Private 8 Days Tour Of Sicily: Highlights

I highly recommend booking with Sicily Activities. I found the company via an internet search. From my initial inquiry through our trip, communication with Alex was excellent. Working off one of their popular custom tours, she quickly put together an itinerary that checked all of boxes, natural beauty, historic sites with fabulous architecture, and fun experiences--wine tasting, food tour, cooking class. All of our guides--Stefano, Carlos, Giovanni, Antonio, Valerio were employed by the company. In certain locations, we also had local guides. They all were excellent, very knowledgeable and at the same time provided fun stories and tidbits.. The accommodations were wonderful, centrally located with easy access to restaurants and shopping. On top of this, the tour was reasonably priced. Their tours are fully customizable. You need to look no further than Sicily Activities to plan your Sicilian adventure

What a memorable vacation we had organized by Sicily Activities!! We cannot say enough good things about this company. It was recommended to me from a family member who had used them the summer before and gave them very high praise. They 💯 delivered! From beginning to end, owners Alex and Massimo made sure every step of the trip was perfect. They checked in daily, and were patient when we made some changes in our plans. Traveling with a toddler isn’t always easy but they were so accommodating and patient. We started in Taormina, our favorite, and ended in Palermo Our tour guide Antonio was fantastic; probably one of the best we’ve ever had we travel a lot!! He was friendly, personable, patients and extremely knowledgeable during our tours. He made each tour so interesting. We got to see Mt. Etna as she erupted! The Godfather tour and fabulous lunch was another highlight. They also organized 2 wonderful private boat days for us which were so relaxing and beautifully scenic. In Palermo, we enjoyed delicious food during a street food and city tour. We were all in agreement that we would love to return to Sicily in the near future and will, without a doubt, have Sicily Activities plan another memorable trip for us. Many thanks to them!!

This was my first collaboration with this travel company, and I actually found them by chance while searching for a tour operator specialized in Sicily. From the very first email I sent, they were extremely helpful and attentive to everything I love about travel — from historical landmarks to cultural experiences. They created a personalized itinerary that included all the places I was interested in seeing, and their communication was always prompt and professional. It turned out to be a wonderful trip — the team truly accompanies you every step of the way. Even a day before my arrival, they reached out to remind me of the meeting details, the driver’s name, and the hotel information. Each day, they kept me updated with the next day’s schedule, including the pickup time, driver, and guide names. These small details made me feel very comfortable and confident throughout the journey. Their punctuality was impressive — there were never any delays. The cars were clean and very comfortable, and the hotel choices were excellent, always well-located near lively areas. The drivers and guides were knowledgeable, friendly, and engaging — I genuinely enjoyed their company. They were also very flexible; even when I asked to stop and explore a historical site that wasn’t part of the plan, they gladly made it happen. I highly recommend this company to anyone planning a trip to Sicily. You can book with them with complete peace of mind — you’ll be well taken care of from start to finish.

Amazing Sicily Highlights tour with added days and some additional activities which they helped put together for us. Very attentive to details!

Our trip was amazing thanks to Massimo and his team of knowledgable, responsible and personable colleagues. Don’t hesitate to travel with Sicily Activities. We extended our stay for a few days to slow down a bit and relax. Communication with the team was ongoing and helpful!

Alex listened to our wants and needs (such as needing a few days to simply bask in the sun) and customized the perfect vacation for us. Starting in Palermo (with a side trip to see where my husbands family came from), down the coast to Cefalu, Merzamemi, Taormina (spent 5 days here and stayed at Atlantic Bay hotel …fantastic), Mt Etna plus a winery, on to Noto, Syracusa/Ortigia. Every guide was warm, friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and loved their job and country. We could not have been happier with the service we received. We highly recommend them.!!!!

Alex who arranged the trip was very responsive, made changes to tailor the experience to us and accommodated a request to take us to the small town my husbands grandparents came from. The drivers/guides where all exceptional. Antonio was our guide in Palermo (and the coast up to Taormina and took a detour for us when we saw a sign for a village we wanted to explore. He went the extra mile to make us happy. In Taormina we met our driver/guide Carlos, who was also amazing, charming and funny. We did several adventures with him, including Mt Etna. I had pockets full of lava rocks that he kept picking up for me and explaining them. Alfredo took us to the Greek Theater...such a charming man, and truly knew his history. And we must not forget Giovani in Ortigia....amazing , truly charming and also extremely well versed in the history of the area. OMG I almost forgot the sail boat captain, Claudio and the wonderful food prepared by his wife, Maria (who was kind enough to give me her caponata recipe). The only part we did not care about was the food tour, but I think it was because we were not very hungry. Every day we spent was filled with beautiful sights, fantastic hotels, very good food, and every day, Alex and Graziana reminded us of what we were doing and on days we chose not to do an excursion, they checked in to see how we were doing. The company was referred to us by friends, and we in turn will recommend them highly to anyone who wants a stress free experience. Such lovely people!!!! Can't say enough good things about them and our fantastic vacation!!!

