Immersive Southern Italy and Sicily Tour: Food, Culture, and History

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!

Our Zicasso travel specialist did a fantastic job planning our family vacation for five adults.

Each hotel was top-notch. At the villa in Taormina, the rooms were luxurious, with unbelievable views of the bay and Mount Etna from private verandas. The staff were gracious and the restaurant's breakfast buffet delicious. Lunch and dinner were top-notch. The hotel in Agrigento was modern and the grounds were exceptional. It was close to the Valley of the Temples, with amazing views of the ruins from each room and the beautiful infinity pool. The hotel in Palermo was old-fashioned luxury with up-to-date facilities and close to the old town.

Our tour guides and drivers were excellent.

My only regret is that we only had 10 days to explore Sicily as there was so much more to see!

Our agent did a yeoman's job helping us plan this trip.

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.

We loved Sicily—the people, the scenery, and the food. Our driver was excellent. He drove cautiously among the crazy Sicilian drivers. We also enjoyed his company. The guides were all highly trained and engaging.

Everything was really perfect! The tour guides and drivers were fabulous, and the hotels were top-notch! Zicasso’s travel specialist listened to all our requests and delivered a wonderful experience for us to explore Sicily.

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.