Tour Overview
See a lesser-known part of Italy on this 16-day adventure, all with a handy local leader by your side. From the fresh waters and fortifications of Tropea, all the way to the volcanoes of the Aeolian Islands, you’ll stray off Italy’s beaten path. Discover this less-visited part of the country before delving into the spectacular sights of bustling Sicily, the volcanic valleys of Mt. Etna, timeworn streets of Syracuse, the Baroque wonders of Ragusa and the rich anti-Mafia history of Palermo. Starring dramatic cliffside villages, clear waters and delicious seafood, this is a chance to experience the highlights of this European gem. ...more ...less
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Naples
Location: Naples
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Ciao! Welcome to Italy. Your adventure begins in Naples – the vibrant city celebrated as the birthplace of pizza. Naples is also known for its rich history and is home to many narrow, winding streets and ancient churches. You’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight to meet your trip leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, perhaps stroll along the coast and find a little eatery for a pizza dinner, a glass of local wine and a view of the Gulf of Naples. ...more ...less
Day 2: Civita
Location: Civita
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Accommodation Name: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, you’ll travel to Civita by boat, train and private vehicle. Founded by Albanian refugees in the Middle Ages, Civita is recognised by the Italian government as home to an ethnic minority. The Civitesi speak Arberesh, a unique blend of Italian and Albanian, found only here and in parts of Sicily. Explore this fascinating village on foot, visit a local shop to sample regional delights or take a scenic walk in the hills.
Day 3: Civita
Location: Civita
Accommodation: Guesthouse
Accommodation Name: Guesthouse
Meals Included: Breakfast
Make sure you get a good breakfast this morning as you have the option to hike up Mount Sellaro – one of the peaks of Pollino National Park. On the way to the mountain, stop by Cerchiara di Calabria – a little town in the National Park best known for its bread. Maybe stock up on some of the tasty local produce, then continue to a remote sanctuary built by Byzantine monks, on the rocky hillside. The hike path begins just beyond the sanctuary – although it's a reasonably long trek, it’s well worth the summit views of the Achaean coast. If you decide the hike isn’t for you, you can still enjoy the National Park. With sheer cliffs, narrow canyons and a diverse range of wildlife – including the peregrine falcon, eagle owl and the recently reintroduced Egyptian vulture – this area is a wildlife lover’s paradise.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Tropea
Location: Tropea
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast this morning, transfer from Civita to Paola, then take the train to Tropea. Known for the faded buildings and iconic fortifications that line the city’s cliffs, Tropea feels timeless. Explore the town on an orientation walk with your leader, then maybe visit the local Norman cathedral, the Duomo, which houses an icon of Madonna of Romania – the town’s revered protectress. Next to the Duomo, there’s the Museo Diocesano – a small museum in the Palazzo Vescovile full of religious art and wooden statues. If you’d prefer some time by the water, head to the beach and see the impressive structures on the nearby cliffs.
Day 5: Tropea / Stromboli
Location: Tropea / Stromboli
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
If the weather permits, you’ll set out on a boat trip to the island of Stromboli this morning. When you arrive, visit San Vincenzo, where you can swim in the blue sea of the Aeolian Islands, shop along the main street or dine at a local restaurant. Depending on the season, you’ll depart Stromboli in the evening and cruise to the Sciara del Fuoco (Steam of Fire) to see the path of lava that flows during Stromboli's eruptions.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Reggio Calabria
Location: Reggio Calabria
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Take a train to Reggio Calabria – the gateway to Sicily. The city is in a major earthquake zone and has experienced much destruction over the years, leaving fewer historical sites compared to the rest of Italy. However, this has resulted in a unique mix of old buildings and modern structures, which you’ll see on an orientation walk. Visit the renowned National Archaeological Museum of Reggio – this museum is home to a collection of exhibits from Greek-influenced sites across Calabria, including the Bronzi di Riace (two giant bronze statues found on the seafloor in the 1970s). Tonight, maybe hunt down one of the city's best restaurants for local dishes like grilled swordfish or pasta with cauliflower and broccoli.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 7: Taormina/Catania
Location: Taormina/Catania
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, drive to Taormina on the east coast for a private boat excursion. Sailing along the Sicilian coast, you’ll check out the bays and caves of Taormina, characterised by the imposing rocks that surround them. Soak up the sunshine, enjoy an aperitif with snacks and learn about the village from your skipper. Maybe even stop for a swim to cool off before continuing on to Catania. When you arrive, you have a free night to explore the city’s bar culture and find a good spot for dinner.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Catania
Location: Catania
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Wake up in Catania this morning and head out for an orientation walk with your leader to see the city. Wander through the grand piazzas and wide streets, then be treated to a granita tasting (a semi-frozen dessert made with sugar, water and various flavours). Then, maybe see the UNESCO World Heritage site of Val di Noto, famed for its Late Baroque architecture or head out with your group for a farewell dinner. Wherever you end up tonight, make sure to toast to a trip well travelled.
