Unveiling Sicily's Treasures: Taormina, Ragusa, Palermo and beyond

Unveiling Sicily's Treasures: Taormina, Ragusa, Palermo and beyond

20 Views
8 Days From

$2395

Unveiling Sicily's Treasures: Taormina, Ragusa, Palermo and beyond

8 Days Starting in 98037 Letojanni, Metropolitan City of Messina, Italy and ending in Palermo, PA, Italy

Visiting: Taormina, Mount Etna, Ragusa, Free municipal consortium of Syracuse, Modica, Agrigento, Palermo, Cefalù

Tour operator:

Meet & Greet Italy

Tour code:

E7SICLRPS

Specialist Group:

Fifty+

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 20

Physical rating:

Medium

Age range:

2-95

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Gluten Free

Tour operated in:

English , French

Trip Styles:

Small Group

Interests:

Cultural, Rail Tours

Activities:

Rail Excursion, Walking

Private Available:

Request A Private Tour

From: $2395

NB: Prices correct on 18-Dec-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

Here with Meet and Greet Italy, embark on an enchanting journey through Sicily. Start in Taormina, explore its sites and marvel at Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano. Traverse scenic routes aboard the Circumetnea train. Enjoy food and wine tasting at a local winery. Take a scenic train to Syracuse, known for its rich history. Explore the Archaeological Park and visit Ortigia’s charming streets and cathedral. Explore the cities of Ragusa, Modica, and Noto, renowned for Sicilian Baroque. Marvel at sumptuous palaces and ornate balconies. Visit Agrigento’s Temples’ Valley, a UNESCO site. Discover well-preserved ancient temples. Conclude in Palermo, with Teatro Massimo and Monreale Cathedral. Then, enjoy a day in picturesque Cefalù

Highlights

  • WORRY FREE LUGGAGE - DOOR TO DOOR SERVICE FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP !

  • 4* INTERNATIONAL STANDARD HOTEL LOCATED IN CITY CENTRE

  • REAL SMALL GROUP, MAXIMUM 20 PAX

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1 : Taormina

Location: Taormina

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Albatross - Letojannni

Meals Included: Breakfast

Upon arrival, make your way to your hotel in Letojanni, check-in and take your time to settle. In the afternoon meet your group and the tour leader. After an introductive briefing, reach Taormina and enjoy a guided walking tour of one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sicily. Admire its natural terrace
overlooking the sea dominated by the majestic volcano Mount Etna and visit the Greek-Romans Theater. Back to your hotel partake a welcome dinner.

Day 2 : Mount Etna

Location: Mount Etna

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Albatross - Letojanni

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today you will discover the Mt. Etna, the highest peak of Sicily and the most active volcano in Europe. After breakfast walk along the beach to Letojanni train station and reach the village of Giarre where you’re going to get on the Circumetnea train an historic railway inaugurated in 1898 which travels around the volcano passing through many villages, offering to its travelers’ picturesque glimpses of this unique view. The excursion will continue by bus to reach “Silvestri Craters” (about 1.900 mt). Enjoy food and wine tasting in a local winery and have the option to reach higher peaks by jeep. Return to hotel in Letojanni.

Day 3 : Siracusa & Ortigia

Location: Ragusa, Free municipal consortium of Syracuse

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Mediterraneo Palace

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today you will admire the coast and the sea from your train window travelling from Taormina to Syracuse, one of the most interesting sites on the island. A guide will lead you to the discovery of the Archaeological Park, famous for its Roman amphitheater, the Greek theater, and the ear of Dionysus. Continue your visit by going to the island of Ortigia, the oldest part of the city, characteristic for its narrow alleys, for its sea views and for the wonderful square with its splendid cathedral. In the afternoon continue the journey by bus and reach your next destination, Ragusa.

Day 4 : Sicilian Baroque

Location: Ragusa, Modica

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Mediterraneo Palaca

Meals Included: Breakfast

A full day to discover the less known part of Sicily, dominated by the sumptuous and majestic Baroque style of the buildings, characterized by the numerous UNESCO sites, also known for the television series “Il Commissario Montalbano”. Start your visit from the historic center of the city of Ragusa, “Ibla”, the aristocratic city of Val di Noto, characterized by the numerous baroque churches and palaces, as well as by the characteristic domes that dominate the city. Continue to Modica, a UNESCO World Heritage city especially known for its chocolate as well as for its wonderful buildings. Last stop will be Noto, the capital of late Sicilian Baroque. Cross the famous Arco, stroll in the center admiring the wonderful aristocratic palaces with the famous decorated balconies, the sumptuous churches full of decorations, the cathedral with its staircase, and the city theater, all built in Baroque style. Return to the hotel in Ragusa for overnight.

