Sicily Food Adventure

Peter Cross   -  Traveled, April 2023

Etna in action! This is a fantastic tour if you’re interested in both the food and the history of Sicily, as the tour combines both of them very well. The trip manages to pack so much in, every day there is something new to see, a new place to visit and a new tasting experience. The tour hops from hotel to hotel, using 5 different establishments, everything from small boutique style, to a holiday village with dome shaped bungalows and a 2 night stay in a large hotel complex on the outskirts of Catania. My week was full of a few unexpected things! Lost luggage between Milan & Palmero airports, absolute torrential rain on day 1 while in Palmero, an abandoned walk on Etna due to more extreme weather and to top it off an eruption of Etna on my departure day which coated Catania & the airport in a layer of black volcanic ash! This resulted in the airport being closed, several flight changes and finally getting home 2 days later than planned! It’s a packed itinerary, some early morning starts and a lot of distance covered in the bus. A good guide book together with the trip notes will help you no end. Most Inspirational Moment Lots of moments to mention. Visiting a mountain village to learn how to make pasta, the whole village was covered in thick fog! The visit to Ragusa, a perfectly beautiful town, I wished we’d had a little more time there. Being in Catania when Etna erupted! Although she ruined my return home, as a bit of a volcano enthusiast it was a bit of a special moment being part of that. Thoughts on Group Leader Alessio was a superb group leader. As an original native of Palmero himself, his knowledge of Sicily was unsurpassed. I found him informative, a great story teller and I appreciated that he shared a lot about life in Sicily as a real local, it gave what he said true authenticity. He very clearly knows his job, and seems to know someone familiar in every town! I liked that Alessio wasn’t overbearing as a group leader, if people wanted a bit of ‘space’ away from the group there was always time to do this. Advice for Potential Travellers Despite thinking May would be glorious weather, I’d pack a raincoat and an umbrella as well as your sun cream. Suggestions One thing I’d ask about before you book are the flights offered by Exodus. I had an arduous journey from London, via Milan, with lots of hanging around. What should be a 2.5 hr flight direct ended up being more like 6 hours, plus if you don’t live near London there is the travel there to also factor in. All in, it took me a full day to get to Palmero. I think this is one area Exodus need to look at, offer more direct flights. In hindsight I’d have booked my own flights. As a final point, I’d give special praise to Monica, the local emergency contact. She was brilliant in helping me when I was stranded at the airport, sorted me an extra nights accommodation and text me the following day to make sure I was ok.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/26/2023

Jill Mapes   -  Traveled, October 2022

Food Trip to Sicily A thoroughly enjoyable, varied holiday. Plenty of interesting visits, no shortage of excellent local food and wine. Most Inspirational Moment The cookery experience, and then enjoying the results! Thoughts on Group Leader Knowledgeable and enthusiastic, Francesca worked really hard to make our trip work. Advice for Potential Travellers Wear loose clothes! Be prepared to hotel hop and abundance of coach travel. Suggestions A short trip on the last morning after hotel check out would be helpful, the overly long wait at the airport was a pain.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 11/22/2022

Judy Oliver   -  Traveled, March 2024

Sicily - an island of contrasts The tour introduced us to Sicilian food and we experienced making pasta, drinking Marsala wine, tasting mozzarella and warm ricotta straight from the buffalo cows, and visited an organic olive farm. This was in addition to eating loads of delicious street food, and exploring fish and vegetable markets. And then we visited beautiful historical towns of Ragusta and Nota – and learned about the ancient history of Sicily in the Valley of Temples in Agrigento. I also walked around a crater on Mount Etna. What a week ! Full of fun and learning. Most Inspirational Moment Seeing the exquisite Roman mosaic in the Villa Romana del Casale. Thoughts on Group Leader Francesco was passionate about his country, knowledgeable and good fun. A perfect group leader. He saved the day for me when I left my jacket in the first hotel and arranged for it to be couriered to the last hotel so I had something warm when climbing Etna. Advice for Potential Travellers Remember your colleagues names ASAP. Go with the Sicilian flow. Suggestions The efficiency of Exodus is always impressive, thank you for arranging a different flight home for us. Everything went perfectly.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 04/24/2024

