The Sicily Tour in Italy, which starts and ends in Rome, has a duration of 10 days.
This tour provides a comprehensive visit of Sicily, with escorted excursions in Palermo, Syracuse and Catania. A visit to the Greek ruins of Syracuse, as well as an exploration of the spectacular beauty of Mt Etna volcano are included in this tour. Sicily also features Roman ruins, Greek temples, Norman churches and castles, and Baroque churches and palaces. the mountains meet the sea, and Sicily indeed has a lot to offer to lovers of magnificent landscapes. As all our other tours, this one is all inclusive; so the fights from and to Rome are part of the price as well.
This privately guided and chauffeured tour of Sicily can be redesigned to suit your specific
interests, needs or timeframe. Unless you wish otherwise, your guide will take you to:
This privately guided and chauffeured tour in Italy can be redesigned to suit your specific
interests, needs or timeframe. Unless you wish otherwise, your guide will take you to:
Our suggested itinerary begins and finishes in Rome (Sicily tour of Italy).
1
Rome - Tivoli:
Your very own chauffeur picks you up from Rome international airport. On this first day, we drive to nearby Tivoli. We assume you have already visited Rome, but need just one night to rest in a pleasant area. Tivoli is an antique Roman town. Have a quiet stroll through the Villa d'Este, with its mannerist art features and allegorical statues. Its gardens are glorious. The Hundred Fountains, the marble nymphs and other garden features will have no secrets to you thanks to the explanations of your personal A La Carte Italy Tours guide. By visiting the Villa d'Este's gardens, you will have the feeling that you already saw these features in other gardens; this is because they have been copied all over the world ever since the villa's creation in 1572. Later, view the Villa Adriana. A totally different site, since Hadrian's Villa dates back from the 2nd century AD. Both sites are World Heritage. Overnight in Tivoli.
2
Palermo:
Fly from Rome to Palermo (Sicily). This is the capital of Sicily, founded in 700 BC. In Palermo, visit Quattro Canti - a small square in baroque style with curved houses. Your A La Carte Italy Tours guide will tell you the stories of the Piazza Pretoria and its fountain. The Piazza Bellini has three churches; the Martorana church is from 1143 and offers fancy Norman-Byzantine mosaics. 2 nights in Palermo area.
3
Monreale:
We keep discovering Palermo. The Palazzo dei Normanni was built in the years 800 AD. The Palatine Chapel has fantastic Byzantine mosaics. The Cala is the port district. Your A La Carte™ Italy Tour guide will show you the Oratory of the Rosary of St Dominic, decorated with stucco cherubs by sculptor Giacomo Serpotta (1656-1732). The Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita has equally impressive stucco decorations. The nearby Monte Pellegrino offers splendid views of Palermo. We drive to Monreale town, and visit the Cathedral and Cloister. The cloister features Romanesque column capitals and polychrome mosaics. 2nd night in Palermo area.
4
Segesta:
Leave Palermo and head to Segesta, 50 miles away. This was the capital of the Elymians, an ancient people of the Iron Age. We visit a doric temple (5th century BC); it was a Hellenic temple, as a major part of the contemporary local population was Ionian Greek. Segesta was an arch-rival to Selinus Greek colony, so we'll drive to that other town, now an archaeological site. The historian guide of A La Carte Italy Tours will show you the details of the temples. Overnight in Agrigento area.
5
Ragusa:
Today, we visit the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. It is one of the most important attractions of Italy. The ruins of 7 Doric temples mostly date back to the 5th century BC. Your A La Carte™ Italy Tour driver takes you to Ragusa. Its origins can be traced back 2,000 years BC. We visit the Cathedral of St George (1738) with its newer Neoclassical dome added in 1820. The city was destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, and fully rebuilt in the style in vogue at that time, which was Baroque. See surrounding orchards and olive trees. 2 nights in Syracuse area.
6
Syracuse:
We spend the whole day sightseeing in Syracuse. The city was started by Greeks from Corinth and Tenea in about 733 BC. This is yet another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We'll see the Archaeological Park of Neapolis with the "ear of Dionysus" (Orecchio di Dionisio) man-made cave. We'll also see the Greek Theater, carved in the rock. Next to it is the younger (1st century AD) Roman Amphitheater. Ortygia island is the historic part of the city of Syracuse. See the Piazza del Duomo and the cathedral with its Baroque facade. Boat trip to the spring of the river Ciane. 2nd night in Syracuse area.
