Sicily Island 12-Day Grand Tour Package with Luxury Hotels: See & Do It ALL
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International Airfare *For those holding VIP membership (ask for details)
Lodging
English-Speaking Escort Driver
Tours in English
English-Speaking Tour Guides
Private Vehicle
All Ground & Water Transportation
All Activities in Itinerary Below
All Entry Fees
Breakfasts
Lunches x 2
Dinner x 1
Our tour begins in Trapani, which has its own international airport. This coastal resort town can be reached by direct flight not only from Rome or Milan but from other major European cities as well. Although Trapani is still an important fishing port, it is best known as the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands, which we are to visit tomorrow as a daytrip. In the evening, Trapani is buzzing with life on its pedestrianized streets.
Note that we will take you from Trapani to the mountain town of Erice (usually by cable car) if you arrive before 4:00pm.
As a boat daytrip from Trapani, we first visit Favignana Island and then Levanzo Island. Favignana is often described as having a butterfly shape and is otherwise famous for its caves of calcarenite rock, locally known as ‘tufo’. Along with its surrounding clear waters, Levanzo is famous for its grotto. Although Levanzo is the smallest of the three main Aegadian Islands, most agree it is the prettiest. Lunch is included on today’s tour.
Before relocating by private land transfer to the capital city of Palermo, we visit the Temple of Segesta. This archaeological site was one of the major cities of the Elymians, who are one of the three indigenous peoples of Sicily. The Hellenization (Greek influence) of Segesta happened very early and had a profound effect on its people. Once in Palermo, we are provided with a guided tour. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy. Palermo is over 2,700 years old.
We relocate from Palermo to the town of Agrigento. There we are provided with a guided tour of town followed by a self-guided tour of the nearby archaeological site Valle dei Templi (a.k.a. Valley of the Temples). It is one of the most outstanding examples of ancient Greek art and architecture. Valle dei Templi is one of the main attractions on Sicily Island. Since 1997, the entire area has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The archaeological and landscape park of the Valle dei Templi, with its 1300 hectares, is the largest archaeological park in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. Valle dei Templi is best visited at night, all illuminated and majestic in its ambiance. After visiting it, we return to Agrigento and enjoy the vibrancy of the center, which is filled with happy people and usually cheerful music.
We relocate from Agrigento to the coastal town of Syracuse. Before exploring it, we head to nearby Noto. This mountain town is famous for its buildings from the early 18th century, many of which are considered to be among the finest examples of Sicilian baroque style. Noto is arguably the best preserved of all historic towns in Sicily. Once the largest city in the ancient world, today Syracuse is one of Sicily’s most authentic destinations. Since 2005, the entire town of Syracuse was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, whereas Noto received the same title in 2002.
Before relocating to the port city of Catania, we go on a boat ride around Ortygia (a small island positioned in the historical center of Syracuse). We also go swimming. Once in Catania and after checking into the hotel, we are taken via a quick drive to and visit a castle called Aci Castello. It is situated on a rocky outcrop jutting out into the sea. We are then taken via an even quicker drive to Aci Trezza. Off the coast of this coastal village are three tall geological formations called ‘sea stacks’. The day ends back in Catania, where we are provided with a guided tour. The nightlife in Catania is among Sicily’s best. The city is best appreciated in the evening, with its energy and excitement felt within the entire downtown area.
We relocate from Catania to the coastal town of Taormina. Today we visit (A) a nice beach called Letojanni (for swimming), (B) a village called Forza D’Agro (for its viewpoint), another nice beach called Sant’ Alessio Siculo (for its viewpoint), a village called Savoca (it affords beautiful views and a nice church), a hilltop village called Castelmola and not least, Taormina itself. In the evening, upon request, you can be dropped off at the nearby Giardini Naxos beach. There you can party the night away.
Before relocating to the coastal town of Milazzo, we make a daytrip today as well as explore in and around Taormina. Firstly, we are taken by land and then by helicopter to the tallest active volcano in Europe. Mount Etna’s current height is 3,357 meters (11,014 feet). This is also one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Mount Etna is in an almost constant state of activity. The fertile volcanic soils support extensive agriculture, with vineyards and orchards spread across the lower slopes of the mountain. In June 2013, Mount Etna was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Next, we are taken to Alcantara Gorge (a.k.a. Gole dell’Alcantara). There we go on a scenic hike as well as go swimming. Several thousand years ago, the river bed was blocked by a lava flow from Mount Etna. As the lava was cooled much more quickly by the water than it would have done otherwise, the lava crystallized in the form of columns. Over the next millennia, the river naturally eroded a channel through these columns, resulting in impressive gorges and ravines. Before relocating to Milazzo, we return to Taormina so we can purchase lunch as well as walk around town freely.