Celia Fraser   -  Traveled, September 2023

A packed week of food and culture It’s incredible the amount of activities and experiences that this trip packs in. It’s pretty full on. But extremely interesting and rewarding, in terms of the amount you learn about Sicily… especially its food and culture. Most Inspirational Moment Our tour leader, Alessio, made the trip. But the nights in Palermo and Ragusa were the best. As those cities were most interesting. Along with the vineyard visit on Etna. All the visits to the produce makers (olive oil, cheese, wine) never felt like merely a sales exercise. There was no hard sell. But all were interesting. And delicious in terms of sampling. The mix of accommodation types was really good. Thoughts on Group Leader Alessio was brilliant at making sure everyone was enjoying themselves. You felt in very capable hands. We didn't have any dramas on our tour but I'm sure he would be excellent at sorting anything out if required. His local knowledge, as a Sicilian himself, and enthusiasm for the food and culture of Sicily is incredible. He can talk (!)but always in an interesting and sometimes amusing way. Advice for Potential Travellers Don't do this trip if you just want to sit on the beach or by the pool. You won't get much chance of that. Our group were almost all 50 years plus. There aren't any onerous levels of exercise involved but you do need to be able to manage a certain amount of walking. I would suggest that doing this in the spring or autumn is best to avoid the intense heat. But it did feel a bit end of season'ish in late September.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 10/15/2023

Shae Chapman   -  Traveled, April 2023

Sicily Food Adventure An incredible week exploring Sicily! We toured food markets, made pasta from scratch, did an olive oil tasting at a local farm, saw fresh burrata being made at a buffalo farm then sampled cheese products, went to a beautiful winery on Mt Etna, then did a hike to the Volcanos craters. We learned so much about Sicily’s history, and culture, and of course, had lots of delicious food and wine!! I am already planning my next trip to Sicily! Most Inspirational Moment all the local experiences (family run cheese farm, olive oil, wineries, cooking classes, etc) Thoughts on Group Leader Veronica was amazing - so knowledgeable and passionate about Sicily! Marco our driver was also great! Advice for Potential Travellers Book a post-night in Catania! After an incredible week of exploring the island, it is nice to spend one extra day by the seaside or exploring the city of Catania

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/26/2023

denis mole   -  Traveled, April 2023

Sicily Trip itself was good, weather not so good, but our memories of the holiday were spoilt by the delays to our return to England. While Etna erupting and closing Catania airport was no ones fault, British Airways did nothing whatsoever to help us find a replacement flight, in the end we had to find one through Expedia and fly back with Easyjet at considerable expense to ourselves. We did try to contact Exodus for any advice or help they might give, but had zero response, not your best moment. Most Inspirational Moment Getting back home with no help from Exodus or British Airways Thoughts on Group Leader Excellent Advice for Potential Travellers Don't rely on Exodus to book your flights, ours kept changing, and as they were very early outwards and very late return we had booked hotel rooms, but they resulted in staying at the wrong Heathrow terminal on departure, and paying extra because we had to change the dates. On return the Hotel we had booked at Gatwick was superfluous as the flight was cancelled and we flew to Luton 12 hours later. Suggestions Holiday good, flights bad

