Grand Tour of Sicily 2026-27

Departure for Catania on scheduled Ita Airways flights - lunch at leisure – in the afternoon guided tour of the Riviera dei Ciclopi (rich in mythological references and literary associations, such as the House of the Malavoglia, the protagonists of Verga's famous novel) with the characteristic village of Aci Castello – coach transfer to Acireale - dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning guided excursion on Mount Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - we climb to 1,900 m to discover the wonders and lunar landscape of Europe's highest volcano - walk around the Silvestri Craters (small, now extinct craters) – N.B. anyone who prefers not to go up Etna for health reasons can wait in the pretty village of Zafferana Etnea, where we will have lunch - traditional lunch in a restaurant – in the afternoon guided tour of Taormina (Greek theatre, public gardens, old town, Palazzo Corvaja, Corso Umberto with its craft shops and the characteristic cafés displaying baskets of marzipan fruit) – return to the hotel - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Milazzo – full-day excursion to the Aeolian Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with visits of Lipari and Vulcano – departure from Milazzo at 9.00 am for Lipari Marina Corta (90 minutes' sailing) - stop of about 2 hours to visit the Archaeological Park and the old town - departure from Lipari to sail around the island, with particular attention to the views of the White Beaches, the Pumice Quarries, the sea stacks, the Rock of Pope John and the Grotto of the Angels - stop at Vulcano Porto (about 3 hours) - free time for lunch at leisure in the local restaurants, swimming, a visit to the sulphur mud baths and the thermal waters - departure from Vulcano to sail around the island, with a visit of the Grotta del Cavallo and the Pool of Venus - continuation to Milazzo - expected arrival at around 5.45 pm – continuation to Palermo - dinner at the hotel – after dinner, stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - full day devoted to guided tours of the two cities - visit of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Norman Palace with the Palatine Chapel –interior-, San Giovanni degli Eremiti –interior-, Cathedral –interior-, followed by a panoramic tour with exterior visits of the Teatro Massimo, Piazza Pretoria, the Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio known as La Martorana - Monreale Cathedral and Cloister -interior-, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – lunch in a trattoria with a typical Sicilian menu - dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Palermo by night: panoramic tour by private coach and stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning guided tour of Segesta (built on a hill in the 5th century BC by the Elymians, its Doric temple is a natural point of reference for lovers of archaeology) – continuation to Erice (the only town in Sicily where the medieval urban fabric has remained intact) - lunch in a traditional restaurant in Erice - in the afternoon guided tour of Mozia (the remains of the ancient Punic city dating from the 8th century BC, on the islet of San Pantaleo in the Stagnone lagoon - Motya was very powerful until it was destroyed in 397 BC by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse) - evening arrival in Mazara del Vallo or Marsala – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel - in the morning guided tour of Selinunte (archaeological area) – continuation to Sciacca - visit of the town at leisure (stroll through the old town, Cathedral, craft workshops) – traditional lunch in a restaurant in Sciacca – departure for Agrigento – photo stop en route at the Scala dei Turchi - guided tour in Agrigento of the Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - the largest archaeological area in Italy (Temple of Concordia, Temple of Juno, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Castor and Pollux, Temple of Heracles) – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Piazza Armerina – guided visit of the splendid Villa del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site – traditional lunch at a farm restaurant – in the afternoon guided tour of Caltagirone (a town famous throughout the world for its ceramics) - evening arrival in Modica or Ragusa - dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning guided tour of Ragusa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (ancient old town which preserves its late-nineteenth-century urban layout unchanged; Basilica of San Giorgio, Piazza Pola, public gardens, Cathedral of San Giovanni, Palazzo Cosentini, Palazzo Bertini, Ponte Vecchio) – traditional lunch in a restaurant in Scicli – in the afternoon guided tour of Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home of the poet Salvatore Quasimodo and of the famous chocolate (refined Baroque buildings, Church of San Giorgio with its daring tower facade) and Scicli, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (panoramic tour of this Baroque town - highlights include the stunning Via Mormino Penna and the visionary Palazzo Beneventano) - evening return to the hotel – dinner at the hotel – evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site - in the morning guided tour of this splendid town (the capital of European Baroque, with its stunning cathedral, churches, monasteries and noble palaces, Porta Nazionale, Town Hall) - traditional lunch in a restaurant in Noto – in the afternoon guided tour of Palazzolo Acreide, set in the splendid scenery of the Hyblaean Mountains in the hinterland of Syracuse: this picturesque town opens up to the traveller like a treasure chest waiting to be discovered, a crossroads of civilisations distinguished by the singularity of its urban layout, rich in traces of different eras - listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this extraordinary place, steeped in history, offers all the charm of an ancient site well integrated with more recent architecture (visit of the town's historic centre with the Baroque churches of San Sebastiano and San Paolo, Piazza del Popolo, the Clock Tower district and the sumptuous facade of the Church of the SS. Annunziata, and the ancient Greek settlement of Akrai) – evening arrival in Syracuse – dinner at the hotel - after dinner, Syracuse by night: panoramic tour by private coach and stroll with the tour leader – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – full day devoted to a guided tour of Syracuse, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (archaeological area: Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre, Ear of Dionysius, Cathedral) – traditional lunch in a restaurant in Syracuse – motorboat excursion to the island of Ortigia - evening arrival in Acireale – dinner at the hotel - evening at leisure - tour leader available – overnight stay.

Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning guided tour of Catania (a splendid city with examples of Baroque architecture in black and white: the Cathedral, Piazza Duomo with the Elephant Fountain, Via dei Crociferi, Via Etnea, the long street that cuts the city's layout in two and virtually links Piazza Duomo with Etna) – lunch at leisure - transfer to the airport – departure on scheduled Ita Airways flights back to your home city.