Home / Tours / Escorted Tours / Escorted Tours / Sicilian Culinary Experience
Escorted Tours

Sicilian Culinary Experience Tour

Immerse yourself in the rich flavours, traditions, and landscapes of Northern Sicily on this culinary journey, where each day celebrates a different aspect of local life and gastronomy.

From hands-on cookery lessons using time-honoured techniques to visits steeped in history—such as the 11th-century San Filippo Fragalà Abbey and the ancient ruins of Tindari—this itinerary blends culture with cuisine in an authentic and engaging way.

Guests will cook and savour everything from fresh pasta and seasonal porcini mushrooms to traditional fish dishes and Nebrodian specialties, paired throughout with renowned Sicilian wines. Alongside these experiences, encounters with local artisans, winemakers, and locals offer a genuine insight into Sicilian heritage, culminating in festive traditions like the vibrant “Palio di San Martino.” This is more than a tour—it is an immersive celebration of Sicily’s enduring food culture.

From

per person

Enquire About This Tour

what’s included

At A Glance

  • The Travel Editions Experience
    Our tours are thoughtfully crafted and meticulously planned, with every destination, hotel, excursion and stop along the way having been selected to form a truly memorable experience.
  • Meals Included
    All breakfasts, six lunches and seven dinners.
  • Handpicked Accommodation
    Seven nights’ accommodation at the three-star Hotel Antica Filanda, based on shared occupancy of a twin/double room
    .
  • Discover the Sicilian Culinary Experience
    Discover northern Sicily’s food and traditions with Tullio Scurria, combining cookery lessons, tastings and producer visits with the lively Palio di San Martino
    .
  • Touring Itinerary
    Full coach-touring itinerary, including entrances and tastings as mentioned in the itinerary.
    Local guide, Tullio Scurria and tour manager throughout.
  • Flights from the UK
    Return flights from London Gatwick to Catania 
itinerary & excursions

Your Itinerary

Explore this incredible tour in detail and discover what makes each day so special. Below, you’ll find a full day-by-day breakdown of your journey, from the moment you arrive to your final farewell. Learn more about the highlights you’ll experience, the unforgettable places you’ll visit, and the unique moments that bring each destination to life. Whether you’re drawn by rich history, stunning landscapes or unforgettable cultural encounters, this itinerary gives you everything you need to picture your adventure and look forward to every step of the way.

Day 1: Fly from London Gatwick to Catania

On arrival transfer to the three-star Antica Filanda Hotel in Capri Leone. Welcome drink and dinner at the hotel.

Day 2: Pasta day

Morning cookery lesson: “pasta”, followed by a brunch of pasta dishes with wine at the hotel. Afternoon visit to the Norman San Filippo Fragalà Abbey, founded in 1090, followed by coffee/tea and local cakes in the village square of Frazzanò.

Evening Sicilian pizza night in a local pizzeria where several types of Sicilian porcini mushrooms and vegetable pizzas are served with local beer or wine. Before we get to sit down and enjoy one we must learn how to light the wood-burning oven and how to make these delicious Sicilian pizzas.

Day 3: Porcini mushrooms & vegetable day

Morning cookery lesson: “Porcini mushrooms and vegetable” dishes, followed by a porcini mushrooms and vegetable lunch with wine at the hotel. Afternoon visit to a ceramic workshop in the ceramic town of Santo Stefano di Camastra. Dinner at the hotel.

Day 4: Wine day

Morning visit to Tindari – a Greek/Roman Town with remains of a Greek theatre, then visit Vivi Vasari, a wine family since 1628 which produces a “Mamertino wine”, a typical Sicilian wine that has been produced in this area since Roman times.

We will enjoy a wine tasting here followed by brunch at the farm. Early evening Sicilian wine tasting in the hotel wine cellar, followed by dinner at the hotel.

Day 5: Fish day

Morning cookery lesson: “fish antipasti” followed by a fish brunch with wine at the hotel. Transfer by coach to Capo d’Orlando for a relaxing free afternoon at the seaside, promenading among the locals. This evening we enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Day 6: “Palio di San Martino”

A real taste of local life as we take part in the “Palio di San Martino” in the town of Castell’Umberto; a traditional feast day celebrated by tasting the new wine. As part of the day we will visit a local’s house, to be taught, by Rosalia, how to make traditional local cakes like cannoli, sfingi, pignolata and others, followed by tasting her new Etna wine straight from the barrel in her house wine cellar, with home-made antipasti.

After this, you will join the locals in the town square, feasting with them and sampling a variety of Sicilian street food and wine during the “Barrel Race Palio”. Dinner this evening at the hotel.

Day 7: Nebrodian typical produce day

A morning drive through the Nebrodi Mountain Park will take us through an amazing variety of landscapes and sights – from volcanic Etna, wooded mountainsides, hazelnut hills and lost small medieval villages that retain age-old traditions and typical produce. En route, we will enjoy a coffee-break with hazelnut home made cakes, a visit to a producer of local cheeses, black swine sausages and salami, before enjoying a grilled Nebrodian black pork dish with wine.

