7 nights from
£1795
This is an entertaining insight to the natural, historic and intriguing sights, for a repeat traveller to Sicily, this tour takes you to places which are new to you but may seem familiar, as it fuses fact with fiction in film, TV, and literary locations. It begins off Sicily’s northern shore, as we sail to the UNESCO World Heritage cluster of the Aeolian Islands, with hot pools, active volcanoes, and the lava flow of Stromboli, where Jules Verne’s adventurers emerged from their ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’. Following days see us in Savoca, the setting for scenes of ‘The Godfather’; visiting a palazzo in Acireale; viewing Roman mosaics, found below a 400-year-old farmhouse; seeing Ispica’s ancient necropolis caves, and relaxing in a picturesque, south coast fishing port. We stay in the southeast to tour to four very individual towns, but with much in common. Noto, Scicli, Ragusa and Catania all feature in the UNESCO listed ‘Towns of Val di Noto’; all were destroyed in the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in the florid façades of Baroque splendour; and each is focused on a fine cathedral and speciality Sicilian food. Scicli and Ragusa also share the fame of film locations for Inspector Montalbano, along with seaside Punta Secca, where his ‘home’ is now a B&B!
This is a full itinerary with many visits on foot including some uneven surfaces and inclines.
The itinerary at Aeolian Islands depends on weather conditions.
Air travel and taxes, transfers, 7 nights' accommodation, breakfast daily, 1 lunch and 3 dinners, entrance fees, itinerary as described, services of a guide and local representatives. If our specially negotiated airfares are unavailable at the time of booking, a supplement may apply.
Travel insurance, tipping, any government or local tourist taxes or compulsory charges introduced after publication.
Notes:
An accommodation tax is payable locally, currently between €1.50 and €3 per person per night.
In certain countries we recommend the currency most widely accepted rather than the local currency.
Dolce Vita & Music in Italy
“If music be the food of love” prepare to love the local food and music maestros, forming a dual focus of this tour in northern Italy. From parmesan and Parma ham to Pavarotti and Ponchielli, via menus, museums and monuments, this is a feast for all the senses