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Catania
Location: Catania
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Enjoy a free day in the charming Catania. Maybe walk through the cobblestone laneways with the Mt Etna volcano towering above and visit the Piazza del Duomo. Tonight, you’ll have a welcome meeting at 6 pm to meet the new travellers joining you. After, maybe head out for dinner with your group and get to know each other.
Day 10: Syracuse
Location: Syracuse
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Come face-to-face with the volcano that towered over you yesterday, with a daytrip to Mt Etna – Europe’s largest active volcano. At an altitude of approximately 2000 m, you’ll walk into the centre of an extinct crater and visit a lava cave with helmets and torches. Walk among the cold lava streams of Piano Provenzana – a former ski resort that was destroyed during the last big eruption of 2002. After, hit the road to Syracuse where your leader will take you on an orientation walk through the most interesting parts of the city. The evening is yours to explore or chill out, as you wish.
Included Activities:
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Day 11: Syracuse
Location: Syracuse
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Wake up without an alarm today – you’ve got the day free to explore Syracuse however you like. Perhaps wander through the streets and check out the crumbling building facades and balconies supported for centuries by a host of stone lions, tigers, bears, dragons, moors, satyrs, devils, angels, kings, paupers, wenches and cherubs. Maybe take a boat trip around the island of Ortigia for a scenic view of the walled off cityscape or visit the Neapolis Archaeological Site. Alternately, fill your whole day just wandering aimlessly through the city, stopping by cafes, restaurants and grabbing a granita in the afternoon.
Optional Activities:
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Day 12: Noto/Ragusa/Agrigento
Location: Noto/Ragusa/Agrigento
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast today, head for the city of Agrigento. Along the way, stop at Noto – a small town with limestone buildings that dazzle on a sunlit afternoon. You’ll then see the ‘new’ baroque city of Ragusa that was completely rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1693, resulting in two vastly different sides to the same city. After exploring the tangled alleyways and baroque palazzi, travel on to Agrigento. Arrive late in the afternoon and enjoy some free time to maybe find the historic centre that extends up the Colle di Girgenti hill. Head to Via Atenea and Viale della Vittoria for a panoramic view over the valley (Valley of the Temples) and the sea for sunset and be sure to try the famous gelato pecorino in one of the local cafés or patisseries.
Included Activities:
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Day 13: Valley of the Temples/Marsala
Location: Valley of the Temples/Marsala
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Take a step back in time today as you explore the nearby Valley of the Temples. Your local guide will bring this classical Greek site to life as you visit the temples of Hera, Herakles, Zeus and Castor and Pollux. Try to nab a window seat today, as along the way you’ll have great views of the sweeping landscape and Mediterranean Sea. After the guided tour in the Valley of the Temples, you’ll head on to Marsala – a coastal town in the west of Sicily.
Included Activities:
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Day 14: Erice/Palermo
Location: Erice/Palermo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Today, set your sights on Palermo, making a few scenic stops along the way. First, you’ll explore the beautifully preserved medieval town of Erice. Despite being handed from one ruling army to the next, there are plenty of beautiful buildings in this town, each showcasing architectural styles from a varied history. Before you get back on the road, be sure to pick yourself up a Genovesi (a traditional Sicilian pastry filled with custard or ricotta cream). Then, make your way to the capital of Sicily, Palermo. When you arrive, you’ll have a free the afternoon to explore as you wish. You might like to wander the labyrinth of small alleyways, buzzing market squares and winding roads. Or, check out some of the main monuments like the 12th century cathedral in the old heart of the city.