This was our first visit to Sicily and every day was special. We chose a combination of a private tour for five days (based in Ortigia) and then four days in Taormina with group excursions. We loved the combination of experiences and felt well taken care every step of way. Highlights were the Ortigia Walking Tour, Noto, Ragusa, Food and Wine Tour of Taormina and the Godfather tour with lunch. The communication, attention to detail, responsiveness and professionalism of the entire team at Sicily Activities was outstanding. All of the guides were a delight (knowledgeable, kind and fun). I highly recommend Sicily Activities, and we will definitely use them again.

Everything was well planned and executed. Nice overview of Sicily. Only complaint is that WiFi at Taormina hotel was virtually useless.

As first time visitors to Sicily this tour provides a great way to see the main features of the island The individual daily tour guides provided a great understanding of the history and features of the major sightseeing attractions All guides were on time, very friendly and knowledgeable on all occasions This weekly service is very well organised with great centrally located hotels

The Tour of Sicily: Highlights tour was amazing and fantastic. Massimo, Joe, Graziana and all the team were great in helping us organise this tour and answer all our questions. The local drivers and tour guides educated us in all of the wonderful insights of Sicily. The cities and towns visited were spectacular. The weather was fantastic. Together with our small group of 6 tourists we had a wonderful time and shared lots of fun and laughter. Warm memories to last a lifetime. Grazie mille Sicily Activities ❣️

Sicily Activities organized an 8 day tour around Sicily and they did a wonderful job. Great guides, lunches, and transfers - everything they organized worked perfectly. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

From start to finish our experience with Sicily adventures was outstanding. The guides were excellent and highly knowledgeable. Activities were well paced and provided insights to all aspects of Sicilian history and culture. The back office team were outstanding with regular comms and updates. Accommodation was excellent in each location would recommend without hesitation. Thanks to Graziana and Massimo and all guides/drivers we were privileged to meet during our tour. Bravo!

If you want a well organised, small group tour, with enthusiastic local guides giving you a real Sicilian experience, then this is the tour for you! As the large cruise liner groups trooped through the main streets, we were walking through the back streets, with their interesting history and buildings. We loved eating in the local restaurants, sampling local wine and plentiful, delicious food. The Sicilians are very welcoming. From visiting Mount Etna in the snow, visiting impressive Greek temples in the heat, wine tasting, small villages in the mountains, where parts of the Godfather were filmed, local fishing villages, and witnessing a religious festival in Palermo, plus much more, we had a super introduction to Sicily, but did not feel rushed. A big thank you to Sicily Activities!

Perfect in every way. Excellent planning and communication. Outstanding guides and drivers. Sicily is fascinating and beautiful.

We had an extraordinary experience in Sicily over 11 days. Honestly, we didn't know what to expect except that it was a meaningful trip as our family heritage is Sicilian. Alexandra directed and coordinated each day making adjustments - like when our flight from California arrived at midnight instead of 2pm and making it possible for us to get a little extra sleep. And, my unique needs for wheat free food (who knew that was possible in Sicily)! The tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable, but even moreso they love their craft. They brought an energy and excitement that was infectious to us which enlivened our experience of Sicily. Antonio and Claudio were two of the exemplary guides that were warm and attentive to our interests. We also enjoyed extraordinary meals at two wineries that allowed us to have wine pairings of locally grown wine. Perhaps a highlight beyond the tours of Agrigento, Taormina, Cefalu, Noto, Ragusa, Modica and Palermo was a cooking class in Ortigia with Elio. We shopped the market and prepared under his direction a scrumptious lunch! With all the support we had, we also found some cute items to bring home to remember our trip. We recommend Alexandra's team wholeheartedly and without reservation for anyone looking for a true Sicilian gastronomic, cultural, tradition and history filled experience!

I had the pleasure of collaborating with Sicily Activities and cannot say enough about their professionalism! A stellar team! Together we planned a “trip of a lifetime” for a couple and it met every expectation and then some! Fabulous!