7
Catania:
We leave Syracuse and drive to Catania. This city of 300,000 people can trace its roots to 729 BC. Vincenzo Bellini, who composed operas La Sonnambula and La Norma was born here in 1801. Together with your guide of A La Carte Italy Tours, visit the city. We start with the Piazza del Duomo with its Elephant Fountain. The origins of that sculpture are most likely as old as prehistory; it was later re-worked, but has always been the city's talisman. The town hall is also under the elephant's protection. In the afternoon, we take a drive to Acireale, some 15 miles away. The Aci castle is a Norman fortress made of volcanic rock. Acireale's neo-gothic cathedral (on the Piazza Duomo) is superb. We visit Aci Trezza, where Luchino Visconti filmed the poor fishermen's story in 1948 in his movie The Earth Trembles. 2 nights in Catania area.
8
Etna Volcano:
We climb the Mt Etna active volcano (by all terrain vehicle and cable car) via the South face. 30-mile drive to Taormina. The Teatro Greco offers another glimpse at the Mt Etna volcano, and shows the very ancient history of Taormina. The first known people here were the Siculi (or "Sicels" in English) between 1000 and 600 BC. They later disappeared or merged with the Greek settlers, who arrived in 832 BC. Your A La Carte™ Italy Tour guide will explain the history of the place and lead you through the Villa Comunale gardens, which offer a typically Mediterranean vegetation. That garden was established over 100 years ago by Florence Trevelyan, an English amateur ornithologist. 2nd night in Catania area.
9
Catania:
Before leaving Catania, we visit the Roman Villa of Casale with its mosaic pavements. It is a 100-mile round-trip. The villa houses the best Roman mosaics in the world, which are quite well preserved since they have been unearthed only recently. In the evening, we fly from Catania back to Rome. Overnight in Rome.
10
Rome:
During the last hours of your stay in Italy, you may want to spend an hour or two shopping for souvenirs and gifts to take home. Your driver-guide can also show you some parts of the Eternal City that you don't know yet. Drop-off at Rome international airport. This is the end of your "Rome - Naples - Sicily Tour of Italy."
Tour departures: on request - please book at least 3-6 months ahead
Sicily tour of Italy in 10 days - prices
Type of Accommodation
If your party has 2-3 passengers price per person is
If your party has 4-6 passengers price per person is
Boutique
US$ 12,410
US$ 10,600
Luxury
(best available)
US$ 19,990
US$ 16,990
All
prices are per person in a twin / double room, and the currency is US dollars
To enquire or book this tour, please either fill out this form, or email us to tours@alcitalytours.com at least 3-6 months ahead. Thank you!
Our prices include:
private driver-guide all along during your travel in Italy
minivan (limousine) with A/C
luggage handling
domestic flights in Italy (if mentioned in the itinerary)
train rides 1st class (if mentioned in the itinerary)
all entrance fees
accommodation (2 categories to choose from: Boutique or Luxury)
if you select Luxury accommodation, you will also have the best available "room" in that establishment ("suites" or "apartments" upon request)
continental breakfasts
light lunches (lunch is usually kept light and short so we can sightsee more)
dinners in gourmet restaurants (for a Boutique tour); or in best overall restaurants (for a Luxury tour); in all cases, dinner is a la carte (you choose any three items)
1/2 bottle per person of best local wine at dinner
all taxes and tolls
or, if you prefer, please fill out the enquiry form
once you are satisfied with the suggested custom tour that we will design for you, we will ask you to pay a 20% deposit (usually between 3-12 months in advance)
the balance of the tour price is payable 60 days before the start of the tour
A La Carte Italy Tours accepts and MasterCard
Please do not send us your credit card details by email. In our correspondence, we will point you to a secure form.
Cancellations:
the 20% booking deposit is non-refundable
cancellations until 30 days before departure: 50% refund
cancellations until 3 days before departure: 20% refund
cancellations after 3 days before the tour: no refund
We will be happy to answer all your questions. There is no particular charge for a custom tour; if you wish a travel itinerary to suit a particular need, timeframe or interest, just ask us, and we will suggest a tour priced similarly to our advertised tours. Send us an email to tours@alcitalytours.com .
A La Carte Italy Tours offers exclusively private driver-guide tours. All our tours are custom-made to suit your needs, tastes and dates. On our tours, we never mix passengers who do not know each other. All our tours are run on an exclusive basis.
The Sicily Tour in Italy, which starts and ends in Rome, has a duration of 10 days.
and MasterCard 
