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Journey south down Sicily’s eastern coast and marvel at the abundant cultural, natural and historical gems of the Mediterranean’s largest island

Explore Sicily, the Mediterranean's largest island, where sprawling olive and citrus groves meet verdant pine forests and red volcanic cliffs against the breathtaking backdrop of snow-capped Mount Etna.

Beyond its heavenly natural beauty, Sicily boasts a variety of ancient Roman and Greek ruins alongside exquisite Baroque palazzos and excellent restaurants which dish up the finest of Italian cuisine, with abundant fresh seafood from the surrounding Mediterranean Sea.

On this eight-day adventure specially designed for solo travellers, you'll see some of the island's most incredible sights and historic gems with the company of an expert tour manager.

Your journey begins with a visit to Agrigento's Valley of the Temples, a renowned archaeological wonder housing the remarkably preserved Temple of Concordia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You'll then make your way along the island's easter coastline to Ragusa, a pretty hilltop city with an old town and a new town sitting on adjacent hills, Noto, a town which appears to glow gold in the sun due to its limestone buildings, and Siracusa, where you'll discover the beautiful island old town of Ortigia.

A highlight will be three nights in Taormina, one of Sicily's most stylish towns, perched on a hilltop close to Mount Etna. Sicily's crowning glory and the highest volcano in Europe, Mount Etna is a fascinating natural monument, and you'll wind up through its foothills admiring its otherworldly landscapes.

Throughout the trip, you'll be staying at carefully chosen four-star hotels, two with an outdoor swimming pool, and all with excellent dining facilities where you'll enjoy breakfast and dinner each day with your fellow travellers.

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Price includes

  • Seven nights' accommodation
  • Two nights at the four-star Hotel Baia di Ulisse
  • Two nights at the four-star Hotel Mercure Siracusa
  • Three nights at the Albatros Hotel
  • Daily breakfast and dinner
  • See the historic sights of Syracuse and explore Ortygia with a local guide
  • Visit Noto, a town completely rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake
  • Guided visit to Valley of the Temples in Agrigento
  • Follow a local guide through the charming old town of Ragusa
  • Guided visit to Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina
  • Explore elegant Taormina
  • Wine tasting and pairing dinner and vineyard tour on the lower slopes of Etna
  • Return flights and transfers
  • Tour Manager
  • All local taxes and transfers

Availability

From
Tue, Tue, Sep 17, 2024
To
Thu, Thu, Oct 31, 2024
Duration
8 days
Price per person
£2,099*

* From price is per person, based on double room with sole occupancy, subject to availability and based on 25 October 2024 departure date. Various departure dates are available, please call for details. Price and itinerary correct at time of print but may be subject to change. Deposit required. Not suitable for those with mobility issues. Local charges such as tourist tax may apply. Offers are not valid in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. Travel insurance is not included and should be taken out at time of booking. Images used may not reflect your actual tour experience. This holiday may be sold through other selected brands. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of TS Travel Ltd and Riviera Tours Limited.

Call now to book 02039934304
Quote ref: RIVSICILYSOLO
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Itinerary

  1. Day
    1
    Fly to Catania
    Catania, Italy

    Today you'll fly to Catania before transferring to Agrigento, where you'll spend the next two nights at the four-star Baia di Ulisse Hotel.

    After some free time to settle in, you'll enjoy dinner and a welcome drink on the hotel terrace - a wonderful way to relax and meet your group at the start of your Sicilian adventure.

  2. Day
    2
    Valley of the Temples
    Valley of the Temples , Italy

    After breakfast, you'll set off to see one of the world's greatest archaeological sites, the ancient Greek Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.

    You'll marvel at the ruins of seven Doric temples dating back to the 6th century BC, which remain in excellent condition, thanks to Sicily's gentle climate.

    Situated on a rocky ridge overlooking the surrounding valleys and across the sea towards Tunisia, these temples once dominated the skyline in an incredible show of power. Even thousands of years later, the ruins are an impressive sight, especially the almost perfectly preserved Concordia with its tapering columns, similar to the Parthenon in Athens.

    You'll explore these intriguing ruins with your guide and visit the archaeological museum before taking some time to explore Agrigento itself.

  3. Day
    3
    Ragusa and Noto
    Noto, Italy

    This morning you'll visit Ragusa, a city divided into a historic old town and a new town, sitting on adjacent hills.

    As you explore the tangle of sloping streets and winding alleyways of the old town with a local guide, you'll come to the Piazza Duomo, where a beautifully adorned Baroque cathedral overlooks faded pastel buildings. Just beyond sits the San Giuseppe Church, topped with an ornate cupola holding a trio of bells.

    If you wish to take a break over a freshly squeezed orange juice or an ice-cold Sicilian lemonade, you'll find plenty of pavement cafés offering shade against the enchanting backdrop of decorated palazzos.