We have traveled to Europe 5 times and have taken basic tours on a large bus as well have went it alone through Italy, Paris and elsewhere. We are from new Jersey ,in our early 60's and are active people just to give you an idea but it really doesn't matter, the tour is good for most anyone. However this time my wife didn't want me driving in Sicily! So we thought this would be an option. Well, it was wonderful, the hotels were very nice (Taormina being our favorite) but all were good. The 8 passenger van was a concern because you never know who you're going to get as we traveled with another couple we knew that there would be most likely another four, and there were, ...and they were wonderful which helped. I can go on and on but it's everything you would want in a tour like this, you have a lot of time for you to make your own decisions especially with dinners and the tours that they did offer I would not miss they were all excellent. In addition, at any time you could bail on any of the tours or some of them were so close you can just separate yourself from the group and do what you want it. But again there was no need I thought they were all excellent. As far as time and each stop we added a day at the beginning in Taormina which was a great idea as it is beautiful there and the extra day was a big help. Ortiga was fine and the stops they made along the way where needed and adequate. And may I say the lunches and meals that were provided were exceptional. Moving on to Palermo, when I first arrived, as with many cities around the world at first I saw a dirty city. But when you finally get to your hotel and see the areas that surround you there, the culture and embrace where you are it was a wonderful area, clean safe and enjoyed, and I'm glad we stopped there. We eventually rented a car here one day and actually drove to my wife's families town, which was wonderful. Now with regard to Massimo and everyone at sicilyactivities; throughout the entire trip if I had any questions, need for help with something from touring, to restaurants, to even the smallest detail they were no more than a text away. As with all trips we had a few things that we had to modify as it went along and they were aces. I would recommend it to most anyone with the understanding that you naturally would not know you're going to be on van with. Unfortunately I never personally met Massimo but I felt like I know him as he was so approachable via text. Anyone that wants to reach out to me to answer any questions but you can't go wrong. Great job guys thanks again

My family - 12 of us, with wife's family - had a tremendous experience and something we will always look back upon with great memories. Overall, we were very happy with the entire trip and found Sicily to be a wonderful experience. In fact we now plan to visit again, and see the rest of it. While there were a few hicups and communication issues it all comes with the territory. Mount Etna and the winery/luncheon exceeded our expectations and so glad we visited it. The hotel in Taormina was perfect in terms of location and the views. All the local guides were very good w/ the best probably being the one at Mount Etna, in terms of really spending the time to educate us about the volcano. The concept of the 2-3 hour walking tours at each location really helped and was appreciated. The small elements of a drink at the end of Palermo tour or chocolates in Ortigia are a nice touch. Sicily Activities with Alex and Massimo were able to accommodate and tailor the trip to locations we wanted to visit.

Massimo of Sicily Activities was wonderful to work with. He always answered right away, and took care of EVERYTHING throughout the trip--even things that weren't strictly part of the tour. We were a private group of 15. PALERMO: The hotel was wonderful and Fabrizio was a great guide for the food tour. Luca was a great driver to Monreale and Cefalu'. Larisa was a good guide for the Monreale cathedral and Lisabeta in Cefalu' was fantastic--and the restaurant was, too. Claudio, our driver to Agrigento and Siracusa was excellent. The guide at Valley of the Temples was good. An amazing place. SIRACUSA: The hotel was lovely and in a great location. Both guides in Ortigia were great--Valerio for the walking tour and Paolo for the foodie dinner--what a fun man. Paolo, the driver to Noto, Villa Romana del Casale and Taormina was fantastic. Saro was an excellent guide in Noto and Mt Etna. Lunches in both Noto and Piazza Amerina were delicious. Patrizia, the guide for Villa Romana, was wonderful, especially when we needed an ambulance for one of the women to go to the hospital. And dear Massimo even arranged a taxi for me from the hospital back to Siracusa (about an hour and half away). The driver was the nicest man! TAORMINA: Another very nice hotel. Our guide for the walking tour was really good. She was patient as we were a little late getting ready to start the tour, but she still took us to the Greek Theatre in the rain and wind. The tour to Mt Etna was fabulous--both the tasting and the lunch. Massimo even arranged a pizza-making class when weather prevented us from going on our scheduled boat ride. In summary, there was nothing Massimo could have done better. And this is at a time when all the tour directors were overwhelmed with bookings. He was a standout!

Our time in Sicily - with the exceptional planning and knowledgeable tour guides - was AMAZING! From the moment we arrived in Catania to the day we left Palermo, we were treated like royalty. Every detail was perfect. We had plenty of free time. The hotels were outstanding. The tour guides were delightful. We are so ready to do it all again. Thank you, Alex! You and your team gave us memories to last a lifetime!

