In Palermo Pronto Tours runs the guided visit of the historic centre with a panoramic tour aboard three-wheeled ape cars, the stop at the markets with street food tasting, the park of Villa Tasca with Tasca d'Almerita wines, the archaeological park of Himera with the remains of Solunto, and the winery visit.
Palermo is a melting pot of thousand-year-old cultures. Founded by the Phoenicians, it became Panormus for the Romans, "all port", and later passed to Arabs, Normans, French and Spanish. Each of those rules left a mark that can still be read in the stones: the city is today the capital of Arab-Norman art.
The historic centre is crossed on foot, but it changes register every few hundred metres: a palace, a market, a church from an era entirely different from the building next door. It is this discontinuity that makes Palermo an effective base for corporate events and incentive travel, where each stop of the day offers a contrast with the one before.
The city supports very different formats, from a half-day visit to a multi-day programme based in Palermo with excursions inland and along the coast. It is the natural home of the congress and MICE part of a Sicilian trip; the same venues then host weddings, extended family group travel and roots tourism research.
The Taste of Palermo: historic centre, ape cars and markets
The Taste of Palermo itinerary begins on foot in the historic centre with a guide and continues with a panoramic tour aboard the three-wheeled ape cars, which move easily through the alleys of the old city.
The stop at the markets closes the route and brings it onto the ground of food: the street food tasting happens among the stalls, at the point where the city has been buying and selling for centuries.
Villa Tasca and its eight-hectare park
Villa Tasca preserves an eight-hectare park with citrus trees and centuries-old trees. The guided visit crosses the garden, and the following stop is given over to a tasting of Tasca d'Almerita wines accompanied by typical Sicilian products.
The archaeological park of Himera and the remains of Solunto
On the slopes of Monte Catalfano lie the remains of ancient Solunto. From the site the view takes in the bay of Capo Zafferano and Sant'Elia and reaches as far as Cefalù.
The visit to the archaeological park of Himera can be combined with a tasting at a winery.
Winery visit: an estate dating back to 1824
The visit goes into the vinification and ageing rooms, among the barrels, and retraces the history of an estate active since 1824. The production methods are explained, and the visit ends with a tasting.
Venues and experiences for groups in Palermo
For evenings we work with a historic tonnara, a noble palace and a seafront residence. On the activity side we offer cooking classes with Michelin-starred chefs and projects run together with the social organisations of one of the city's neighbourhoods.