November 3 - 12, 2025
10 Days / 9 Nights
This tour starts in Palermo and ends in Catania
$5,980 per person/ double occupancy $1,880 optional single supplement $380 additional pre-tour nights, single or double room (includes airport transfer) Includes all fees and taxes
Delicious meals - traditional Sicilian cuisine or vegetarian meals: 9 breakfasts, 7 dinners, 2 lunches, including drinks
Private airport transfers on arrival and on departure
All transportation in Sicily in a comfortable private bus
Professional bilingual Tour Director and experienced local guides
All private guided tours, fees and admissions
Exclusive experiences: a wine tour, a pizza making class, a chocolate making demonstration, cocktails at a palazzo, and Mount Etna safari
All restaurants', guides' and drivers' gratuities
NOT INCLUDED
Additional/optional costs may include: optional single supplement, early hotel check in, optional travel insurance, optional Tour Director's gratuities, meals not in the itinerary, optional activities not in the itinerary, telephone charges, room service, minibar, laundry, personal expenses, etc.
The tour cost does not include airfare to and from the tour’s location.
HIGHLIGHTS
Mix of Arab and Norman architecture in Palermo and Monreale
Being guests of Contessa Federico at Palazzo Conte Federico
Erice vineyards and wine tour
The rugged Madonie region and fishing village of Cefalù
The evocative sites of classical Greek architecture in the Valley of the Temples
Unparalleled details of Roman mosaics in Piazza Armerina
The ancient architecture on the Ortygia Island in the center of Siracusa
The Baroque Valley with Noto and its gardens of stone
Chocolate making in Modica
Pizza making class in Taormina
Exploring Mount Etna on a volcano safari
Testimonials
My thanks to all of you who made this trip possible...it was wonderful! - Marie from Illinois
Once again , S&S designed a tour which did not disappoint. We have seen the highlights of Sicily, we have learned from knowledgeable tour guides and felt the spirit of this beautiful land. The camaraderie in the entire group and with Angela greatly contributed to the extraordinary trip mood. S&S could not find more pleasant, kind and dedicated tour director than Angela and one can’t help to be fond of her. I will cherish the memories. - Alena from California
The trip was fabulous, the accommodations were great. The tours were well organized and informative. The local guides were very knowledgeable and so pleasant and friendly. Our exit travel was so well executed and my bags all made it. The comments would not be complete of course without mentioning Angela, she is absolutely phenomenal!! From her personality, her knowledge, her genuine caring and compassion she is the gold standard. She absolutely made the tour all that it could be!! Last but not least, the ladies of the tour were so wonderful, and having a smaller group was amazing!! I enjoyed every day with these funny adventurous women. Thanks again for the way Sights and Souls operates. - Priscilla from Florida
Loved the oceanside bungalow hotel in Siracusa. Loved the free morning we had after getting there to sleep in and explore the grounds. – Betsie from Georgia
Great trip! The visit to the private home in Palermo was so special! – Carol from New York
Fabulous trip! You guys do an amazing job from pre-registration through the return to home. – Anne from Rhode Island
Sights and Soul provides the most wonderful experiences. Their tour directors are friendly, knowledgeable, and make sure that all runs smoothly. I would not hesitate to take all my “girls trips” with them. Looking forward to the next! – Barbara from Texas
LOVED it! Was fascinated by all the layers of history that are represented all over the island. Local guides were smart, informative and personable. I loved the tour/material itself. It was an interesting time to travel with a diverse group of Americans. – Margaret from Pennsylvania
I thought everything was so professional. The communication was excellent, from booking to coming home. I’ve taken 10 trips with another women-only tour company, and liked much S&S better. I also loved the way the transfers to/from the airport were handled. – Susan from Colorado
My trip to Sicily with Sights and Soul was a trip of a lifetime! The tour director was amazing and the sights were spectacular! I am planning my next trip with Sights and Soul! – Amy from South Dakota
The food was amazing and I really enjoyed the wine tasting. Angela is phenomenal – a true asset to Sights and Soul, as she regularly went above and beyond to ensure the best experience for everyone. – Laurel from Connecticut
All four Sights and Soul tours that I have been on were all great. The hotels, restaurants, tour leaders, variety of experiences, etc. were all wonderful. I like small groups for travel. I’ve gotten to know many fantastic women and have made many friends through Sights and Soul Travels. – Roxanne from Pennsylvania
The tour was incredible. I loved the art and architecture and learning about the cultural melting pot of Sicily. All the destinations and local guides were wonderful. Angela was an amazing guide. The best experience during the tour were the dinners, which were delicious and as a vegetarian, I never felt deprived or disappointed, and they also fostered the comradery of the group. I did not know anyone ahead of time and felt always at ease. It was a pleasure to meet all the wonderful women in our group. – Lisa from Oregon