As a boat daytrip from Milazzo, we first visit Panarea Island and then Stromboli Island. Panarea is the smallest of the seven inhabited Aeolian Islands. It is surrounded by several unique islets and skerries reachable only by boat. Mount Stromboli is one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. The volcano is constantly active with minor eruptions, often visible from many points on the island and from the surrounding sea. The eruptions are best seen at dark.
*Note that ‘Night 9’ is spent instead in Cefalu when customers visit Lipari Island and Vulcano Island rather than Panarea Island and Stromboli Island on ‘Day 9’. The boat daytrip from Milazzo to Panarea Island and Stromboli Island does not operate daily.
We relocate from Milazzo to charming Cefalu and are provided with a guided walking tour of this coastal village. We are also taken to the hilltop château. If you aren’t a fit walker, then we recommend you forgo reaching the château, albeit the views from atop are absolutely stunning.
Before relocating back to Palermo, we have free time to enjoy Cefalu. Despite its size, every year this village attracts millions of tourists from all over Italy and elsewhere in Europe. When you independently stroll the streets, you will see why Cefalu is so beloved. It is a postcard perfect village. In Palermo, our evening ends with a cooking class at a local’s home followed by having dinner together.
Transportation will be arranged for you to reach the airport or port in Palermo.
If you are seeking an adventurous yet luxury tour in which you see and do it all stress-free, in which all the planning is done for you by experts, in which 5-star hotels, ground transportation, tour guides and entry fees are all included in the package, then you have come to the right place. Welcome to CharlieTheTraveler, an international tour operation company providing tailormade or packaged tours. Read some of our over 800 5-star reviews found across the Internet.
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We are open to customizing this tour to your liking, even though the itinerary we recommend is rock solid. As our tour is currently advertised, you absolutely will not find another one out there as packed with activities and attractions. What’s more, you will not find another tour out there that offers it all "FIRST CLASS," yet for a relatively low price. We have thousands of travelers taking this specific tour every year, and that's because no competitor can beat us on quality, price & substance.
All participants are required to book travel insurance within 72 hours of booking this tour. At a minimum, such insurance must cover cancellations, medical expenses, evacuations, flight loss or delays and 24/7 assistance.
A 4-installment payment plan is available, often with 0 percent interest to those with at least decent credit. Ask us for details. Our luxury-oriented and itinerary-packed “Sicily: See & Experience it ALL in 7 Days, First Class Traveling” tour is available for $3,954 USD per person. This price includes all transportation, except airfare. It also includes English-speaking tour guides, food, all activities mentioned in the standard itinerary and all entry fees. If you would like lodging included for all nights on this tour, then the combined (transportation, tour guides, food, activities, entry fees and lodging) total would be $5,274 USD per person. This price is based on 2 per room and is offered to those booking at least 6 weeks in advance. Note that there is a $30 USD fee if paying by bank transfer or a 4.6 percent surcharge for payments made by credit card. We accept both forms of payment. We do not accept checks. Moving forward, to better understand your specific circumstances and wishes, and for us to accurately quote you, please tell us:
1. Would you like to extend the duration of this tour so you have some free days just to relax? If you have 1 extra day, then we recommend Cefalu. If you have 2, then we recommend 1 in Cefalu and 1 in Taormina.
2. Many of our customers turn our Sicily Island tour into a grander ‘Southern Italy’ tour, which covers Sicily Island all the way up to the capital city of Rome. Our Southern Italy tour takes a little over 3 weeks to complete and visits popular destinations like Tropea, Matera, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare, Monopoli, the Amalfi Coast and Naples. Is this of interest to you?
There is a hotel sales tax which guests are required to pay directly. Unfortunately, the Italian government does not permit anyone except for the guests themselves to pay this. Also excluded...
Any airfare, alcohol, travel insurance, any government-imposed visa fees, tour guides and anything not mentioned in the itinerary
Although airfare is not included in the price, we will find you the exact flights you need. Just ask.
