Sicily
Greek temples, baroque towns and the layered history of the island.
Sicily has been Greek, Roman, Arab, Norman and Spanish, and each layer is still visible: the temples of Agrigento and Selinunte, the mosaics of Monreale and Piazza Armerina, the baroque of Siracusa, Noto and Catania.
Our guided tours of Sicily move around the island by coach, with local guides at each site and time in the markets and squares between visits. A week covers Etna, Taormina, Siracusa, the baroque south-east, Agrigento and Palermo.
The island works year-round, with spring and autumn the most comfortable for the long touring days a cultural tour of Sicily involves.
The old island of Syracuse holds a cathedral built inside a Greek temple, sea-facing lanes and a morning market. Inland, Noto, Modica and Ragusa were rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake in a single golden stone, which makes the south-east the most coherent baroque landscape in Italy.
Palermo is where the Arab, Norman and Spanish layers meet: street markets, palaces and the golden mosaics of the Palatine Chapel. A short drive above the city, the cathedral of Monreale covers its nave with the largest mosaic cycle in Sicily.
Our team in Italy shapes each itinerary around your dates, pace and level, for private travellers and for travel agencies.