Included Activities:
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Day 15: Palermo
Location: Palermo
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Take part in a walking tour with a local guide this morning and uncover symbolic places of rebellion and anti-Mafia racketeering. Places such as the Teatro Massimo, Cape Market, Piazza della Memoria and Beati Paoli Square all have a rich history in civil mobilisation – plus, they are known to serve delicious street food. You’ll get a chance to meet shop owners who have had the courage to denounce their extortionists, then you have the option to visit nearby Monreale – situated in a panoramic position above Palermo with fantastic views over the city and the sea. Visit the cathedral here, described as one of the ‘wonders of the medieval world’, and climb to its roof. Alternately, you might like to wander the city of Palermo at your own will. Tonight, maybe head out for dinner and toast to a beautiful adventure.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 16: Palermo
Location: Palermo
Meals Included: Breakfast
Your adventures come to an end today after breakfast. If you’d like to stay and explore more in Palermo, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (13 nights), Guesthouse (2 nights) -
Meals
14 breakfasts -
Civita - Nature based hike
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Tropea - Stromboli by Night
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Reggio Calabria - Archaeological Museum
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Taormina - private boat excursion
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Taormina - leader led orientation walk
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Catania - leader led orientation walk
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Catania - local granita tasting
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Mt Etna - Day Trip
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Siracusa - Leader-led Orientation Walk
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Noto & Ragusa - Day Trip
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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Airport Transfers at Destination
Transport
- TRANSPORT IN EUROPE
- Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action.
- TRAINS
- The main mode of transportation on this trip is by train. Italian long-distance and inter-regional trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Regional and metropolitan trains are usually a bit more basic and can be quite busy, but this just adds to the experience. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long (and short) distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre of your next destination.
- PRIVATE VEHICLES
- Our private vehicles are locally sourced and are air conditioned and comfortable, which makes travelling enjoyable. On some days we will be covering long distances, which will make these days feel longer, however spectacular views and interesting stops along the way make up for it.
Accommodation
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
- Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
- OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
- TWIN SHARE BASIS
- Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own.
- CHECK-IN TIME
- Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination.
- PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
- If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
- FACILITIES
- Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges.
Important Information
- 1. A single supplement is bookable on this trip, excluding Days 2,3 (Guesthouse). Availability is limited due to small properties we use. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
Mode of Transport
- TRANSPORT IN EUROPE
- Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action.
- TRAINS
- The main mode of transportation on this trip is by train. Italian long-distance and inter-regional trains are comfortable and often decked out with air-conditioning. Toilets are always available. Some of the trains have snack bars (or vending machines) and power points next to the seats but that cannot be guaranteed on every journey. Regional and metropolitan trains are usually a bit more basic and can be quite busy, but this just adds to the experience. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long (and short) distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre of your next destination.
- PRIVATE VEHICLES
- Our private vehicles are locally sourced and are air conditioned and comfortable, which makes travelling enjoyable. On some days we will be covering long distances, which will make these days feel longer, however spectacular views and interesting stops along the way make up for it.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
Due to the terrain the means of transportation on this trip is a mix of local trains, private vehicles and public buses. Train travel is a fast way to traverse long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. Trains are comfortable and all have toilets, however can often be quite busy, especially in peak summer season. Please note that you'll have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, so make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations. You can find this information in the 'Packing' section of the Essential Trip Information.
Summer temperatures can be extreme in many of the regions visited (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat and drink plenty of water. Many hotel rooms in Europe are not equipped with air-conditioning, and the cooling system on local trains can be broken on a regular basis. Note also that during peak holiday season beaches can be quite busy. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
Hotel rooms in Europe can seem rather small by American or Australian standards and often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together. Please also note that often hotels offer shared bathrooms rather than en-suite facilities.
On this trip you must pack as lightly as possible because you will be expected to carry your own bag and although you won't be required to walk long distances with your luggage (max 30 minutes), we strongly recommend keeping the weight under 15 kg (33 lb). Most travellers carry their luggage in a backpack, although an overnight bag with a shoulder strap would suffice if you travel lightly. Smaller bags or backpacks with wheels are convenient although we recommend your bag has carry straps to accommodate the cobbled streets, uneven surfaces, stairs and steps you are likely to encounter while carrying your luggage. You'll also need a daypack/bag.
If you have more time to explore the region you can extend your trip and see more of Italy by starting your travels in Rome. Check out our trip 'Rome to Sicily' (trip code ZMSFC). Most departure dates are designed to create this perfect combination trip. ...more ...less -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Book with Confidence
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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Terms and Conditions
Highlights of Calabria & Sicily
16 Days Starting in Naples and ending in Palermo
Visiting: Naples, Civita, Tropea, Tropea / Stromboli, Reggio Calabria, Taormina/Catania, Catania, Syracuse, Noto/Ragusa/Agrigento, Valley of the Temples/Marsala, Erice/Palermo, Palermo ...more ...less
Tour operator:
Tour code:
ZMSKC
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
15-99
