In collaboration with the Italian Culinary Institute, Italy
Day 1 - Arrival in Calabria & Welcome Dinner
Arrival at Lamezia Terme International Airport (SUF), Transfer to the hotel.
Welcome dinner with your hosts Rocco Garibaldi, owner of Rocco's Pizza Pub in Hawaii, Italian Culinary Institute (ICI) President John Nocita and members for the equipe.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 2 - Extra Virgin Olive Oil Class and Cheese Tasting; Starlight Dinner
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Experience a professional Olive Oil Class and Tasting conducted by chef John Nocita that will open your mind and educate your palate.
Chef Style Course Lunch with Wine Parings at ICI.
Afternoon free for swimming or relaxing.
Starlight Dinner in the Open (venue will be outside on the beach or a farm, amongst the wines in a vineyard.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 3 - Visit to Mercatino; Visit and Tasting at an Award Winning Winery in Cirò
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Departure for Mercato in Soverato.
A typical Italian Open Air Market offers culinarians an insight to the country's most traditional aspects as well as an opportunity to browse Italy's best foods, cheeses, wines and cured meats that are still produced by local Italian Artisans.
Departure for Cirò, Vineyard Tour and Tasting.
Cirò means “Cyprus” in Italian and is the place where Ancient Greeks named their capital for what was once Magna Grecia or Ancient Greece. The Ciro D.O.C. Red Wines are the oldest wines in Europe. Tasting and Lunch at the Winery.
Return to the hotel.
Dinner: Mediterranean Feast with Wine Pairings.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 4 - Calabria - Cooking Demo, Tasting and Hands On Lesson, Pizza Party!
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Introduction to Regional Italian Cuisine with Chef and 'Pizzaiola' Rocco and the ICI team.
Cooking Demonstration and Tasting
Hands on Pasta Making!
In addition to hands on preparation, participants learn about regionalism: understanding where each pasta comes from in Italy enables epicureans to identify the appropriate sauces or condiments for each dish.
Chef Style Kitchen Lunch
Dinner: Wood Fired Pizza Party with Wine and Beer Pairings.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 5 - Taormina, Sicily
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Early morning departure for Sicily across the Strait of Messina.
Those who read The Odyssey, will remember what a terrible time Ulysses had Scylla and Charybdis, which flank is known at the Strait of Messina. We will have an easier time on one of Italy’s Traghetto’s. While crossing the Strait, we will eat Arancini, which is a traditional Italian snack on the ferry.
Traditional Sicilian Lunch in a Family Owned Restaurant in Taormina
Check Into the hotel in Taormina.
Dinner is open, free time to explore one of Italy’s most beautiful towns.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Taormina, Sicily.
DAY 6 - Free Day in Taormina, Sicily
Breakfast at the hotel in Sicily.
Free day explore some of the most precious Roman & Ancient Greek ruins outside Greece.
Taormina stands 200 meters above sea level and looks down onto the Ionian Sea like a terrace, the prettiest you have ever seen. A visit to the Greek Roman theater will take your breath away, as this unbelievable work by mankind is perched on a mountain, where it frames views of the sea and Mt. Etna. Also a brief shuttle will take you up to Castel with unforgettable views of the Sicilian coast.
Dinner open
Overnight at the hotel in Taormina.
DAY 7 - Siracusa, Isola Ortigia, Sicily
Breakfast at the hotel in Sicily.
Morning departure for Siracusa.
Open Air Market Visit to Isola Ortigia.
Traditional Sicilian Lunch at a Local Restaurant.
Free afternoon to explore the historic streets and coastline of Isola Ortigia.
This small island connected by a bridge from the mainland is home to two ports: Porto Grande and Porto Piccolo. Both ports were key to the Greeks colonizing Sicily and for trade between the Greeks and the Carthaginians.
Return to Taormina, dinner open.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Taromina, Sicily.
DAY 8 - Sicily & Calabria
Breakfast at the hotel in Taormina.
Late morning departure to Messina, Sicily where we will eat famous Focaccia & Cannoli!
Ferry transport from Messina to Calabria.
Afternoon visit to the historic town of Pizzo which is famous for its Stuffed Gelato.
Dinner at ICI : Risotto Tris paired with Delicious Wines.
Overnight at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 9 - Calabria - Scolacium Archaeological Park; Squillace, the City of Terracotta; Farewell
Dinner Prepared and Presented by Your Hosts.
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Late morning departure to Scolacium at Roccelletta di Borgia.
Considered one of the most important Ancient World Heritage sites in Italy today. The ruins span two millenniums and three distinct periods, showcasing ruins of a Greek theater, A Roman Theater, Roman forum and Byzantine cathedral in an unbelievable display of integrated architectural and cultural history
Lunch at a local restaurant in Calabria.
Afternoon visit to Squillace.
A Medieval walled town perched on a hill overlooking the Ionian Sea famous for it’s terracotta where we will visit a third generation terracotta maker who will demonstrate the artisanal art. After the demonstration we will explore the Medieval Castle that sits on the top of the ancient village.
Early evening return to the hotel in Calabria.
Farewell Chef Course Dinner at ICI presented by Chefs Rocco and John Nocita.
Overnight stay at the hotel in Calabria.
DAY 10 - Departure
Breakfast at the hotel in Calabria.
Transfer to the Airport.
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Early Bird Tour Price $4195 (dbl. occupancy) with registration and deposit made on or before February 14, 2022.
Tour Price $4800 per person (dbl. occupancy)
Single room supplement: $450
All Major Credit Cards Accepted
Cancellation Policy: Payment refund 90 days prior to the tour minus $300 administrative fee or applied to the next tour.
TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
9 nights in Beautiful Southern Italy with Authentic Regional Cuisine and Historical Tours
All accommodations in Calabria and Sicily.
Transfers to and from the airport.
Breakfast Everyday.
7 Lunches including Focaccia and Cannoli tasting in Messina.
7 Chef Style Course Dinners including Wine.
Wood Fired Pizza Party.
Chef Style Dinner in the Open Air.
All ground transfers listed in the program including airport transfers, all visits transportation included and dining, ferry for Sicily and more.
English/Italian speaking guides throughout the program.
Cooking lessons.
Welcome bottle of wine in your room.
All Tax and VAT included.
All gratuities are included.
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