In the afternoon, visit to a local producer of liqueurs with traditional local flavours and to an ice-cream maker’s laboratory to see how hazelnut ice-cream is made. Our final dinner will be at the hotel.

Day 8: Departure

Transfer to Catania Airport for the flight back to London Gatwick.

Availability

Choose Your Departure

Date
Departing From
Price From
Availability
09/11/2026
London Gatwick
£3,220
Solo Traveller Supplement From: £250
HOTELS

Tour Accommodation

Ristorante-Hotel Antica Filanda
A small hotel in a beautiful rural location, just outside the village of Capri Leone, on a hill with lovely views over the Tyrenian Sea and the Aeolian Islands, close to the Abbey San Filippo di Fragalà. Facilities here include an excellent restaurant, bar and comfortable bedrooms with private bathroom with hydro-massage shower, air-conditioning, safe, TV, mini-bar, free wifi and telephone. 

Antica Filanda Website

OUR VIEW ON THE HOTEL
We chose this hotel over several cheaper options as its small size, rural location and excellent food make it the best choice in the area. Tullio has stayed at the hotel with small groups many times and rates it extremely highly for its comfort, service and cuisine.

our regular tours

Mobility Information

This tour has a moderate fitness rating, reflecting a fuller itinerary with a good balance of visits, walking and time spent exploring on foot.
 
Some visits may involve cobbled streets, uneven paving, slopes, steps, stairs, limited seating, or walking from the coach drop-off point to the entrance of a site or attraction. The exact demands will vary from day to day, and we highlight specific practical details within the itinerary wherever possible.
 
You should feel comfortable walking at a steady group pace, standing during visits and enjoying a full day of sightseeing.
 
If you are unsure whether this tour is right for you, please contact us before booking.

Your questions answered

Tour FAQ

If you have a question, we are more than happy to answer it via email or phone, but you may find your answer below more quickly.

Simply complete our online booking form or give us a call on 020 7251 0045 between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday where you can speak to a real person. A 20% deposit per person is required at the time of booking, to book your place. Payments by debit card or credit card incur no charge. 

You must pay for the balance of your holiday at least 12 weeks before departure. Please note: no reminder for balance payments is sent to you and are not receipted unless requested. If you book your holiday within 12 weeks of departure, full payment is required at time of booking. Please note that some tours may require final payment to be paid earlier than 12 weeks, due to financial commitment with suppliers. The exact date will be notified to you at the time of booking. Final joining instructions and documentation will be dispatched approximately 10 days before travel.

In almost all cases, the price includes your accommodation, meals as described in the itinerary, all excursions shown in the programme, and travel arrangements from the UK. Excursions are taken by private coach exclusively for Travel Editions guests. If anything is ever excluded from the price, it will be clearly marked as optional and payable locally, you won’t find any hidden extras on your final bill. Travel Editions operates a firm no-surcharge policy, so the price you are quoted is the price you pay.

The specifics vary by tour and are set out in your individual itinerary, but most of our tours depart from London, either by Eurostar from St Pancras International or by air. For rail tours, we advise allowing at least one hour before the Eurostar departure when planning your journey to London. For flights, all costs are based on economy class unless otherwise stated, and all times shown are local time. For tours in the UK, these often start at the hotel in question.

Flight upgrades and connections from regional airports are available on request and subject to availability, contact us on 020 7251 0045 or at tours@traveleditions.co.uk for details. We strongly recommend not booking non-refundable connecting travel until you have received your final joining instructions, which are sent around 10 days before departure and confirm all timings and meeting points.

Yes, and you’re very welcome. Single room supplements apply on most tours, reflecting the fact that single and double rooms are generally priced similarly by hotels. If you would prefer to share with another solo traveller of the same gender, we are happy to arrange this, simply let us know at the time of booking. Sharing is subject to another traveller in the same situation being booked on the same tour.

Each tour is accompanied by a dedicated tour manager, who in most cases will travel out from the UK with the group. On some tours, the tour manager will meet you at your destination station or airport, with full details being confirmed in your joining instructions 10 days before travel. Many of our tours are also led by expert lecturers or specialist guides whose knowledge brings each destination to life; details of who will be accompanying your particular tour are included in the individual tour pages and itineraries.

Fresh Adventures for Inquisitive Travellers

Why Choose Travel Editions?

Travel with purpose, passion, and like-minded companions, here’s what sets Travel Editions apart.

Designed for Travellers,
Not Tourists

Founded in 1994 offering unique cultural tours beyond typical high street itineraries.

Personal Service, Real People

Small, friendly team with no automated phone lines. Enjoy personal attention from our team.

Expert Tour Guides, Unique Insights

Industry-leading guides, some since day one, who speak local languages and have detailed knowledge.

Win a 2027 Holiday for Two!

Sign Up To Our
Newsletter For A
Chance To Win

Our newsletter is where you will hear about new tours first, along with travel insights from our leaders and occasional notes from the destinations we visit. We send it thoughtfully: no noise, just the things we think you will genuinely want to read.

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name*