From Palermo Sicilian Retreat Erice & Marsala Tour with Lunch
Description
Allocate a day of your Sicilian escapade to break away from the island's capital on this comprehensive small group day tour from Palermo, accompanied by a knowledgeable tour escort. The schedule encompasses a visit to the medieval hilltop town of Erice, a delectable lunch, a wine and olive oil tasting at a winery or traditional farm, and a panoramic drive along Marsala’s captivating Salt Route. While Palermo, the vibrant capital of Sicily, stands as one of Italy's most exhilarating cities, you might find solace in stepping away from its vivacious rhythm after a couple of days. And what better means to achieve this than partaking in a full day small group tour from Palermo, an expedition that unveils the captivating town of Erice and presents the opportunity to marvel at the distinctive vistas of Marsala. Your journey will commence from Palermo, aboard an air-conditioned minivan, guided by an adept driver and tour leader. Brace yourself for a truly extraordinary and enchanting day.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The amazingly sited Castello di Venere in Erice. Towering over the west of Sicily at 751m above sea level and often covered in its own personal cloud, Erice is a wonderfully preserved Mediaeval town offering the most breathtaking views and a palpable sense of history.
Marsala is the most populated town in its province and the fifth in Sicily. The town is famous for the docking of Giuseppe Garibaldi on 11 May 1860 (the Expedition of the Thousand) and for its Marsala wine. A feature of the area is the Stagnone Lagoon Natural Reserve – a marine area with salt ponds.
The salt marshes of Marsala in Sicily are a unique spectacle. Imagine finding yourself in front of placid stretches of water framed by slight white salt dunes where, suddenly, you can see traditional mills. Keep imagining that you are witnessing this show during the sunset time. The orange-red color of the setting sun turns purple and the landscape becomes extraordinarily magical. Well this is one of the experiences you can have by going to the Marsala Salt Pans during an itinerary in Sicily.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We suggest good walking shoes (no flip-flops!) as well as hat and sunscreen
- The tour runs rain or shine
- Please note that this tour might be run on Mercedes luxury vans or Mercedes luxury minibuses according to the tour occupancy and always providing the highest possible quality
- We are sorry to inform you that pets are not permitted on our tours
- Please inform us first about food allergies and intolerances
Reviews(85)
The Erice and Marsala tour was wonderful. The view from Erice is breath stopping! Renato, our guide, was friendly, flexible, caring and attentive to details. The diner and wine tasting was great : we had one of our best lunchs in an agriturismo linked to the history of Sicily. I recommand !
What a fabulous tour! After researching how we could explore this beautiful part of Sicily whilst basing ourselves in Palermo, we chose this highly rated tour. A very warm welcome from Renato and an explanation of our day before driving to the very pretty hilltop town of Erice. We appreciated his guided walk through the streets with a stop at a well known pastry shop. Stunning views before a visit to the fascinating Marsala salt pans and a delightful winery tour/traditional Sicilian lunch. Wonderful company with 13 guests, split into two vehicles.
Fantastic tour of Erice and Marsala with Renato. He was a knowledgeable, detailed and passionate guide who made the trip truly enjoyable. He speaks English well and easy to understand. He is very friendly, so much passion the places and food that he made us feel hungry haha. He is a safe driver and great guide. The winery tour and the wine pairing lunch was so delicious. I highly recommend it.
We had great tour guide, Rinaldo, that had a wealth of knowledge of the area. Lunch and tour at the winery was outstanding. Outstanding views from the the hilltops of Erice. One of the reasons we picked this tour was to go to the town of Marsala where my wife's family came from. It was stated in the itinerary as we would be going to the town. Tour guide stated too far??
We had a lovely day with Renato and our fellow tour companions. The drive out toward Erice offered amazing views and gave contrast against the busy Palermo scene. The town of Erice was amazingly preserved and I really enjoyed the way our guide shared about the history without going into too much detail. The tour was expansive but not rushed. We loved seeing the salt flats on our way to the winery, where we got to experience a beautiful vineyard and winery and amazing food and wines. Renato was very accommodating and helpful since my aunt had to bring her “roller” for back support. She had to sit out som of the more hilly and cobblestone clad parts but we really appreciate that we got to go on this tour.
When we booked this excursion, we expected it to be with approximately 6 others. Turned out for our tour date we were the only ones. When we arrived at Towns of Italy office, we were warmly greeted by Renato. Our driver/guide for the day. We were transported in a very comfortable Mercedes people carrier. From that moment on, Renato was charming, helpful, informative and made our day. He gave us an extra short stop to view the beautiful town of Castellammare & coastline. What a treat this vista is. Renato also takes great photos! Next stop was Erice. A gem of a hilltop town. Renato guided us around the main points of interest, more excellent photos taken & then a delicious caffe & pastry in the best bakery. More time given to us to explore. Then on to the Marsala salt marshes. Such an interesting history & beautiful with the centuries old windmills. Again, we were given free time to walk around. Our final stop was the winery of Baglio Donna Franca. Wow. We were given a private tour by Francisco. What a knowledgeable & passionate wine guide. Obviously very proud of his winery and an asset to this establishment. It’s a small independent organic winery producing only the highest standards of wine, olive oil, marmalades from their own grounds. After a very interesting in-depth tour, we were taken to their restaurant for 3 of their wines to be paired with local foods. Such a wonderful experience. The quality of everything here is superb. Before leaving, we really needed to purchase some lovely items from their shop to take home. The final return journey by Renato was so comfortable. Throughout our day he shared info & recommendations for our time in Sicily. He had previously worked in our home city so it was nice to have a connection. We highly recommend this tour & tour company. And of course Renato as your driver/guide, if you are lucky enough!
Great and informative tour, I had such a fun time! It was cool to walk around Erice and to see the Marsala salt flats.
We really learned a lot, saw some beautiful places, and really got to experience these parts of Italy.
We loved the places that we visited. Erice was a fascinating place and the winery in Marsala was splendid. The van we traveled in, however, was miserably uncomfortable with seat facing other passengers and absolutely no leg room.
Great day tour for anyone wanting to explore more than Palermo. Erice and the Wine tour were beautiful and gorgeous sceneries along the way. Renato, our driver, was very helpful and friendly. Would highly recommend.
