But, for me since I really really like history and I'm interested in preventing future wars, I liked the WWII museum in Catania. The WW2 museum on the Sicily campaign was very well done. It was quite an excursion and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. ▲▲ Ragusa The finest of southeast Sicily's picturesque hill towns, with higgledy-piggledy stone homes blanketing two adjacent hilltops. Off in one direction was Mount Etna with a slow ash stream spiraling up. A stunning setting for brilliant mosaics on an unimaginable scale. And also staying where you could see them lit up at night, very cool". More experiences such as food, views, and history rather than rushing and waiting in long lines seeing "MUST INSTAGRAM" sights. The logistics (buses, taxis, hotels, meals, etc) were handled professionally. Join us for the Best of Sicily in 11 Days! My 5TH trip to la Sicilia, birthplace of my grandparents. She has the perfect personality to make an excellent guide. The local guides were very good; Michele was outstanding. The accommodations were very diverse, clean, good breakfasts, friendly desk staff. "My favorite "wow"moment was The Valley of the Temples. We had plenty of "free" time to create our own side excursions and explore places not on the main tour. Hopefully, we'll be driving around Sicily during May, 2021. ), the history of Siracusa (Archimedes and Pericles! "An event that may have been spontaneous was a stop near the farm market in Nicolosi's square. "There were so many. For me, it was the Casabianca Lentini farm. Rick Steves Sicily (English Edition) DK Eyewitness Sicily (Travel Guide) (English Edition) Berlitz Pocket Guide Sardinia (Travel Guide eBook) (Berlitz Pocket Guides) (English Edition) Hallo Kluger Mond und Schlaue Feder: Unterrichtswerk zur Früherziehung. Our tour guide Virginia was helpful, knowledgeable, and entertaining. Easy walk across the short bridges to Siracusa. Sleep in Taormina. Sicily was particulary interesting in that every place was so different. the group lunch afterwards Create custom playlists with more than 400 educational clips featuring the best of European history, art, culture, and experiences (plus topics beyond Europe) . Our guide, Virginia, did a great job leading us as well as explaining a variety of aspects of life in Sicily. Think about pushing it more as an option for folks free time. "The Roman mosaic-laden hunting lodge was the biggest WOW for me. His knowledge and passion for his country I didn't feel like a tourist but an awestruck traveler who was so grateful to have had this experience. Lunch and diners were great since they reflected local cuisine and crops. Every day had a "wow" that was worthy of being the highlight of the entire trip. She is a wealth of knowledge. The cultural experiences with the Contessa in Palermo and the Baroness in Argigento were also highlights worth mentioning!". This was my first RST and I joined a friend who had been on several. Maybe the "wow"moment as a group was touring the Etna vineyard- it was stunningly beautiful. the group dinner at Agrigento. "Noting all the "no mafia" symbols in Palermo.". The wine was really good at the winery( i bought 3 cases). Sicily is beautiful and David is an excellent guide..his knowledge of history and the country were outstanding. "I think the visit to the Palatine Chapel was my favorite moment.". Tour members were pleasant, friendly and easy to get on with. I had been on one with 40+ people and the smaller size allowed us to get to know everyone. The people are welcoming and very vibrant in their approach to life. We had a wonderful time. While touring Sicily by car is a smart, efficient approach for travelers, the timid and the uninitiated may find it challenging. "The mosaics in all of the churches were just breath-taking. Excellent organization, excellent guide, very good local guides, very good hotel selections. Any way you slice it, you'll have a ringside seat to savor Il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing), Sicilian style. A thousand years ago, after Sicily was conquered by the Arabs in the ninth century, Palermo was one of Europe’s leading cities. Our guide, Alfio, had everything well planned out from the Welome Meeting to the final dinner. Etna put on a small show as we drove away which was awesome. "Only one??? "I was most impressed by the temple and theater in the Segesta area. There was a good mix of activities from food and wine, to the many layers of history, to the current state of volcanic activity on Mount Etna. Sicily we had 11 days