Frequently Asked Questions

All accommodations, 90% (or more) of meals, transport, local translators, licensed and insured driver(s), van rentals, paying local teachers and guides, paying guest teachers (which includes their airfare, accommodations, and daily rate), payment to Radici team members, and all business fees.

You can read more about how we aim to redistribute money HERE.

Note: Airfare and transportation from the airport is not included.

Please arrive in Catania by 8am on the day of your pilgrimage OR come the night before. Or come days before and enjoy the city before we meet.

Depending on the immersion, you will fly into Catania or Palermo. When you register, you will receive a welcome letter that tells you which airport you should fly into.

We recommend checking flights to Rome, or other airports in Europe — and then buy a commuter ticket to Catania or Palermo. This often cuts the cost significantly. If you plan on being in Sicily, or Italy for before and after Radici, you may opt to fly in elsewhere.

We request you be in Catania or Palermo by the evening before our immersion begins or very early that morning.

No, you will need to take a taxi or public transport to your hotel in Catania just for the first night and/or to our central meeting point in Catania, depending on your arrival time.

We will get everyone to Catania by noon on the last day of our gathering.

Please schedule your departing flight at least 3 hours past noon. If you plan to stay after Radici, please let us know.

Yes, for the nights of the immersion we cover all your accommodations.

We suggest arriving in Catania the evening before our immersion begins. Accommodations are not provided for this one night. Similarly, if you are not flying out on the last day of our immersion, accommodations for that evening (and beyond) are not included.

For example: Your immersion is June 16-24. You arrive in Catania on June 15 and will depart on June 25. You will pay for your own accommodations for the evening of June 15 and June 24 (the evening before you depart).

A list of trusted accommodations will be provided to all participants shortly after registration.

The prices you see are per person for a double room.

A limited number of single rooms are available for an additional fee. Please email support@marybethbonfiglio.com for more information.

We are not a luxury travel company.

Our business model is about keeping our immersions accessible, so our accommodations are neat, clean, and pretty typical to Sicilian building style, which means old and often ancient.

We are committed to working with hyper-local Sicilian business, family farms, family bed and breakfasts, and not anything corporate or internationally owned. We want to redistribute money to small, family run, community-centered accommodations.

Yes! Each room has a private bathroom and shower.

Yes there is free wifi available at accommodations. Oftentimes the wifi is not the most reliable, but mostly it’s fine.

As for cell service, there is! But you may want to look into an international plan if you plan on making phone calls to save on costs.

You will need to bring a specific European converter, but we will make sure you have all that information well before your departure.

Most meals will be provided and will be outlined in your itinerary. We promise you won't go hungry.

The only times a meal may not be provided is if we are experiencing street food at a festa or in a city, or en route to a destination and stop at a “bar” for a fast lunch.

Meals that included are served family style and the menu is planned in advance — we can only accommodate for allergies, not for dislikes or food preferences.

If you don’t like what’s served, it’s important to be respectful and know that there will be plenty of options during meals. If there is an issue with the food, please bring it to MaryBeth’s attention immediately.

We can accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan.

It is possible to accommodate certain diet restrictions, such as food allergies — but choices will be limited. We cannot accommodate for food preferences.

You will be asked in advance of your allergies and/or diet restrictions (if you are vegetarian or vegan).

Yes wine comes with almost every meal. Beer, spritz, or anything else can be purchased by you upon request.

Your initial payment includes a $900 non-refundable deposit.

Additional fees may be incurred if your cancellation is within a certain number of days before the immersion. Please look at specific cancellation policies for each immersion as dates will vary.

Yes, yes, yes. YES! We highly recommend travel insurance! As a matter of fact, if you choose not to get it, you must sign a waiver saying you opt out.

These are uncertain times and it is important to us that you are protected, both physically and financially. We suggest you get insurance that is full coverage in case you have to cancel past the refund deadline so you can be reimbursed via your insurance.

There may be accommodations for children, so please reach out. We try and be inclusive to families/mothers and nursing babies if the situation feels right.

No, you definitely don’t need to be an athlete- BUT- there will be a decent amount of walking and movement each day.

The walking is on ancient cobble village streets, rough paths, etc. not perfectly paved places. You will need to enjoy and/or tolerate walking 1-3 miles a day and some days even more. It is important to bring walking/hiking sneakers. We walk a lot. And oftentimes it’s uphill.

Botanico Sacro and Ancestral Arts begin with a pilgrimage up Etna, and although it is not an advanced height - it is a hike. We go slow. And silently.

Comfortable clothing appropriate for walking, hiking, clothing for warmish weather, but layers for evenings when it cools down. Average temps for May and June are 70s.

As we get closer to our time together, we will send you a handy PDF with packing suggestions for this trip.

English and Italian will be spoken and we will have an English translator when needed.

No, not at all! It will be especially moving for those with Southern Italian lineages. The fact of the matter is, the Sicilian DNA is very mixed, and we believe this mystical mother island, is connected to deep ancestry throughout the Mediterranean, but everyone is welcome.

Please come if you are called, no matter where your ancestors hail from. There is something to learn for everyone. Our prayer is connection and community.

Most places will accept credit cards, however you will need exchange your dollars for Euros in the US for best rates. You can also exchange at the airports and certain bank ATMs as well. Once you register I will share an ATM trick I learned to avoid fees/conversion costs.

This is a really sensitive subject for Sicilian people as they have suffered under the hands of the Mafia. The people and the culture is not “mafiaosa” and the really do not want to be associated with it. Sometimes you will hear jokes. Sometimes you will see grief and sadness. This is something we have to be sensitive to and honor.

This is why we strongly encourage travel insurance, which is quite affordable considering what it protects. Anything can happen, and if there are restrictions, we have to cancel or reschedule.

This is a really tough question. At this moment there are no requirements, but we strongly suggest you have vaccinations. If you contract COVID you are 100% responsible for any costs that are incurred. Also, getting sick in a foreign country isn’t fun.

We will also strongly suggest mask wearing in close proximity, for instance in cars, transport, etc. Most of our gathering is done outside, though, so we are in open air a lot.

You will have to isolate until you feel better and test negative. Travel insurance will reimburse you for any extra costs, such as hotel stays, and plane changes, if you need to. Have we mentioned that we really suggest travel insurance?