Southern Italy 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 thoroughly enjoyed our two-week stay in southern Italy that Zicasso's travel specialist and the team at our travel company prepared for us. Our group included two couples traveling along the Amalfi Coast, across Italy through Matera to the Puglia region. Planning, execution, and follow-up were all very well thought out and professional.

Our travel company was also readily available to address concerns during our stay. For example, we needed to reschedule a planned boat tour due to bad weather, and they were able to reschedule a few days' worth of activities to accommodate us.

Hotel selections were excellent, especially the hotel in Sorrento with an incredible view of Mt. Vesuvius, an easy walk to town, and access to other attractions. Our hotel in Ostuni was similarly situated with incredible views and easy access to shopping, restaurants, and activities.

The travel company's team booked several tours for us ranging from a few hours to all-day events. The tour guides were professional and very knowledgeable, and the drivers were excellent, especially along the Amalfi Coast where driving is very challenging. We would definitely recommend Zicasso's travel company again.

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.

Our 16-day trip through Venice, Florence, Tuscany, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, and Rome was outstanding in every detail. Every transfer ran on time, every guide was knowledgeable and warm, and every hotel was a great choice.

Our favorites were the private lagoon boat trip in Venice, the Brunello wine and cheese tour, the pasta class at a Tuscan farm, Pompeii, the Capri cruise, and the Vatican tour. We couldn’t have asked for better planning or support. We highly recommend Zicasso's travel company.

We had an incredible time in Italy! Thank you to Zicasso’s travel company! You thoughtfully planned our time in Sorrento and Rome to ensure we had the best experiences, while allowing for some free time to explore.

Our day-trip boat ride around Capri was beyond perfect. The boat captain and guide were very professional and truly charming. He gave us options on how to take in the sights and provided great commentary about the history and culture of the island. We selected to go to Marina Piccola for lunch, which was a great experience. The view from the restaurant was enchanting and the food was delicious. The grottos, Faraglioni rocks, and swimming in the Mediterranean were experiences of a lifetime.

We spent a day driving along the Amalfi Coast. We had a great driver on the mountainous winding roads. We visited charming Positano and beautiful Ravello. Our driver had great advice about where to visit and what to see. We enjoyed an amazing lunch, with a beautiful view, in Ravello.

On day three we enjoyed free time on the beach in the morning. Then we headed out for our limoncello experience! And it was a wonderful experience. The people we met in Schiazzano were very special. We loved the goal of the family businesses to keep and honor their traditions. Our pickup was prompt and we were served a drink at their general store. It is very touching that they began the tour in their church and shared the pride in their community. Then we were off up the hill, along narrow streets to the lemon groves. We learned about farming lemons from two enthusiastic young farmers, we smelled the lemon zest, and they served us fresh lemonade. Then we all got an exciting tuk-tuk ride up and down the very narrow streets to the hilltop farm, where we tasted olive oils, had a cheese-making demonstration, and tasted all the phases of cheese. Then we tasted the limoncello! We really enjoyed the spectacular view. Last, but certainly not least, we enjoyed making our own pizza using tomato sauce that was prepared by grandma that morning using freshly picked tomatoes. We tossed our pizza dough and used fresh mozzarella. The wood-fired oven cooked the pizzas perfectly. We enjoyed eating every bite. When we were planning our trip, I asked for limoncello tasting, but this experience was so much more!

We also had a wonderful time in Pompeii and at the Vatican, Colosseum, and Forum in Rome. All the history is so fascinating. There were many tourists in Pompeii and Rome, and all of our guides were terrific, energetic, and skilled at navigating the crowds.

All of the private transfers, train travel, and hotels were perfect. Thank you for your help and expertise with planning this once-in-a-lifetime trip!

We hope to travel to Italy in the future and would love to work with this travel company again to help us plan that next trip.

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!