Walking in Eastern Sicily
6 nights — from USD2390
Overview
Volcanos, Greek theaters, stark mountains, gentle seas, fresh-caught fish, heady rich wines – Sicily has it all. Encompassing the most variety of any of Italy’s regions, Sicily also evidences the most contradictions. There’s something not quite European in the air – perhaps born upon the sirocco that often blows across the land. Or maybe it’s the hint of Saracen pirate in the waiter at the cafe, the fisherman on the dock, the maid at the hotel. Whatever it is, you can’t fail to be allured by the charm of Italy’s most enchanting island.
Highlights
- Explore the towns of Taormina and Syracuse
- Walk on Mt. Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano
- Visit some of the most remarkable ancient sites in Italy
- Enjoy great Sicilian cuisine and the heady southern wines
Depart From: Catania
Finish In: Catania
Starting Dates: Any day, all year long
Fitness Rating: 1-4 (Ratings Explained)
“...Every detail was attended to...”
My family and I wish to thank you for a wonderful Sicilian vacation. Every detail was attended to. Our accommodations were the best and our guide, Fabio, was incredible. He was passionate about the small towns and their specialties and extremely educated about things I’m sure you never see on the standard tours. Above all he knew his way around and was an excellent driver. I would recommend Girosole over and over again. Thank you again for everything.
Marie Sapia and family
Itinerary Outline
Here is an outline of a suggested daily itinerary. You can shorten or lengthen this tour to fit your travel dates. For further information, please request a detailed itinerary.
- Day one: You start the tour with one night in Catania, where we provide detailed directions for a self-guided walking tour of the historic center.
- Day two: After a transfer to Taormina, where you spend the next three nights, you have the option between a boat ride along the coast or a walk through the lush Alcantare River Valley. In the afternoon you enjoy a guided tour of Taormina’s Greek theater.
- Day three: Weather permitting, you visit the volcanic island of Vulcano, legendary home to the Roman god of fire. Afterwards, you visit the nearby island of Lipari.
- Day four: This morning’s walk takes you to Mt. Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano. In the afternoon, you explore some of the volcano’s isolated villages.
- Day five: Moving further south brings you to the necropolis of Pantalica and Syracuse, where you walk among the archeological areas. You spend the next two nights in Syracuse.
- Day six: Today you walk in the southernmost of all Italian reserves, the beautiful Vendicari nature reserve, a major resting place for migratory birds. Later, you visit the splendid baroque town of Noto.
- Day seven: Depending on your flight schedule, there is free time to visit the rest of Syracuse, followed by an included transfer to Catania airport.
What’s Included
We suggest the following inclusions based on the proposed itinerary (above) and prices (below). Keep in mind that you can modify these as per your own preferences.
- 6 nights accommodation with en-suite facilities
- breakfast each day
- 2 dinners
- 5 guided walks with full-time, professional Tour Leader
- private tours hosted by local experts
- wine and specialty foods tastings
- paid entrance to all included activities
- all land transfers to and from tour area, and during tour
- travel guidance for pre/post-tour activities
(Not included are airfare, wine and other beverages with alcohol, personal purchases such as laundry, phone calls, frigobar items etc., and anything not specifically included above.)
“...extremely enthusiastic...”
We had a marvellous trip in Sicily. Mario was a wonderful guide, very knowledgeable, very helpful, very accommodating and a lovely person. We could not have asked for more. Our plane reservations to Catania from Naples were abruptly changed by Alitalia at the last minute and Mario had to make a special trip back to Catania airport to pick us up later on the day of arrival, and was very gracious about doing so. He really made the trip a terrific one. The hotel in Taormina was great; the view of Mount Etna from the room was awesome. The hiking/trekking trips were great. We loved the farm lunch and the wine-tasting/brunch stop. We feel we learned a tremendous amount about Sicily, its history, geography and culture. As you can see, we are extremely enthusiastic about the trip.
Ellen and Roy Herrenkohl
Pricing
We price this tour for the following categories of accommodation. We also tier-price based on your group’s size. You can keep your tour private to your own group or you can open your tour for other travelers to join, thereby taking advantage of our tier discounts. Single Supplements (sing. supp.) are charged on single occupancy rooms only. All prices are quoted per person in USD.
accomm. level |
2-3 p |
4-5 p |
6+ p |
sing. supp. |
comfort |
2790 |
2590 |
2390 |
490 |
select |
3290 |
3090 |
2890 |
590 |
first-class |
3790 |
3590 |
3390 |
790 |
deluxe |
4890 |
4690 |
4490 |
990 |
You can schedule this tour to start on any day of the week, all year long. As with all our tours, you tell us the dates you would like to start your tour, allowing you the maximum in flexibility and convenience (full explanation).