Travel With Us to Sicily
Our Sicilian itinerary will include a range of culinary and cultural adventures daily, including local cheesemakers, wineries, breweries, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and a hike of Mount Etna, all from a home base we’ve secured for our private group of eight guests per trip.
Tours Include:
- 7 days / 6 nights in Sicily,
- Local transfers from Comiso or Catania Airports,
- Breakfast and dinner daily, four lunches, and all tours.
- Free time daily to relax at the estate’s pool, ride bikes, or explore on your own.
Upcoming Trips
The Madonna Festa
April 24 – April 30, 2025
SOLD OUT
Highlights:
- Welcome dinner at Sardo Olive Grove
- Modica Tour Luncheon at Paolo & Ingrid
- Apperetivo Light Dinner il Projetto
- Market Tour Vittoria
- Ragusa Ilba Tour
- Dinner at Scornovaccia
- Agritourismo Giannavi FarmTour and Cooking Class
Extend this Spring tour and spend two days by the sea on arrival, visit Ortigia/Sircausa on Day 2, and then head to Chiaramonte for five nights, finishing with two nights in Acireale. Ask for details!
Open Cellars: Meet the Winemakers
May 8 – May 14, 2025
May 19 – May 26, 2025
(Schedule may vary slightly based on Sicily’s Open Cellars events TBD)
SOLD OUT
Highlights:
- Welcome dinner at Sardo Olive Grove
- Wine tastings at Contina Gulfi, Bortolone, Occhipinti, Gerardo, Tunete Senia, Kalma Winery, and Terra Constantino
- Agritourismo Giannavi Farm Tour and Cooking Class
- Market Tour VIttoria
- Tour of Mount etna
Extend this Spring tour and spend two days by the sea on arrival, visit Ortigia/Sircausa on Day 2, and then head to Chiaramonte for five nights, finishing with two nights in Acireale. Ask for details!
The Harvest Celebrations
September 18 – September 24, 2025
Highlights:
- Traditional Sicilian Welcome Dinner – Chiaromonte
- Sicilian history lesson with olive oil and wine tasting
- Market Tour Vittoria
- Wine Tasting Occhpinti
- Diner at Gerardo
- Chiaromonte Evening Gelato & Apprevetio
- Agritourismo Giannavi Farm Tour and Cooking Class
- Boat Sightseeing and Ortigia Excursion to the beautiful marine grotto and the island of Ortigia and swimming in the waters of Siracusa.
- Wine tasting on Mount Etna
Pedalino Wine Festival
September 24 – September 30, 2025
Highlights:
- Welcome Dinner Sardo Olive Grove
- Wine Tasting at Cantina Gulfi
- Luncheon at Projetto
- Agritourismo Giannavi Farm Tour and Cooking Class
- Market Tour Vittoria
- Modica Tour Luncheon at Paola & Ingrid
- Pedalino Wine Festival
- Dinner at il Gerardo
An Olive Harvest Experience
October 3 – October 9, 2025
Highlights:
- An evening on your own in Acireale
- Mount Etna & Wine Tasting
- Breakfast and Dinner in Acireale
- Autumn Food Festival, The Ottobrata Zafferanese
- Dinners and leisure time at the Villa
- Wine Tasting Cantina Gulfi
- Luncheon at il Projetto
- Cena & Passeggiata in Chiaramonte
- A Lesson in Olives
- Visit to Oleificio, Olive Mill
- Dinner at Gerardo
Sicilian Carnivale
February 13-20, 2026
We will visit the festivals in Acireale, Modica, and Chiarmonte Gulf and create an experience you will never forget! Carnival is a sensory overload. Food and festivities are abundant. The Carnival in Sicily has very ancient origins; it is the feast of abundance and binge eating before the Lent fasts. This is the week when meat sauces and elaborate dishes are widely consumed, such as maccheroni or cavateddi with meat sauce and rind and the ancient minestrone of Mardi Gras, typical of the County of Modica. (Modica is also famous for its chocolate, which we won’t miss!). Big festivities are held in Chiaramonte Gulfi, where the Sagra della Salsiccia (Sausage Festival) is organized on Monday evening. There are also floats, allegorical parades, re-enactments, historical pantomimes, dances, and ancient propitiatory rites. The Carnival of Acireale is one of the oldest in Sicily, as early as 1880 when the first allegorical floats were built. Since then, the tradition has been maintained thanks to the talented and enthusiastic craftspeople who express all their imagination and wit.