Our family loved this tour! From Palermo to Taormina, each stop was an adventure. The guides were knowledgeable and made each stop a truly unforgettable experience. We traveled with 8 adults and 3 small children. There was no detail that was overlooked, from car seats for the little ones, to beautiful meals and hotels. Alex organized a memorable trip our family will never forget!

We loved everything about this tour! Although we chose the food and wine tour option, Alex was very helpful in customizing it for us. It was a lovely balance of guided experiences along with time to explore on our own, exactly what we hoped for. The itinerary covered a lot and yet we never felt rushed or exhausted. Throughout the planning and the trip, my emails were always answered in a very timely manner. We met five guides as we moved through the itinerary; all of them were a perfect joy to spend time with - very knowledgable and professional, great personalities. We learned a lot about Italy from them, in addition to the tourist stuff. Grazie mille to Valerio, Rosario, Antonio, Fabrizio, and Carlos! Communication between the administration and guides seemed excellent, as we never had to wait for anything. The hotels they chose for us were lovely, comfortable, clean, well equipped, and very conveniently located. One of the activities that had been planned for us was cancelled at the last moment due to Covid, and Alex was able to make very satisfactory adjustments very quickly. A real highlight for us was a trip to the tiny village where my grandfather was born. Not only did we find the house in which he was born, but we got a copy of his birth certificate. Antonio was our guide that day, and had offered to call the town hall for us. He was able to get us an appointment to see the original book in which births were recorded by hand in 1905! Typically, I prefer to plan my own trips; but I didn't want to be driving in Sicily, and I prefer to avoid bus tours, so this was ideal. It was a pleasure to relax and enjoy the experiences without having to worry about the details for a change. We highly recommend Sicily Activities.

We booked this tour and encouraged one of our friends to do so and they did. This is not a tour in the normal sense that you have someone guiding you the entire trip. This is a series of individual tours and transfers arranged by this company. We had a different person each day, sometimes two, to guide us. The positive of this is you had a "local expert", the negative is they varied from excellent to poor. Information about our schedule was delivered while we were on a cruise a couple of days before the tour started and we did not get it until after the tour started. They stayed with the schedule with a few exceptions. They were hard to get ahold of after we landed in Sicily, not answering email for a day. Lots of free or dead time. We spent 2 hours in a small partial tour of Syracuse and then nothing after 11AM. Time that could have been better used to see much more of the city. Same in Palermo. Hotels were small and cheap. Maybe this is the standard in Sicily, but they were not up to even European standards. There was NO customization of the tour whatsoever. Even though we paid extra for a private tour, we did exactly what the group tour did with no changes allowed. Same with food, they included some meals with the tour but the food was chosen by them, not us. We do not eat seafood and after much difficulty, they did accomadate that change, no others. Everything they provided--hotels, meals, tours, transfers--you could book yourself if you wanted to take the time to do so. And probably save yourself some money doing so. They are basically as booking agent for these, not a tour company.

I have just celebrated my 60th with my partner in Sicily and what amazing time we had. Everything was either organized or recommended by Alex from Sicily Activities which made our 5 day holiday the best it could have been. Our tour guides were very knowledgeable, friendly and personable. Thank you as it made a memorable time. I would definitely recommend.

I'm not even sure how to start this review! Absolutely everything about this tour and tour company are amazing! From the beginning of the planning process, through the completion of our travels, we were not disappointed, Massimo, the owner of the company, goes above and beyond to make your experience the best possible. He assisted with the arranging of a private tour to my father's hometown in addition to the planned itinerary with the east to west Sicily tour. He was very responsive, attentive, knowledgeable, and very helpful. All of the tour guides were very good, very friendly, and helpful. Our tour group only had a total of eight people, so it was perfect. The itinerary was perfect, and I highly recommend this company for your Sicily vacation!

When finding the small group tour we wanted was full, Alex suggested a part small-group, part private tour option which worked well for us. We had a phenomenal experience - from planning our very individual tour, to two fun small group tours with Denise, to private tours with very knowledgeable Valerio and Antonio. We were constantly impressed by the depth of the knowledge of all the guides. This small group of dedicated travel experts are reliable and personable, and the daily tours were varied and interesting- with just enough free-time to not experience travel overload! We stayed at two hotels. The Hotel Ariston in Taormina, although a bit dated in room amenities is in the most beautiful spot we’ve even seen. We sprung for the balcony-sea view and could see both Mt. Etna and the mainland from our two balconies (amazing room - thanks Alex). The Hotel Livingston in Ortegia was a small gem with a very comfortable room and awesome breakfast. We loved exploring this part of the world with wonderful Sicily Activities!

