Long Beach AreaChamber of Commerce

Presents:

Italy: SicilyNovember 5th-13th, 2012

Nine Days, Seven Nights Including Hotel, Meals, Day Trips and Airfare from Los Angeles

There is a world to discover beneath the Sicilian sun. Sicily is the world's first multicultural society and Italy's most historically cosmopolitan region. Due to its strategic location, Sicily was invaded over the centuries by Asians, Africans and Europeans alike,who have left behind an eclectic history that you can still touch today. Sicily is a unique place, beloved for its people, art, architecture, history, folklore, breathtaking scenery and, of course, its great food. Sicily is home to heavenly beaches and Europe'sgreatest natural wonder, Mount Etna. Sicily's coasts are gold with orange and lemon orchards. In the central regions you'll encounterrolling hills. Dignified vineyards, ancient olive groves, hardy almond orchards and endless wheat fields complete the picture. Eachscenic region offers something different for you to see. Come with us and explore Sicily, an enchanting destination without equal.

CST # 2097125-40

9 DaysFrom

$2899Air/Land

For More Details and Reservations Contact:

Leanna Rodgers at Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

E-mail: travel@lbchamber.com • Telephone: (562) 436-1254

DETAILS & SIGN UP ONLINE: www.lbchamber.com/sicily

INCLUDED FEATURES:

• Round-trip air transportation from Los Angeles (LAX) on the services of Alitalia.

• ABC Destinations handles your baggage outside of the airport for your arrival and departure. (Based on one bag per person).

• An experienced professional manager will assist you on the vacation, upon arrival in Italy.

• First class hotel accommodations for seven nights at the centrally located Sant Alphio Garden Hotel in Naxos (three nights) and NH Jolly Hotel Palermo (four nights) or similar including hotel tax and service charges.

• Daily breakfasts, three dinners in Naxos, one dinner in Palermo.

• Deluxe air-conditioned motor coach and experienced drivers escort you for all transfers, tours and guided excursions.

• Full-day guided tour of Taormina.

• Half-day guided excursion to Cefalù.

• Half-day guided tour of Palermo and Monreale.

PRICE:

Tour price is $2,899 per person, double occupancy (includes $400 per person fuel surcharges). For single occupancy,add $399. Air taxes are included at $100 per person. Fuel surcharges and air taxes are valid at the time of printing andare subject to change.

Optional tours are available at an additional cost.

Optional Rome extension is $595 per person double occupancy. For single occupancy add $299.

THE HOTEL:

The Sant Alphio Garden Hotel is an impressive hotel in true Sicilian style with a sweeping entrance, stunning gardens and fountains and beautiful decor and furnishings throughout. It is located in the center of Giardini Naxos,just a small distance from the sea, positioned in a romantic and picturesque setting where you can enjoy the

incredible views of Taormina, Mount Etna and the Mediterranean Sea. There is also a delightful restaurant, a privatebeach and a fabulous Spa with a vast array of treatments and facilities. All rooms feature central air conditioning, hairdryer, mini-bar, safe, internet and satellite TV.

The NH Jolly Hotel Palermo is located on the gulf of the city of Palermo and is nearby the city’s historic center, situated around the seafront promenade. The NH Jolly Hotel Palermo offers amenities such as a swimming pool, agarden, an onsite restaurant and several spacious halls that can accommodate up to 350 people for events.The on-site restaurant serves delicious traditional Sicilian, international and vegetarian dishes. Other features to look forinclude a coffee shop and an outdoor pool and bar. All rooms at the NH Jolly Hotel Palermo are elegantly decoratedand feature hair dryer, mini-bar, safe, internet, TV and central air conditioning.

Day 1 - Depart the USA: Depart Los Angeles (LAX) for Italy.

Day 2 - Naxos: Upon arrival in Catania, proceed to baggage claim and after clearing customs you will be met by your Tour Manager. Transfer to yourhotel in Naxos where the remainder of the day is at leisure and yours to enjoy. Tonight dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Naxos. (Dinner)

Day 3 - Naxos/Taormina/Mount Etna (Optional Tour)/Naxos: After breakfast, set out to tour Taormina with your local guide. Taormina is a lovelyresort town built on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Visit the famous Greek Amphitheater, offering a splendid view of Mt. Etna and the seacoast,featuring fine artifacts from classical and early Christian periods and the Villa Comunale. In the afternoon enjoy some free time and have lunch at one of themany restaurants offering an array of fabulous seafood, pasta and local wine. Afterwards, you can visit some of the local shops specializing in fine hand embroidery and lace or take an optional tour to Mount Etna. Towering above Sicily, Mount Etna is Europe’s highest and most active volcano. To the ancientGreeks, Mount Etna was the realm of Vulcan, god of fire and the height of its summit changes with each eruption. More than 25% of Sicily’s population liveson Etna’s slopes and it is the main source of income for the island, both from agriculture (due to its rich volcanic soil) and tourism. Tonight dinner is at thehotel. Overnight in Naxos. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 4 - Naxos/Syracuse (Optional Tour)/Naxos: After breakfast, enjoy the day at leisure to do some sightseeing on your own or take an optional excursion to Syracuse. Its Archeological Park features the Roman Amphitheater, Greco Roman edifices and the Greek Theater. Your guide will take you on a tour of the park’s excavations including the ‘Ear of Dionysius’ and the Roman Temple.There will also be time to visit the town of Syracuse and discover itsmany charms. Situated on the eastern coast of Sicily, in a charming setting with a picturesque harbor bounded by the Maddalena Peninsula and the islandof Ortygia, Syracuse is marked by its clean, white buildings, the beauty of its Medieval and Baroque architecture and the imposing presence of its past.Tonight dinner is at the hotel. Overnight in Naxos. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5 - Naxos/Cefalù/Palermo: After breakfast, depart for Palermo. We will stop along the way to visit Cefalù, one of the Mediterranean's undiscovered jewels. The epitome of picturesque grandeur, Cefalù is a captivating seaside town in the shadow of a steep mountain. Cefalù has a beach,winding, narrow, medieval streets and delightful restaurants overlooking a rocky coast. The town is under the ever present gaze of the Norman-Arab-Byzantine cathedral, one of the greatest churches of southern Europe. Nestled between the Madonie Mountains and the sea, Cefalù's mountain boasts theruins of a large fortress and an ancient Sicanian-Greek temple. We arrive in Palermo and check in to the hotel, where the remainder of the day is at leisureand yours to enjoy. Overnight in Palermo. (Breakfast)