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/20/2023

Jean Hackett   -  Traveled, April 2022

Food and culture As we’d first booked to travel in April 2020, this was a much-anticipated break, and our first one travelling abroad, and it really went well. It was the first post-Covid trip, so we weren’t sure that everything would happen as expected, but it was well organised, and all eventualities catered for. We were impressed by the range of food tasting opportunities (too many to mention), particularly the chance to visit small producers who are obviously diversifying from their original production – and the street food in Palermo was a revelation! We also enjoyed the cultural visits, but would have liked to visit Siracusa (on the itinerary when we originally booked). Most Inspirational Moment Seeing the range of produce in local markets, and tasting regional products in their locality. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosarios was great fun, but well organised, and took account of the various requirements (particularly dietary) of our varied group. His English was pretty good, and he was extremely knowledgeable about the history and culture of Sicily - and eager to share it. He was also helpful in suggesting where to go in the limited spare time, and on places to eat (though there were some evenings when we didn't need to, after the tastings of the day). Maurizio, our driver, was extremely good, and very patient with us and the odd hiccup with traffic conditions. He did a wonderful job on some intersting roads. Advice for Potential Travellers Don't expect this to be a restful holiday! There's a lot of travelling, even with stops for tastings or cultural sites, and it's only at the beginning and end that there are 2 nights in the same place. Palermo airport seemed very well organised; Catania not so much. Be prepared for much waiting around in between check-in and boarding. Gatwick was extremely well run on our departure, but earned a few black marks on our return: no staff to move a stairway to the plane for disembarcation, and long waits before baggage arrived. Suggestions I think it would be worth making this a slightly longer tour, to include Siracusa and Taormina in the east, and possibly a day trip to Cefalu from Palermo/. Cefalu was the original French capital, and has an earlier, scaled-down version of Monreale with its own cathedral.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/25/2022

Helen Jones   -  Traveled, April 2022

An excellent return This was my first holiday outside the UK since the first covid lockdown and it was excellent. The group remained covid-free for the entire week – a bonus! Rosario was enthusiastic and energetic throughout. As his first group in 2 years, he was determined to ensure we enjoyed ourselves! Most Inspirational Moment I loved the quality and quantity of fruit and veg in the different food markets we visited in Palermo (and watching the non-veggies attempting to eat certain local delicacies). Thoughts on Group Leader As before - he was excellent. Not only was he knowledgeable but also his spoken English was really good. Maurizio the driver deserves praise too for safely negotiating spaces scarcely wider than his vehicle. Advice for Potential Travellers Don't think that holidays are restful in any way! If you fancy a rest, I'd recommend extending the holiday by a few days. Arriving a day or two early ensures you start the holiday well-rested rather than tired from rising very early for the group flight. Plus add a day or two at the end if you'd like to see Taormina which sadly isn't included in the current tour. Suggestions I'm sorry that covid led to small changes in the tour - for example I was looking forward to tasting the range of local cheeses near Ragusa and was sorry we didn't go to Taormina. However having any holiday at all post-covid was a thrill!

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/15/2022

Hannah S   -  Traveled, April 2022

Great mix of food and culture packed into just 8 days Great way to spend a week in Sicily. The trip is pretty busy, moving on most days, packing in the main sights and a lot of food! I enjoyed the mix of history (valley of the temples and the roman villa) with the food and culture aspect, particularly the visits to the local producers and food market trips. Most Inspirational Moment For me the valley of the temples, made even better by the great guide. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was a great guide, very knowledgeable of all aspects of Sicilian history, culture and food. Organised us well and provided good options for what to do with any spare time we had, allowing me to make the most of these limited times. Advice for Potential Travellers Not much time to unpack in each location so dont take too much! Catania airport is a crazy place, be prepared to queue.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/17/2022

Paige Dixon   -  Traveled, April 2022

Sicily Food Adventure We booked this trip to go in 2020 and finally made it in 2022. It was well worth the wait. It was everything we’d hoped for and more. Bustling local markets, stunning Greek/Roman temples, fascinating architecture (the baroque balconies), a chance to walk on Mount Etna and of course all the amazing food and wine. There were certainly plenty of opportunities to sample the delights of Sicilian food and wine with our superb guide, Rosario. Most Inspirational Moment There were so many great moments on the trip but for me it was all about the food: meeting the buffalo before sampling the mozzarella cheese; the cooking lesson where we ate what we had prepared; the olive oil tasting and seeing the olive trees which were still producing the olives even though they were hundreds of years old; the wine tasting at Mount Etna and the sumptuous lunch that went with it; sampling the Marsala wine; several buffet lunches where we had the chance to eat the local produce and trying the street food from the market in Palermo. It truly was an indulgent week. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario has a great sense of humour and obviously enjoys his job. He has clearly put in the time to research all the activities and would give guidance on what to see in our free time and recommendations of restaurants in the evening. We couldn't have asked for a better guide. Advice for Potential Travellers Try everything, even some of the strange street foods - you never know you might like it!

