Sicily tour, classical Sicily
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Sicily |
| departures: | 2010: 27 Mar, 29 May, 11 Sep, 2 Oct, 9 Oct 2011: 26 Mar, 28 May, 10 Sep |
| price: | From £1028 - £1080 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £800 - £871 excluding flights. Optional single supplement £100. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A comprehensive tour of the main classical sights of Sicily with some time in the mountainous interior to see something of the traditional mountain village life. Our Classical Sicily tour takes us to some of the most impressive and best preserved Graeco-Roman sights in the Mediterranean.
It also allows us to discover the stunning mountainous interior of the island, where villages enjoy a traditional and relaxed way of life. An all-encompassing journey to the very best sights of Sicily. Our itinerary starts, appropriately, in a town that once rivalled Corinth as the most important and beautiful in the Greek world - Syracusa.
Equally outstanding in classical beauty is Noto, the jewel in the crown of Baroque Sicily; while the village of Piazza Armerina takes us back to a more ancient - and even more influential - civilisation: the Roman Empire. Agrigento's Valley of the Temples is a testament to one of the most prosperous centres of old. Journeying west we arrive at the site of the Greek city of Selinunte and it's wonderful temples.
We visit the old Phoenician island-town of Mozia before coming to beautiful mountain settlement of Erice, where alleyways thread between dramatic stone buildings. Travelling on we visit Segesta to see its unfinished Doric temple before finally arriving in Sicily's capital, Palermo, with its melting pot of historical influences - from Byzantine and Norman to Spanish Baroque.
Palermo is an ideal base from which to visit Monreale and we do so before heading along the spectacular coastline and up into the mountains on our way to Sicily's celebrated resort, Taormina. Here, we visit the Greek theatre and enjoy possibly the most famous view in Sicily - the snow-capped Mount Etna acting as a backdrop (often an active one, at that!) to the columned stage. For those feeling energetic, there is the opportunity to walk on the mountain slopes.
It also allows us to discover the stunning mountainous interior of the island, where villages enjoy a traditional and relaxed way of life. An all-encompassing journey to the very best sights of Sicily. Our itinerary starts, appropriately, in a town that once rivalled Corinth as the most important and beautiful in the Greek world - Syracusa.
Equally outstanding in classical beauty is Noto, the jewel in the crown of Baroque Sicily; while the village of Piazza Armerina takes us back to a more ancient - and even more influential - civilisation: the Roman Empire. Agrigento's Valley of the Temples is a testament to one of the most prosperous centres of old. Journeying west we arrive at the site of the Greek city of Selinunte and it's wonderful temples.
We visit the old Phoenician island-town of Mozia before coming to beautiful mountain settlement of Erice, where alleyways thread between dramatic stone buildings. Travelling on we visit Segesta to see its unfinished Doric temple before finally arriving in Sicily's capital, Palermo, with its melting pot of historical influences - from Byzantine and Norman to Spanish Baroque.
Palermo is an ideal base from which to visit Monreale and we do so before heading along the spectacular coastline and up into the mountains on our way to Sicily's celebrated resort, Taormina. Here, we visit the Greek theatre and enjoy possibly the most famous view in Sicily - the snow-capped Mount Etna acting as a backdrop (often an active one, at that!) to the columned stage. For those feeling energetic, there is the opportunity to walk on the mountain slopes.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Catania; drive Syracusa. |
| Day 2: | In Syracusa; walking tour of city; drive to Noto and visit Baroque churches; continue to Piazza Armerina. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Agrigento via Villa Imperiale; visit Valley of the Temples and Temple of Zeus. |
| Day 4: | Drive/ferry to Mozia; continue to Erice, Segesta and Palermo. |
| Day 5: | Visit Monreale; sightseeing tour of Palermo. |
| Day 6: | Drive to Cefalu on the coastal road and then head into the mountains via Cesaro; continue to Lettojanni. |
| Day 7: | Drive to Taormina; visit Greek Theatre; optional excursion to Mt Etna with optional walk. |
| Day 8: | Drive to Catania airport; fly London. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places. award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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Our Tour Leaders are trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference. All accommodation is locally owned and in which you experience great food, most of which is sourced locally, and lovely Sicilian wine. This not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of percolating money beyond to small businesses that supply the hotel and in this way money is spread throughout the region we visit. Other people too benefit from our visit includes drivers and local guides, as well as the staff in our local handling agent's office, which is based on the island.
As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |