Highlights of Southern Italy and Sicily Tour

Zicasso’s travel professional crafted an unforgettable Sicily trip for our group of seven. After discussing our preferences, she designed a flawless itinerary, incorporating unique experiences that became trip highlights. Her communication was exceptional, with prompt responses to our questions before the trip and daily updates for the next day's activities, including driver and guide details, which were incredibly helpful.

We stayed at superb hotels in Taormina, Agrigento, Palermo, and Cefalù, each with stunning views and private tours. Sicily’s warm, hospitable people stood out compared to other European destinations. At our hotel on Via Leonardo da Vinci in Taormina, the staff greeted us warmly, setting a perfect tone. Other stops included Mount Etna, Erice, Castelbuono, and Savoca. All of these locations were great, but don't miss Castelbuono!

Two standout experiences were private meals with families. Near Erice, a chef and his family welcomed us into their sea-view home, preparing amazing Sicilian meals that felt like dining with family. In Palermo, another home chef and her husband created a similarly memorable evening, with lots of great conversation and stories.

Every driver was professional, friendly, and informative, while our guides — often archaeologists or historians — were engaging and knowledgeable.

Highlights included a welcome dinner in Taormina, a farm cooking class, two wine tours with lunch, a Mount Etna hike, a Valley of the Greek Temples tour, town and village tours, cheese and pastry tastings near Cefalù, and a farewell dinner. The Godfather tour in Savoca was special, with our guide introducing us to a local who played Apollonia’s mother, waving from her balcony.

Our travel professional's meticulous planning and personal touches made this trip extraordinary. Thanks to Zicasso for matching us with the tour company and we highly recommend them for a perfect Sicilian/Italian adventure!

The travel company and staff were excellent. The trip coordinators accompanied us through the trip via WhatsApp. They were terrific. The service was top-notch, including the drivers, tour guides, and accommodations.

The one thing I would change about the trip is to have longer stays in each city visited. Moving to a new hotel every two nights prevented us from really enjoying each city we visited. I would also forgo Palermo and substitute a smaller city like Noto or Agrigento. But again, the itinerary was based on my interests and time. It is not an indication of the tour company's abilities. However, it may be good for the agency to suggest longer stays to other customers. Otherwise, we had a great trip and once again, I have recommended Zicasso and the tour company to family and friends.

Thank you again for a great time!

Our Zicasso travel specialist did a fantastic job planning our family vacation for five adults.

Each hotel was top-notch. At the villa in Taormina, the rooms were luxurious, with unbelievable views of the bay and Mount Etna from private verandas. The staff were gracious and the restaurant's breakfast buffet delicious. Lunch and dinner were top-notch. The hotel in Agrigento was modern and the grounds were exceptional. It was close to the Valley of the Temples, with amazing views of the ruins from each room and the beautiful infinity pool. The hotel in Palermo was old-fashioned luxury with up-to-date facilities and close to the old town.

Our tour guides and drivers were excellent.

My only regret is that we only had 10 days to explore Sicily as there was so much more to see!

Our agent did a yeoman's job helping us plan this trip.

I apologize for the delay in writing this review, but was very busy the last few months and wanted to dedicate the time it deserved. This review will address my wife and my trip to Italy from September 26, 2025, to October 6, 2025. Please feel free to share all or any portion of this review.

Trip Planning:

As a bucket-list event, I spent a great deal of time doing research, but would not have been able to put together the ideal vacation without the support of Zicasso and the travel company. Upon hearing my general interests, Zicasso provided two groups whom they thought would be able to plan and implement my trip. Both groups interviewed me and my wife about interests and price range, and then prepared an initial itinerary. Both groups would have done a fantastic job by their presentation, but it seemed I was slightly more in tune with the travel company and selected them. This proved to be a very wise choice, as the entire team at the travel company, particularly the travel specialists, were the absolute best and I would recommend their service without reservation. Fully responsive to my many questions before the trip, addressing all potential itinerary changes, and providing invaluable guidance throughout the entire process. Their response to inquiries while in the country was unbelievably prompt and thorough. At our request, the travel specialists made restaurant recommendations and reservations that were spot-on. I can’t say enough good things about these ladies.