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 04/25/2022

Diana Barker   -  Traveled, November 2019

Sicily Food Adveenture Our week in Sicily was the highlight of 2 months in Europe. The places we visited, and stayed, and the food experiences we enjoyed were well planned to make for a varied tour: a mixture of popular tourist sites and low-key personal off the beaten track ventures all designed to keep a group of 6 well-travelled 70s year olds stimulated but not over taxed. Guide Rosario was a wonderfullyorganised yet relaxed companion who who treated us as friends not customers (and driver Giuseppe was great to be with as well. Thoroughly recommended. Most Inspirational Moment The picnic of market-bought treats, in a Palermo pub. Cooking lesson. Exploring Greek, and Roman, remains. Gelato. 'Climbing' Mt Etna. Thoughts on Group Leader Absolutely the best. It was like being with a favourite member of the family, one who knew his stuff inside out. Advice for Potential Travellers Just do it.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 12/19/2019

John Daley   -  Traveled, November 2019

Sicily Food & Wine Tour With 6 in our group and with our guide Rosario and our driver we did a one week tour of Sicily. It was magic. We saw wonderful sights, were taken into old medieval homes, learned how to make pasta, climbed Mt Etna, saw great cathedrals, learned of the Mafia and ate wonderful food. Our guide and driver were wonderful and we had such fun together. All our needs were attended to and we became good friends. I can heartily recommend this tour. Most Inspirational Moment See above Thoughts on Group Leader See above Advice for Potential Travellers If possible keep to a small group. This allows you to be more involved with the guide Suggestions Wonderful

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 12/14/2019

Delia Forester   -  Traveled, August 2019

Well done Rosario & Guiseppe! If you idea of a Mediterranean holiday involves languorous lie-ins & bobbing about on a Lilo with a spritzer, forget it! We were an international group of 16. We were very busy. We visited places we could not have found independently, and discovered the secrets of wine, olive & cheese production. We sampled lots of lovely Sicilian foods, visited food markets, feasted on caponata & pesto made by ourselves, tried street food (“what IS that?” – “Cow spleen-its very popular….”). The trip was quite hectic, Rosario our excellent guide had us whipped into shape from the start- NO lie-ins, no matter how much we consumed the night before. We were on the coach by 8 or 9 am, ready to face what the day presented. It was also full of contrasts, from busy markets to gentle countryside, from chi-chi resorts to the blackened slopes of Mount Etna, we got a real flavour of Sicily, including even a bit of Inspector Montalbarno. Rosario joined in with us and was both helpful and caring of our various needs, and Guiseppe our driver was just brilliant. A kind, friendly, helpful, careful driver who lugged our suitcases as well as driving and looking after us. The relatively small coach easily negotiated roads that would have been tricky for a bigger bus. Most of the hotels were perfect for our needs, and mostly very well located. Most Inspirational Moment Too many to mention- The excellent Archaeologist/guide at the Valley of the Temples, smoky Mt Etna, sunsets over the Mediterranean, the clubby atmosphere around the street bars of Palermo, the Roman mosaics, paddling across the Causeway to Isola Bella, the amphitheatre at Taormina..... Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was an excellent leader, fully involved with our varied group, caring, fun, sympathetic, well-organised. His English pretty much perfect, and his knowledge of Sicily beyond compare. Crucially he always managed to find us a clean toilet stop without anyone having to ask! Advice for Potential Travellers A hat & comfortable shoes, suitable for walking city streets AND climbing Mt Etna, are essential. Don't over pack, you are unlikely to UN-pack. Drink plenty of water. There is a fair amount of time spent on the coach, but it's well divided up. Beware Catania Airport, which is much too small to handle all those passengers. Suggestions Just to thank Rosario and Guiseppe for their kind professionalism.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 09/18/2019