which was a decent amount of time, although 2-3 weeks would be better and I am planning to go back. First RS tour and a great experience I would recommend. Our very first Rick Steve's tour couldn't have been better! Rick Steves Sicily. We enjoyed our guide, Jamie, very much. I was impressed with the itinerary of the Sicily tour. "Definitely Taormina. While book signing, she graciously shared (I in broken-Italian) our connection with cookbook author Maria Taylor Semetti. As usual, the tour members were very pleasant fellow travelers, and we had a great time. "Everyday I woke up and saw the beauty and history that surrounded me was a wow moment!". It was a lot of fun.". This was my 8th Rick Steves Tour over a 20 year period. I would change somethings about this tour, such as adding more time in some places and less in others. "No particular "wow" moment, but everyday offered something unique. We were lucky (again) to have an outstanding guide in David. Overall the tour was very well organized. "It was a personal moment--visiting Erice and Trapani because that's where my grandparents immigrated from.". It should help you in deciding what towns to visit. They guides were incredible! I appreciated the Sicilians The churches and cathedrals, the ancient ruins, the views from Etna and Taormina. Mount Aetna was certainly very memorable.". More Buying Choices $10.63 (48 used & new offers) It was wonderful, we enjoyed it very, very much. Several had spectacular rooftop view for drinks or dinner , much appreciated. I would recommend this tour and this guide to almost anyone. The trip was fantastic. "Each day provided a new "wow" experience whether it was visiting the Monreale Cathedral, cooking class in Erice, the salt pans of Trapani, the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento, Roman Mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale, activity of Mt Etna volano, and the Greek theater of hill town of Taormina. Particularly the fact that Sicily feels off the tourist trail and seemed to offer more genuine cultural experiences than the rest of Europe. 425-608-4217, from $2,495 Travel companions were great. Meeting people is always a plus!". "There were so many. I knew the trip would be outstanding based on how great the Rick Steve Basque Country trip was, but there was so much to see and do every day.Our guide, Jamie, was absolutely amazing at connecting it all - the history, food and people - that we really felt like we had an insider's view into Sicily. I'm really glad we got to see it. Loved all the places we visited. Its ridge is lined with temples — once a religious ensemble serving your every need. After traveling to Turkey, India, and Morocco recently we had hoped Sicily would be much more concerned and progressive about plastic and rubbish strewn everywhere. She's a character! The Greek theater at Taormina was also impressive.". Virginia, our guide, was detailed, and stuck to the schedule. Bus: 3 hours. The knowledge of the local guides was most impressive. "There were a number - the baroness visit in Palermo, the farm outside of Catania. It brought local talent to the stage and it was great to see and listen to these stars. Here's what you'll see and do on our Best of Sicily tour: Group sightseeing events subject to change. Waking up to see snow on Mount Aetna is another wow moment. "I loved the Church of St.Peter and St.Paul in Ortigia... being able to actually walk through an actual Greek temple (now a church), and actually touch the Greek columns was an incredible experience.". Get it as soon as Tue, Dec 15. Felt very confident in the trip planning with all the good information that came from Rick Steve's organization. It helped me envision the scale of theTemple of Olympian Zeus and the magnitude of the Greeks contribution to this island.". He embraces all the good things-travel, music, food, and witty company. made this one of the best trips we have taken. Very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and an excellent leader. "MonReale was amazing. It was very nice to have some group tours, but time to explore on our own. "Three group evening meals were spectacular. The places we went and stayed were great, with the exception of the hotel in Catania. Band 3. Sicily is beautiful! also Taormina was a delight..Add to that the Cathedral in Monreale.". Followed by an incredible Sicilian lunch prepared for all of us. There was a group inside worshiping and she asked us for a moment of silence in respect. The tour was very well organized and had the usual mixture of