Sicily Hotels & Resorts

Add a touch of adventure to your Sicily holiday with a scenic walk up part of towering Mount Etna. Etna is Europe’s highest volcano, standing 3350 metres high, and it has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013. Your trek will begin at Rifugio Sapienza, the guardhouse at the base of Mount Etna located 1900 metres above sea level. From here, you’ll head off on a soft trek to see the most recent lava flows and the now-extinct impressive Silvestri craters.

• Duration: half day
• Start time: 8.30am
• Departing Monday and Friday from Taormina
• Departs year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Transfers are not included – trekkers will make their own way to the Taormina Bus Terminal. We recommend bringing warm clothing and suitable shoes. This soft trek may be too challenging for younger children. This experience is on a request basis and is subject to itinerary and operating schedule changes that are outside of our control.

The city of Syracuse showcases Sicily’s timeless beauty – prepare to feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you explore some astounding historical sights. This ancient Greek colony was once the largest city of the ancient world and today it is thoroughly deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage status. We’ll take you to archaeological areas dating back to the 5th Century BC, including the Greek Theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Altar of Hieron II and the Latomies of Paradise with the Ear of Dionysius. Then we’ll head to the historical centre: the small island of Ortigia, where sights such as the Temple of Apollo, the Cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa with its famous papyrus plant await.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 8am
• Departing on Tuesday from Taormina
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Lunch and transfers are not included – guests will make their own way to the Taormina Bus Terminal. Entrance fees are at extra cost (free for EU citizens under 18 with proof of ID).

Get a better understanding of authentic Sicilian cuisine and learn how to cook like a local. Your cooking experience will begin with a trip to a market in Taormina to buy the fresh ingredients that are staples of Sicilian cooking. You’ll then head to a local restaurant, where the chef will talk you through the recipes before you start to prepare your hand-made pasta and other traditional dishes. Once your meals are ready, you can tuck into your creations and toast your achievements with a wine tasting session.

• Duration: half day
• Start time: 10am
• Departing Monday to Saturday from Port Messina Arch
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Transfers are not included – you will need to make their own way to the Port Messina Arch.

Sicily has a pizza style all of its own; even if you’ve made pizza before, you’ll be in for a treat at this pizza-making class. First, you’ll learn the secret of how to make a great pizza sauce before creating ideas for fun toppings and baking your pizzas to perfection. Enjoy your pizza with a Bruschetta mix, washed down with a glass of delicious local wine.

• Duration: half day
• Start time: 10.30am • Departing daily from Port Messina Arch
• Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
Transfers are not included – guests will make their own way to the Port Messina Arch.

Explore Europe’s highest volcano on this private guided trekking and train ride adventure up towering Mount Etna. Mount Etna stands 3350 metres high and has been a designated UNESCO World Heritage site since 2013. Your trek will begin at Rifugio Sapienza, the guardhouse at the base of Mount Etna located 1900 metres above sea level. From here, you’ll head off on a soft trek to see the most recent lava flows and the now-extinct impressive Silvestri craters. Alternatively, there's the option to ascend to the main craters at 2900 metres above sea level. A tasting and light lunch at a local winery is also included.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 9am
• Departing daily
• Operates April to October
• Private experience

Good to know
We strongly recommend warm clothing and suitable shoes.

This is the ultimate Sicilian experience for movie buffs; follow in the footsteps of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino to the movie locations made famous by Francis Ford Coppola’s epic movie The Godfather. Plus, a private car and driver means you’ll have the freedom to choose how long you spend in each traditional Sicilian town. In Savoca, you can drink coffee in Bar Vitelli: the same bar where Michael Corleone asked Apollonia to marry him, then wander through the narrow streets to the church of Santa Lucia, where their wedding scene was filmed. While you’re here, it’s worth also visiting the Monastero dei Cappuccini to see the crypt that houses mummified bodies of Savoca’s monks and nobles. In the village of Forza d’Agrò, visit the beautiful little Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul. Within the narrow alleyways of this medieval centre, all is quiet and time seems to stand still. This is precisely the atmosphere that inspired Francis Ford Coppola to shoot some of the scenes for his iconic movie here, as daily life continues behind closed doors.

• Duration: half day (morning or afternoon)
• Departing daily
• Operates April to October
• Private experience

Good to know
Entrance fees are not included. You’ll have a private car and driver for a maximum of eight hours.