*Extend any tour by one night and stay seaside on arrival, visit the Isle of Ortigia (Siracusa) on Day 2, and then head to Chiaramonte for 4 nights, followed by 2 nights in Acireale.
Almond Flower Festival in Agrigento
March, 2026.
(Exact dates TBD)
Festa del Mandorlo in Fiore immerses Sicilian culture and traditions. This folk festival will be 78 in 2026. Folk groups from all over the world meet in Agrigento, perform along the streets, and take the spectators on an immense journey through history. Parades, singing, dancing, and food are in full bloom! The archaeological area known as the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, is one of the most important archeological sites in the world and has been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1998. Along a long rocky scarp, chosen as the southern limit of the town, are still sited the great temples of ancient Akragas: the Temple of Hera< (Juno) Lacinia, Concordia, Heracles (Hercules), Olympian Zeus (Jupiter), Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) and Hephaistos (Vulcan).
* Extend any tour by one night and stay seaside on arrival, visit the Isle of Ortigia (Siracusa) on Day 2, and then head to Chiaramonte for 4 nights, followed by 2 nights in Acireale.
Festa della Madonna di Gulfi
April 9 to 15, 2026
This tour will center on a Sunday to celebrate the week following Easter. We love Easter in Sicily, a time of celebration beyond compare for the entire country. This post-Easter celebration is another epic day of food and fireworks. The Festa is based on the story of the discovery of the state of Madonna by two fishermen – so the story goes. The fishermen would be honored to bring the statue home, so the statue was placed on a cart with oxen; wherever the oxen eventually stopped would be where the Madonna would live. She finally came to rest at the foothills of the city of Chiaramonte Gulfi. And so there they build a church, especially for her; on the Sunday after Easter, the two-ton statue is carried from the church up and up the winding streets by designated male descendants of the city. Carried to the main church in the most celebratory parade, you will ever have the joy of following along. Be a part of history where all will welcome you.
Infiorata di Noto Baroque Spring
May 14 to 20, 2026
Imagine seeing the floor of an entire street covered with multicolored petals forming enormous patterns; this happens in Noto each spring as the streets are transformed into a spectacular carpet of flowers. Courtyards, cloisters, and roads are decorated with floral mosaics with a different religious, mythological, or popular cultural theme every year. Teams of young artists arrange millions of flower petals to decorate the street floor, forming elaborate polychrome designs. This Baroque display dates back to the 17th century and was created in Rome to celebrate Corpus Christi. On this adventure, we will celebrate the flowers, tour the grottos of Ortigia, and immerse ourselves in the history of Ragusa and the wines of the region.
Reserve Your Space
For availability, travel recommendations and additional requests, use the contact form.
- $4,200 Per Person (based on the 6 night / 7 day tour)
- $1,000 deposit to reserve your space
- Airfare not included
- Individual Visas and Travel Insurance are required
The Fine Print
Program Fee Inclusions
The Fine Print
The per-person program fee includes 6 nights of hotel accommodation, most meals, daily cultural and culinary activities, cooking demos, tips/ gratuities on Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC meals, and other scheduled activities, hired transportation services, and expert guides.
What is not included in the Program Fee? Air travel, non-refundable passport fees, visas, excess baggage charges, optional excursions, extensions, meals not detailed in the itinerary, tips to tour escort and long-distance bus driver, expenses incurred during free periods, airport taxes that are collected on the spot in foreign airports, departures taxes, airport fees, airline and federal security fees and ticket handling fees, surcharges due to changes in currency, any mandatory new or increased fees/taxes/fuel surcharge (if any) levied on airline tickets, hotels, incidental expenses in hotels, hotel room upgrades, and transport to/from the airports. Transportation from Catania or Comiso airports on arrival and departure days, as outlined in the itinerary, are included. The Land Package Travel program begins after you arrive at the hotel accommodation. If traveling outside the arrival and departure days, participants must make their round-trip travel arrangements and join the program at the hotel accommodations. Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC, Daniel Mellman, and Michelle Moran are not responsible for the participant in any way when the participant is not part of the main group.
Luggage
Please check with your air carrier directly for their specific baggage liability limitation. Some airlines are strictly adhering to their policy of one carry-on bag. Airlines are not responsible for any act or event during the time the participants are not on board their planes or conveyances. Luggage travels at the risk of the participant, and Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC is not responsible for any delay, loss, or damage to it or its contents. When issued, the participant’s contract in use by the airline shall constitute the sole contract between the airline and the participant. Any transportation companies mentioned herein shall have or incur no responsibility for liability to any traveler aside from their liability as common carriers.