interesting sites to visit and things to learn about. The itinerary was packed and perhaps a little more free time to explore would have been nice. It was moving to end with a visit to the World War II museum. However we are a bit older than our 1st tour so a little worried as to whether we could handle a tour that billed itself as most strenuous. ", "Two: the Valley of the Temples (and museum), and Monreale.". This is layered on top of the realization that people had walked this area (and maybe picnicked on this spot) over 2,500 years ago.". After we check into our hotel, we'll take a neighborhood orientation walk. Loved the pastry making in Erice and the wonderful lunch that followed. Our first Rick Steves Tour, it will likely not be our last. Character limit constrains me! Every culture in the Mediterranean at some point was involved with Sicily. "Ancient Agrigento, hands down. "I didn't feel like I had a "wow" moment but I did enjoy meeting Maria and participating in the cookie making.". Sleep in Palermo. **The Contessa visit @ Palazzo Federico was interesting but should be shortened - dragged on a bit and everyone was hungry and/or tired since this was our first day. At no time did I feel unsafe or lost. "Watching Mt. The mix of tour activities and free time was about right; I didn't feel like we were being "herded" nor ignored. Jamie was outstanding. I recently spent three weeks driving 800 miles around Sicily (working on our new Rick Steves Sicily guidebook, available now).And let me tell you, that’s no easy task. Only suggestion would be to put where they lived. I consider myself sharp on most of the subject areas and he knows his material. Paperback $12.49 $ 12. Also, the mosaics we saw at Villa Romana Del Casale were amazing. ▲▲ Agrigento Town on the southern coast, that's home to Sicily's premier ancient attraction: the Greek ruins at the Valley of the Temples, with a fine archaeological museum nearby. Taormina is in a class by itself in the world. I set out with the intention of leaping out of my comfort zone and this tour allowed me to do that. There were several times and places that places.". Our guide Karen was Great and really helped us understand the Sicilian Jamie was a terrific, knowledgeable guide (and after dinner debater). Another incredible Rick Steves tour for us; our 9th! by Rick Steves and Sarah Murdoch and Alfio Di Mauro | Apr 16, 2019. "Too many to list. We'll tour the cathedral's interior of glittering, golden mosaics as well as the story-telling columns of the cloister. This was my first trip to Sicily. Sadly my wow moment was a big disappointment in seeing all the garbage along the highways, in the ditches, in parking lots, and on the streets. "Polpo bollito at Palermo market, buffet and pastry lesson at Marie Grammatico's, wine-tasting on Aetna, Contessa's home tour, Alberto's presentation at the Museo della Sal, Valley of Temples guided walk (exceptional guide), pizza lesson and dinner with Corado in Taormina, boat ride and Caravagigo's "Burial of St Lucy in Ortygia . Virginia was great. This morning we'll tour Taormina's remarkably situated ancient Greek theater, which is still used today for open-air performances. "So many good experiences that it's hard to pick out a single moment. . I especially appreciated his flexibility in managing our schedule to allow us to visit Mt. 2Maria Grammatico lunch followed by cooking demo. We had a great group of 28 people. So many.". "I think Syracuse and Mount Eta were the favourites.". "Night time terrace view of the the Concordia temple from the hotel in Agrigento.". Spending two nights at all the stops except one made the time spent on the bus reasonable. And the food/wine along the way!". In Sicily, I really got a great lesson in Ancient History. Her knowledge and enthusiasm made everyday fun with unexpected surprises along the way. But from the first glimpse of the mountains from the plane, I knew this was going to be a special trip. Alfio, the tour guide, served as the maestro conducting this symphony of experiences. Etna, and casually said you can go out on the deck of the hotel when it gets dark and see Mt. Many large Greek temple ruins. Our guide Karin was so incredible! 1. It was very much a dialogue rather than a lecture. The war museum near catania was very well done.". "there were many wows in this tour: bakery class in Erice, lunch on Mozia Island, the mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale and the terrace view at the Hotel Continental in Taormina.". 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