Segesta, Erice, and the Salt Pans were another memorable experience in touring sites around Palermo. Segesta offers opportunities to view ancient ruins, a temple, and an amphitheater. Erice is a charming town that has outstanding views of the coast and ocean from its high location in the mountains. Our driver, Marcello, offered us the option to choose to go to the Nubia Salt Pans, where we were able to have a tour explaining the process of how salt is taken from sea water and turned into the product that everyone uses in their daily lives cooking and curing meats. The woman leading the Nubia tour was the granddaughter of the former owner and told the history of the family business and the tasks of the workers. There they also offered salts and other products to purchase. This was our final tour in Palermo and was the perfect choice for our departure.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Pick-up service to/from hotel/port
- Child seats (on request)
- Italian-English bilingual driver
Excludes
- Tourist Guide
- Gratuities
- Entrance fees
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Traveler pick up offered
Itinerary
Halfway between present-day Palermo and Trapani is one of the oldest cities you can visit in Sicily. The first monument to visit is the Doric temple, one of the best preserved Greek temples in the Western world. The Doric temple of Segesta stands outside the city walls, on a hill west of the city. Wolfgang von Goethe, in his Journey to Italy, described the temple in these words:"The location of the temple is amazing: at the top of a wide and long valley, on top of an isolated hill and yet surrounded by cliffs, it dominates a vast prospect of lands."
The Ancient Theatre of Segesta, built on the north side of the acropolis, stands on the highest peak of Monte Barbaro, close to the Gulf of Castellammare. The theater has a very wide panoramic view that turns into a spectacular setting if necessary. It is one of the most successful examples of theatrical architecture placed in the passage and is still used, during the summer, for performances and concerts. To reach it you have to follow some paths in the middle of the fields or a wide paved road. But if you don’t feel like tackling this long hike, especially in summer or in the evening, you can use the convenient shuttle bus service that leaves from the ticket office and leads to the entrance of the theater.
Perched on top of a mountain and overlooking the Gulf of Trapani, Erice is a small and characteristic medieval village, with narrow and paved streets, courtyards, churches and plenty of clean and fresh air, even in the height of summer. Thanks to its altitude you can enjoy a splendid 360° panoramic view. Starting right from the narrow streets behind the cathedral you can start the tour in the center of the village, among picturesque corners, souvenir shops and historic pastry shops. In Via Vittorio Emanuele, 14 is the historic pastry shop of Maria Grammatico, here you can admire and taste typical sweets of Erice. The symbol of the town is obviously the Castle of Venus, from Norman times, which stands right on the sheer fortress and offers a spectacular view. Next to the castle you can admire the Pepoli Towers and the beautiful Balio Municipal Villa. During the summer the cable car connecting Trapani with the summit of Erice is in operation!
The Salt Pans of Marsala are located in the Stagnone Reserve and are one of the most visited tourist attractions in the province of Trapani. A unique territory in front of the island of Mothia, along the famous “salt route”, gateway to the Stagnone Islands Nature Reserve. The Stagnone Nature Reserve and the island of Mozia is a place of extraordinary beauty, where alongside the exceptional natural landscapes you can appreciate the windmills typical of the Trapani coast, an original example of industrial archaeology still fully functional today. The Lagoon Salt Pans are located right inside the Reserve. The lagoon, the largest in Sicily (2000 ha) is characterized by very salty shallow waters.
The island of Mozia belongs to the Stagnone di Marsala archipelago and is one of the most popular tourist routes for visitors. Mozia is a true open-air treasure, with its numerous archaeological finds, some of which are submerged by the sea due to rising tides: its archaeological value is still considered priceless. Mozia is home to one of the most important museums in the province of Trapani. The young man of Mozia is the most prestigious and representative of the island: it is a marble statue. Mozia is an ancient Phoenician colony founded in the eighth century BC.C. on one of the four islands of the Stagnone lagoon. The name of Motya, probably given by the Phoenicians themselves, would mean spinning mill and would be connected to the presence of wool processing plants, implanted here. The island, like most other Phoenician colonies, was a trading post and was intended to serve as a docking point for Phoenician ships en route in the Mediterranean. With the Greek colonization, which begins in the eighth century, Motya increases its importance by becoming a citizen. In the 6th century, the contrasts between the Greeks and Carthaginians increased for the dominance over Sicily and Mozia was involved; it was then surrounded by walls that allowed a better defense. In 397 Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, besieges the city and ends its existence. The inhabitants take refuge on the mainland in the colony of Lilibeo, present-day Marsala. The rediscovery of Motya is linked to the name of Giuseppe Whitaker, an English nobleman of the late nineteenth century whose family had settled in Sicily and had started a flourishing export trade of Marsala wine. On the island stands the Whitaker house, now converted into a museum. TIMETABLES AND PRICES ISLAND OF MOZIA : 1 NOVEMBER - 31 MARCH every day from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm 1 APRIL - 31 OCTOBER every day 9.30 am - 6.30 pm PRICES : ADULTS € 9 STUDENTS AND CHILDREN € 5
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Reviews
Shared location with the driver multiple times; however, he never picked us up. Contacted the operator and they only provided us with a partial refund. I would not encourage anyone to book this tour.
