Full Day Exclusive Excursion to Segesta, Erice & Trapani Salt Flats from Palermo

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The temple, sometimes called the "Great Temple", was built during the last thirty years of the fifth century BC, [1] on the top of a hill west of the city, outside its walls. It is a large hexastyle peripteral temple (ie with six columns on the shorter side, not grooved). On the long side it has instead fourteen columns (in total 36 then, 10 meters high). The current state of preservation presents the entire colonnade of the complete peristasis of the entire entablature. Despite the constructive elements and the proportions of the construction clearly referring to the classical period of Greek architecture, the temple presents peculiar aspects on which historiography does not express unanimous opinions.

   1 h

2. Erice Walking tour of the beautiful medieval town located on the top of the homonymous mountain at 760 meters high, we will visit the temple dedicated to Venus, the castle, the towers and the beautiful cathedral. The town, surrounded by cyclopean walls, is characterized by stone paths and adorned with trees, plants and flowers, which give the center a magical and enchanted atmosphere. The wide and spectacular view from Erice is breathtaking: you can see Trapani with its characteristic sickle shape and the Mount Cofano reserve with Custonaci at its feet. You can also taste the typical almond sweets famous all over the world.

   1 h

3. Of Phoenician origin, the Arab geographer al-Idrīsī documents the presence of salt pans already in the period of Norman domination in Sicily. Under the reign of Frederick of Swabia, the state monopoly on salt production was established, which continued even during the Angevin domination. The Aragonese later ratified the return to private property, but it was under the Spanish crown that the salt production activity reached its peak, transforming the port of Trapani into the most important European trade center for the precious element. The salt pans from Trapani reached the islands of the Stagnone. In the photo above the Salt Museum of Nubia, in the photo below the Infersa mill. From 1861 with the Unification of Italy these salt pans were not nationalized, and they were the only ones to overcome the monopoly of the salt by the State, exporting it to different countries. After the First World War with the competition of the industrialized salt pans of Cagliari began the decline of the Trapani salt pans, accentuated by the outbreak of the Second World War and by foreign competition with rock salt. Many of the salt pans were abandoned or abandoned.

   1 h

4. Beautiful place, you can visit the salt Museum inside an old wind mill

   1 h

5. Visit of the beautiful medieval town on top of mountain, with the most beautiful panorama of Sicily

   2 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 28 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Palermo

• Its from-price is 57% above the median of the 95 day trips we list in Palermo.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 18 of 95.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Palermo

Palermo, capital of Sicily, is a port city of Arab-Norman palaces, gilded mosaics, baroque crossroads and street food.

Palermo was founded by the Phoenicians and later ruled by Arabs, Normans and Spaniards, and the layers show in its buildings. The Norman Palace holds the Palatine Chapel, glittering with gold mosaics, and the cathedral mixes Norman, Gothic and Baroque styles. The Arab-Norman monuments, with the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù, are listed by UNESCO.

Top-ranked sights in Palermo: Massimo Opera House (Teatro Massimo), Capo Market (Mercato di Capo), Vucciria Market (La Vucciria).

See all 358 experiences in Palermo