sicily

Sicily Carousel and Aeolian Islands Tour 2026

Small Group/Partially Guided

Tour Details

Tour Type: Small Group Tour up to 20 people

Language: Exclusively in English

Duration: 12 Days / 11 Nights

Departure Dates Summer 2026:

  • From Catania on Saturdays
  • Sicily is fully escorted and Aeolian islands is an independent stay
LOW SEASON (LS) HIGH SEASON (HS)
May – 2nd, 9th, 16th May – 23rd, 30th
October – 3rd, 10th, 17th Jun – 13th, 20th
Aug – 29th
Sep – 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th

Rates:

Rate per Person Low Season High Season
In Double Room $5099.00 AUD PP $6199.00 AUD PP
Single Supplement $1260.00

Hotels:

  • Catania – Katane hotel 4**** or similar
  • Ragusa – Poggio Del Sole Resort 4**** or similar
  • Marsala – Baglio Donna franca Wine resort or similar
  • Palermo – Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa 4**** or similar
  • Taormina – Hotel Splendid 4****
  • Taormina – Hotel Caparena 4**** or similar
  • Lipari – Gattopardo 4**** or similar

Optional Supplements:

  • We recommend upgrading to include the local guide for the boat excursion which is $699.00AUD
  • Lipari transfer Hotel/Port/Hotel $59.00AUD per person each way
  • Cooking Class in Lipari $333.00AUD per person
  • Sunset wine tasting in Lipari $145.00 per person
  • Walking tour in Catania $200.00

 

Rate Includes:

  • 11 nights’ accommodation in 4* hotels
  • Welcome drink on day 1
  • Board in Hotel: 3 Dinners (Catania on day1; Ragusa on day 3) and 11 Breakfasts at Hotel
  • Mineral water (1/2 per person) at meals in hotel
  • 1 Street food lunch in Siracusa including a glass of wine
  • 1 light lunch on the way to Monreale (day 5)
  • Cheese & sicilian products tasting/ light lunch in Ragusa including water and a glass of wine
  • Almond pastries tasting in Erice
  • Visit of a cellar and Wine tasting/ light dinner in Marsala
  • Visit of a cellar and wine tasting on Mount Etna
  • Shared boat minicruises from Lipari to Panarea and Stromboli and to Salina (no guide included -see suppl.)
  • Taxi Tour of Lipari
  • Transfer by hydrofoil Milazzo Harbour/Lipari RT
  • Transfer by minivan from Lipari Harbour/Hotel RT
  • Transfer by minivan Taormina/Milazzo (on day 5) and Milazzo/Catania-Hotel (on day 8)
  • Transportation de Luxe motor coach* with Wi-Fi
    • a minivan with English Speaking driver, not equipped with wifi, will be provided if the
      number of participants is equal to or less than eight
  • English speaking Tour Escort* (excluded Aeolian Islands)
  • Local Guides where necessary
  • Whispers Kit (for group with more than 10 passengers)
  • Porterage at hotels (excluded Aeolian Islands)
  • Staff assistance
  • Entrance fees

Rate Does Not Include:

  • Transfers in/out
  • City Tax: to be paid directly at the Hotel.
  • Beverages (excluded water at meals in the Hotels)
  • Everything which is not clearly specified under” rate includes”

Cancellation Fees:

  • 100 % penalty from 2 days before and NO SHOW
  • 80 % penalty from 3 to 7 days before the Tour
  • 40 % from 8 to 14 days before the beginning of the Tour
  • 20 % from 15 to 30 days before the beginning of the Tour

***Please note that the Aeolian Islands are subject to tides and winds, so plans may change depending on weather conditions.


 

Highlights:

  • A unique blend of escorted tour in Sicily and independent stay in Lipari with two boat excursions
  • The only regular tour of Sicily, staying two nights in Taormina city centre
  • Small groups up to 20 people
  • Exclusively in English
  • Visit to the one of main historical market of the island to have a full immersion in the “Authentic Sicilian life
  • Free time at disposal for shopping or to enjoy a walk
  • Charming Hotels located in the historical centre of the main sicilian towns, an Exclusive Resort with swimming pool and spa and a Wine resort in the Marsala countryside.
  • Visit of the Main Sicilian UNESCO SITES: (The late Baroque towns of the “Val di Noto”: Ragusa, Siracusa, Valley of Temples, Etna volcan, the Arab- Norman Palermo itinerary and the Cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù)

Typical Sicilian Experiences:

  • Visit of the fish market in Catania
  • Cheese and sicilian specialties tasting/light lunch in Ragusa
  • Wine tasting/ light dinner at sunset Experience in Marsala
  • Traditional almond pastries tasting in Erice
  • Typical Street Food (light lunch) in Siracusa
  • Visit of a typical winery on Mt. Etna and wine tasting
  • Discover four Aeolian islands: Lipari, Salina, Panarea and Stromboli

Independent arrival at hotel in Catania, accommodation.

Welcome drink and dinner at hotel and overnight.

After a buffet breakfast, departure to Syracuse: visit the World Heritage Site “Neapolis”. The visit of this archaeological area includes the famous Greek theatre, the Roman Amphitheatre, the Latomie of Paradise and the “Dyionisios Ear”.

Continue to the island of Ortigia, the small baroque old city centre of Siracusa; Visit of the beautiful Cathedral, which is built upon the site of the Doric Temple of Minerva, the legendary Arethusa’s Fountain, and the Temple of Apollo. We will enjoy a “street food” light lunch in the centre of Ortigia.

