Discover the spectacular landscapes, rich culture and fascinating archaeology of Sicily

Itinerary

1. Day

   1

   Arrive in Sicily

   Catania, Italy

   Today, you'll arrive at the airport to take your flight to Catania. On arrival, a coach will meet you to take you to your hotel.

   Meals - Dinner
2. Day

   2

   Valley of the Temples

   Valley of the Temples , Italy

   After breakfast at your hotel this morning, you'll visit one of the wonders of the ancient world, the incredible Greek ruins in the Valley of the Temples.

   The most famous of these impressive temples is Concordia, similar in design to the Parthenon in Athens, which is almost perfectly preserved, with just the roof missing. Marvel at the wonderful tapering columns with their beautiful light golden colour.

   You'll enjoy a guided tour of the site, and may also have time to visit the excellent museum, where you'll see finds from within the temples and surrounding area, including a unique collection of vases.

   You'll also visit Agrigento itself and see its medieval architecture, with narrow, stepped streets and quiet shady piazzas overlooking the blue Mediterranean, before returning to your hotel.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
3. Day

   3

   Piazza Armerina and Taormina

   Taormina, Italy

   This morning you'll leave Agrigento and take a drive to the small town of Piazza Armerina, where one of the most amazing archaeological discoveries of the last century was made. You'll enjoy a guided tour of the 4th-century Roman villa, possibly owned by one of the joint Emperors, which explains its size and richness of decoration.

   Buried for centuries, you can still see the remains of pastel-coloured frescoes on the walls, but the mosaics, showing animals and hunting scenes, are simply the finest we have from Roman antiquity. This palatial building, complete with its baths, illustrates with great clarity the evident high standard of living of the Roman elite.

   Today your lunch will be at a traditional 'Agritourism', a rural house serving farm-to-table produce.

   After your visit, you'll continue your journey to Taormina. This is one of the most beautiful towns on the island towering 250 metres above the sweeping coastline below, where you'll stay in your choice of hotel for four nights with breakfast and dinner.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
4. Day

   4

   Taormina

   Taormina, Italy

   Today, visit Taormina with time to explore as you wish. Retaining much of its medieval charm and 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.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
5. Day

   5

   Mount Etna

   Mount Etna, Italy

   Today you'll see Europe's highest volcano, Etna, with a morning drive as near to the snow-capped summit as possible.

   Ascending the winding road, the landscape becomes increasingly barren, with razor sharp black rocks in contorted formations, and some areas devoid of almost all vegetation.

   As you approach the cable car station 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.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
6. Day

   6

   Free day

   Giardini Naxos, Italy

   Today, is free to spend as you wish. You could spend the day in and around your hotel in Giardini Naxos. You could relax by the pool (open in the summer months, weather permitting), wander around the local area or spread out along the long sandy beaches this resort town is famous for.

   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.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
7. Day

   7

   Syracuse

   Siracusa, Italy

   Today you'll take a drive to Syracuse, once one of the richest cities in the ancient world, even rivalling Athens. Its most famous resident was Archimedes, who discovered the principle of displacement whilst in the bath, before running through the streets naked, exclaiming "Eureka" (I've found it!)

   Today the city is one of Sicily's most attractive, with a wonderful collection of limestone buildings, dating mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. There's an extraordinary Baroque Cathedral which houses an ancient temple, with a lovely interior, as well as the Bosco Palace, a grand urban palace in the heart of Syracuse's Ortigia island.

   You'll be free to explore the old town of Ortigia; actually, which is connected to the mainland by three bridges. There's a chance to take a boat trip around the bay before returning to the hotel.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
8. Day

   8

   Return home

   Catania, Italy

   Today a coach will take you back to the airport to catch your return flight home as your Sicilian adventure draws to an end.

   Meals - Breakfast