Day 5 : Agrigento

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Location: Agrigento

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Grand Hotel Piazza della Borsa

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast departure by bus for Agrigento. Arriving in Agrigento enjoy a lunch overlooking the Temple Valley. After lunch, meet the guide who will reveal all the secrets of the Temples’ Valley, including the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Concorde (one of the best preserved Doric temples in the whole Greek world), the Temple of Hercules, the Temple of Castor and Pollux. At the end of the visit we will have lunch all together; afterward, reach Agrigento Centrale Train Station and embark on an extraordinary train journey through the Sicilian countryside to reach Palermo. Upon arrival in Palermo transfer to the hotel and check in.

Day 6 : Palermo

Location: Palermo

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Grand Hotel Piazza della Borsa

Meals Included: Breakfast

Full day dedicated to the discovery of Palermo: in the morning a walking tour of the city center, starting from Teatro Massimo continue the walk through the famous “u Capo” local market and taste some Sicilian specialties as Arancina or drink the famous “AUTISTA”, an “explosive” lemonade. Continue to the Cathedral and walk to “I Quattro canti”. After some free time for lunch take the local bus to Monreale, a lovely town on the slopes of Monte Caputo overlooking Palermo. Walk with your guide to Monreale Cathedral, considered one of the finest Norman constructions in the world.

Day 7 : Cefalu'

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Location: Palermo, Cefalù

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Grand Hotel Piazza della Borsa

Meals Included: Breakfast

Today, with your tour leader, reach Cefalù by train in half an hour. Cefalù is a beautiful medieval fishers’ village, at the slopes of a promontory, hosts as well as Unesco World Heritage site, the Arabic-Norman Cathedral, that looks like a fortress. You will have the whole day at your disposal to relax on the beach, do shopping or hike up La Rocca! Back to Palermo by regional train, enjoy your last night in Sicily!

Day 8 : Palermo

Location: Palermo

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Grand Hotel Piazza della Borsa

Meals Included: Breakfast

After breakfast, our trip to the discovery of the Italian beauties comes to an end, hoping you always keep this unique experience in your heart. Feel free to book some extra nights in Sicily or a private transfer to Palermo’s airport.

What's Included

  • Fully Guided

    Professional English and French-speaking guide for the entire duration of the tour.

  • Transport

    Train transfers in First class Luxury air-conditioned coach on route not covered by railway

  • Meals

    7 breakfasts 1 dinner 2 lunches

  • WORRY FREE LUGGAGE

    Thanks to our included porterage service at railway stations and/or our “luggage bus” that delivers luggage from hotel to hotel, we make train travel stress-free.

  • CARBON OFFSET

    We'll offset all the carbon emissions of your trip! We supports international environmental projects oriented to carbon offset (according to Gold Standard, Verra standard or CDM standard) and plants native tree species across Italy.

  • INCLUDED GROUP ACTIVITIES

    INCLUDED GROUP ACTIVITIES •TAORMINA / LETOJANNI: guided walking tour of Taormina & Mount Etna full day discovery by train •SIRACUSA: guided walking tour of Siracusa and Ortigia •RAGUSA: full day guided tour discovery of Sicilian Baroque: Noto and Modica •AGRIGENTO: guided tour of Temple’ Valley •PALERMO: guided walking tour of Palermo and Monreale & full day discovery tour of Cefalù by train.

What's Not Included

Tips, Extras, Hotel city taxes ( to be paid on spot), whatever not listed in “Price Includes”

Optional Extras

  • EXPLORER PACKAGE

    2 stunnig experience to discover even more deeply the beauty of Italy: - Etna Superior Craters Trek - Boat tour of Siracusa

  • FOODIE PACKAGE

    2 stunnig experience to discover even more deeply the beauty of Italy & the best of Italian cousins in every city: - Etna Superior Craters Trek - Boat tour of Siracusa - Ragusa Typical dinner - Palermo Sicilian delights dinner

Mode of Transport

Train and coach

Accommodation

Letojanni /Taormina: Hotel Albatross
Ragusa: Hotel Mediterraneo Palace
Palermo: Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa

Check out our Q&As

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Our solo travelers will have their private rooms. This allows you to participate in our tours with the comfort and privacy of your own room.

  • What documents will I receive before I travel?

    You will receive a summary of itinerary with all the inclusions confirmed, with all the addresses and contacts needed.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes, the hotels apply safety regulations. We select the best locations, all conforming to high international standards.

  • Am I contributing to any charity by booking the tour?

