The Culture of Food in Eastern Sicily with Shereen Pavlides
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Sicily
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April 4-10, 2027
My first trip to Italy changed my life. Working side by side with farmers and food producers gave me a deeper connection to Italian culture and made me a better cook. That experience sparked a passion that led me to host my first Via Rosa tour, where I could share the joy of discovering Italy through its food.
Now I’m thrilled to return—this time to Eastern Sicily—and I would love for you to join me so we can share this experience together.
During this tour, curated by Via Rosa, we’ll spend six unforgettable days in Sicily, diving deep into its rich food culture. I’m so excited to explore this region and all it has to offer. From lemons and olives to cannoli and fresh ricotta, we’ll discover Sicily through the people who grow, produce, and cook its food.
We’ll be welcomed into private homes, estates, and farms, experiencing a side of Sicily that most visitors never see.
I hope you can join me! – Shereen
Day 1: Arrival & Introductions
Hotel
We’ll be based in one of Sicily’s most beautiful cities: Ortigia, the small historic island off the coast of Siracusa. Our home for the week is Algilà Hotel, a luxurious 4-star boutique hotel just steps from the sea. It’s old world charm is full of character and the rooms a comfortable base for the week.
You’ll have time to settle in and relax before we gather in the evening. In your room, you’ll find a welcome package that includes local snacks, a tote bag for any treasures you pick up throughout the week, and our personal guide to Ortigia with recommendations for places to eat and shop to help you make the most of your free evenings.
Drinks and Introductions
We’ll meet for a welcome drink at the hotel to kick off the week. You’ll get to know Shereen and your fellow travelers, and hear more about what the days ahead will hold. You will also meet Angelo, our local guide and Tour Leader for the week.
Dinner
Our first dinner is at a contemporary Sicilian bistro, where the chef takes a fresh, seasonal approach to traditional dishes.
Day 2: Market & Cooking
Market Walk, Cooking Class, and Lunch
It’s our first full day in Sicily, and we’ll spend it getting to know our home base. This morning, we’ll meet our friend Alessia for a walk through the winding alleys to Ortigia’s famous vegetable and fish market. Along the way, we’ll stop at several stands, including a renowned salumeria, for tastings of local cured meats, cheeses, and a glass of wine. We’ll pick up ingredients for our cooking class, where we’ll have a hands-on lesson preparing a few classic dishes for lunch.
Tour of Ortigia
In the afternoon, we will have a casual walking tour of Ortigia. Our Tour Leader Angelo will lead us on a leisurely passeggiata through the town, stopping at significant churches and exploring Ortigia’s heritage. It’s a perfect introduction to the history and rhythms of the city.
Aperitivo
We’ll end the walk at one of our favorite bars for an aperitivo—drinks and snacks, Italian-style.
Dinner
The rest of the evening is yours to rest or explore Ortigia on your own. A list of our favorite restaurants is in your room, and the hotel concierge is happy to assist with reservations.
Day 3: Architecture & Almonds
Noto
This morning we head south to Noto, one of Sicily’s most beautiful towns. We’ll meet up with Alessandro, who will guide us through its fascinating history. After an earthquake in 1693, the entire town was rebuilt in a distinctive local Baroque style, using honey-colored stone that gives the town its unique glow. It’s often described as looking like a wedding cake. After our walk, you’ll have free time to explore and maybe try a pastry from one of Noto’s famous pastry shops.
Almond Farm
At the end of the morning, we will head south to an area world-renowned for its almond cultivation, the Val di Noto. We will spend the afternoon at a farm, learning all about their traditions.
Upon our arrival, we’ll be greeted with refreshing almond milk before we walk through the almond grove, home to the Romana and Pizzuto almond varieties. We will then join the family for an almond cookie cooking lesson before sitting down to feast. Lunch features almonds, of course, but also produce freshly picked from the vegetable garden in a dizzying succession of small plates including home made cheeses, salads and of course home made pasta.
Dinner
Tonight is free to enjoy Ortigia at your own pace.
Day 4: Ragusa & Ancient Grains
Ragusa and An Ancient Mill
Today we head west to the town of Ragusa, one of the island’s most scenic towns. Along the way, we’ll visit an ancient water-powered flour mill carved into the rock beneath the town. We’ll learn about traditional Sicilian grains and prepare scacce, a local stuffed flatbread, using flour milled just minutes before.
Ragusa Ibla
We then continue to Ragusa Ibla, the historic heart of the city, for a walking tour of its stunning medieval and baroque architecture with Alessandro as our guide. You might feel like you are walking in a movie set since so many movies and commercials are filmed in this gorgeous spot. We will finish the day with a special treat: freshly filled cannoli and Alessandro’s favorite bakery.
Dinner
The evening is free.
Day 5: A Day in the Countryside
Giuseppe’s farm
Today we head west into the Hyblaean Mountains to spend the day with our friend Giuseppe and his family on their stunning farm. The drive takes us through a landscape shaped by grain cultivation and livestock farming, two pillars of Sicily’s rural economy.
