Sicily Tours

Mount Etna is the undisputed highlight of any Sicily tour — Europe's highest and most active volcano at 3,357 metres, a towering mountain of ancient lava flows, craters, and lunar landscapes dominating the skyline above Catania and Taormina. Our Mount Etna Sicily tours include guided tour hikes on the slopes of Etna with specialty guides who know every trail and crater — from easy walking tours on the lower slopes with stunning views across Sicily and the Mediterranean sea, to adventurous summit hikes across ancient lava flows and side craters. A guided tour of Mt Etna by cable car and 4x4 jeep is another absolutely amazing Sicily tours option — the Mt Etna wine region on the slopes of the active volcano produces some of Sicily's most celebrated wines, and a wine tasting at an Etna winery with a local guide is one of the most enjoyable food and wine experiences on any Sicily tour. Taormina is Sicily's most beautiful and visited hilltop town — perched above the Ionian sea, with extraordinary views of Mount Etna and the coast, and a magnificent Greek theater (Teatro Antico di Taormina) built by the ancient Greeks in the 3rd century BC and later expanded by the Romans. Today the Teatro Antico di Taormina hosts special events and concerts — attending a performance in this extraordinary ancient site with Mt Etna and the Mediterranean as a backdrop is one of the most magical experiences Sicily makes possible.

The Valley of the Temples near Agrigento is the greatest collection of ancient Greek temples outside Greece itself — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary ancient ruins dating back to the 5th century BC, when Agrigento was one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world. A guided tour of Agrigento's valley with specialty guides brings the history of these ancient civilizations to life — discovering the stories of the ancient Greek colonists who built these magnificent temples and the Romans who conquered Sicily in 241 BC. Piazza Armerina is home to the Villa Romana del Casale, one of the greatest Roman mosaics in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — covering over 3,500 square metres, these Roman mosaics are the most complete anywhere in the ancient world, featuring extraordinary scenes that bring Roman history alive. Palermo is Sicily's capital and one of the most extraordinary cities in all of Italy — a vibrant city of Arab-Norman architecture, baroque churches, legendary street markets, and some of the best street food in the world. A private tour of Palermo with a local guide explores the magnificent Palermo Cathedral, the extraordinary Cappella Palatina with its magnificent Byzantine mosaics, and the chaotic Ballarò and Vucciria markets where locals buy fresh fish and the best street food in Sicily — tasting arancini, panelle, and sfincione alongside fellow travelers is an absolutely amazing Sicilian adventure.

Baroque architecture reaches its peak in southeastern Sicily — the Val di Noto region is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage baroque towns rebuilt after the catastrophic earthquake of 1693, including Noto, Ragusa, and Modica. Noto is the most beautiful of Sicily's baroque towns — a perfectly planned baroque city of golden limestone that glows in the afternoon sun, famous for its extraordinary baroque cathedral and piazza del duomo, and the best Sicilian cuisine in the region. Ragusa is Sicily's most atmospheric baroque hilltop town — a dramatic city of baroque churches and palaces perched on a rocky spur overlooking the surrounding countryside. Modica is famous throughout Sicily for its extraordinary chocolate — a baroque hilltop town where chocolate is still made to an ancient recipe without added fat or sugar. Siracusa (Syracuse) is one of the most important ancient Greek cities in the world — once more powerful than Athens, Siracusa was the birthplace of Archimedes. The Neapolis Park of Syracuse is Siracusa's most extraordinary archaeological site — a vast park of ancient ruins including the magnificent Greek Theater, the Ear of Dionysius, and the Roman Amphitheatre. Catania is Sicily's second city and the gateway to Mount Etna — a vibrant baroque city of black lava stone famous for its extraordinary fish market, street food, and architecture dating from the baroque reconstruction after the 1693 earthquake.