Tour Sicily solo and admire its fascinating history and sparkling coast

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.