Sicily in Depth - Small Group

Sicily In Depth - Small Group

See every slice of Sicily during this 9-day guided tour. Take off to Paradise Quarry in Syracuse with a Local Expert to see the Ear of Dionysius, an ear-shaped limestone grotto where voices may echo up to 16 times. At Casa Nepeta, stroll organic crops before tasting an artisanal bitter infused with Sicilian botanicals. Visit the Palatine Chapel, travel to the salt pans and windmills on the western coast and taste Marsala wine in its hometown. Finally, in Taormina, join a Local Expert at the cliffside Greek theater, with views towards Mount Etna, the island’s active Strato volcano.

Dining Summary

• 5 Dinner (D)
• 8 Breakfast (B)

Well-being

• Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
• Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.

Additional Included Highlights

• Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
• Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
• We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
• From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
• Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
• If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.

Travel Director

• "A type of food I really love introducing my guests to is the street food because it tells a lot about the habits of the locals, it can be a slice of pizza folded up or a sfogliatella in Naples, an arancini, a gelato in Sicily, or a cannolo. "
• "One fun fact people don't usually know before they come to Italy is that the Italian alphabet only has 22 letters."
• "One thing I really love about showing guests about Italy is how art and beauty can be found around every corner of some of Italy's cities, which are real open air museums."

Top Rated Highlights

• Palermo: Visit the spectacular 12th-century Palatine Chapel. Its sombre exterior gives away few clues to the riches inside. Step into a world where the walls glitter with 12th-century mosaics - the best of their kind in the world.
• Agrigento: Explore the Valley of the Temples and its impressive Hellenistic ruins like the well-preserved Temple of Concordia and the clifftop Temple of Juno, overlooking the vast Sicilian landscape.
• Piazza Armerina: Travel to the Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO site since 1997. The Villa is one of the most luxurious of its kind, showcasing its rich and intricate mosaics which decorate almost every room.
• Ragusa: Walk through Ragusa with a Local Expert, taking in its noted Baroque churches and the elegant facades that define the old town.
• Modica: Discover Modica’s celebrated hand-made chocolate, shaped by age-old techniques and rich aromas. You’ll watch the craft unfold and sample pieces that carry the distinctive texture and flavor made possible through Modica's traditional cold-working process.
• Noto: Awaken your senses on a botanical walk through Casa Nepeta’s organic crops of catmint (Nepeta), marjoram and shrubby thyme, herbs long used by Sicilians and rooted in the area’s local identity. Learn how these aromatics are used, see the production process up close and taste an artisanal bitter infused with locally-sourced Sicilian botanicals.
• Taormina: Visit Taormina’s ancient amphitheater with your Local Expert. Carved from honey-colored stone and set high on the cliff, the theater frames wide views of the Ionian Sea and the distant rise of Mount Etna through its weathered arches.
• Taormina: Wander through Taormina’s limestone streets and lively boutiques with a Local Expert. Then enjoy free time along Corso Umberto and take in the broad outlook from Piazza IX Aprile, where the town opens towards sea and sky.

Make Travel Matter

• Trapani: Explore how the ancient tradition of salt extraction has been handed down from generation to generation. Set in a breathtaking natural landscape, home to pink flamingos and various aquatic birds, the salt pans and windmills create a picturesque scene against a backdrop of sea and sky. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Authentic Dining

• Marsala: Taste some of the island's richest Sicilian wines at a local winery in Marsala.
• Ragusa: Savor the flavors of Ragusa during your Farm-to-Table dining experience, highlighting the freshest locally sourced ingredients – a relaxing moment spent with your fellow travelers.
• Giardini Naxos: Your Celebration Dinner reflects some of Sicily's top culinary heritage.

Insight Choice

• Syracuse: Wander through the gardens of Paradise Quarry, test the remarkable acoustics in the Ear of Dionysius and step into the ancient Greek theater, set within one of Sicily’s most evocative historic sites.
• Syracuse: Stroll through the old town on the island of Ortigia, tracing its narrow lanes towards the Fonte Aretusa and the legends that continue to shape this historic waterfront.

Choice Highlights

• Choose between two carefully selected activities
• Syracuse: Wander through the gardens of Paradise Quarry, test the remarkable acoustics in the Ear of Dionysius and step into the ancient Greek theater, set within one of Sicily’s most evocative historic sites.
• Syracuse: Stroll through the old town on the island of Ortigia, tracing its narrow lanes towards the Fonte Aretusa and the legends that continue to shape this historic waterfront.