The Culture of Food in Western Sicily
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Sicily
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March 23-29, 2025
Although I live between Rome and Umbria, I visit Sicily regularly. Palermo is not only my favorite city in Sicily but perhaps in Italy. I would love to show you why, sharing some of my favorite places with you. .
During this 6-day tour, we’ll have the time to truly explore this rich corner of the island, from a completely food-centric point of view, of course. Our base is Palermo, but we will also be taking day trips into the countryside to explore the culture of food that is tied to the landscape. From breakfast through dinner, we’ll wander in small towns, the countryside, and the streets of Palermo, tasting, drinking, eating, cooking, learning, and having fun.
The days will be full, but don’t worry, you’ll have some downtime as well to head off on your own to explore.
Sunday: Arrival & Introductions
Hotel
We will be based in one of Sicily’s – and Italy’s – most vibrant cities: Palermo. Our home for the week is the luxurious Grand Hotel et des Palmes. This historic hotel has recently undergone a 2-year renovation, which makes it the best hotel in Palermo. You will have a chance to settle in before we meet later that evening.
In your room, you’ll find a copy of your schedule for the week, a branded canvas tote bag to carry any goodies you may pick up during the week, and a personal guide to Palermo with my favorite places to eat and shop to help you plan your free time.
You’ll also have already received a copy of my book The Sweetness of Doing Nothing.
Introductions
We will meet in the hotel’s salone (or, if weather permits, the rooftop terrace) for some drinks to start our week and get to know each other.
Dinner
Our first dinner is a short walk away to one of the most beautiful private palaces in Palermo. The owners of this palazzo have invited us into their home for a tour and dinner.
Monday: Making Cheese & Orientation
Farm visit
After breakfast at the hotel, we are heading out of town to the Jato Valley. This verdant landscape, a short drive from Palermo, is home to a rich tradition of agriculture. We will spend the day at a historic farm in Piana degli Albanesi, where we will see ricotta and caciocavallo cheese being made by the owner. We then sit down for lunch in their home, which will include the farm’s cheeses, seasonal vegetables from the family garden, and the traditional bread “furr me dru.” We will also learn about the local culture, founded by Albanians centuries ago, and learn some words of the Arbëreshë language. .
After lunch, we will return to Palermo for a rest back at the hotel.
Walk around Palermo
In the late afternoon, Salvatore will lead us on an orientation and historical passeggiata through town. We’ll stop by a few of the more significant sites so you can get your bearings and learn some of the rich historical context of this complex city.
Light dinner
Since we’ll have had a big lunch, you are on your own for dinner. We are happy to help you make plans.
Tuesday: Market & Puppets
Market and cooking class
After breakfast, we will head to the market. The colorful and noisy markets of Palermo are world-famous, and we will meet our friend Michael, who runs one of the best cooking schools in the city. We’ll have a walk around, choose our ingredients and then head back to his kitchen. There we will cook a full meal, learning how to cook some Palermitano dishes before sitting down to lunch.
Puppet theater
After lunch, you have a bit of free time before we meet up to learn all about the Opera dei Pupi. Recognized by UNESCO, this ‘opera of puppets’ is a theatrical presentation that dates back to the early 19th century and is one of Sicily’s most important expressions of history and culture.
After a visit to the workshop where the marionettes are crafted, we will attend a private performance in the tiny theater.
Evening
Tonight you are on your own for dinner. We are happy to help you make plans.
Wednesday: Salt, Couscous, & Pastries
Salt pans
Today we head out of Palermo to the western coast. We will spend the morning at the salt pans near Marsala, where the process of salt harvesting has been going on for thousands of years. We visit the learning center of SEI, where we will see how windmills still run the local process, and have a tasting of the salt itself, learning how to use the different varieties of this ‘white gold.’
Lunch
Our next stop is Erice. This small medieval town is located 2460 feet above sea level overlooking Trapani. We will make the dramatic drive up, enjoying the amazing view out over the coast. Before we get to tour the charming town, it’s time to learn about one of the specialties of this part of Sicily: couscous. Nowhere is the intersection of Italian and North African culture more evident – or delicious – than this traditional dish. We will have a demonstration of how couscous is made before sitting down to lunch.
Dessert
Erice is known for its pastries. Home to an orphanage that housed young girls, the orphans were taught trades, including the art of pastry making. Maria learned her baking skills there and now owns and runs one of the most famous bakeries in Sicily. We will visit the shop, first winding our way along the cobbled streets of this charming town. Then Maria will teach us how to make genovesi. And have a tasting, of course!
Dinner
After a long day out, you are on your own for dinner. We are happy to help you make plans.