Christine Meusz   -  Traveled, April 2019

Lots to see and lots of food This is a busy week with a lot crammed in to a short space of time. As you would expect, a lot of the scheduled activities are food and drink related but there’s also some sightseeing. After two nights in Palermo, you transfer to a different hotel every night so there’s little in the way of down time but you certainly get a flavour of Sicilian life and culture – and, of course, food! The hotels were a bit of a mixed bag – some better than others but all of them were adequate for one night – we particularly liked the Hotel Carmine in Marsala. Most Inspirational Moment Probably the (optional) walk at the top of Mt Etna with stunning views. And, although I wouldn't describe it as inspirational, we really enjoyed the cookery lesson - and eating the results! Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was friendly, helpful and knowledgable, ensuring everyone got the best out of the trip. As the only vegetarian/pescatarian on the trip, he had made sure that the organisers of the scheduled food tastings and activities (such as the cookery lesson) were prepared with suitable options for me. Advice for Potential Travellers Travel light - there are lots of opportunities to purchase food and drink to take home so you'll need room in your suitcase. Suggestions This is quite a hectic, whistle-stop tour which could easily occupy ten days at a more leisurely pace. If we'd had the time available it would have been good to stay on for a few days relaxing at the end.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/18/2019

David Gartside   -  Traveled, April 2019

An enjoyable week with lots to see, do and taste! We chose the trip after seeing an advert in the Guardian and decided that it sounded fun – mixing food and drink experiences with archaeology, history and geography. We weren’t disappointed. Though we don’t normally go for group holidays, this trip worked well. The opportunity to share food and drink tastings with the group added a dimension that would have been missing if we had been on our own. Rosario, our guide, and Maurizio, our driver, both worked dilgently to ensure we really enjoyed the trip – getting us to everywhere we needed to be without fuss or bother, and handling queries and minor problems with unfailing patience and good humour. In a relatively short time, we saw a good cross-section of the island, and came back with happy memories and a much stronger ‘mental image’ of Sicily. Thanks to all concerned who made this work. Most Inspirational Moment Hard to choose....! The cathedral at Monreale (Palermo) with seemingly every surface covered with mosaics was amazing. Similarly the temples at Valle dei Templi near Agrigento. Ragusa Ibla was a fascinating hilltop village which repaid careful exploration. The trip up Etna was well worthwhile - the snow and gale-force winds a stark contrast to conditions at sea-level. On the food side of things the market visits in Palermo and Ortigia, and the olive farm were memorable, though in fairness to all the other locations, we were warmly welcomed and treated as honoured guests by owners and staff. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario worked hard throughout the trip to make sure we got the most out of it , without being pushy or bossy. He quickly gained the confidence of the group, answered a myriad of questions (on a wide variety of topics) with enthusiasm and insight, and routinely gave us sufficient information about the next few hours' activities without overloading us with minutiae. As appropriate, he organised local restaurants for evening meals and was a good person to have around to help navigate menus, clarify issues etc. He seemed to cope well with the occasional personal issues that arose, treating the person with the issue with respect, while not overlooking the needs of the wider group. Advice for Potential Travellers The trip is described as 'leisurely' and in terms of physical effort that is probably about right if you choose to take a laid-back approach. However, the days were long and action-packed (not complaining) and the various stops offered lots to see and do - so in practice you could be on the go for big chunks of time. Warm clothes (layers best) and decent walking shoes / boots essential for the Etna excursion. Several people commented that they wish they'd brought a decent map to keep track of our progress. I had the TCI:Touring Club Italiano 1:200 000 Sicily with me, that was more than adequate. Available locally or from Stanford's in London ~ £10.00 Suggestions The hotels were the usual eclectic mix - some with great character: eg Hotel Carmine in Marsala, Hotel dell'Orologio in Ragusa Ibla; some with a good location eg Hotel Villa Esperia on the coast road in Mazarro (close to, but away from the tourist throng of Taormina) . Some people were unimpressed with the Hotel Posta in Palermo, but we were fine with it. The Jolly Aretusa Palace (what a name!) in Syracuse was OK but not brilliant - no idea whether there are better alternatives. The booby prize goes to the Hotel Dioscuri in Agrigento/Santa Leone. On paper and from the outside it looks fine - seaside location, generous plot etc, but the reality disappoints. The room was fine but the walls terribly thin and hence neighbour noise an issue. The hotel handles a lot of tour groups (I do realise the irony of this comment) and struggles to cope - especially at breakfast where service was overwhelmed and finding things became farcical.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/18/2019