I am finding it difficult to express how wonderful the tour was. Like many women, I have a hubby that is a reluctant traveler but he encouraged me to find someone to travel with and enjoy myself. That’s how I came across Sights & Soul. I searched the web, read reviews and recommendations and decided to give it a try. I am so glad I did!!! The food--fantastic, the guides--knowledgeable, the sights--breathtaking, my fellow travelers--wonderful, wacky women!! And, of course, the tour leader was exceptional in every way, from keeping us informed to organizing every little detail of our tour. She worked out the occasional little "bump in the road" and made everything fun! I have often traveled alone but I must say, I enjoyed the guided tours and company of a small group of women. I loved the "freedom" of having someone else take care of the details so that I could just relish the trip itself. – Mary from Washington
Sights and Soul was a perfect tour group for me. Enjoyed my tour from beginning to end – would give them 5 stars on all levels. A small group with lovely ladies, highlights the high interest sites, food is high quality choices, hotels were wonderful and had a different experience in each of them. – Fran from California
Another hit! Well done. I cannot wait until I retire and can go on tours that don’t take place over school breaks. – Karen from Delaware
Already scheduled tour #6 and #7 in 2018. I am always talking about Sights and Soul to patients, doctors, and other nurses. Always fabulous, very nicely done, and onward to the next destination. I don’t travel with anyone else. – Diane from Texas
I thought the tour was very well organized and professional. All of the guides were extremely knowledgeable & friendly. The other women on the trip were terrific.. In general, I liked the diversity of tours and activities. – Willie from New York
I loved traveling with women, and S&S has a lovely touch. Great thoughtfulness and taste were obvious in everything we did. I can’t wait to travel the rest of the world with them. Such a happy experience! – Jenny from Georgia
In more ways than one, Sicily is the ultimate Italy. Rich in art, archaeological treasures, history, folklore and breathtaking Mediterranean scenery, the island has been the crossroads between Europe and Africa for centuries. Sicily is warm, golden, and sprinkled with blindingly white Greek temples. This is where Archimedes taught, St. Paul preached and where the omnipresent Mount Etna made history. Over the centuries, the island was colonized by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Normans, before becoming a part of Spain, then the Bourbon Kingdom, and finally Italy. All the conquerors left behind their cultural footprints, which add to the fascination: vestiges of the ancient Greeks and Romans entice in Agrigento and Taormina, the presence of the Normans lingers in Palermo and Monreale, the rock-clinging seaside beauty of Siracusa still lives according to its own rhythm, and the distinctive Byzantine and Arab art mingles with Italian influences. Sicily has an intriguing cuisine, the serene sea, cities with a cosmopolitan vibe, and two volcanoes which define it, and as Goethe said, "to have seen Italy without seeing Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all."
The Secrets of Sicily tour is an exciting journey, introducing the very best of the island. We'll experience the relaxed island lifestyle and sample delicious Sicilian food and wine, while exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes and indulging our senses with visits to authentic restaurants, wineries and even a chocolate workshop. From beautifully sited lodgings, we set out on walks among the temples and along spectacular seashores. Our route will follow the Romans, Greeks, Arabs and Normans, all of whom inhabited the area. We'll witness the amazing architecture and the rich history they left behind, taste wines made with grapes grown in volcanic soil of Mount Etna, learn to prepare Sicilian pizza and enjoy cocktails with a Sicilian contessa in her 14th-century palazzo.
We'll tour the Norman Palermo and Monreale, the coastal Erice and the pre-Greek Segesta and their architectural Doric treasures, charming Cefalù in the rugged Madonie Mountains, see the classical Greek architecture in the Valley of the Temples and the stunning Roman mosaics in Piazza Armerina, the ancient Ortygia Island of Siracusa, the gardens of stone in Noto in the Baroque Valley, and the "patch of paradise" of Byzantine Taormina.
We'll enjoy a wine tour and lunch in a winery, learn to cook traditional Sicilian pizza during a private cooking class, be guests at a Sicilian count's palazzo, explore the rugged Mount Etna, watch chocolate being made according to Aztec recipes and techniques, taste almond cookies, nougats and "street food" and savor a Sicilian lunch at a family-run working farm set amid citrus groves and vineyards.
Throughout the tour, you will dine in carefully selected gourmet restaurants reflecting the culinary character of Sicily, known for their seafood, olive oil, almonds, pistachios and Marsala wine, while breakfasts will be served at the hotels' restaurants.
Click on the image to enlarge the map
WHAT MAKES THIS TOUR SPECIAL
Carefully designed itinerary, including the signature Sicilian experiences
Additional exclusive experiences, not available to larger groups
An experienced, Sicilian Tour Director and private, local guides
Accommodations in an upscale, perfectly located city hotel in Palermo and at a sea front resort in Siracusa
Luxurious private bus
Exquisite meals at restaurants in Palermo and throughout Sicily