    We donate to FAI (Fondo Ambientale Italiano), whose purpose is to protect elements of Italy’s physical heritage that might otherwise be lost. Especially, we have “adopted” the Abbey of San Fruttuoso near Portofino to protect its beauty and uniqueness for future generations.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    In 2021 we received the GSTC and TRAVELIFE certifications, formalizing our efforts and actions. We are working to become a B Corp: our goal is to get the certification within the first half of 2023.

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    Our Independent Tours are private and self-guided, ready to be enjoyed at your pace. Our Small Group Tours have scheduled departure, with a group of 26 or fewer, fully guided by a Tour Leader. Here you will pass your days with fellow travelers from all over the world.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Our company has been operating in Italy since 2015.

  • Is this tour Carbon Neutral?

    The tour's emissions are all offset thanks to our partnership.

  • What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?

    Please see cancellation policies.

  • Can I join the tour once it has departed?

    It is not possible to join a tour once it has departed. It is possible to customize the tour by adding pre or post-nights, to best align your arrival and departure from Italy with the tour you would like to enjoy.

Reviews of this operator

Michelle F  

Milan to Venice, Rome, Florence & Sorrento via High Speed Train

03-Oct-2022

AnnaMaria was my tour guide in Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence and Sorrento. She was amazing. and made the trip so much fun. We took high speed trains to each city and stayed in 4 star hotels. Tour Radar and Meet and Greet and AnnaMaria made it a trip of a lifetime. I highly recommend them all - there is no way I could have organized it all by myself. Everything ran so smoothly. I highly recommend Meet and Greet and Annamaria.

laurabou  

Taste of Italy Tour 🇮🇹

19-Dec-2022

This was absolutely the trip of a lifetime! Our tour was a perfect balance of pre-arranged guided experiences and free time. That free time was so important as it allowed us to explore things of particular interest to us at our own pace. Our tour guide Costa was fantastic! He and his colleagues we're extremely knowledgeable, accommodating and simply a pleasure to have met. We had a small group of 8 which allowed us to really connect and develop friendships with the others on our tour. Such a beautiful country with so much history. Grazie!

Joseph L  

Our tour guide "made" or tour

15-Oct-2022

This tour of Italy was awesome, most especially because of our tour guide, Annamaria. Her sparkling personality and energy made every activity fun and interesting. She was always ready to make suggestions for our "free time" based on our interests and quick to make all the arrangements. She became a good friend and companion who knew all the "shortcuts" to where we wanted to go and kept us on schedule. What a great experience!

Alistair M  

Amazing Italian Dream Vacation Tour

02-Feb-2023

We had an absolutely fantastic family vacation to Italy that we booked through Air Canada Vacations and it was hosted by Meet and Greet Italy. With such a large itinerary we were not really sure how this was going to play out as keeping a family of 5 organized and on track can be a challenge at times. We soon realized there was nothing to worry about as the tour was very organized and well planned. Our adventures started in Venice and continued on to include Florence & the Tuscany area, Rome, Pompei, Sorrento and Capri. Full credit to Annamaria for keeping our group of 20+ on track and on time during this fabulous journey. She is simply amazing, always there for the group and taking care of any issues big or small with kindness, compassion, and professionalism. She has a great laugh and sense of humour and is very knowledgeable and passionate about her home country. 5 stars to our book from the travel arrangements, food and especially the Totally Awesome Annamaria! We would definitely recommend travelling with her again!

Grace c  

Amazing Italy

28-Oct-2022

Had an absolutely amazing well organized, trip to Italy with Greet and Meet! The hi-light of our trip besides everything about Italy, was our guide leader Constantino who was kind, super fun, great sense of humour , super knowledgeable, well coordinated. He was always one step ahead making sure we had everything ready for our next. He was relaxed with us and yet had a good way to keep us busy to get the most of the day. Great recommendations for our days on our own and we got the true feel of the locals with food and wine. Overall had a superb awesome trip and will highly recommend it to all and look forward to booking again!!!

Dave B  

Incredible trip.