Excellent tour operator. Our group of 13 had a wonderful time in Sicily. All our tour arrangements were made by Sicily Activities. The hotels are 4*, food given was generous and delicious, buses used were good and we had skilful drivers and professional guides. Sicily Activities helped arrange a birthday party for one of the group members by booking a table in a lovely restaurant and ordered a cake on our behalf. We requested to see sunset at the salt flats near Trapani and they arranged for us to have an appetitive while admiring the fabulous sunset! It was awesome! 😍

From start to finish, Alex and her team at Sicily Activities were incredibly helpful. They listened to my various requests, tailored an itinerary, made the whole process straightforward and ensured that our holiday was perfect. The hotel - Villa Carlotta in Taormina - was superb, our activities were well organised and the tour guides were courteous, professional and very knowledgeable. I cannot recommend Sicily Activities highly enough. If you are looking to visit Sicily, contact Alex!

What a wonderful experience we had in Sicily! Our guides were so well informed and professional, and the drivers unbelievably courageous! Alex arranged the trip to our every need and most important, she listened to what WE wanted to see and do, and what kind of trip WE wanted, versus trying to fit us into her mold. Super job!

Our family just returned from 9 days in Sicily planned and operated by Sicily Activities. We have traveled significantly, and have never worked with a better travel partner. Alex was really a pleasure to work with and her communication was scarily efficient and timely. Each of the drivers and guides we had were universally friendly, accommodating and truly interested in our Sicily experience. Sicily is such a great travel destination and Sicily Activities made our trip seamless and so much easier than trying to arrange on our own.

Terrific Our family of 6 were planning this trip before covid and we finally made it true in 2021! Alex, our trip designer, was very attentive to all the details of our travel plans and made a super input to make the itinerary special. We have mixed visiting the most important Sicilian highlights with “off the beaten tracks” learning a lot about life on the islands, its history and traditions. The collection of restaurants/ farms included in trip was fantastic, small authentic places with soul and terrific cuisine. The cherry on the top was a cooking class in the historic countryside estate of olive oil producers. We had a great time with all the guides, who became our friends during the trip, and we recommend SA team for everyone who plans to visit Sicily and to fully enjoy it!

It was a fantastic experience. Everyone was very helpful and made appropriate changes as we went along. We enjoyed all the cities we went to - Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento and Palermo. Everything was customized to where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do.

My children aged 17 years , 14 , 10 and 5 year old travelled on a private tour to Sicily . It was the most amazing experience and wonderful experience . I was so impressed by Massimo ‘s attention the detail and how he organised everything so well during a pandemic time . We never felt that we did not know what do next - all the tour guides and drivers were so lovely and friendly and really made us feel so welcome in Italy . It was a trio of a lifetime . Thankyou to Massimo and team for a wonderful job well done .

We had a great experience with Sicily Activities, both during our extended planning period (for a trip that had originally been scheduled for July 2020) and our actual trip in Aug. 2021 Alex and Massimo were extremely helpful in the planning phase of our vacation, accommodating many changes to our itinerary along the way and putting us at ease with covid-related travel complications. All of our questions and requests were addressed in a timely manner, both during the planning and the actual tour. During our private family tour of Sicily, the SA team executed all details of our itinerary in a courteous and professional manner, from the airport and hotel transfers to the comfortable transportation and tours with friendly and experienced local guides (with a special shout out to Valerio, our main driver and guide, and Rosario, who expertly introduced us to Forza d'Agro, Savoca and the many wonders of the Mt. Etna region). There were very few surprises, due to the proactive communication by Alex and Massimo. Hotels were well-chosen and convenient and the meals that were included were excellent. We were particularly impressed that the several elements of our tour that departed from SA's standard itinerary (pre-tour beach resort stay, olive oil and wine tasting, cooking class, side visit to ancestral hometown) were planned expertly and handled smoothly. Overall, the itinerary struck a perfect balance between guided touring and personal time to make our own discoveries. As we travelled during Covid times, we felt reassured that the company took proper precautions. All drivers (and us passengers) were masked during our travels by van, as were all of our guides in the interior spaces of our tours (or while in close proximity with us and other people outdoors). We strongly recommend Sicily Activities to any family or other small group that wants to explore Sicily in a private tour setting. We hope to travel with them again one day.