Discover Syracuse with a Local Specialist, visiting its Archaeological Museum and walking through historic Ortigia, the island at the heart of the old city. Together, the museum’s collections and Ortigia’s streets bring Syracuse’s long history into focus.

Once a major power in the Greek Mediterranean, Syracuse was also the home of Archimedes. Ortigia’s layered townscape reflects the many communities that have lived here across the centuries.

Visit a chocolate workshop in Modica to learn about the town’s distinctive chocolate-making tradition and taste the finished chocolate. Discover how its traditional method creates a characteristically grainy texture.

Chocolate is a defining speciality of this UNESCO-listed Baroque town. The workshop pairs a close look at local craftsmanship with the pleasure of sampling a sweet closely associated with Modica’s identity.

Meet your Travel Director and fellow travellers over a welcome dinner in Palermo. It is a hosted introduction to the group and to the Sicilian journey ahead.

Palermo’s food culture reflects centuries of exchange across the Mediterranean. Around the table, begin to get a feel for a city shaped by Arab, Norman and Italian influences, from its street markets to its richly layered architecture.

Step inside Monreale Cathedral with a Local Specialist to discover one of Sicily’s great Norman monuments. Its restrained exterior opens onto an interior covered in glittering 12th-century mosaics, including a monumental image of Christ Pantocrator.

Set on the slopes above Palermo, the cathedral brings together Byzantine artistry, Norman patronage and elements of Arab craftsmanship. Your guided visit reveals why this fusion of traditions is central to Sicily’s architectural heritage.

Explore Erice’s quiet medieval alleys with your Travel Director in this walled hilltop town above western Sicily. Pass old churches and stone buildings in a place long known as the ‘Town of a Hundred Churches’.

From the gardens beside the Castle of Venus, take in views towards the coast and surrounding countryside. Erice’s elevated setting and compact historic streets offer a vivid sense of the island’s medieval past.

Visit the Infersa Salt Mill near Trapani to learn how salt has been harvested from western Sicily’s coastal lagoons for centuries. See the salt pans and explore the region’s enduring ‘culture of salt’.

Shallow water, Mediterranean sun and wind underpin this traditional industry. The working landscape of basins and historic mills shows how local livelihoods have long been shaped by the coast’s natural conditions.

Explore Agrigento’s UNESCO-listed Valley of the Temples with a Local Specialist. Walk among the remains of ancient Akragas, including the remarkably preserved Temple of Concordia and the hilltop Temple of Juno.

These Doric monuments recall a Greek colony that became one of the Mediterranean’s most influential cities. Their warm sandstone forms stand against open Sicilian skies, making the scale and ambition of the ancient settlement tangible.

Explore Ragusa with a Local Specialist and discover the story behind its two distinct districts: historic Ragusa Ibla and the higher Ragusa Superiore. See how the city’s dramatic setting helps define their separate characters.

The devastating earthquake of 1693 prompted a Baroque rebuilding that reshaped this UNESCO-listed city. Your guide connects its elegant streets and buildings to the decisions made by residents who rebuilt above and below the ravine.

Explore Catania’s Old Town and see its cathedral on Piazza del Duomo, the Fontana dell’Elefante and the civic buildings around the square. These landmarks introduce a city whose appearance is inseparable from nearby Mount Etna.

Much of central Catania was rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, often using dark volcanic stone alongside pale limestone. That contrast gives its Baroque streets and facades a character distinct from Sicily’s other historic cities.

Explore Taormina with a Local Specialist and visit its ancient theatre, the Teatro Antico di Taormina. Take in the surviving stone seating and the views towards the sea and Mount Etna.

Originally built in the Greek period and later adapted by the Romans, the theatre remains one of Sicily’s most evocative performance spaces. Its open-air setting makes the surrounding landscape part of the experience.

Meet Daniela and her family at their farm in Acireale for a hosted Be My Guest experience. Hear about life at the house and among its lemon and orange groves, and learn about Sicilian cooking before sitting down to a home-cooked meal.

This is an opportunity to experience hospitality in a family setting rather than a restaurant. Conversation, local food and the farm’s citrus-growing traditions give the evening its personal character.

Join an optional evening experience with dinner during your stay in Palermo. It offers a chance to spend time with fellow travellers beyond the included sightseeing programme.

Palermo’s dining traditions draw on the city’s long history of Mediterranean exchange. The itinerary does not specify the venue or menu for this experience. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Visit a Marsala winery on an optional evening experience followed by a dinner of regional dishes. Discover the wine tradition that gave this western Sicilian town its name.

Marsala wine has been associated with the area for centuries, and the winery setting offers a closer connection to that local heritage. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional visit to a local farm restaurant during your stay in the Ragusa area. The experience offers a setting rooted in the countryside around this Baroque city.

Rural food traditions are an important part of southeastern Sicily’s identity, complementing Ragusa’s architectural heritage. The itinerary does not specify the restaurant or menu. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Take an optional boat ride to Ortigia, the island forming Syracuse’s ancient heart. Approaching from the water offers a different perspective on its shoreline and historic buildings.

Ortigia has been central to Syracuse since antiquity and remains connected to the mainland by bridges. The boat ride complements the included guided walk with a view of the city from its coastal setting. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Spend an optional evening enjoying Sicilian specialities during your stay near Taormina. It is a food-focused alternative to an evening spent independently.

Sicily’s cuisine reflects the island’s varied landscapes and centuries of cultural exchange. The itinerary does not name the venue or dishes for this experience, so specific tastings are not guaranteed. It is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore Mount Etna and Savoca on an optional excursion combining Sicily’s volcanic landscape with a hilltop village associated with The Godfather. It offers two contrasting views of the island beyond Taormina.

Etna is Europe’s tallest active volcano, while Savoca’s old streets are recognisable from the film. The itinerary does not specify a summit visit or particular filming-location stops. This experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.