26-Dec-2022

Not sure why it's taken so long for me to write this review. It was such an incredible experience. My wife Laura and I decided on this adventure as a celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary. In all this time we've never traveled before so this was our first visit anywhere outside of Canada. I have to say... it was worth the wait. Words can't express the experience of visiting such an historically significant and architecturally rich part of the world. I'm not a particularly religious person but when you find yourself standing in the same places where every pope throughout history is entombed, at the Alter where only the Pope can give mass, the Sisteen Chapel and so on, you can't help but be overwhelmed. The Colosium, the Trevi Fountain, and so on, just amazing. The tour was part of the Air Canada Meet and Greet experience and I have to say, it was flawless. We landed in Venice where we were immediately whisked away by water taxi to our hotel. The next day it was a high speed train to Florence and later in the trip, another high speed train to Rome. On our final morning, a Mercedes ride to the airport to head home. Throughout all of this. NOT ONE issue with accommodation, transportation or luggage. Our tour guide Costa, was awesome. His Associate guides in Venice, Florence and the Vatican were equally amazing. These people are very, very friendly and incredibly well versed in the history of their beautiful country. There were a number of meals included with the tour but on nights when there weren't, our guide Costa had options arranged for us to partake in or we could simply venture out on our own. We absolutely loved this. We were a small group of eight, four from Ontario Canada, two sisters from Australia and a couple from Minnesota. We all became fast friends and thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. I have to say, I miss them all. Even though it was such a small group, there were a number of requests for little excursions, accommodations etc. Costa, our guide and best friend in Italy, never missed a beat. His moto, Problem... SOLUTION. He was the best. One thing I should point out, over the 9 days we were there, there were days allotted to simply be on our own. This was not only well thought out but very much needed. Downtime on a trip like this is important. There was a lot of walking involved and being able to set your own pace from time to time was a much appreciated part of the tour. I think I should wrap this up now but all I can say is, I can't imagine having a better experience than we did. I highly recommend this adventure and am so glad we did it. Costa, if you're reading this, thank you, you're awesome. Hope to see you again one day my friend.

SR  

Great experience in Italy with an amazing tour guide !

13-Sep-2022

This trip to Italy was the first time I had traveled alone, and I was a bit apprehensive about it. From the moment I met the group and our guide, Annamaria, the apprehension disappeared. Everyone was wonderful and Annamaria went out of her way to take care of us all. Everything ran smoothly from the transfers, tours, meals, to the check in at the hotels. If the unexpected arose (lost luggage, travelers stuck at the airport), Annamaria handled them with professionalism, efficiency and with a smile on her face. I ordered wine from a vineyard we had visited on the tour, and the order was lost. I had contacted the vineyard with no response, so I contacted Annamaria. She reached out to them, and I had my order within 10 days. She continued to be the ultimate guide even after the tour was over. I would highly recommend this tour and make sure you get Annamaria as your guide !!!!

Mauro P  

Best Ravel Agency I've ever dealt with - they go the extra mile

18-Jan-2023

By chance I contacted Meet & Greet Italy (M&G), for a family trip to Italy. Our agent was Cecilia Ventura, she was just absolutely fantastic. Cecilia became our travel advisor, fixer of problems and recommender of things to do. We travelled to Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre (the guide and driver were great) , Pisa, Rome, Pompei, Sorrento, Capri and Positano. The hotels were great, except the Hotel Massimo D'Azeglio (a separate review). Cecilia organised all our activities (cooking class, glass blowing exhibit, Sistine chapel) and they ran smoothly without rush. Cecilia and Rosanna helped us deal with 2 major issues. First, in Florence a family member accident required a hospital visit. We missed our train to Rome. However Cecilia organised another train to Rome (without cost or hassle). Second the fast train, Naples to Milan, took off whilst we were boarding. We were stuck, and a train strike due to start. We called Cecilia and she got us on a fast train to Rome, 3 nights at the Tulip hotel (very nice) and tickets to the Sistine chapel, which we previously missed. I've never encountered a travel agent who'd go to such lengths to resolve issues which were beyond their (or their customer's) control. This went well beyond what you'd normally receive or genuinely expect. If you want to book a bespoke tour of Italy, then contact Cecilia at M&G Italy. Cecilia helped to make our holiday and all its ups and downs, more special and manageable. For us, Cecilia is "Super girl".

M Tunzi  

Absolutely loved!

23-Dec-2022

Our guide AnnaMaria was absolutely amazing! She had incredible knowledge and made our trip stress free. The inclusions were great and the value for money was a real bonus. All of the excursions we did were perfect for our first time in Italy. The porters picked up our bags from one Hotel and drove them straight to the next Hotel whilst we took the train and stopped at places along the way. Highly recommend Meet and Greet!

Kathy M  

Italian Dream Tour

02-Oct-2022

Italian Dream with Air Canada Vacations was a true dream our guide AnnaMaria was amazing without her wouldn’t have been able to navigate the beautiful country. She was welcoming and was a wonderful person to be around. Thanks AnnaMaria for the memories! Ciao❤️

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Apr 28, 2025 - May 05, 2025
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May 12, 2025 - May 19, 2025
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Monday - Monday

Jun 02, 2025 - Jun 09, 2025
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Sep 08, 2025 - Sep 15, 2025
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Sep 22, 2025 - Sep 29, 2025
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Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Meet & Greet Italy requires a minimum deposit of 10% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 45 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of meet & greet italy charges.

    Up to 45 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 44 days before tour starts: Forfeit 40% of booking price.

    At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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