Afternoon at disposal to stroll through the streets of the centre and for shopping. Return to your hotel in Catania. Free evening at your disposal to experience the city and its nightlife and to dine in one of the typical restaurants in the city centre.

Overnight.

After a buffet breakfast, departure for a nice walk in Catania, stroll through the city centre and visit the famous fish market “A PISCARIA”, one of the largest fish markets in Sicily. As old as the city itself, it’s a great way to experience the abundant fishing and seafood culture of Sicily, with a very special and authentic atmosphere.

Depart to Ragusa, renowned for its cheese production; Stop for a tasting of artisan cheeses and sicilian specialties (light lunch). We will enjoy an enchanting panoramic tour of the historical centre “Ibla” by the “Baroque train”. We’ll admire its stunning baroque palaces and churches; together with other seven cities in the Val di Noto, Ragusa is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We will continue to the reserved hotel.

Free time at disposal to relax at the swimming pool or at the Spa.

Dinner in hotel and Overnight

After a buffet breakfast, departure to Agrigento, a hillside town famous for its magnificent Valley of the Temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; visit of the Valley, including the Temple of Concordia, which is in almost perfectly preserved condition, the temples of Juno and Heracles. Free time at disposal for lunch. In the afternoon we’ll proceed to Marsala a city on the western coast famous for its production of sweet Sicilian wine.

Arrival at Baglio Donnafranca, a perfectly restored nineteenth-century baglio, in the Marsala countryside, on the hills in front of the the Egadi Islands. The baglio was a property of Florio family. Here we will have the opportunity to visit the cellar and learn all about winemaking. At the end of the tour, we wil enjoy a wine tasting and light dinner at susnset.

Overnight.

After a buffet breakfast, departure to Erice, via the spectacular “Salt Route”, a road flanked by the salt pans, windmills, and the “salt houses” where they still extract the sea salt as the Phoenicians.

Arrival in Erice, on the top of a hill overlooking the Trapani and the Egadi Islands: walk through its tiny and characteristic streets, the winding lanes and, inner courtyards and stop for biscuit tasting.

Departure to Monreale, light lunch with local specialties on the way. Arrival in Monreale, situated on a hill, few kms far from Palermo in panoramic position. Visit of the Cathedral, one of the most beautiful monuments in the world with its Moorish architecture, housing very fine mosaics representing a complete cycle of the Old and New Testaments in Arab-Norman style. Proceed to Palermo.

Accomodation at hotel and free time at disposal for shopping and dinner.

Overnight.

After a buffet breakfast walking tour of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. We will start our visit by walking along Corso Vittorio Emanuele to reach “I Quattro Canti di Città” Piazza Pretoria, Piazza Bellini. We will visit the Cathedral, one of the most important architectural monuments. We will then reach one of the most famous and historical markets of Palermo to experience the authenticity of this wonderful and colourful city.

Continue to Cefalù, a former fishing village, now a charming coastal town. Enjoy a walk to the city centre and down main street to reach the Arab-Norman Cathedral and the medieval washhouse built in the rock.

Free time at disposal to explore the town and shopping. Lunch on your own. Proceed to Taormina through the coastal road passing through Messina from where we’ll have the chance to admire the suggestive scenery of the Strait of Messina. Accomodation at your hotel and free time at disposal for dinner.

Overnight.

After a buffet breakfast, excursion to Mount Etna, the highest active Volcano in Europe. We will reach a height of 1800 metres to visit the Sylvester Craters where we’ll enjoy a spectacular panorama over the Ionian Sea. Stop at a local winery on the eastern slopes of Etna and visit a prestigious cellar. We will have the opportunity to taste different local wines accompanied by local cheese and cold cuts.

In the afternoon back to Taormina, charming city called “the pearl of the Ionian Sea”: enjoy time at leisure for shopping or walking through its tiny streets. Possibility to visit the Greek Roman Theatre on your own.

Free time for dinner and overnight.

After buffet breakfast, departure -without guide- to Milazzo. Boarding at the port of Milazzo for Lipari by hydrofoil. Arrival on the island of Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian archipelago. Transfer to the hotel and free time to visit the delightful village of Lipari.

Lunch on your own; in the afternoon, taxi tour of the island of Lipari.

Free time for dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After a buffet breakfast, morning at disposal and lunch at your own. Late in the morning departure by boat to Panarea and Stromboli. First stop in Panarea where it will be possible to visit the small village with a pleasant walk along the streets among the white Aeolian-style houses.

Then continue with the boat to Stromboli, the island, defined as the wildest island because it seems to preserve its bond with nature and with the volcano, called by the locals “Iddu”; free tme to visit.

Once back on the boat, you will continue until you reach the “Sciara del fuoco”, a ridge of the crater from where the lava descends. From the boat it will also be possible to witness the evocative eruptions of the volcano that follow one another with intervals of about fifteen minutes.

Return to Lipari in the evening and overnight.

After a buffet breakfast in hotel, departure by boat to Salina.

After a stop in the center of S. Marina, continue by boat to circumnavigate the island, swim in Pollara, the beach of the famous film “Il Postino”.

Free time for lunch.

Continue to Lingua where there is a Salt Lake from where salt was extracted in ancient times (hence the name of the island). Return to Lipari in the afternoon. Free time at disposal for shopping and dinner.

Overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the port of Lipari, and boarding on the hydrofoil for Milazzo.

Transfer to Catania, arrival at the hotel and accommodation.

Lunch and dinner on your own; afternoon at your disposal in Catania.

Overnight in Hotel

After buffet breakfast, end of the Tour

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