Sicily, Malta & Aeolian Islands

Your tour commences this evening in Palermo. Join us tonight for a welcome drink before dinner. This is an ideal chance to meet, and get to know, your Tour Manager and fellow travellers.

This morning we cross northern Sicily to arrive in Cefalù. Set on a headland, the winding narrow streets of the historic old town encircle the fine, Norman cathedral. You will have free time to explore and relax in one of the many private, beachfront, terraced restaurants. Moving on to Milazzo, we board an inter-island hydrofoil which will whisk us out to Lipari, in the superb Aeolian Islands, where we will stay the next four nights. Volcanic in origin, the Aeolian Islands lay well off the regular tourist route, and whilst we are here, we visit three other islands. You will love their unique style and laid back nature. Your hotel is perched right on the rocky seashore, and this evening you will enjoy a welcome drink up on the Roof Garden. Your views will be directly over the azure blue sea.

Joined by a local guide we enjoy a walking tour of the little old port, and up to the Castello di Lipari – the 15th century, cliff top castle complex, with its ancient buildings and churches. The views from the little Greek Amphitheatre down along the rugged coast are magnificent. We have included entrance to visit the Cathedral of St Bartholomew and the old Norman Cloisters. The rest of your day is free – My Time - to shop, explore and relax in beautiful Marina Corta. Maybe go for a dip in the Azure Ocean directly from your hotel’s private bathing platform, or beside the hotel in the bay of Porto delle Genti. Dinner is included on the terrace of your seaside hotel. Delightful!

A lazy start. Your morning is at leisure.  After a buffet lunch at your hotel, we stroll down to Marina Corta and board a boat to cruise across the Tyrrhenian Sea visiting the delightful islands of Panarea and Stromboli. Before arriving at Panarea, we anchor in a quiet bay filled with wonderful yachts floating on the glorious azure waters. If you want, take the opportunity to enjoy a refreshing dip in the beautiful water. Later we cruise on to the nearby village of Panarea where you will have some free time in the gorgeous town. The tiny harbour is surrounded by whitewashed villas, and pedestrian streets boasting little boutiques and al fresco dining. So peaceful, so relaxing. Magical! Next stop is the famous ‘volcano island’ of Stromboli. We enjoy a long stop in the town of San Vincenzo where you have time to explore and find your own charming restaurant for dinner. Follow the pedestrian street up hill and you arrive at the compact city square, with its magical views. Then, as dusk approaches, we again board our boat to chug out around the little Isola di Strombolicchio, to the far side of the island, where we pause at sunset (at a very safe distance!) to watch the Stromboli fireworks by night. A constant, regular evening feature, it is thrilling to first see the jets of lava flare atop the volcano like a Roman candle, and then moments later, hear the whoosh and jet engine roar. Thrilling! We return to Lipari late evening.

An easy day, with heaps of ‘My Time’. Today we take you across to another nearby Aeolian island, Vulcano. Named after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, this is a very different experience to yesterday. Whereas those islands were lush, this is quite barren. Arriving on Vulcano we board a small coach for a short panoramic tour of the Island where breath-taking views await. Afterwards, your time on Vulcano is free to do as little or a much as you want. There is a cute little township by the beach, with a number of shops, cafes and restaurants. You can hire boats, paddle boards, quad bikes etc to explore the coast and inland. Early afternoon we catch the boat back to Lipari for a relaxing afternoon. You may decide you would like to stay a little longer on Vulcano and take a later boat back independently. No problem, just grab yourself a one way hydrofoil ticket locally at the port when you are ready to head back to Lipari. Dinner this evening is ‘al fresco’ on your hotels’ seaside restaurant terrace.

Catching the hydrofoil back to Milazzo, we board our coach and drive down Sicily’s eastern coastline. Peeling off the highway, we climb up the steep mountainside on a series of tight hairpin bends to reach the perched village of Forza d’Agro. This area was the setting for some scenes from the film ‘The Godfather’, and is the perfect location for a stunning, very leisurely, typically ‘Italian style’ lunch. Later we drive past Catania to the city of Syracuse, where we cross over to delightful Ortigia Island, one of the most beautiful destinations in Sicily, where we will stay the next two nights. 

This morning we are joined by a local guide. First stop will be on the mainland at Syracuse, to explore the UNESCO Heritage listed temples and the massive amphitheatre in the 2500-year-old Greek and Roman city ruins. We will also visit the overgrown quarries and test the amazing acoustics in the famous ‘Ear of Dionysus’ cavern. Later we cross back onto Ortigia Island, to be guided through the delightful backstreets to the breathtaking architecture of the main square, Piazza del Duomo. Inhabited for over 3,000 years, a special highlight will be our visit to the Mercato di Ortigia - very traditional food markets, famous for the sing song calls of the vendors. The rest of the day and the evening is dedicated to ‘My Time’ in this delightful, ancient town. In the evening find a quiet café or trattoria, and make sure you visit the Piazza which is without doubt utterly stunning at night-time.  

