Cooking week · Sicily

Cooking in Sicily

WhereSicily, Italy
Length9 nights
Next departureFeb 14–23, 2027
Price$3,999 shared · $4,589 private room, per person
StyleCooking week
Run byRoad Scholar

A 10-day, 9-night Road Scholar program in eastern Sicily, staying in one Taormina hotel throughout. Four hands-on cooking lessons are combined with guided visits to historic towns, markets, Mount Etna and a winery.

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Free to ask. We confirm dates, availability and price before you commit to anything.

What you will do

Before you go

Eat the region first, then cook it. Everything here is free and saves to your trip.

The food of SicilyWhat to eat and drink, and where to start, region by region across Italy.The Best 100One hundred restaurant dishes with a home version to cook this week.

Who leads it

Road Scholar Group Leader

Program leader

An experienced leader (unnamed) who accompanies field trips and gives commentary.

Local chefs and home cooks

Cooking instructors

A chef at the Taormina cooking school and local women in Motta Camastra teach the lessons. The program description also mentions a private lesson and meal with author Eleonora Consoli.

Day by day

  1. Day 1
    TravelOvernight flight from the US.
  2. Day 2
    Arrive in TaorminaLand in Catania, check in at the hotel, then orientation and a welcome dinner.
  3. Day 3
    Taormina and first lessonWalking tour of Taormina, free time, then the first cooking lesson at a local cooking school.
  4. Day 4
    Syracuse and OrtigiaWalk Ortigia, visit the Duomo, have lunch and take a boat ride.
  5. Day 5
    Motta CamastraFresh pasta lesson and lunch in a private home, then the Villa Comunale.
  6. Day 6
    MessinaSights including the Orion Fountain, astronomical clock and museum, plus the Ganzirri lakes; dinner in town.
  7. Day 7
    SavocaVisit the hill village, free time, and a cooking lesson.
  8. Day 8
    Cyclops Coast and CataniaCoastal drive, then Catania's Duomo, Via Etnea and fish market, followed by a cooking lesson.
  9. Day 9
    Mount EtnaA short walk on the volcano, winery tasting and farewell lunch at the winery.
  10. Day 10
    DepartureCheck out by 11:00 a.m. and head home.

Itineraries can shift with weather, season and host availability.

What is included

Included

  • 9 nights at Hotel Continental
  • 16 meals (8 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 5 dinners) with wine, coffee and water at meals
  • 4 hands-on cooking experiences
  • 9 expert-led field trips
  • 1 performance
  • Group Leader
  • Taxes and customary gratuity
  • Road Scholar Assurance Plan
  • Free round-trip airport transfers if Road Scholar books your air and you travel on the scheduled dates

Not included

  • International airfare (unless booked through Road Scholar)
  • Airport transfers otherwise
  • Other drinks with meals
  • Meals marked on your own
  • Optional trip protection plan

Practical details

Where you base
Taormina (Hotel Continental), with day trips to Syracuse/Ortigia, Messina, Savoca, Catania and Mount Etna
Where you stay
Hotel Continental in Taormina for all nine nights; shared (twin) or private room.
Group size
Listed as a small group; the general notes say limited to 16 participants.
Pace
Keep the Pace (moderate): up to about 2 miles walking a day on uneven ground and cobblestones, up to an hour standing, and steep narrow stairs (about 104 steps between hotel and main square). Motorcoach days run up to ~150 miles. Wheelchairs and scooters cannot be accommodated.
Arrival and departure
Hotel Continental, Taormina (arrive via Catania airport). Check-in from 3:00 p.m. on Day 2, orientation 6:00 p.m., welcome dinner 7:30 p.m.; checkout by 11:00 a.m. on Day 10.
Who it suits
Travelers who want an introduction to Sicilian cooking with sightseeing in a hosted group, and who can manage stairs and cobbles.

Good to know

Dates and prices

2027
Feb 14–23, 2027
$3,999 shared · $4,589 private room, per person
Open
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Feb 28 – Mar 9, 2027
$3,999 shared · $4,589 private room, per person
Sold out, waitlist
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Apr 1–10, 2027
$4,999 shared · $5,819 private room, per person
Open
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Apr 15–24, 2027
$4,999 shared · $5,819 private room, per person
Open
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May 16–25, 2027
$4,999 shared · $5,819 private room, per person
Open
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Sep 12–21, 2027
$4,999 shared · $5,819 private room, per person
Open
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Sep 23 – Oct 2, 2027
$4,999 shared · $5,819 private room, per person
Open
Ask about these dates →

Per person, 2027: Feb 14-23 and Feb 28-Mar 9 $3,999 shared / $4,589 private; Apr 1-10, Apr 15-24, May 16-25, Sep 12-21, Sep 23-Oct 2 $4,999 / $5,819. Further departures Oct 3, Oct 17 ($4,999/$5,819) and Nov 4 ($3,999/$4,589). Feb 28 private room showed sold out. Airfare is extra.

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Trip details are compiled from the published information of Road Scholar, who runs this trip. Dates, prices and availability change; we reconfirm everything with you before you commit.

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