During the ideal October weather of 2025, Great Performance Tours will return to Sicily following the most recent sold-out tour two years ago. On this occasion we are fortunate to find coincident performances of a pair of favorite ‘bel canto’ operas in Palermo and Catania. We will attend Bellini’s lyric masterwork La Sonnambula in Palermo’s Teatro Massimo, and Donizetti’s poignant comedy Don Pasquale in Catania’s Teatro Bellini (named for the composer in the city of his birth). We will also enjoy an evening of Palermo’s renowned Opera dei Pupi showcasing the centuries-old tradition of puppet artistry; and a Concert (TBA) from the fall offerings in Palermo or Catania.

We will begin with four nights in the Sicilian capital of Palermo; followed by four nights on the Isle of Ortigia adjacent to Siracusa and within easy reach of Catania. (Our choice of Ortigia provides a rare opportunity of immersion in Sicily’s 17th-18thcentury history and architecture.) Our excursions will include visits to the hilltop town of Erice, an hour-and-a-half outside Palermo; and to the Baroque splendors of Noto about an hour from Ortigia.

PALERMO, October 16th – 19th

Accommodations for four nights with buffet breakfast at Palermo’s leading Centrale Palace Hotel. This former palace located on Via Vittorio Emmanuele is a comfortable walk from the opera house. The first-class Ai Tetti restaurant and the rooftop Tarallo Bar are among the hotel’s popular attractions.

ORTIGIA (Siracusa) & CATANIA, October 20th – 23rd

Accommodations on the Isle of Ortigia (an extension of Siracusa) for four nights with buffet breakfast included at the ‘art nouveau’ Grand Hotel des Étrangers, where are rooms are reserved with views of the Mediterranean. The hotel’s restaurants include La Medusa for breakfast and the Roof Garden for full menus. The Aretusa Spa and Wellness Center is an important addition to this deluxe property.

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Prices Per Person (Air Fare not Included)

Double Occupancy: $6,850
Single Occupancy: $8,600