Transport

Rome: Can arrangements be made for travellers with accessibility needs? If you require arrangements to be made for your accessibility needs, please inform your Trip Manager as soon as possible. We try our best to contact all accommodations and secure ground floor rooms for easy wheelchair access.Please remember that Italy can be physically challenging to get around. Coaches can’t access historical centers, and there will be lots of walking (on roads that are often uneven and cobbled). Travellers with accessibility needs will find this trip challenging. Madrid: I need to refrigerate my medication. Can I do that on the coach? Of course! Just inform your Trip Manager if you need refrigeration on the coach. Please remember that the fridge is turned off overnight, so you’ll have to take your medication with you into your accommodation. We recommend that you bring a cooler bag with you as a backup. It’s your responsibility to store your medication with care.

Guide

Expert Trip Manager + Driver Team + Local Guides

Others

Madrid: Do the included meals have a set menu? Yep. Usually, we arrange a buffet for all your included meals. If you’d like a vegetarian option, please inform your Trip Manager beforehand, and they’ll sort it out for you. Rome: When would be the best time to book tickets for museums and other attractions? This would depend on the museums & attractions you’re planning to visit. If you’d like to know the exact timings, please contact our 24x7 Helpline to access your day-to-day itineraries to check when you’ll have free time in each city. Catania: Stroll around the ancient Sicilian port at the foot of Mount Etna. See the Piazza Stesicoro and the Baroque and Renaissance buildings of Via dei Crociferi. Taormina: Greek and Roman ruins. Sun-drenched beaches. Epic Italian food. There’s so much to do in this seaside town, you’ll never want to leave. Noto: Float around this opulent Sicilian city, taking in the Baroque architecture and panoramic views as you go. Agrigento: Explore the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, a UNESCO-listed site featuring some of the world’s most treasured Greek art and architecture.

Hygieneprotocol

All guests travelling with Contiki through December 31, 2022 are required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which may include a booster shot to keep the vaccination status current and valid, depending on the travel destination. Children not eligible for vaccination and/or booster at the time of travel must provide a verifiable and negative Covid-19 test result, taken within 72 hours prior to the start of the tour (taking time zones into consideration) for all tours departing until December 31, 2022. For guests travelling with Contiki from 1 January 2023, Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters are highly recommended, but no longer required. Please note that regardless of time of travel guests will need to comply with specific vaccine and/or booster requirements imposed by airlines and/or authorities in the destination visited, as well as requirements for accessing restaurants and venues, which may be more restrictive than above. It is guests’ responsibility to ensure that they comply at all times with these requirements. No refunds will be given if guests are unable to undertake some or all of their vacation due to their failure to comply with these requirements.

Accommodation

7 nights in Hotels

Meals

2 Dinner (D) 7 Breakfast (B)

Not included:

Insurance

Insurance is not included.

Flights

Flights are not included.

Others

Other activities and services are not included.

Optional

Other activities and services are not included.

Start planning your experience

Day 1 Day 1: Start Catania
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Start Catania

Welcome to Catania! This colourful cacophony of baroque piazzas and ancient ruins is the perfect place to get acquainted with Sicily. We’ll have a chance to check out Catania’s UNESCO listed historic core before an included dinner in a local restaurant. Is Sicilian cuisine the best in the world? It has to be up there...
Day 2 Day 2: Catania To Taormina
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Catania To Taormina

We’ve got more spectacular Sicilian towns to explore today, as we head from Catania to Taormina. Uniquely perched on the side of a mountain, this elegant resort town is the perfect place to live the good life in Italy. We’ll waste no time admiring the gorgeous panoramas, as we take the cable car that connects the town’s historic centre with its awesome beaches. After sunning ourselves for a bit, why not opt for a cooking class with some local masterchefs, learning how to whip up local delicacies like Arancini & Cannoli? It’s the perfect way to impress everyone when you get back home.
Day 3 Day 3: Taormina
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Taormina

Today we’ve got an unmissable optional for you. Sicily’s stupendous stratovolcano Mt Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe. And what better way to experience this majestic monster than on an adrenaline filled ride, as you pass vineyards and orchards spread across the fertile slopes? You won’t find views quite like this anywhere in Europe. Whether or not you opt for the tour, you’ll have a free afternoon to explore Taormina - lazing on the beach, checking out the Roman theatre or sitting and drinking a spritz as life lazily moves by. It’s a hard life.
Day 4 Day 4: Taormina To Syracuse Via Noto
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4: Taormina To Syracuse Via Noto

See ya, Taormina – it’s time to visit some historical hotspots. Next stop, Syracuse. We’ll have some free time to check out the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Syracuse. Famed for its rich Roman and Greek history, with ancient amphitheatres and architecture everywhere you look, this place was even mentioned in the Bible (how’s that for history creds?). Our next outing is to Noto, home to some of Sicily’s most impressive historic architecture. We’ll check out the Corso Vittoria Emanuele and other legendary landmarks, and then it’s off to an organic farm for a Tastes of Sicily experience – the freshest Sicilian ingredients, brought to us direct from farm to table. Just what the doctor ordered! And after a long day, it’s time to hit the hay. ’Til tomorrow, friends.
Day 5 Day 5: Syracuse To Cefalù Via Valley Of The Temples
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 5: Syracuse To Cefalù Via Valley Of The Temples

Heading from Syracuse we’ll arrive in the Valley of the Temples, the perfect base to explore another ancient wonder... We won’t be leaving Italy without a tour of the Valley of the Temples. This mystical valley is a treasure trove of historical and archaeological heritage. We’ll discover ancient temples, sanctuaries and a necropolis. It’s a spectacular testament to Sicily’s ancient history (and natural beauty). Arriving in Cefalù we’ll enjoy another included dinner of Sicilian delicacies. What a day - and we’re not done yet.
Day 6 Day 6: Cefalu
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Cefalu

Cefalu is a real gem, home to Sicily’s best beaches and most impressive Arabic architecture. This truly is the island that keeps on giving. Today’s all about coastal vibes, soaking up that sun, sea and sand - with plenty of water sports to get involved with. If you’re feeling a little more zen, why not opt for the coastal cruise and soak up some scenery instead? Later on we’ll stroll the winding cobbled streets and watch fishermen taking stock of the day’s bounties, before exploring the town’s foodie and nightlife scene. Ah, Sicily - sigh.
Day 7 Day 7: Cefalu To Palermo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Cefalu To Palermo

It’s time to end on a high, as we make our way towards Sicily’s sizzling capital. Palermo is vivacious, colourful and boasts a thriving culinary scene, but it’s also been plagued by organised crime for decades. Today on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER ® experience, you can join a walking tour through the historic centre, learning about the history of the Mafia in Palermo and how the civil antiMafia movement was formed. We’ll round things off with a farewell dinner at Al Fresco, AKA the ’bistro of second chances’.
Day 8 Day 8: End Palermo
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: End Palermo

Time to head home after one final breakfast together. Hug it out, swap social details - and don’t be sad, we’ll see each other on the road again soon.

8 days tour

Real Sicily (Classic, 8 Days)

This tour includes:

Not included:

Start planning your experience

Itinerary of your trip Real Sicily (Classic, 8 Days)

Day 1: Start Catania

Day 2: Catania To Taormina

Day 3: Taormina

Day 4: Taormina To Syracuse Via Noto

Day 5: Syracuse To Cefalù Via Valley Of The Temples

Day 6: Cefalu

Day 7: Cefalu To Palermo

Day 8: End Palermo

Experience Style

Accomodation level

Experience Type

Physical Rating

Age range

Who talk about us:

Best cities to travel to

America

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania