Sicily Grand Tour

Guide

An Exodus local leader will be available throughout the week to help with your orientation and to make sure everything runs smoothly. However, tour leaders are not allowed to guide groups in cities, museums and churches due to Italian legislation. Expert licenced guides will accompany the group in Catania, Syracuse and Ortygia, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Palermo and Monreale. Our tour leader will also accompany the group on the two walking excursions on Mount Etna and in Zingaro Nature Reserve. You will be free to sightsee at your own pace at other sites such as Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Selinunte, Erice, Cefalu and Segesta.

Meals

All breakfasts and a wine tasting on Mount Etna included. Sicilian cuisine is a mix of the different cultures that have existed on the island, from the Arabs to the Normans. The island itself is incredibly fertile, with a climate ideal for the cultivation of fresh produce, such as olives, oranges, lemons, aubergines (eggplants), tomatoes, pistachios, almonds, grapes and more – not to mention all the seafood, tuna and swordfish fished off the coast. The result? A fresh, varied and delicious cuisine. Sicilian wines, including marsala and moscato, are superb and known to be strong and syrupy. During the trip, the leader can recommend the best restaurants and cafes. In the evening, they will often organise group dinners but participation is entirely optional.

Others

Special guided tours in main UNESCO sites and cities Sightseeing on foot and 2 daywalks Airport transfers (if booking group flights or alternative flights arriving before or at the same time as the group)

Transport

We use a private air-conditioned minibus for all transfers and excursions allowing us to enjoy comfortable, flexible and stress-free journeys.

Accommodation

We use comfortable three- and four-star hotels, and occasionally comfortable B&Bs. Some hotels have been selected for their warm hospitality and typical Sicilian character and others for their location close to the historic centres we visit. All rooms have en suite facilities and wifi and some hotels have a pool. Below is a list of the hotels normally used for this tour although please note that occasionally these may change to others of similar standards. If you would like an up-to-date list, contact our Customer Operations team two to three months before departure. Catania: Dimora de Mauro Syracuse: Hotel Gran Bretagna Boutique Ortigia Ragusa: Hotel Barocco, Hotel Dell’Orologio or Mediterraneo Palace Piazza Armerina: Hotel Suite D’Autore, B&B Antichi Quartieri or others. We use the albergo diffuso sustainable hospitality concept here, created in Italy in the 1980s to revive small historic centres and reuse uninhabited houses that were vacated as people moved to cities. The group may be split amongst properties of different sizes and décors. Selinunte: Hotel Admeto Trapani: Agriturismo Baglio Fontana Palermo: Hotel Garibaldi Cefalù: Hotel Tourist Taormina: Hotel Villa Esperia

Others

— Travel insurance — Single accommodation (available on request) — Visa or vaccinations — Local city taxes (approx. €30)

Flights

International flights not included

Optional

Other activities and services are not included

Insurance

Insurance is not included