8 Day Italy Itineraries & Vacation Packages

Matteo provided exactly the trip we wanted, which was a 12-day tour of Sicily, starting in Palermo and ending in Catania. We spent 3 nights in most hotels and approved of his choices, which gave us different experiences of hotels in Sicily. In Taormina we stayed at Hotel Calipso, Hotel Kore in Agrigento, and A Casa Di Anna in Palermo. He provided us with a cellphone upon arrival and checked in from time to time. His English is excellent. We sometimes had problems with internet, and he would call the hotel to try to get a solution, then report back. We used two guides provided by him for specific tours, but basically did things by ourselves. I would turn to him for my next trip to Italy.

We found this travel company wonderful.

All the cities were great

Great Restaurants. Amazing locations and tours.

Excellent hotels. Our favorites Piccolo Giardino in Taormina, Acqua dell'Arte in Catania, and Casato Licitra in Ragusa. Great service.

Loved our days on the beaches.

They were very helpful for the complete trip.

My wife and kids were joined by my sister, my dad and his wife on a 10-day trip to Sicily.

We engaged this travel company to put the trip together for us. I provided the information about which villages we were interested in focusing on because of an ancestral tie. They took that information and weaved in activities that complimented our desired locations and supplemented the agenda with villages and cities with which we didn’t have ancestral ties, but which offered opportunities for fun and adventure.

We started out in Taormina for three nights. While in the area we did quick driving tours of Letojanni and Roccalumera. We spent a little more time in Sant'Alessio Siculo to visit our family church in which my great grandfather Stefano had a stone erected at the passing of his father Domenico in 1948. We traveled to Savoca to visit locations that were in the Godfather movies. Then we drove up to Forza d'Agrò another family ancestral hub and did a walking tour of the town visiting more set locations for the Godfather movies but also parts of our town inhabited by our ancestors. We spent a fair amount of time in the town of Taormina visiting the central city area and other locations like the Greek Amphitheater. Everywhere we went was a quick 10-minute walk from our hotel. We stayed at a Hotel which was an excellent base of operations.

Our last day in the area we visited Mt. Etna. Our very knowledgeable guide put us through the paces visiting some of the minor smaller craters. It’s a location that truly has to be seen to be appreciated. Pictures just do not do it justice. We also toured a tunnel caused by lava flow that had been in existence since at least 1776.

For the next night, we moved on to Sant'Angelo di Brolo and visited parts of the village tied to our ancestors. Our driver did a create job of recon on the area so he could focus us on the areas that held the most historical significance to us. He also helped us with our dialogue with the commune’s municipal records office. His efforts helped us obtain printouts that provided us invaluable information for our family tree.

While in the area we also visited Gioiosa Marea which is a genuinely nice village on the northwest coast of Messina. From there we had a magnificent view of the Aeolian Islands.

We finished our stay with five nights in Siracusa. Siracusa is a good-sized city and we stayed on the “Island” of Ortigia where there were tons of sights to see and things to do. We ventured out of town to visit a number of locations. We visited the Archaeological Park the highlight of which was a Greek Amphitheater that was even bigger than the one in Taormina. We visited a farm that produces high quality Olive, Jams, Honey and Citrus. We participated in a cooking class with a Chef. We ventured out of the area for a tour of Ragusa lead by another guide who shared her wealth of knowledge about the area with us. Along the way we got to see Modica and Ispica. Of course we also visited a winery to learn about the process of making wine in Sicily (and to drink a little of the local Sicilian output too).

The mountain landscape was breathtaking in all the areas we visited. Each time we entered a share turn we were glad our driver was still with us taking great care to make the drive as smooth as possible.

Unfortunately, the visit had to end, and we had to travel back to reality.

The whole family had a wonderful time, and everyone can’t wait to get back.

Our travel company exceeded our very high expectations!

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.