Transportation and travel between locations:

Although not involved in the flights, the travel specialists provided great guidance concerning flights, trip insurance, and other logistics.

One key point that I fully expressed was that I did not want to flounder at the various transportation points and did not want to lug luggage in foreign areas on the way to and from lodging. The team took this to heart and provided me with either an escort or driver to and from every terminal. Everyone providing this task was friendly and provided information that made the travel much easier. Particularly valuable were our escorts, who adeptly negotiated our entrance and exit from Venice, and provided great insights into this historic city.

Venice:

Our hotel in Venice seemed to be right in the middle of everything, which allowed us to explore, and we have never had so much fun getting lost. At night, we opened our windows and fell off to sleep listening to nearby music; it was idyllic. The staff was professional and friendly. Breakfast was the best of all the hotels we stayed at in Italy.

The first full day in Venice, the travel company leveraged “skip the line” so we could make the very most of our time and is essential to any planning. Both guides were great and really good company. One guide’s knowledge of the Doge Palace really brought it to life for us. Another guide had a real insider’s view of Burano, as this was her family’s island. As private tours, we could go at our own pace, which we really liked. Probably the least enjoyable tour was the glass factory in Murano. We got the impression most of the tour beyond the initial exhibition was an attempt to sell their products. My wife succumbed and purchased a pair of earrings that broke the first time she wore them. Really disappointing, and I would advise you to spend more time in Burano.

Florence:

As with all the trains, the travel was very comfortable and we enjoyed watching the scenery. Our lodging in Florence was right on the Santa Maria square, superb for people watching. The staff was fine, nothing more. The hotel was near the world’s oldest pharmacy, famous as the world's oldest perfumery. Although there is a line to enter, it goes quickly and is historical, to say nothing of buying a scent more than 400 years old. I strongly recommend you go.

While knowledgeable, our tour guide for the Accademia and Uffizi Galleries was a little too technical for us, leaving us with the feeling that we were taking an art history class.

Dinner was based on the travel specialist's recommendation and it was delicious. A strong recommendation.

Day trip to Pisa:

The travel arrangements were perfect. The purpose of the trip was to take the obligatory picture holding up the tower—hokey, but we loved it.

The private cooking class with our instructor was a lot of fun. The view of the city from her window at sunset was beautiful. My wife and our instructor fell into a real rhythm cooking, and she was kind enough not to scoff at my ham-handed attempts. Her directions were simple enough for me to follow, theoretically. She followed up her lesson with an email containing detailed recipes. We have purchased all necessary utensils and are planning a pasta-making party soon. This was a fun change of pace.

Rome:

Our bed-and-breakfast in Rome was our least favorite lodging. Entry into the building was confusing and, as a B&B, the desk was not manned all the time, which made it difficult to secure a taxi early in the morning (we had to walk to a nearby hotel) or get assistance after 8pm or before 6am. When we came in, we attempted to coordinate laundry service with the person working the front desk, followed his instructions, but when we returned the next day, our dirty clothes were still where we were told to leave them. The initial response from the on-duty staff, who I believe was the owner, was that the individual was no longer an employee. Ultimately, the hotel comped and completed our laundry, which was nice. We would have preferred different lodging.

Our first afternoon, we took a four-hour golf cart tour, which was our favorite tour of the entire trip. Adding an extra hour to the traditional length and having only my wife and me allowed us to do everything we wanted to do. Our driver took us everywhere. He would drop us at the top of the Spanish Steps and meet us at the bottom, and would conveniently bring us closest to all other locations. I can’t believe how much we did in four hours. Our driver brought all these iconic sites to life with his marvelous insight and provided a great insider view of these monuments. This is a must-do for all first-time visitors to Rome. The only thing we were not able to do, due to no fault of our driver, was the Aventine Keyhole. When we got there in the afternoon, the line was 45 minutes and not a wise use of our time. If this is a strong interest, he recommends going early in the morning.

