Upon arrival at the Palermo airport, you will be met by our driver for a private transfer to your hotel. After check-in, explore this ancient city on foot, savoring the blend of cultures and architectural styles.

(Accommodations, Palermo)

This morning after breakfast you will have a Private Walking Tour of Palermo. Please meet your guide at the Palatine Chapel Ticket Office at 9 a.m. for a relaxed walking tour through the hearth of this vibrant city to give you a first impression. During the walk your guide will show you the Arab style street markets, the medieval and baroque style churches with fascinating Squares and Fountains. The tour includes an English-speaking guide and the entrance fees to the Palatine Chapel. Afternoon and evening at leisure for exploration on your own.

(Breakfast and Accommodations, Palermo)

This morning, after breakfast, pick up your rental car and take the two-hour drive south to your next base, the charming resort of Fontes Episcopi. This 19th century farmhouse has been renovated into a country inn with seven rooms, a swimming pool and groves of olive trees. This is where you'll be given your welcome basket of hand-made products, produced from the resort's own gardens. After your drive from Palermo, this may be an excellent day to have your included massage, to work out the kinks. Afterwards, stroll through the gardens and enjoy the ambiance before dinner.

(Breakfast, Palermo; dinner and accommodations, Fontes Episcopi)

About ten miles from your resort lies the Valley of the Temples, one of the most spectacular sites in all of Italy. It contains the remnants of seven Greek Doric temples built in the 5th-6th Centuries BC, when Greece controlled Sicily. Meet your guide at the agreed-upon location for this two-hour tour of beautiful Greek temples. Then return to your hotel to enjoy a relaxing afternoon and evening. Or take one of the optional wellness classes offered by the resort to help its guests reconnect with nature.

(Breakfast, dinner and accommodations, Fontes Episcopi)

Today is a free day for you to explore the countryside near your hotel. Explore the nearby nature reserve, or take a drive to the beach on the south coast, which is only 9 miles away.

In the afternoon, return to the resort for your cooking class with the hotel's resident chef. As part of its wellness philosophy, the kitchen focuses on a macrobiotic diet, using local foods and produce to improve the guests' digestion and well-being. You will partake in the creation of tonight's dinner while learning some of the chef's secrets. Buon appetito!

(Breakfast, dinner and accommodations, Fontes Episcopi)

After breakfast, you bid farewell to your hosts and head for Palermo, where you'll turn in your rental car or continue on to your next Avanti destination!

(Breakfast, Fontes Episcopi)