Your itinerary
Day 1
DAY 1
Arrival in Sicily
Meals: Breakfast,Dinner
Day 2
Valley of the Temples
Valley of the Temples – This morning, we visit what can truly be described as one of the wonders of the ancient world: the amazing Greek remains in the Valley of the Temples. There are seven of them in total, situated largely on a ridge looking out to sea. Visible for miles and standing proud as they do, they must have made a statement of sheer absolute power and confidence to any passing mariner or shepherd, leaving none in doubt as to who were the masters.
The best of them, Concordia, similar in design to the Parthenon in Athens, is almost perfectly preserved, with just the roof missing. With its wonderful tapering columns and beautiful light golden colour, it is absolutely captivating. One can only wonder as to what was going through the builders’ minds thousands of years ago, toiling under a hot sun whilst creating a masterpiece.
We enjoy a guided tour of the site, and you may also visit the excellent museum, displaying finds from both the temples and surrounding area, including a unique collection of vases. We also visit Agrigento itself, awash with medieval atmosphere, swimming in tiny, stepped streets and quiet shady piazzas overlooking the blue Mediterranean in the distance. We return to our hotel during the afternoon to relax.
Day 3
Piazza Armerina & Taormina
Piazza Armerina & Taormina – Leaving Agrigento, we head towards Piazza Armerina, a quaint town where one of the most significant archaeological finds of the 20th century was uncovered: a 4th-century Roman villa, likely belonging to a co-emperor, which explains its grand size and lavish decor.
Buried for centuries, remnants of the vibrant frescoes can still be seen, while the stunning mosaics depicting animals and hunting scenes are some of the finest from Roman times. This grand estate, complete with baths, provides a fascinating glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of the Roman elite. After a guided tour of the villa led by an expert local guide, we continue our journey to a cosy agriturismo nestled in the Sicilian countryside. This family-run farm stay provides a warm and inviting atmosphere where we’ll enjoy a traditional Sicilian lunch, prepared with fresh, local ingredients like vegetables, homemade pasta, and freshly pressed olive oil and wine. Dining at an agriturismo is a true taste of Sicily’s rich culinary heritage, far removed from the high-end restaurants of the city.
Afterwards, we’ll make our way to Taormina on Sicily’s eastern coast, where we’ll spend the next five nights.
Meals: Lunch
Day 4
Taormina
Taormina – Today, we’ll visit Taormina with time to explore as you wish. It’s one of the smartest and most exclusive small towns in Italy – it has everything! Retaining much of its medieval charm, wonderfully situated on a high balcony, it offers panoramic views of the sea to one side and Mount Etna to the other. Taormina is renowned for its beautiful gardens and charming atmosphere but its greatest claim to fame is the ancient theatre. It’s a legacy of the ancient Greeks and still in use today, playing host to a wide array of performances from musicals to gladiatorial battles.
Day 5
Mount Etna
Mount Etna – Dominating eastern Sicily is Europe’s highest volcano, Etna, and this morning we take the drive to as near to the snow-capped summit as possible. Ascending the winding road, the landscape becomes increasingly eerie and alien, with razor sharp black rocks in contorted formations, and some areas devoid of almost all vegetation. As we near the cable car station itself you can enjoy extensive views over the whole area.
Subject to certain regulations you will have the opportunity to take the cable car, jeep and guide to explore even higher levels. We return to our hotel during the afternoon.
Day 6
Free Day
Free Day – Today, is free to spend as you wish. You may choose to unwind at the hotel, making the most of its outdoor amenities, or venture out to explore the surrounding area at your leisure.
Alternatively, you could travel back to Taormina, taking advantage of the local public transport or taxis, to peruse the main street lined by designer boutiques and jewellers. The side streets, some of which are so narrow you can touch both sides at once, lead to intimate piazzas lined with atmospheric family-run restaurants – the perfect place to stop for a spot of people watching over lunch. Or, perhaps, take one of Taormina’s very own cable cars down to the beach area of Mazzarò to explore the extensive beaches, rocky coves, tiny islands and sea stacks that make this coastline so enchanting.
Day 7
Syracuse
Syracuse – Today we take the drive to Syracuse, once one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the ancient world. Its most famous resident was Archimedes, that genius of a man who, whilst in the bath discovered the principle of displacement, ran through the streets naked, exclaiming “Eureka” (I’ve found it!) in a story that has entered folklore.
