive oil tasting
- a dairy farm visit
Palermo Cooking Vacation Itinerary
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Day One
- Meet your driver at the Palermo airport, transfer to your hotel and check-in.
- Tonight meet your guide for a street food tasting around Palermo (drinks not included) – a totally unique and authentic experience!
- Overnight.
Day Two
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Begin your first hands-on cooking class with a trip to one of Palermo’s historic and bustling markets. Next head to the chef’s restaurant with your fresh ingredients, where you will learn about creating typical Sicilian dishes, such as zucca all’agro or veal scaloppine with Marsala wine. Lunch to follow based on your efforts.
- In the afternoon depart for Cefalù, a charming town that became prosperous when the Normans captured it in 1063. It was Roger II, King of Sicily, that began the construction of the present Cathedral with its remarkably fine mosaics of Byzantine art. The image of Christ Pantocrator in the apse and the rest of the mosaics in the first spaces between the arches of the choir are among the most beautiful in the world.
- Return to the hotel, dinner on your own, and overnight.
Day Three
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- In the morning depart for Sambuca di Sicilia for a wine and olive oil tasting at Planeta, one of Sicily’s top-rated wineries.
- Light lunch with wine pairing at the winery.
- Continue on to Agrigento, where you will visit of the Valley of the Temples, one of Sicily’s most iconic sites.
- Continue on to the hotel and check in.
- Dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Four
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- In the morning, have your second half-day cooking lesson. You will learn how to prepare some more of the most popular and quintessential local recipes. Lunch to follow based on your efforts. (Class could also happen in the afternoon for dinner.)
- Afternoon at leisure.
- Dinner on your own and overnight.
Day Five
- Breakfast at the hotel.
- Transfer to Piazza Armerina to admire the unique mosaics of the Roman Villa. It is considered one of Sicily’s most spectacular classical sites.
- Enoy a light lunch at a dairy farm near Enna, where you will taste delicious ricotta cheese, fresh mozzarella, and the famous Piacentinu Ennese.
- Transfer back to Palermo and check in.
- Dinner on own and overnight.
Day Six
- After breakfast at the hotel, head to Erice, a nearby medieval town located at the top of a mountain and set 751 meters above sea level. Erice overlooks the whole Western region of Sicily, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Egadi Islands. Take a walking tour of the village’s characteristic historical center. Stop at Maria Grammatico’s famous pastry shop for a delicious tasting.
- Lunch on your own in Erice.
- In the afternoon, depart for Marsala for a wine tasting at a top-rated winery.
- Return to Palermo for dinner on your own.
- Overnight.
Day Seven
- Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to Palermo airport. Arrivederci!
Palermo Food & Wine Trip Details
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Included in the 6-Night Palermo Culinary Tour
Accommodations- 6 nights accommodation (4 in Palermo, 2 near Agrigento)
Food & Beverages- Daily breakfast
- 3 lunches
- 1 tasting dinner
- 1 pastry tasting
Classes & InstructorsYour two hands-on cooking classes will feature traditional Sicilian regional cuisine and will be with acclaimed restaurant chefs. Your cooking class in Palermo will be preceded by a market visit.
Excursions- Market visit in Palermo
- 2 visits of top rated wineries
- 1 extra virgin olive oil tasting
- 1 visit of a dairy farm
- Visits to the Valley of the Temples and Selinunte in Agrigento (entrance tickets paid locally)
- Visit of the Piazza Armerina (entrance tickets paid locally)
- Excursion to Erice with guided tour
Transfer Details- Roundtrip transfers from/to the Palermo airport
Not Included
- Entrance tickets
Accommodation Information
Your accommodations in Palermo will be at the charming 4* Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa in the city center (or similar). The rooms have en suite private baths, minibar, safe, LCD TV, phone, and of course air conditioning. The hotel also features a restaurant, bar, spa, and interior courtyard.
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Alternately, accommodations could be at the 4* Hotel Artemisia Palace, also in the city center. Housed in a twentieth-century Palazzo, the hotel offers 19 elegant rooms, each featuring en suite bath, safe, mini bar, air conditioning, and free WiFi. The hotel also has a bar.
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In the area near Agrigento your stay will be at the charming, 7-room Relais Briuccia (or similar). Originally an aristocratic palace and converted into a B&B, the building also features a wonderful restaurant, a stone terrace, and a frescoed salon. The rooms are large and feature wrought iron bedsteads and four poster beds, marble tiled floors, beamed ceilings, and other interesting design features. The en suite bathrooms are separated from the bedrooms by curtained glass partitions.
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Alternately, your accommodations near Agrigento will be at the Masseria Agnello, a 19th-century estate featuring a main house as well as a variety of other buildings converted into vacation apartments. The elegant rooms in the main house feature simple décor that evokes the landscape outslde.
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Palermo Cooking Vacations Pricing & Tour Dates Packages
Find pricing and dates for our Palermo culinary vacation below, and contact us for availability or to plan your trip.
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Palermo Food Tour 2025 Sample* Pricing
See moreUS$5480 per person based on double occupancy
*Pricing can vary by specific dates. Please inquire to confirm pricing and availability.
30% deposit due to confirm booking.
Balance payment due 60 days prior to tour start date. Questions? Please contact us!Single occupancy supplement: please inquire
Palermo Culinary Vacation Tour Dates 2025
See moreOur Best of the West Sicily cooking vacation and food tour is available any week for a minimum of 2 people.
2025
Please inquire for availability!
Discover Your Perfect Palermo Culinary Escape with Our Assistance!
Need assistance planning extra nights, tours in Sicily, transportation, or more? We're here to make your Palermo cooking vacation unforgettable.
While we can't pack your bags, we can certainly enhance your experience.