Our driver, Guiseppe, was on time, pleasant, enthusiastic, considerate and informative. A good trip for those with limited time, but who want to "see it all". Communication with the tour operator and Guiseppe was excellent.
Our tour guide/driver Fabrizio was excellent and a wealth of knowledge. The Renault van was very comfortable but we were not offered WiFi access as advertised. Unfortunately, the tour itself was less than advertised and quite pricey. Being off season, there were very few shops or restaurants open in Erice where we had intended to enjoy lunch. The salt pans museum was not open and the boat ride to Mozia was not possible. Marsala was not available to us either. The temple of Segesta was what we expected but we were charged an additional 27 USD to tour the site with audio assist. If traveling off season, confirm what is actually available before booking.
Our private tour of Segesta, Erice, the Stagnone Salt Pans, and Marsala with Mimmo was absolutely wonderful! From start to finish, he was kind, thoughtful, and completely accommodating to our needs. He shared great facts and stories about each location, bringing the history and beauty of Sicily to life. We never felt rushed — Mimmo always made sure we had time to enjoy each stop, take photos, and soak it all in. He even went out of his way to offer restaurant recommendations and local tips, which made the experience feel personal and special. The car was immaculate and incredibly comfortable, and the timing of every activity was perfect, allowing us to see so much without ever feeling tired. If you want a relaxing, informative, and beautifully curated Sicilian adventure, book this tour and ask for Mimmo — you won’t regret it!
The driver , Mimo, was great and the car was a late model and very clean . Punctual pick up, cold water on demand and well laid out itinerary so that the walking parts were downhill with the car dropping us off near the top and then waiting at the bottom.
Stress free way to enjoy some of the sights surrounding Palermo. Comfortable car provided with an excellent and extremely knowledgeable driver. With thanks to our driver Mimmo, who made our journey very memorable.
This tour from Palermo was an incredible way to experience Sicily. Our driver Mimmo made this an even more elevated day. His incredible knowledge of the areas we were going to visit made for a truly immersive experience. The history you get to experience on this tour was awesome and we made incredible memories. As busy as some of these areas get it was well worth it to have door to door service with this tour.
It was an amazing adventure of the northwest portions of Sicily leaving from Palermo. Our guide Fabrizio was amazing. He was like hanging out with a friend that you met to travel with that knew everything about the local area. We felt very well taken care of and had plenty of time to explore each of the destinations that we stopped at plus a little added extra. It was great to learn about the local history from him.
Fabrizio was a fantastic guide! He is incredibly knowledgeable of all the sights we visited Segesta, Erice, Trapani, Salt pans, etc. He is very interesting talking about the history of Sicily. Mainly he is an exceptionally nice person we enjoyed spending the day with! Request him if you want an unforgettable experience!
The temple and theater in Segesta were incredible. Erice is an interesting medieval town. Great place to wonder around.
We had a wonderful driver, Mimmo. It was a great day. Our favorite was Erice! Could have spent more time there. Marsala Salt Pans were neat too. We totally enjoyed the trip and would highly recommend it
What a lovely combination of spots— so different from one another in their storytelling. And Marcello, our driver, was engaging and kind, not to mention smooth in terms of his driving.
Great tour of 3 jewels. Thanks Mimmo for an outstanding day!! Erice is such a cute medieval town, we loved seeing the Greek Theater in Segesta and thoroughly enjoyed the salt ponds in Marsala. A great comprehensive experience!!
Our guide Mimmo was amazing! Pick up was on time in a beautiful car.Full of information about the places we were visiting and extra historical facts about the city as we drove thru to get to our first stop. The sites are amazing and a must see.
My driver Mimo was very punctual in picking me up at the scheduled time. His English was excellent and he was happy, obliging and very knowledgeable in our 9 hours together. He is a real asset to your company! AND the Maserati car was a pleasant surprise to say the least! Thank you for a great day Mimo Helen from Australia
We had a wonderful day with our driver Marcello. The destinations were very interesting and well arranged , particularly the Embarcadero across to Mothia which was a bonus. We appreciated the flexibility to vary and arrange our timing within the time available. Happy to recommend to anyone.
A preserved site that bears witness to the multiple cultural layers that have shaped Sicily. A pleasant surprise this Sunday in May, free admission. Only the bus (crowded) to reach the heights to visit the theater was paid. Large and sufficient parking despite the crowd. I recommend a hat, the bus, and a bottle of water. A nice introduction to the beginning of our journey...
The temple, the theater, the view from the hill as it climbs to the theater and thrilling! Go there, highly recommended!
Beautiful to drive along the "stagnone" where the Island of Mozia is located and get on a boat to make the rounds passing over the old submerged road that connected Mozia to the mainland. The pond has a maximum depth of one and a half meters very fishy and at sunset has an incredible charm. The boat tour can be done until late afternoon in the evening until 20.30/21. Very romantic for couples in fact there were newlyweds who were having their photos taken after the ceremony. In the saline area you can dine, booking in advance, to enjoy the sunset show
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