Cancellations
June Tours. If canceled before April 15, 2024, by the traveler for any reason, deposits and program payments will be reimbursed in full, except for a cancellation fee of $375. Between April 15, 2024, and May 31, 2024, 50% of the total tour price, including the deposit, is forfeited. As of June 1, 2024, no refund is possible.
September tours. If canceled before July 1, 2024, by the traveler for any reason, deposits and program payments will be reimbursed in full, except for a cancellation fee of $375. Between July 2024 and August 31, 2024, 50% of the total tour price, including the deposit, is forfeited. As of September 1, 2024, no refund is possible.
There are no exceptions to this policy. We understand that emergencies of all nature do arise. However, there are no exceptions to this cancellation policy. Of course, if the trip is canceled for reasons force majeure (such as the pandemic, war, or natural disaster), Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC will fully refund the registration.
Waiver
Participants waive and release Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC, Daniel Mellman and Michelle Moran, its affiliates, agents, directors, officers, and employees including any person or entity employed or utilized by Lit’l Pond Productions in any foreign country, from all claims arising from any injury, loss, damage, accident, delay, or expense resulting from events beyond its control, including without limitation, acts of God, war, terrorism, strikes, incidents of politically- motivated violence, sickness or quarantine, government restrictions or regulations, and, in the absence of its gross negligence, arising from the use of any vehicle or Lit’l Pond Productions selection of, or from any act or omission by any bus or car rental agency, steamship, airline, railroad, taxi or tour service, hotel service, hotel, restaurant, school, university, or other firm, agency, company or individual.
Participants understand that Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC will take pictures and videos during the tour that may appear on social media, online, and in email communications.
Lit’l Pond Productions.
Changes in Itineraries and Program Assignment
Lit’l Pond Productions, LLC, reserves the right to change fees, departure cities, itinerary sequence, trip direction, hotels, optional excursions, and activities. Lit’l Pond may cancel a program due to insufficient enrollment, unforeseen operational difficulties, lack of projected availability, or other reasons.
Medical & Travel Insurance
We will require all participants to procure medical insurance for their travel time. Proof of insurance should be submitted with final payment. While we cannot offer travel insurance for the cost of the trip or your air travel, here are three widely used travel insurance companies: Allianz, Travelex, Travel Guard by AIG.
Sicily: An Insider’s Look at Local
We’ll gather fresh sausage and cheeses, learn techniques from local craftsmen; Visit local fishermen as they come to port, and select the evening meal from their catch.
Chef Danny Mellman will be on hand throughout the adventure, cooking up what we’ve collected for dinner during the day’s adventure. Lunches at wineries or breweries have been selected specifically for our group. Our partners Marcelle and Flippo Sardo will lead the way during tours of small cities with insights you only get with locals. The Sardos also oversee their fourth-generation olive grove, producing an incredible DOP extra virgin olive oil. Guests will be treated to a fantastic meal on their estate as your adventure team gathers to showcase their love of Sicily.
We can’t begin to explain all the intricacies of the tours, as each time we visit, the four of us come up with new ideas and places to visit. Guests who want to extend their time in Sicily will receive additional self-guided recommendations upon request. Or just plan to come with us on our next adventure because no tour will be precisely the same. This ain’t no giant tour-operator adventure; these curated adventures are being created with flexibility in mind, and days will be tailored for our guests.
A Sicilian Dream
The Rosso Cosenza family estate is a rare example of over 300 years of tradition and historical continuity. The property consists of the Casa Padronale and the Case del Baglio, which overlooks the courtyard typical of Sicilian villas. Tucked into 48 hectares of olive groves, the estate is centrally located, immersed in the countryside but only a few kilometers from the sea and the incredible heritage cities of the Val di Noto; it is the ideal location for our home base of events. Giuseppe Rosso and his son, Marcello Rosso, oversee the hospitality and agricultural estate in Chiaramonte Gulfi, which has more than 2,500 centuries-old specimens of olive trees of the prized “Tonda Iblea” variety. The remaining part of the estates and agricultural lands that comprise the company extends over 23 hectares. It is distributed in various districts in the Chiaramonte Gulfi, Ragusa, and Scicli municipalities.
Cocktails seen in a restaurant on different backgrounds including marble, wood, a bar countertop, a garden, terrace and against greenery, foliage and plants. Cocktails of different colours and ingredients including gin, vodka, whiskey. Perfect for spring or summer drinks with friends. Often served with snacks.
