Take one of our favorite shore excursions from Palermo today in the comfort of our luxurious vehicle with a local driver who will show you some of the most ancient and fascinating places in Sicily. You will be met at the port by one of our drivers and comfortable vehicles and start your shore excursion with a visit to Segesta, a historic city that rises on Mount Barbaro.
Segesta is no longer inhabited, but the amount of excavations on the hill on which it is located are testimony to town that flourished up until the 5th century when it was destroyed by the Vandals and then only partially reconstructed. On this tour you will see the beautiful Doric style temple from about the 5th century BC and the theater from the 3rd century BC partially constructed into the hillside. The views from these places are magnificent and you should definitely take some time on this private tour of Segesta for a photo session before continuing your excursion on to Erice.
Your driver will take you west towards the coast from Segesta to visit Erice, a small town with about 300 year round inhabitants that almost double during the warmer months. According to legend, Erice was founded by the Trojans in exile from their own land. Built on a mountain of the same name, Erice is a pretty town with beautiful views and is famous for its ceramics and delicious pastries which you will definitely want to taste on your shore excursion.
Our next stop on your private shore excursion is at the city of Marsala on the west coast of Sicliy. Built on the ancient site of the Punic city Lilibeo, many important Punic naval battles took place in the sea here and an ancient battle ship, the only one exisiting, from 200 BC can be seen on your shore excursion in the Baglio Anselmi Museum.
On your shore excursion here you will also see evidence of the influence of the Roman, Norman, Arab, and Spanish civilizations. The Cathedral for instance has been built on the foundations of a preexisting Norman Castle. There are many monuments and churches of great interest to visit on your shore excursion to Marsala. The Church of the Annunciation and the “Grotto of the Sybil” directly underneath the Church of Saint John the Baptist, and the Medieval Castle. For more than any other reason, Marsala is well known throughout the whole world for the production of Marsala wines, not only dessert wines but red and white wines of excellent quality. If you are interested, on your shore excursion you can make a stop to visit a “Baglio” where wine is made.
In the late afternoon, your driver will take you back to your ship in the Palermo Port.