The travel specialists arranged tickets for the Papal general audience on Wednesday. Rising at sunrise was worth it to get the seats as close as we were able to secure. Most online sites suggest getting there an hour and a half before the start time, but I think that is much too late. I recommend you get there three to four hours ahead to get the best seats. The best seats are on the end near where the Pope drives by, ideally near an infant, and His Holiness will stop to personally bless these children. Facing the stage, the right side filled up quicker than the left side, so go directly to the left side of the audience. Being so close to the first American-born Pope was a memory I will never forget. His Holiness blesses all items in the audience's possession, so load up on rosary beads; they will make great Baptism and Communion gifts.

The afternoon was our first group tour at the Vatican Museums. It might be that we were spoiled with the previous private tours, but linking up with the group was chaotic and the quality of the tour was contingent on those in our group. Fortunately, all our groups were good, considerate, and friendly people. The main value was skipping the line for entrance. As with the Doge Palace, our guide was a little too academic and didn't really manage time well, potentially a victim of being in a group, but I would have rather spent more time in the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica. Taxis were extremely hard to get back to the hotel and I would arrange a ride if I were to do it again.

The Thursday tour of the Colosseum and Forum was also a group tour, but led by a guide who brought this ancient land to life. An archaeologist by trade, our guide seemed to know everything and also took a great picture.

The end of a very long but enjoyable day was another group tour of the catacombs and Santa Maria Maggiore. While the catacombs were the main attraction, the after-hours and behind-the-scenes access to Santa Maria Maggiore was an unexpected gem. Going through a second Holy Door, viewing the magnificent nighttime skyline from the roof, seeing the location of a relic from the baby Jesus’ manger, and being struck by the modesty of Bernini’s and Pope Francis’s tombs were all highlights. Unfortunately, taxis were again hard to come by.

Sorrento:

We took a train from Rome to Naples. While there was a national strike, it did not prove more than an inconvenience, no worse than New York City on a regular day. Our driver from Naples told us this simply provided us with a genuine Italian experience. I wish I could remember this driver’s name because he was the best of a very good group of drivers during this trip. En route to Sorrento, we stopped for a tour and meal at a winery and a private skip-the-line tour of Pompeii. We were so impressed with the quality of the winery that we made a large purchase of wines and olive oils that, thankfully, included free shipping.

During our drive to Sorrento, our driver took us through his hometown, which we really enjoyed. Going through the town, he pointed out the birthplace of Bruce Springsteen’s mother. Little did he know, we were from New Jersey and are HUGE Springsteen fans.

Our hotel in Sorrento was a nice place, close to the center of town. I would have preferred a hotel with a view of the coast.

On Saturday, we took a private tour up the coast. This was the most comfortable car I have ever ridden in, with heated and cooled seats, and a convenient icebox. The driver made clear he was at our disposal. The scenery was marvelous and it was a thrill to dip our toes in the Med. Our driver hooked us up with a restaurant on a cliff overlooking the water—beautiful and scrumptious.

Our last day was supposed to be the Gozzo tour of Capri, but was canceled due to weather. We refunded the canceled boat tour, but ate the driver and ferry fees. In hindsight, knowing this day was largely contingent on weather, I would have liked to have a contingency plan and would advise the travel company to plan this in the future.

Based on how smoothly things went, we will be contacting Zicasso to arrange a trip to Iceland and Ireland next fall, and hope they can refer a team as talented as this travel company.

Overall, the trip was fantastic! The hotels in Italy and Sicily were awesome. Most tours were five-star!

Zicasso’s tour company provided our group with an outstanding itinerary that allowed us to experience all of Sicily. The hotels were top-notch, the tours were all-encompassing, and the guides were a wealth of information. Their personalities suited our group well. In addition, the drivers not only provided us with safe and comfortable rides, but also added to the history and made us feel like old friends.