Sarah Dennis   -  Traveled, September 2022

Great trip Really enjoyed this trip, we got to see most of the island of Sicily whilst being able to taste some traditional dishes and wines. Most Inspirational Moment Visiting the local markets in Palermo and Catania Thoughts on Group Leader Our group leader Francesca was a little disappointing- she wasn’t proactive enough. On the first night she didn’t organise dinner for the group, she had to be prompted to organise the optional extra tour. There were issues with one persons room in Ragusa but she didn’t offer to sort it out in the end myself and my companion helped the other person. The coach driver had a room in the main hotel whilst an elderly lady had a room at the top of 2 flights of stairs in another hotel down the road. She felt uncomfortable, I felt the group leader should have swapped the room etc. She left us 3 nights to sort out our own meals and in Catania just left us without a clue where the best places to go to were. Also in food tasting she always made sure she got her food first, she should wait until guests had their chance to taste the food. On the plus side her knowledge of Sicily was excellent and she was very interested in making us fall in love with the country and culture. Advice for Potential Travellers Be prepared for rooms in Sicily to not always have access to windows and fresh sir Suggestions I did enjoy the trip very much, I have been on 4 other tours and I am only being negative about the tour leader as in comparison to my other trips she was a 5 out of 10 rather than a 9 or 10 out of 10 that I’ve experienced before.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 10/25/2022

Jean Hackett   -  Traveled, April 2022

Well worth waiting for: the first post-Covid trip! We first booked this trip to travel in April 2020, and had postponed it 3 times before we heard it would happen – and with fewer restrictions/requirements as the departure date approached, for which we were most grateful. Most Inspirational Moment Too many to mention, but street food in Palermo markets, lunch in Piazza Armerina, and all the incidentals associated with visits to local producers (meeting water buffalo herd, cookery lesson near Trapani). Visits to cultural sites were a good contrast: it was interesting to see how they had developed and changed since we visited over 15 years ago. The fact that, despite its being the first tour for over 2 years, it all seemed to run smoothly. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was really enthusiastic about the history and culture of his home island, and ready to transmit this in his good English; he also has a good sense of humour, which may have been tested at times. He managed to deal with the varying requirements of the group, and was always ready with recommendations of ways to spend any spare time, or places to eat. Our driver, Maurizio, was excellent, both at negotiating some of the roads and dealing with slight changes to the route, in particular being led through Piazza Armerina by a police car, rather than having to wait for an hour while the Giro di Sicilia passed through. Advice for Potential Travellers Don't expect a restful holiday! Apart from at the beginning and end, with 2 nights each in Palermo and Catania, we stayed somewhere different every night; that provides a challenge for sensible packing. if you're going in early April as we did, you may need some warmer clothes to deal with the time in Ragusa, Noto and Mt. Etna: while the UK was having a heatwave, we were all scrabbling for extra layers to cope with the cold winds! Suggestions It would have been good to visit Siracusa (as in the original itinerary) and possibly Taormina, which would mean a longer tour - and perhaps slightly more relaxed. if you make the trip longer, would it be possible to arrange a trip from Palermo to Cefalu? It was the original French capital of Sicily, and has the first cathedral, which is like a mini-Monreale.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/19/2022

