Itinerary Highlights
    • Dig deep into ancient history in Syracuse

    • Explore Taormina, a town with epic views of brooding Mount Etna

    • Sip endless espressos, Sicilian style and enjoy the region’s signature dishes

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It doesn’t take long to see why Sicily is one of the most popular and beautiful European destinations. It takes even less time to understand why its coastal towns of Syracuse and Taormina are so special. Encapsulating the island’s timeless beauty, Syracuse was once the largest city in the ancient world. Now a celebration of times forgotten, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the baroque beauty on foot on this five-day break. Unpeel layers of Ancient Greek history at its archaeological sites, which rise out of charming citrus groves and defend the city from the crashing waves of the Mediterranean. In Taormina, Greek and Roman ruins pave the way past picture-perfect views of the mighty Mount Etna,
to charming gothic piazza-side restaurants, where you can dine on Sicilian specials (like arancini) and toast this Big Short Break with a refreshing glass of Grillo.

Route

Everything is 100% tailored to you
DAY 1

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

Your flight to Catania will leave the UK today and land in Sicily around three hours later. Once you’ve collected your bags, you can pick up the keys to your hire car and make the hour-long drive down the coast to Syracuse. Upon arrival, drop your bags in your hotel room and head out for your first Sicilian meal. Our detailed destination Dossier is full of our favourite places to eat, and our impeccable local Concierge is also on the end of the phone (or WhatsApp) to recommend a few off-the-beaten-path local haunts.

DAY 2

SYRACUSE CITY TOUR

This morning your expert local guide will meet you at your hotel for a private walking tour of the city. Together you will trace the city back to its origins in 734 BC, when it was colonised by the Corinthians. Once upon a time, it was the largest city in the ancient world and you will peel back the layers of time to discover what life was like three thousand years ago, before moving onto the city's baroque period, when much of what stands there today was built.

DAY 3

TAORMINA

After a lazy start to the day, you will set off on the hour-and-a-half drive north to Taormina. Once you arrive at your hotel, we recommend settling in for an afternoon lazing by the pool. Come evening, indulge in that most Italian of pastimes, the passeggiata (evening stroll) around town. Make sure to swing by the ancient Greek-era amphitheatre, with its picture-perfect framed views of Mount Etna in the distance. Again, our local Concierge can recommend the perfect spot for supper, whether you want fine dining or something more low key.

DAY 4

TAORMINA TOUR

This morning you will meet your expert local guide at your hotel for a private tour of Taormina. Explore the mountainside city's ancient Greek and Roman ruins, as well as the Norman buildings, a perfect architectural evocation of Sicily's long and complex history. In more recent times, the town became popular among northern Europeans who rediscovered it during the era of the Grand Tour. You will wander past cafes and bars where Goethe and D. H. Lawrence drank, while soaking up the Gothic architecture. After your tour we recommend sitting in a piazza-side cafe and people watching for the afternoon.

DAY 5

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

After breakfast this morning you will make your way to the nearby city of Catania, in good time to drop your car off and check-in for your three-and-a-half-hour flight back to the UK.

A Rough Idea of Price

Dependent on season, accommodation and activities
The cost for this trip starts from £1,225 per person. The final cost of the trip depends on the way we tailor it especially for you. The final cost varies according to several factors, which include the level of service, length of trip and advance booking time. The exact price will be provided on your personalised quote. The average starting price for this trip is £1,565 per person.
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