Regarding tour guides in Sicily, we are replacing them with escort drivers. Why? Tour guides are not allowed to drive tourists. At the same time, escort drivers are not allowed to enter any attractions with you. Why? It is simply Italian government bureaucracy. Information about these attractions is to be provided to you before entering them.
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Below are the names of the hotels where we commonly have our customers stay. Note this is subject to availability.
Nights 1-2: Trapani, Preferred Accommodation: Residence la Gancia
Night 3: Palermo, Preferred Accommodation: Grand Hotel Wagner or Family Affair
Night 4: Agrigento, Preferred Accommodation: Colleverde Park Hotel
Night 5: Syracuse, Preferred Accommodation: Grand Hotel Ortigia or Palazzo Salomone
Night 6: Catania, Preferred Accommodation: B&B Suite 35
Night 7: Taormina, Preferred Accommodation: NH Collection
Nights 8-9: Milazzo, Preferred Accommodation: Eolian Milazzo Hotel or Manzoni 46- Ospitalità Siciliana *Note that ‘Night 9’ is spent instead in Cefalu when customers visit Lipari Island and Vulcano Island rather than Panarea Island and Stromboli Island on ‘Day 9’.
Night 10: Cefalu, Preferred Accommodation: Sea Palace or Sunset Hotel
Night 11: Palermo, Preferred Accommodation: Grand Hotel Wagner or Family Affair
The daytrip to Mount Etna and the boat daytrips to the Aegadian Islands and the Aeolian Islands are shared with other travelers. The rest of this tour is exclusive to you and whomever else you may book on behalf of. Note we cannot guarantee our tour guide specifically at Mount Etna will speak English.
Your room is exclusive to you and whomever is in your party. Strangers (meaning customers who book on the same start date but do not know each other) do not share rooms on this tour. On a side note, please let us know if you and the other person(s) in your booking want separate rooms.
Although we get customers of all ages and from several countries, our statistics show most people who book are 30 to 65 years old and from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
We welcome your kids specifically and only when the tour is exclusive to you and your group-meaning other customers are not joining you. We define kids as anyone under 18 years old. In order to make the tour exclusive to you and your group, your booking would need to be for 4 persons or more for any of our tours except Iceland. For our Iceland tour, your booking would need to be for 8 persons or more. Regarding the cost of bringing a non-adult, we do deduct from the total based on the amount of activities you request we remove from the tour. Note that reducing the total price of the tour by removing activities is something offered for non-adults only. Adults can opt out of activities but the total price does not change.
We do not expect you to be an Olympic champion. We know some of the tour members are more fit than others…and we are well prepared for this. However, we do hope you take into consideration this is a very active tour, just like every other tour we offer.
Please let us know about any disability you have. Some disabilities would not affect you taking this tour. Others would prevent you from joining altogether. Although we want all of our customers to have fun, your safety is our first priority.
Of course. Once each day’s tour is over, you have the rest of the evening to yourself. Because our tours tend to be very active, our customers typically want to simply relax once the sun sets.
Notify us as soon as possible and we will do our very best to arrange a meeting point. Please note that we do not refund for any days or activities that you miss.
Generally speaking, you can opt out as long as we are given adequate notice. Please note that opting out of certain activities does not reduce the price of this tour.
We would do our best to keep you safe and make you as comfortable as possible, as well as make special arrangements to address your situation. Partial refunds are not offered if you cannot continue with the tour. However, most travel insurances reimburse you for such situations. This is one of many reasons why we require our customers to purchase travel insurance before taking this tour.
To confirm your tour, full payment is needed at the time of your purchase. However, refunds are offered. You will receive a full refund if canceling at least 91 days in advance from the departure date. Cancelling between 90-60 days prior to departure entitles you to a 50 percent refund. Cancelling between 59-31 days prior to departure entitles you to a 25 percent refund. Canceling 30 days or less prior to departure is not eligible for a refund. Cancellation requests need to be made by email and become effective on the date received by CharlieTheTraveler.
In the unlikely event CharlieTheTraveler needs to cancel this trip, such as because of very poor weather conditions, we will give you a full refund for the tour within 14 business days of the cancellation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What’s Included in the Price?y
All lodging, internal transportation, breakfast, some lunches (only if specified), entry fees and local tour guides.
What’s Not Included in the Price?
International flights, some lunches, dinners, alcohol, travel insurance and visas.
