Rome and Sicily Itineraries & Tours

We had a lovely tour of Sicily and we thoroughly enjoyed the scenic villages, mountains and coastal areas, the delicious food, the history and culture of the region, and, of course, the many lovely Sicilians we met on our journey! This was made possible by the travel company we went with when we first engaged Zicasso. They met with us (online) and developed a great tour, for which a few highlights are summarized below. They were also very helpful during the trip to offer us assistance if we needed it. In short, they made our trip truly memorable!

On our visit to Palermo, we experienced its ancient history and fine cuisine. Touring some of the smaller towns and villages, such as Cefalù, Modica, Scicli, Marzamemi and Noto, we enjoyed many scenic streets and alleys with their many shops and restaurants, and also seeing some beautiful artwork in their ancient cathedrals. The countryside of Sicily is also lovely to see and on our tour, we were privileged to visit some farms and talk with some locals who make their living off the land.

We were captivated by the rich historical underpinnings of Sicily, as we saw when we toured Agrigento to visit the Valley of the Temples. In other larger towns/cities we visited, such as Ragusa, Syracuse and Taormina, we had many opportunities to tour food markets and taste (and to learn to prepare) some specialty dishes of the local area.

Having a walking tour around Mount Etna with a local guide provided us with a refreshing outdoor nature hike that was a great way to learn about the area. Capping off our nature walk with a gastro/wine tour at a local winery was a great finale to our two-week vacation! In the end, our only regret was that we didn't want the vacation to end!

We had a fabulous time in Sicily. It was our first visit and Zicasso’s travel company planned an excellent itinerary, with great recommendations on the cities and towns to visit that felt like a truly local experience. (Other agents focus on the big cities of Palermo and Taormina, but the travel company recommended we spend more time in Syracuse/Noto, Ragusa, and Modica.)

We loved our primary driver and the boutique hotels they selected for us. Communication and documents were all easy to follow.

The only piece we wish might have been curated a little more was the recommended dining options. There were too many and not necessarily great restaurants.

Overall, I loved all that was planned for me by Zicasso's travel specialist. She did a great job planning the transfers, tours, and activities we discussed during our planning. In particular, I loved my tour of Modica, the winery visit, my visit to Agrigento, and my visit to Noto and Marzamemi. I also loved my hotel in Ortigia - the location, the architecture, the views. I wish I had requested a sea view for my Taormina hotel, as not having that felt like a miss. I did not like at all the hotel in Rome (in spite of its convenient location) - it was a miss after such a glorious trip.

Every single tour guide and driver was excellent, knowledgeable and reliable. The initial personal fast track transfer in Rome was also excellent, and I requested the same service when I was leaving.

I would have liked the food and wine tour in Taormina to be a bit more elevated, given I am a foodie with elevated tastes. The local Sicily organizer, was very responsive overall. I just found it strange that she did not follow through on her offer to pay for a dinner because I chose my own venue.

The reason I am not giving this trip a 5 is because of a few issues: the room in Taormina and the hotel in Rome. The trip started strong with the transfer support and I wish it had been included at the end - I paid an additional fee for it. I also paid a significant additional fee for a private tour to Mt. Etna, which was given by the same person who drove me there. I feel like I overpaid for that tour. I canceled the Etna Food and Wine tour and wish I had gotten some consideration for that.

Stepping back, I am grateful for the trip and all the detailed organizing that went into it. I will look more closely at hotels offered so I avoid being disappointed.

Overall, a very good trip; we enjoyed it very much. There were, however, a few glitches. On our first tour day, our guide was late, and we ended up picking her up from the train station, which started the tour late. Then, the transportation company wanted to charge us extra because the tour ran over time. Zicasso's travel company intervened, and we were not charged. On our second tour day at the Borghese Gallery, the guide was a no-show, and we were notified at 2 p.m. when we were scheduled to meet the guide at the gallery. Our tour of Stabiae was scheduled on a day when the facility was regularly closed and the travel company arranged for us to visit two sites in Pompeii as a substitute.

We wish the travel company had provided more information on two of our hotels. Our room at the hotel in Palermo, while spacious, was sparsely furnished and didn't seem like a 5-star hotel room. The hotel informed us that the room is scheduled to be refurbished next year. At our hotel in Syracuse, we had a two-story room with a beautiful view, but there was no room for bags on the second floor, where the bed was located, which would have entailed dressing on the first floor and many uses of the stairs. We declined that room and ended up in a small downgraded room for two nights until another room was available. Additionally, the breakfast room was very cold and even the staff complained about the temperature. When I asked a staff member about the temperature, I was told they were "between cycles" - it was not clear what that meant. To be fair, I was involved with the choice of hotels, but perhaps the travel company could have alerted me to these potential difficulties.

On a positive note, all of our drivers were on time and exceptionally polite. Additionally, the app, worked very nicely, was easy to read and helpful. Finally, the WhatsApp communication with the travel company was always available and worked well.

It should be emphasized that we enjoyed the trip and have many fond memories, especially regarding the amazing archeological sites.

Zicasso’s travel company helped us plan and execute a vacation to the Amalfi Coast. The travel specialists suggested sites and arranged hotels, ground transport, and guides. It was all accomplished flawlessly; we had a perfectly paced itinerary.

Not only were the drivers well experienced with the incredible labyrinth of roads along the coast and in Sorrento and Positano, where we stayed, but they were also great sources of local colorhighly experienced with the incredible labyrinth of roads along the coast and in Sorrento and Positano, where we stayed, but they were also great sources of local color and conversation, and, above all, they conversation, and, above all, showed their love for the country and region.

We had several guides who were spot-on, including an archaeology graduate for Pompeii and Herculaneum, and an incredible historian on a walking tour of Naples.

The hotels were wonderful, with experience and professionalism throughout.

The drive along the coast to Amalfi and Ravello was spectacular!

Trip was excellent and matched what we wanted very well. We had lots of great excursions that the Zicasso travel company helped us select based on an easy interview at the beginning. Great tour operators and the agent was in contact with us in case of any issues. And there were some issues...

We had one guide who was late (traffic), so I texted the agent, and I received, almost immediately, the guide's personal contact info to help us find them. After that, without asking, I got contact info for all of the excursions (though it was never needed).

Hotels were beautiful.

At the very end of the trip, Mt. Etna was erupting. Great pictures, but it closed the local airport we were departing from. The agent made sure we had alternate transportation to Palermo to take a different flight out. I was amazed at the additional help beyond what the original planned itinerary was. This company makes sure your trip works out no matter what happens.