Today the city is one of Sicily’s most attractive, a wonderful collection of limestone buildings, dating mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. There is an extraordinary Baroque Cathedral incorporating an ancient temple, with a lovely interior, and just opposite is the Bosco Palace. The old port area is extremely attractive and very traditional, full of small fishing boats unloading their catch.
You will be free to explore the old town at the eastern end of the city, called Ortygia; actually, an island, connected to mainland by three bridges. You will have the option to take a boat trip around the bay before returning to the hotel.
Day 8
DAY 8
Return home
What’s included
What’s not included
Additional information
Taormina Hilltop Town Visit & Panoramic Views
Explore Taormina, Sicily’s storied perch above the Ionian Sea, wandering elegant Corso Umberto to café-lined squares and artisan boutiques. Pause on Piazza IX Aprile for terraces framing the bay and the dark outline of Etna.
Drift through the lush Villa Comunale gardens and gaze toward the ancient theatre’s arc of stone from scenic overlooks. Medieval alleys, sun-washed facades, and sea air combine to create a timeless Sicilian atmosphere.
Mount Etna Scenic Drive to the Rifugio Sapienza Area
Ascend Mount Etna by coach, climbing from chestnut woods to otherworldly lava fields of cinders and twisted basalt. The air turns crisp and volcanic silhouettes edge the sky.
Arrive at Rifugio Sapienza, base of the cable car, where broad views sweep to the Ionian coast. Learn how eruptions have shaped vineyards, villages, and lore on Europe’s highest active volcano.
Syracuse and Ortygia Discovery
Discover Syracuse and Ortygia, where creamy limestone lanes open to bright quays and baroque facades. Admire the Cathedral of Syracuse, whose soaring walls embrace columns from the ancient Temple of Athena.
Wander markets, artisan workshops, and the waterfront to the myth-steeped Fountain of Arethusa, where papyrus grows beside the sea. Maritime light and layered history create a graceful stage for exploration.
Mount Etna Cable Car & 4x4 Ascent to Higher Craters
Heighten the experience by taking the Etna cable car from Rifugio Sapienza to high stations, then continuing by 4×4 with a volcano guide toward viewpoints near the high-altitude crater zones.
Expect cooler temperatures and rugged footing as geology and recent activity are explained. This upgrade is at additional cost and bookable on tour with your Tour Manager, weather and safety permitting.
Syracuse Bay Boat Trip
See the city from the water as you cruise Syracuse’s bay, skirting Ortygia’s sea walls and the fortress of Castello Maniace. Glide past grottoes and sea caves where turquoise light dances against limestone.
A relaxed perspective on the Greek and Baroque skyline, this outing is at additional cost and bookable on tour, sea conditions permitting. Photogenic angles abound as fishing boats and swallows trace patterns across the harbor.
Villa Romana del Casale Guided Visit, Piazza Armerina
Step inside Villa Romana del Casale, a lavish 4th-century residence famed for immense floors of late-Roman mosaics. From the athletic “Bikini Girls” to exotic beasts, scenes unfurl in jewel-like tesserae beneath raised walkways.
Your guide decodes the Great Hunt and private baths, revealing elite tastes, heating systems, and courtly myth. Now protected in Sicily’s interior, the mosaics feel startlingly present—an intimate record of opulence at the empire’s twilight.
Sicilian Farmhouse Lunch at a Family Agriturismo
Taste rural Sicily as you savor a traditional agriturismo lunch at a family-run farmhouse. Hand-rolled pasta, garden vegetables, and country breads meet estate-pressed olive oil and local wines.
Hosts share stories of harvests and recipes, celebrating seasonal Sicilian produce and slow food traditions. A warm, convivial pause that anchors the island’s flavors in place.
Valley of the Temples Guided Tour & Agrigento Old Town
Discover one of the Mediterranean’s great classical landscapes as you join a guided tour of the ridge-top Valley of the Temples. Gaze at the honey-colored Temple of Concordia and neighboring sanctuaries, set against olive groves and the sea.
Continue into Agrigento to stroll medieval lanes and shaded piazzas. Your guide traces the rise of Greek Akragas and its afterlives, pairing monumental ruins with the lived texture of a Sicilian hill city.