Gordon Frankland   -  Traveled, April 2019

A Very Mixed Bag Our first experience of Sicily so chose this holiday. It gave us a mixture of culture, Greek, Roman as well as modern. A variety of food and drink experiences as well as exploration of the countryside. The small group and an excellent leader made for very good holiday travel. Most Inspirational Moment Going to the top of Mount Etna in unseasonal snowy weather. Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was very well informed and caring. He conveyed his love of the area to the group. He obviously had made many contacts which enabled us as a group to participate with local people. Advice for Potential Travellers Not really a relaxing week. Be prepared for a variety of activities from early morning until evening. Suggestions A positive experience for our first time with Exodus

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/14/2019

Peter Day   -  Traveled, April 2019

Sicily Food and Culture Trip A great balance of food and culture – all of the highlights covered, and no food specialities left untasted. The itinerary was a perfect blend of food and culture, and the itinerary itself was perfect – nothing could really be improved upon. Most Inspirational Moment The Roman villa mosaics Thoughts on Group Leader Rosario was excellent. He looked after every detail of the trip, was always available to assist with any question or problem that arose. Incredibly enthusiastic, and a native Sicilian, he acted as our entree to Sicily. Advice for Potential Travellers While classified as level 1, there was a great deal of walking on some days - up and down stairs in most locations, and while detail is provided under "Is this trip for you?", the word "leisurely" is a little misleading, and it would be worth reclassifying the trip to at least a 2! That said, in many places, there were options to do more or less strenuous activities. e.g. at Mount Etna, there were three grades of activity possible. While nothing more could have been included within the 8 days of the tour, travellers may consider adding two-three days on their own to visit Cefalu (including a trip to one or more of the Aeolian Islands) which is easily accessible by train from Palermo. The other locations visited relied on in-depth local knowledge, and some of the attractions are only accessible by private transport, so it would be impossible or impractical to visit most of the places we went to if you did your own thing in Sicily. Suggestions The tour is at least as much about culture as it is about food, and while this is detailed in the trip notes, it might be worth reflecting this in the title of the trip.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/16/2019

katherine ruch   -  Traveled, May 2019

a lovely trip I travelled with my husband and we have both enjoyed our trip. our guide Titsiana was excellent, being informative, friendly, accommodating and anxious to ensure we all enjoyed our trip. Timings of all pick ups and activities was perfect. Activities including wine tasting, cheese making, cookery and olive oil tastings were all enjoyable and very well organised. Most Inspirational Moment trip to mount Etna was fabulous although quite expensive at 130 euros for a couple. Also the cookery and cheese making were excellent. Thoughts on Group Leader group leader w as excellent. very friendly and welcoming. enthusiastic, courteous and anxious to ensure our trip ran to plan and was enjoyable. Advice for Potential Travellers two of the hotels were of a poorer quality. The hotel Poste in Palmero was a bit shabby but not too bad. The worst hotel was the Jolly ... Palace Hotel for the last night. This was very shabby with stained and chipped furnishing, rusting air vent in bathroom, dirty walls and no air conditioning. This hotel should not be used as it spoils the quality of the trip as a whole. no need to bring a thick coat for Mount Etna as you can hire a thick coat for 4 euros at the ticket office. If you don't want to do four flights just to get to Sicily and back, book your own flights. Suggestions Please take the last hotel off your list. It is anything but a Palace Hotel! very enjoyable trip. If I had known that this trip involved changing at Rome on the outward journey and Milan on the return I would not have booked it. It took 10 and a half hours to reach Palmero due to waiting for flights, delayed flights and having to change gates.

Source: Tour operator   Submitted: 05/31/2019