*Note that we would be happy to assist you in finding international airfare upon request.
At What Specific Hotels Would We Be Staying?
We wouldn’t choose places we would not have our own mothers stay at. We realize that staying at a substandard establishment can really damage the overall experience-and we make sure to avoid this at all costs. The establishments we choose all have air conditioning and private bathrooms and are as safe and clean as can be. Why can’t we tell you the names of the establishments now? Our options may change based on the size of our group. It isn’t until we have the final count of tour members for this trip could we finalize all accommodation bookings. Once all finalized, we would let you know promptly via email.
Am I Sharing the Room with Someone?
Prices are based on two persons per room, same gender. If you wish to stay in the room with another tour member (such as a family member or friend), then you and this person both need to make a request by emailing us and letting us know. If you need to have your own room, then please let us know and email us as soon as possible. Note that we cannot guarantee these hotels would have vacancy. Also note there is an additional fee for a private room.
What is the Size of the Group & Where is Everyone From?
Although we welcome people from all around the world, our customers reside mostly in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, USA or Canada. As for the size of the group, usually it is between 4 and 25 persons.
Are Kids Allowed on This Tour?
You must be at least 18 years old to join our tour.
Do I Get Any Free Time Away From the Group?
Of course. For the most part, you can wonder off as long as you are back on the boat/bus by the agreed upon time. You also have a lot of free time typically after 6:00pm.
What Happens If I Arrive Late?
Notify us as soon as possible and we will do our very best to arrange a meeting point. Please note that we do not refund for any days or activities that you miss.
Can I Opt-Out of Certain Activities?
Generally speaking, you can opt-out, as long as we are given adequate notice.
How Strong Do I Need to Be For This Trip?
We do not expect you to be an Olympic champion. We know some of the tour members are more fit than others…and we are well prepared for this. If you have any kind of disability, please let us know as soon as possible.
What Happens If I Get Injured on This Trip & Cannot Continue?
We would do our best to keep you safe and make you as comfortable as possible, as well as make special arrangements to address your situation. We treat our members like ‘family members’, not just another head to count while doing the group tour.
What Happens If I Cancel This Trip?
To confirm your tour, full payment is needed at the time of your purchase. However, refunds are offered. You will receive a full refund if canceling at least 91 days in advance from the departure date. Cancelling between 90-60 days prior to departure entitles you to a 50 percent refund. Cancelling between 59-31 days prior to departure entitles you to a 25 percent refund. Canceling 30 days or less prior to departure is not eligible for a refund. Cancellation requests need to be made by email and become effective on the date received by CharlieTheTraveler.
What Happens If You, CharlieTheTraveler, Cancel This Trip?
In the unlikely event CharlieTheTraveler needs to cancel this trip, such as because of an unforeseen emergency, we will give you a full refund for the tour within 14 business days of the cancellation.
Note: We are not a participant in the California Travel Consumer Restitution Fund, nor is this transaction covered by the Restitution Fund.
Are You Licensed & Which State in America Issued it?
Absolutely I am licensed. I am a California born and bred resident and American citizen. My registration number is CST 2136740-70. My company is registered at PO Box 1578 Whittier, California 90609. Note: Travel agents registered as a seller of travel in California does not constitute approval by the State.
Also note: California law requires sellers of travel to have a trust account or bond. CharlieTheTraveler has a trust account.
How Do You Help Prepare Us For This Trip?
You should receive an email from us within 24 hours of purchasing this tour as well as a week before departure. The first email gives details about what to bring, how to prepare yourself, etc. The second email gives details mostly about the hotels.
Bring a lockable waterproof backpack (to bring onto the boat), a waterproof case for your identification card and credit cards (when swimming) and water shoes. On a different note, you may need to bring adapters for your electronic devices.
Our tour guides/drivers are licensed, speak English and know how to bring excitement to your day. What we deliver is the complete opposite of the cookie-cutting tours the big corporations offer, leaving you in complete boredom. Although our tour guides/drivers are attentive, accommodating and engaged, they also know when to give you your private space and free time. It's a perfect balance.
All of our tours are offered in English. If you prefer another language, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Absolutely not. We make the arrangements for you.
Yes! You have your own concierge for this tour who is at your disposal. You could reach this person when you need anything.
Please visit CharlieTheTraveler.com/Tours-Terms-and-Conditions
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