SICILY – THE GEM OF SOUTHERN ITALY
Private Guided Tours of Sicily
Alma Italia
Alma Italia tailors beautiful and authentic Italian travel experiences for friends and families to be refreshed in the heart of Italy. All Alma Italia private guided tours of Italy are tailored to meet your individual needs.
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The beguiling beauty of this, the largest Italian island, is hard to put into words. If Sicily remains an undiscovered part of the ‘Bel Paese’ to you, then Alma Italia can help you to discover this gem of Southern Italy in style with our tailored Sicily tours.
Sicily, located right in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, has due its strategic position, been conquered and dominated by many different civilizations: Greeks, Romans, Normans, Spanish and Arabs have all left their mark on this enigmatic, beautiful island, leaving Sicily with a rich mix of history, architecture, culture, and food, unique in the world.
At sunset, the whole island seems to sparkle from the stones that were used to construct the hundreds of Greek and Roman temples and towns of Norman or Spanish Baroque style. As the philosopher Plato is once thought to have said: ‘Sicilians build things like they will live forever and eat like they will die tomorrow’. Indeed, the food, fresh, simple but rich with an explosion exotic of flavors will certainly leave you reaching for your elasticated waist pants!
Sicily is the place where Europe and Africa almost touch and you will witness that in the colours of this land.
Some of Italy’s most spectacular golden beaches are to be found here, some still quite wild and ‘secret’; others, groomed with the famed private beach clubs where you can relax in comfort and style. The emerald green water stays at just the right temperature for swimming, almost all year round. The black rocks of the ever-intrusive Etna Volcano and the vibrant red of its full bodied wines lure you in to taste their splendour.
Alma Italia will unlock the door to both the people and the land of Sicily, enabling you to experience all of this in the flesh, in a trip that will remain in your family or friends’ memories forever.
Adventure & Explore
- Noto Explore this chic baroque jewel in the south east corner of Sicily
- Ortigia Island A truely unique town of Venetian heritage built on an island surrounded by the sparkling Mediterranean connected only by a short bridge to the rest of Sicily
- Mount Etna Explore this active volcano if you are brave enough
- Favignana Island advenutre to this hidden treasure and local Italian vacation hotspot which lies off the west coast of Sicily.
- Palermo Discover the sizziling cultural hotpot that is the capital of Sicily
Inspire & Restore
- Noto beach Relaxing beach days on some of Sicily’s most stunning beaches is sure to inspire and restore
- Architectural treasures Be inspired amidst the beauty of the Baroque and Venetian architecture of the towns and villages surrounding the Syracuse bay
- Favignana Island boat trips Be restored by the calm and beauty of the Mediterranean sea as you explore the coastline of Favignana by private boat.
- Food and Wine tasting at Sicily’s best gourmet wine regions at the foot of the hills of Mount Etna
PLAN YOUR PERFECT TRIP
Best Time: March to October
Price: from $3,500pp for 7 nights
LITTLE BLACK BOOK
A glimpse into Alma Italia’s hidden Italian experiences from the region:
Favourite beach
Isola dei Conigli, Lampedusa
Favourite architectural gem
Noto Baroque town
Favorite restaurant
Locanda del Collegio, Ortigia
Best coastal walk
Zingaro nature reserve
Best Sunset spot
Scala dei Turch beach
ITINERARY
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Day 1: Arrival at Catania and Noto
Landing in Catania Airport: As will all our bespoke Sicily tours, you will be be greeted with a warm welcome at the airport by both your driver and private tour host who will take care of every little detail for you during your Sicily trip, ensuring you experience the very best of the soul of this magical island.
Your private driver and host will take you directly to Noto, an atmospheric small town considered the capital of Italian Baroque and a ‘must see’ for all Sicily trips and Sicily private tours. The day of your arrival is meant to be for you to recharge after your long flight. We like to start our Sicily tours in style and what a better way to do so than by enjoying some time relaxing by the pool at the boutique hotel that will be your home for a few days with a fresh aperol spritz or a glass of local Sicilian wine, produced by a nearby Noto vineyard with some classic Sicilian appetizers.
If you are keen to explore, we can take an evening `passeggiata,` strolling in the main streets of the town, soaking up the atmosphere of a Sicilan evening before heading to a local restaurant in town for dinner for your first taste of incredible Sicilian cuisine.
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Day 2: Noto Beach day
After enjoying a typical Sicilian breakfast (which usually includes a fresh granita, brioche or pastry filled with pistachio cream or sweet ricotta cheese, juice and almond milk) we will take you to one of the most beautiful beaches of the coast where you will be able to spend the day at your privately reserved spot with all the comforts Italian style, while admiring the blue crystalline water of the Mediterranean sea in front of you. For those feeling energetic we can organize a stand up paddle board or sailing lesson. Otherwise you can just lay back on your sunlounger and enjoy a good book to the gentle sounds of lapping waves and Italians chatting and laughing in the background.