Giuseppe’s farm is a model of biodiversity and sustainability. We’ll meet his family and explore the land, where they grow heritage grains and raise cows, horses, and other animals. You’ll see how the grains are used to make local pasta and bread, and experience firsthand the rhythms of rural life.
Lunch
We’ll enjoy a long, abundant lunch featuring products from the farm and wines from one of Sicily’s most interesting producers.
Dinner
Evening at leisure.
Day 6: Ruins & Olive Oil
Neapolis Archaeological Park
This morning we’ll visit one of the most important archaeological parks in Italy: Neapolis, just outside Siracusa. Alessandro will lead us through the Greek and Roman amphitheaters, the Altar of Hieron, and the Ear of Dionysius, an ancient limestone cave steeped in myth.
Olive oil
Next, we’ll travel to the Hyblaean countryside to visit Dario’s family-owned olive oil estate. We’ll tour the groves and learn about Sicily’s native cultivars—Tonda Iblea, Nocellara, Biancolilla, and Ogliarola—before enjoying a guided tasting in the farm’s light-filled tasting room.
Lunch will be served in the family’s dining room, set amid the citrus garden for an olive oil-centric meal. Each course is centered around their award-winning olive oil.
Free time and farewell dinner
You’ll have some free time this afternoon before we gather for our farewell dinner at our favorite seafood restaurant in Ortigia. We’ll toast our week together over a spread of Sicilian seafood dishes.
Day 7: Departure
Our tour is officially over, and you will be checking out of the hotel.
Is This Tour For You?
The Culture of Food
All of our tours are designed around experiencing a place through its food culture. Nearly all activities are food-focused, with generous meals and often snacks in between. If you have a small appetite, significant dietary restrictions, are squeamish, or a particularly selective eater, this tour may not be the right fit. Our trips are best suited for those who are excited to eat adventurously, try new things, and fully engage with the local culinary traditions.
Food Intolerances
Southern Italy’s cuisine is deeply rooted in the Mediterranean diet, with an emphasis on vegetables, grains, and seasonal ingredients. That said, many of the traditional dishes we enjoy together include gluten, fish, meat, and cheese. While guests with dietary restrictions will always be fed, they may not experience the full range of the food culture we showcase. We’re happy to accommodate where possible, but flexibility is key.
Activity Level
Each day involves visiting a new town or village, often on foot. Expect up to an hour or more of walking per day, occasionally on uneven terrain, hills, or stairs. While not strenuous, our pace is steady, and all guests must be able to move comfortably with the group without assistance.
Travel Companions
Many of our guests find us through social media and come knowing what to expect: immersive food experiences, visits to farms and markets, hands-on activities, and shared meals in rustic, authentic settings. If you’re bringing a friend, partner, or family member, please ensure they’re equally excited about this kind of travel. If they’re not enthusiastic about food, long meals, or rural experiences, they may not find this tour enjoyable.
Pricing:
Double occupancy (2 people in 1 room): €6400 per person
Single occupancy (1 person in 1 room): €7900 per person
The fee includes:
- Lodging: six nights in 4-star Hotel Algila’
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- All specified meals and activities in the tour description (subject to change*)
- All transportation during the tour
- Gratuities
Not included:
- Transportation to and from Italy
- Transportation to and from the airport
Each tour is limited to 12 participants
*Since our tours are based on small family-run businesses, we reserve the right to vary the specifics of the itinerary. We may switch days, add/change activities, or substitute locations. We send out an updated itinerary within 30 days prior to the start date.
"Now that we are finally home from our Sicily trip and getting adjusted to real life, I wanted to let you know what a fantastic experience we had on the Via Rosa tour. Everything exceeded our expectations from the hotel to the guides and experiences you curated to help us understand not only the food but so much about the lifestyle of Sicily."
Celia & Rick
Your Hosts for the Week
Shereen Pavlides
Shereen is the beloved professionally-trained chef and creator of the viral sensation and hit social media platform, Cooking with Shereen. She is the bestselling author of Cooking with Shereen from Scratch: Because You Can! and RockStar Dinners. She has appeared on Good Morning America, Live! with Kelly and Ryan, The Today Show, Access Daily, The Doctors and The Tamron Hall show. She is a recurring guest chef on Live! with Kelly and Mark. Her work has also been featured in People, Teen Vogue, and BuzzFeed Tasty. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok.
Angelo Di Stefano
Born and raised in Ragusa, Angelo’s connection to Sicily runs deep. With a passion for history, art, people and the flavours of his homeland, his path has taken him from sommelier and home chef to restaurant owner, tour guide and nature guide.
For Angelo, food and wine are among the most meaningful ways to understand a place—each telling stories of its history, culture and people. A natural storyteller, he loves introducing guests to the Sicily he knows and loves, sharing the local producers, traditions and flavours that bring the island to life.