Day 6 - Palermo/Monreale/Palermo: After breakfast, depart for your half day guided tour of Palermo and Monreale. Situated in a bay at the foot ofMonte Pellegrino, Palermo is Sicily’s capital and well represents Italy’s most historically cosmopolitan region. Here the architecture with distinct stylesranging from Arabic to baroque, from Norman to Art Nouveaux reflects its many conquerors throughout the centuries including Normans, Arabs, Asians andGreeks. The highlight of the tour will be a visit to Monreale, with its spectacular Duomo and famed for its 12th and 13th century mosaics and the SpanishQuarters. Return to the hotel, where the remainder of the day is at leisure and yours to enjoy the beautiful people and culture of Palermo. This evening youare on your own for dinner and free to try some of the local favorites. One in particular is Pasta Con Le Sarde. This is a very tasty first course, made with ingredients such as wild fennel, fresh sardines, anchovies, saffron, sultanas and pine-nuts. This recipe is simple but served in the most luxurious restaurantsin Palermo. Overnight in Palermo. (Breakfast)

Day 7 - Palermo/Salt Road & Erice (Optional Tour)/Palermo: After breakfast, enjoy the day at leisure or take an optional tour of Western Sicily. We will drive to the medieval hill town of Erice famous for its church and its castle. The views from the medieval castle towers are stupendous, a great townto explore on your own. Stop at a local pastry shop to taste the typical marzipans and almond pastries. Then, drive along saltpans and Sicilian windmills,where it is possible to see dazzlingly white mountains shimmering in the sun. Afterwards, we travel to an Oil Mill and Farmhouse, locally called “Baglio”, toexperience the Sicilian traditions and have a country style lunch with simple and delicious Sicilian products that have passed from generation to generation. Returning to Palermo we will stop at a winery for a visit and a tasting of some great Sicilian wines. Return to the hotel, where the remainder of the day is atleisure and yours to enjoy. Overnight in Palermo. (Breakfast)

Day 8 – Palermo/Agrigento (Optional Tour)/Palermo: After breakfast, enjoy the day at leisure or take an optional tour to Agrigento. Once in Agrigento, enjoy a guided visit to the incredible archaeological site named “Valley of the Temples”, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Rising southernmost onthe traces of the old town, this archaeological park includes many temples built in the 5th century and today it’s still the most sublime evidence of Greek civilization in Sicily. Tonight, there will be a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 9 – Palermo/USA: After breakfast transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

TWO NIGHT OPTIONAL ROME EXTENSION:

Day 9 - Palermo/Rome: After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your flight to Rome. Upon your arrival, proceed to baggage claim where you will meetyour ABC Destinations Tour Manager and transfer to your hotel for check in, where the rest of the afternoon is at leisure and yours to enjoy. Romans saythat “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, nor can Rome be seen in a day. One could live in the Eternal City for years and still not see everything. It’s hard to saywhat you’ll find most breathtaking: Etruscan tombs, the republican meeting rooms, imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, baroquebasilicas or renaissance palaces. Tonight you are on your own for dinner. You will have no trouble finding local restaurants in this residential area of Rome,just outside the hotel and around the corner are some lovely places were the locals meet to eat, have a glass of local wine and enjoy a dish of pasta. Ask your guide or the concierge at the hotel to make a recommendation, they are eager and pleased to help. Overnight at The Grand Hotel Beverly Hills.(Breakfast)

Day 10 - Rome: After breakfast, start your full-day tour of Rome. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of Imperial Rome. Visit the Roman Forum, the most important archaeological area in the city and once the center of the public life; visit the Colosseum, the most famous monument of ancient Rome and an impressivetestament to her past greatness. After lunch in a local trattoria, continue the tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. The Vatican Museums andtheir immense wealth of art, resulting from centuries of papal collections, offer an extraordinary experience. Amongst others, see the great masterpieces ofRenaissance art with the frescoes of the Raphael Rooms and one of Michelangelo’s greatest achievements, “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel. Return to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure, where you can do some shopping or take a stroll on the Via Veneto. Tonight dinner is onyour own, enjoy your last night in Rome. (Breakfast, Lunch)

Day 11 - Rome/USA: After breakfast, say ciao to Rome and transfer to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

Please note: Though rare, it may be necessary to substitute hotels and adjust itineraries due to local conditions.

ITINERARY