    You'll then continue to the pretty town of Noto, on a hilltop surrounded by olive groves and thick woodland. Almost entirely rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693, Noto is the home of Sicilian Baroque, and its cathedral is its centrepiece - the dome was recently rebuilt after its dramatic collapse in 1996.

    Later in the afternoon, you'll drive to Siracusa, where we stay for two nights at the four-star Hotel Mercure Siracusa.

  4. Day
    4
    Siracusa
    Siracusa, Italy

    Today you'll enjoy a coach tour of Siracusa, where you'll see the city's striking architecture, including the columned Art Deco-style Pantheon overlooking manicured gardens, and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tears with its towering spire and Madonna statue.

    You'll then head over to beautiful Ortigia, Siracusa's island old town, jutting out into the Ionian Sea. This tiny island is filled with more than 2,500 years of history encompassing Greek and Roman ruins, Norman buildings and fine Baroque landmarks.

    After our tour, you may choose to take a boat trip around the peninsula to see Ortigia's honey-hued stone buildings from the water, or you may choose to explore further at your own pace.

  5. Day
    5
    Villa Romana Del Casale
    Piazza Armerina, Italy

    After breakfast, you'll drive to one of the most extensive and best-preserved collections of Roman mosaics in the world at the Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina.

    During our guided tour of this 4th-century Roman villa, you'll see the Great Hunt mosaic with its leaping lions and roaring tigers, and the famous 'Bikini Girls' mosaic depicting ladies playing sports in skimpy togas.

    Extraordinary, faded frescoes can also be seen adorning this palatial villa, which is so grand that many believe it was the home of one of the Roman co-emperors of the Diocletian era.

    As you wander the atmospheric maze of rooms, you'll also learn the history of this UNESCO World Heritage site, which owes its incredible preservation to a landslide that covered many of the mosaics, thus protecting them from the island's earthquakes.

    This afternoon you'll transfer to the four-star superior Albatros Hotel in Letojanni, where you'll stay for the last three nights of your trip.

  6. Day
    6
    Taormina
    Taormina, Italy

    This morning you can spend time exploring Taormina, a town perched on a jutting hilltop some 250 metres above the coastline, with the sea to its front and magnificent Mount Etna to its back.

    Taormina is a typically Italian coastal retreat which merges medieval charm with elegance and glamour, with typically Sicilian buildings in pale stone, dotted by the vibrant colour of flowerpots and window boxes brimming with blooms.

    If you'd like to shop for souvenirs then follow the Corso Umberto, Taormina's pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare. You'll pass an array of tempting window displays featuring designer wear, colourful ceramics and sparkling jewellery, along with gelaterias, pizzerias and patisseries.

    Peach-hued townhouses give way to the Piazza IX April, which looks down the tree-covered hill to the sea. Why not look for a family-run 'minimarket' with tiny tables and sample some Marsala wine?

  7. Day
    7
    Mount Etna
    Mount Etna, Italy

    Today you'll discover Sicily's crowning glory, Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe. Ascending the winding road, the landscape becomes increasingly eerie and alien, with razor-sharp black rocks in contorted formations, and some areas devoid of almost all vegetation.

    As you near the cable car station you can enjoy incredible views over the whole area before heading to the fertile lower slopes dotted with farms and villages to an organic family-run winery.

    A tour of a local vineyard and winery, which have remained within the same family since 1772, will give you a fascinating insight into the advantages of this unique location for wine growing. Here, the volcanic soil and fluctuating temperatures combine to grow a very specific flavour of grape. You'll also learn how wines aged in chestnut barrels produce a flavour that's different to the more typical oak.

    Your tour concludes with a final dinner in a wonderful vineyard setting, where local dishes will be paired with the perfect robust reds or fragrant whites.

  8. Day
    8
    Depature
    Catania, Italy

    Today you'll check out of your hotel and transfer to Catania for your return flight home.

Brought to you by

TS Tours as agent for Riviera Travel
This tour is operated solely by TS Tours
TS Tours is acting as agent for Riviera Travel. Tour is operated by and subject to the booking conditions of Riviera Travel.

Established 35 years ago, Riviera Travel offers exceptional experiences at outstanding value for money. They were the highest-rated cruise operator in a 2017 survey by Which? magazine. Riviera is ABTA and ATOL-bonded.

TS Tours Ltd specialises in creating bespoke tours, cruises and rail journeys in the company of experts. Its exclusive trips combine unique experiences as well as access to inspirational people. All trips are ATOL-protected and financially bonded.

For information about TS Tours, click here.
For Riviera Travel's terms and conditions, see here.

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Availability

Call now to book 02039934304
Quote ref: RIVSICILYSOLO