Our journey begins on Sicily’s east coast.

From 2pm onwards, you’ll be met at Catania Airport and transferred to our hotel just outside Ortigia, surrounded by gardens, citrus trees, and sea air.

This first afternoon is intentionally slow. Time to unpack, shower off the journey, swim, rest, or simply sit and let Sicily settle in.

As the light softens, we gather on the panoramic rooftop for our first aperitivo — a simple ritual of wine, olives, and conversation as the sun dips low.

Our opening night unfolds around the table at a beloved local restaurant just a short walk from the hotel. Dinner celebrates modern Sicilian cooking — sun-ripened vegetables, seafood, herbs, olive oil, and wines from nearby vineyards.

This is where strangers soften into companions. Stories begin to flow, laughter finds its rhythm, and the pace of everyday life finally slips away.

We begin the day with breakfast at the hotel, fresh bread, fruit, yogurt, and espresso before heading into Ortigia, the historic heart of Siracusa.

Mid-morning, we meet our dear friend and local chef Alessia for a guided walk through Ortigia’s vibrant food market. Expect colour and movement: fishermen calling out the day’s catch, baskets of tomatoes and herbs, pistachios, citrus, cheeses, and wine. We stop to taste along the way filling our bellies for lunch.

The afternoon is yours. Swim in the sea, wander, rest, or find a quiet café for an espresso.

As evening arrives, we meet one of Sicily’s most respected local guides for a gentle passeggiata through Ortigia. Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Baroque layers reveal themselves as we wander quiet lanes and hidden corners.

Tonight we head to one of my favourite restaurants in town.

Today we leave the coast behind and travel inland, heading west of Ortigia into the Hyblaean Mountains — a quieter, lesser-seen side of Sicily where the land opens wide and the pace slows.

The countryside here feels timeless. We spend the day on a working farm nestled into these hills, we walk th land

and are invited behind the scenes to learn where traditional cheese is made on site. Here, we witness the rhythms of daily production and taste fresh cheeses that reflect both the land and the animals that graze it — simple, expressive, and deeply rooted in place.

Lunch is served outdoors on the families generational property a generous farm table built around what the land provides. Simple, nourishing dishes made from local ingredients are paired with thoughtfully chosen Sicilian wines. The table stretches, conversations deepen, and time seems to loosen its grip.

The remainder of the day is intentionally left open. Time to rest, swim, journal, or simply sit with what you’ve experienced.

Dinner this evening is yours to shape, whether that’s a quiet meal back in Ortigia or an early night, content and sun-warmed from the day.

After breakfast, we journey north toward Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano and one of Sicily’s most defining landscapes.

At the foot of the mountain, we are welcomed into a family-run lemon grove estate, where citrus trees thrive in volcanic soil with Etna rising dramatically behind us. Here, we share a hands-on, farm-to-table cooking experience, preparing lunch together using ingredients harvested on site — lemons, herbs, vegetables — guided by the family who has cared for this land for generations.

After lunch, we explore Etna’s volcanic slopes with a local wine expert. Lava-rich soils, altitude, and climate create wines found nowhere else in the world. We walk the vineyards, learn how fire and time shape the grapes, and taste Etna’s elegant, mineral-driven wines at their source.

From the volcano, we descend into Randazzo, a medieval town built entirely from dark lava stone. We wander its narrow streets before pausing for espresso and one of Sicily’s finest granitas, a small ritual locals never skip.

With bellies full and hearts brimming, the evening is yours to enjoy at your own pace, whether that’s a quiet swim, an early night, or choosing a restaurant that calls to you nearby.

Today we head south to Noto, the honey-coloured Baroque jewel rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1693.

With a local guide, we stroll through its grand streets, learning how this architectural masterpiece was imagined and reborn. There’s time to wander, shop, and linger over a pastry or coffee at one of the town’s historic cafés.

In the afternoon, we travel into the countryside to an almond farm in the Val di Noto. Welcomed with almond milk and salted almonds, we walk the groves and learn about traditional cultivation methods passed down through generations.

Lunch is served at the farm — almonds thoughtfully woven through each course, from savoury dishes to dessert, paired with regional wine and seasonal produce. A slow, sun-dappled meal that captures the essence of this landscape.

The evening is left open for gentle wandering, seaside dining, or a quiet night soaking up the last light of the day.

We begin the day with a leisurely breakfast in the hotel’s sunroom before we head out onto the water for a boat and cave tour along the Ortigia coastline. We drift past limestone cliffs and tucked-away caves, with time to swim, float, and feel the salt on your skin — Sicily at its most effortless.

Back on land, we’re welcomed by friends at a local panificio, where a classic Sicilian panino awaits — simple, generous, and exactly what you crave after the sea.

As evening approaches, we gather for aperitivo at one of my favourite cocktail bars, hidden within a historic Ortigia courtyard. Candlelight flickers against stone walls, glasses clink, and the mood shifts — that unmistakable end-of-summer feeling.

We gather for one final breakfast before our private transfers return us to Catania Airport, but we don’t leave empty-handed. We depart with full hearts, new friendships, and a deep sense of presence. The long tables, the citrus groves, the volcanic soil, the laughter under the stars — they travel home with us.

And as we part ways, I hope you carry a little piece of Sicily with you — in the way you cook, gather, and move through the world with a touch more beauty and ease.