We will drive back to Noto for another evening stroll to admire the alluring baroque architecture and possibly even indulge in a spot of window shopping in Noto`s artisan boutiques. Your tour host will point out all the best local secret spots and take you to one of our favourite restaurants in town where you can dine outside in a quiet piazza in the balmy evening breeze. A relaxing highlight for all Sicily trips and small group Sicily tours!
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Day 3: Syracuse and Ortigia
On this day we will take you to visit the archeological park of Syracuse. Here you will be able to explore an ancient Greek amphitheatre, temples and ruins thousands of years old. A private guide will bring to life the history of this remarkable place. After a good lunch we will then visit the historical centre of the city, Ortigia, where the Spanish left the strongest influence on the architecture. This is without doubt one of the most intriguing towns of Sicily and another `must see` on all good Sicily trips. Your tour manager will lead you in a stroll of this lovely town surrounded by the water before heading to dinner in a local restaurant.
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Day 4: Holy Smokes…it’s Etna and Taormina
On day 4 we will go to explore the majestic Etna Volcano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A guided tour by jeep will lead you into the heart of the mountain, surrounded by spectacular views while navigating the volcanic terrain. This is perhaps the most unique thing you can experience on our Sicily tours. The volcano is still active so we won’t stay too long! The lower slopes of Mount Etna with its rich volcanic soil are spread with orchards and vineyards, and we will have lunch at a local farm to taste the rich produce farmed there. The day will continue to another trip highlight the unique hilltop town of Taormina. Taormina is one of the most famous hilltop coastal `instagrammable` villages in Sicily. We`ll get refreshed by taking a dip in the clear water and enjoy some beach time as well as strolling around this little jewel of Sicily.
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Day 5: Wine tasting
After a big day at Etna and Taormina, and already halfway through the tour, perhaps it’s time to take another relaxing pool day! Small group tours Sicily style are designed to be relaxing after all! To assist with the relaxing we will head to a typical Sicilian villa set in the midst of olive trees, fields and vineyards where you can meet the owner and taste some of his fabulous rich Sicilian wines, enjoy typical food and relax by the pool! Dinner will be at another favourite local restaurant in Noto.
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Day 6: On to Favignana Island
Sicily has a number of lesser known and delightfully unspoilt islands just off its coast and at Alma Italia we love to take you a little deeper into Sicilian life by visiting at least one on our Sicily tours. These little islands are so stunning that we could arrange an entire 2 week vacation just to see them, something which really should be on your bucket list! Leaving Noto behind, we can visit one of the prettiest, mixing with the locals by using the ferry that will take us to the small island of Favignana. Once arrived, get comfortable at the delightful `island vibe` hotel where we will be staying, and take a stroll in the historical centre of the town. We will enjoy a delicious dinner of fresh seafood straight from the sea in the evening.
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Day 7: Favignana Island boat day
We will explore the island by private boat. You will have the possibility to dive and snorkel in some of the most crystalline water you’ve ever seen while admiring caves and the coastline of the island. Lunch will be served on the boat. In the evening you can wander the streets of the island, dining water side and and if you are anything like us here at Alma Italia, plotting how you could possibly move here on a permanent basis! This is absolutely one of our favorite things to do on private guided tours of Sicily.
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Day 8: Favignana by Vespa
While exploring the island by boat you will have seen numerous beaches where you would love to spend some time. Today we`ll make that dream come true! We will explore the island by Vespa, and be free to stop wherever you like or just keep riding. By the end of the day you`ll have explored all the best secret corners of Favignana, stopping for dips in secluded bays. Tonight we`ll take you to another fabulous fresh seafood restaurant where the chef has some incredible island culinary delights to share with us.
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Day 9: Palermo
Time to say goodbye to Favignana and hello to Palermo, the bustling capital of Sicily, one of the most culturally rich cities of southern Italy. We will help you settle into an atmospheric boutique hotel, oozing with Sicilian charm, and then meet you in the afternoon for a guided tour of the city. Palermo really is the heart of both ancient and modern Sicily and you will enjoy the history and life of this thriving place while walking through local markets and tasting the typical Sicilian produce such as the sweet ricotta based dessert `Cannolo`.
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Day 10: Palermo airport departure
Departure from Palermo airport. Enjoy your last Italian breakfast of your Sicily trip before heading to the airport. It’s time to say `Ciao` just for now!
We can of course tailor any vacation in Sicily to your group’s specific requirements and this little ten day Sicily tour is just a taste of what is possible! Feel free to ask us for a longer trip or a complete `round the island` tour.
Unlock the beauty of the real Italy with authentic experiences and local expertise. Step out of the ordinary. Travel deeply.
A final word on Sicily Tours and Sicily tours 2022
Sicily tours, Sicily trips and Sicily tours 2022 in particular have been sadly absent so far this year. We have missed our friends but there is hope on the horizon and with the rapid roll out of the vaccine we expect that Sicily tours 2022 and will be back, better than ever. We know dozens of families and friends desperate to visit again on private guided tours of Sicily and you can take advantage of our low deposit and money back or date change guarantee should you need to change your travel plans due to government Covid restrictions for all our Sicily tours, Sicily trips, small group Sicily tours and Sicily tours 2022.