Over the next three days we will visit 4 of the 8 cities that are grouped together with UNESCO World Heritage status. Your morning will be spent at leisure exploring the rebuilt city of Noto. Completely devastated by an earthquake in 1693, the whole city was lovingly rebuilt with a golden yellow limestone. Architects designed the churches and palaces with their own curvaceous take on baroque. Better still, the city planners aligned the streets to catch the sunlight, so Noto’s grand buildings are bathed in an apricot glow. Delightful! For lunch we are going somewhere very special, the gourmet farmhouse restaurant at Torre Marabino.  Surrounded by terraces shaded by olive and carob trees is an ancient Norman Stone tower, and La Morisca restaurant. Specializing in typical Sicilian cuisine, the food is sourced from their own, surrounding organic farm. Time to settle down and dine as guests of the owner, Francesca. Suitably relaxed, we continue the short distance to the amazing city of Modica where we stay the next three nights. On arrival we have included a welcome drink. This evening is at leisure.  Perhaps take a stroll up to Modica Ibla – the Old town on top of the hill.  Follow the old alleys and streets, up beautifully lit grand staircases, past the floodlit Cathedral…  The view is mesmerizing. The whole valley and old town are lit with thousands of little lights and you will understand why the locals often describe the town as a pomegranate, cut in half and turned inside out.

Over the millennia, Modica has grown to cover two sides of a valley. Below is Modica Bassa, and above it Modica Alto (upper Modica) - the older town. The hillside is linked by characterful old streets and steep staircases.  A beautiful town with fine Sicilian baroque architecture, it has a great atmosphere, and friendly locals. Joined by a local guide, we start our walking tour from our hotel.  First stop will be a visit to the grand, baroque Cathedral of San Giorgio with its numerous works of art. From its terrace you savour the amazing view right over the valley. Continuing on, we wind our way down the staircases to Modica Bassa to the Church of San Pietro and the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto – a display centre regarded as an institution in town, where we enjoy a talk and tasting of Cioccolato di Modica – Modica’s famous chocolate inspired by an ancient Aztec recipe for Xocolatl. Your afternoon is ‘My Time’ - free time to explore further or relax by the pool. This evening we dine in a local Osteria, a short walk from our hotel.

Our morning excursion is to Ragusa’s old town – Ragusa Ibla. As we draw close, we see the city perched high on a hill between two deep ravines. The main attraction in the old town centre is the grand Duomo di San Giorgio, which stands at the ahead of the large pedestrian square. At the far end is a park with churches and fountains and striking valley views. Time for a gelato!  Your afternoon will be ‘My Time’ relaxing back at Modica, and early evening we have another treat in store for you as we take you to the pretty town of Scicli. As dusk approaches, take a relaxing stroll and discover a restaurant to enjoy dinner at leisure.  

We drive to Pozzallo on Sicily’s south coast to catch the hydrofoil ferry to Valletta, Malta. On arrival, we transfer to our resort hotel located right on the edge of Valletta’s superb old town. Where you stay is so important, especially as we have four evocative nights here, and Valletta old town, is fascinating with so much to see and do. The city itself is so grand, with massive ramparts and fortifications, and at night it is an absolute pleasure to stroll along its beautifully lit, broad, elegant, pedestrian boulevards. And that is why we choose to stay right here, where it matters, where you always have such easy access to the whole city by foot.

This morning we are joined by a local guide who will walk us through this amazing city, with its elegant buildings and palaces and thousands of years of history. 500 years ago, Charles V of Spain gave Malta to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem. They made Valletta their capital and built one of the mightiest fortress cities in the world, every bit as grand and impressive as any in Europe. Now UNESCO listed, the ramparts are enormous, the harbour is one of Europe’s grandest, and the city with its elegant baroque architecture presents beautifully. In the centre, we visit the St John’s Co-Cathedral with its sumptuous interior, and the Malta Experience. First, we enjoy a film depicting 7,000 years of Malta’s history, and then we are guided through the ‘La Sacra Infermeria’ - the original, giant vaulted Holy Infirmary of the Knights of the order of St John. Fascinating!
Your afternoon is free to explore the old city, the shopping is excellent. The views from the Bastion of the picturesque Upper Barrakka Gardens are spectacular, and twice a day there is a ceremonial gun salute.  This evening we will stroll into the heart of the old town to dine in a local restaurant and enjoy excellent Maltese cuisine.

Joined by a local Maltese guide, we drive to the north where we catch a ferry across to Mgarr, on the island of Gozo, also known as Homer’s legendary Island of Calypso. In the centre of the island, we visit its capital Victoria, and the Citadel above town. From the bastions of the massive, golden stone fortifications, featured in the Games of Thrones, there are 360 degree views across a countryside dotted with villages, farms, church spires and in the distance, is the sea. Gozo is also famous for its crystal clear swimming beaches and harbours. Lunchtime is spent relaxing in the pretty little harbour village of Xlendi. Time for a swim perhaps? Afterwards we catch the ferry back to Malta and the remainder of your afternoon and evening is free in Valletta.  

Our first stop today will be on the coast where we jump on a motorboat to cruise around the rugged cliffs and into the Blue Grotto.  Later we explore the incredibly old stone temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. Our local guide will walk us through the visitor centre and then explain the rich background story of these ancient temples. Dating back to between 3,200 and 3,600 BC they are 1,000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt and some of the oldest structures in the world. Lunchtime will be spent in the pretty port of Marsaxlokk. Dozens of colourful fishing boats moor up to the harbourside where the tables and sun umbrellas of al fresco seafood restaurants beckon. So relaxing. Mid afternoon we return to Valletta for some free time before our dusk visit to the ‘Silent City’ of Mdina. We enjoy an early evening walk through the delightful, pedestrian old town to take in the sweeping views from the shady terrace on the far ramparts. As a finale we enjoy a farewell dinner in a historic restaurant built into the old Norman tower walls.

Your tour ends this morning after breakfast.