Thursday: Ancient Temples & Olive Oil
Segesta
After breakfast, we head way back in time, visiting one of the great archeological sites that dates back to when the Greeks ruled this part of the world. With Gianluca as our guide, we will explore the dramatic site of Segesta, visiting the dramatic Doric temple and acropolis.
Lunch
For lunch, we head to our friend Daniela’s baglio. A baglio is the Sicilian word for estate farm, and we will be spending the afternoon at her home, learning about olive oil, which Daniela produces. We will also be invited into the family kitchen for a cooking demonstration, before sitting down to lunch in the family dining room.
Dinner
After a long day out, you are on your own for dinner. We are happy to help you make plans.
Friday: Artisans & Street Food
Ceramics and hats
This morning we will focus on the handmade artisanal traditions of Sicily. Our first stop is the beautifully quirky Museo della Majolica. The small ceramics museum is located on the third floor of a private palace. The collection focuses on hand-painted tiles from the 15th to the 20th century and contains over 5000 examples.
The Sicilian Coppola is the hat you see on almost every Sicilian man of a certain age. We will visit one of the last remaining artisans who still crafts these newly stylish hats by hand.
Lunch
Palermo is known for its vibrant street food scene. Small stands and shops supply hungry Palermitani with things like arancini (rice balls); sfincione (focaccia); panelle (chickpea flour fritters); and the famous Pani Ca Meusa (spleen sandwich). We’ll take a stroll to try some of these as we make our way to our next destination.
Dessert and coffee
Santa Caterina d’Alessandria is a gorgeous convent located in the heart of Palermo. We will be visiting the dazzlingly decorated church and the rooftop, which includes a view of all of Palermo. Then we will head to the cloister to visit the nun’s private rooms before heading to the brightly tiled cloister to try some of the pastries traditionally made by nuns.
Dinner
You will have some free time on your own this afternoon before we meet for our final dinner at one of the best restaurants in Palermo for a final fishy feast before saying goodbye.
Saturday: Departure
Check-out
Our tour is officially over, and after one last breakfast, you will be checking out of the Grand Hotel et des Palmes. You may check-out by 12 pm.
Is This Tour For You?
The culture of food
Our tours are about exploring places through the culture of food. This means that almost all of our activities are food related. You can expect big meals and often snacks in between. If you do not have a big appetite, have food intolerances, or are squeamish or a picky eater then this is not the tour for you.
Food intolerances
Since we are in southern Italy, the cuisine is focused on the Mediterranean Diet, so there will be plenty of vegetables. That said, many of our group meals revolve around local food traditions and may include fish or meat and almost always cheese and gluten-filled bread, pasta and pastries.. If you are a vegetarian or gluten or lactose intolerant, you will not go hungry, but you will also not be experiencing the full range of the food culture we will be exploring.
Activity level
This is a walking tour. Each day we will be exploring a new town or village. We often get up early, and the days are long and will involve walking up to an hour or more. While the level is never overly strenuous, you must be able to keep up with the rest of the group.
Travel companions
Many of our clients find out about us through social media and know what to expect: days spent exploring the culture of food through visits to farms, markets, and more. If you are thinking of bringing along a traveling companion (friend, spouse, relative, partner), please make sure they are aware of the types of things we will be doing. If they are not interested in food, visiting farms, eating in rustic settings, etc., they won’t enjoy this tour. Someone who is not fully engaged will not be happy on this tour.
Pricing:
Double occupancy (2 people in 1 room): €5000 per person
Single occupancy (1 person in 1 room): €5900 per person
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.
Each tour is limited to 12 participants
The fee includes:
- 6 nights in Grand Hotel et des Palmes
- Buffet breakfast in hotel
- All of the meals, activities and transportation outlined above
- A copy of Sophie’s book The Sweetness of Doing Nothing
- A branded canvas tote bag
Not included:
- Transportation to and from Italy
- Transportation to and from hotel
Your Host for the Week
Sophie Minchilli
Sophie Minchilli is a writer, tour leader, and co-founder of Via Rosa, which she started with her mother, Elizabeth Minchilli and has been leading food tours in Rome and throughout Italy since 2015. Her favorite part of the work is connecting with the people who grow, prepare, and preserve Italy’s culinary traditions. Her deep relationships with farmers, restaurant owners, baristas, and shopkeepers—many from an older generation—are joyfully visible in the videos she shares on social media. Sophie’s approach to life is rooted in slowing down and savoring everyday pleasures, a philosophy she shares in her book The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Living Life the Italian Way with Dolce Far Niente. She documents her daily life and travels on Instagram and TikTok and also makes guest appearances on TV including the Puglia episode of Season 2 of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, available on CNNgo and Discovery+. (here is a clip)