8-Day Small Group Sicily Tour: Taormina to Palermo

Eight days across Sicily's coast, mountains and baroque towns with a guide who knows the stories

An 8-day small group tour of Sicily visiting Taormina, Godfather Villages, Mt. Etna, Noto, Marzamemi, Syracuse, Agrigento and Palermo with a maximum of eight guests. The itinerary includes eight guided activities led by licensed local guides, seven nights in centrally located 4-star hotels, all ground transport in an air-conditioned minivan, and meals ranging from Etna winery lunches to fresh fish in Marzamemi fishing villages. You start with an evening food and wine tour in Taormina and end with a departure transfer to Palermo airport.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Taormina Food & Wine Tour

• Meet local guide in city center
• Enjoy Taormina food and wine tasting
• Explore Taormina at night

Day 2: Godfather Tour & Taormina Walking Tour

• Meet mafia guide at hotel
• Visit Savoca and Forza D'agrò villages
• Take aperitif at Vitelli bar
• Enjoy pasta lunch on terrace
• Walk Taormina with local guide
• Visit Greek Theatre

Day 3: Mt. Etna Trip with Lunch & Wine Tasting

• Visit Mt. Etna base camp Refuge Sapienza
• See Silvestri craters and walk lava flows
• Ascend to 3000m by cable car and Jeep
• Guided visit of main craters area
• Tour Etna winery estate and cellars
• Wine tasting with cold appetizers and lunch
• Return to hotel in Taormina

Day 4: Noto Tour, Fish Lunch & Transfer to Syracuse

• Travel to Noto with private driver
• Walk Noto with local guide
• Taste Modica chocolate
• Visit Marzamemi fishing village
• Enjoy traditional fresh fish lunch
• Transfer to hotel in Syracuse
• Explore Syracuse at night

Day 5: Ortigia Walking Tour

• Free morning in Ortigia
• Meet local guide at hotel
• Walk Ortigia old town
• See Apollo Temple and Via Cavour
• Visit Archimede Fountain and Jewish district
• Explore Duomo Square and churches
• Free afternoon and evening in Syracuse

Day 6: Agrigento Temples Valley & Transfer to Palermo

• Check out from Syracuse hotel
• Drive to Temples Valley
• Guided visit of Temples Valley
• Enjoy seasonal lunch in local taverna
• Continue drive to Palermo hotel
• Relax and free evening in Palermo

Day 7: Palermo Walking Tour

• Meet local guide at hotel
• Walk Palermo old town
• Visit Martorana Church, Piazza Pretoria, Quattro Canti, Cathedral
• Enjoy glass of typical Palermo wine
• Free evening in Palermo

Day 8: Departure & Transfer to Airport

• Breakfast at hotel
• Transfer to Palermo airport

The experience

The tour opens with an evening in Taormina, where you meet your guide as the town cools down and move through its streets tasting local food and wine with people who keep the traditions alive. Your guide finishes the walk around 21:00, leaving you free to explore the town at night. The next morning you head to the Godfather Villages (Savoca and Forza d'Agrò), where scenes from the films were shot. You'll stop at the famous Vitelli bar and eat a pasta lunch on a terrace overlooking the valleys. That afternoon a separate guide takes you through Taormina's hidden streets and the Greek Theatre, walking you through the layers of conquest and architecture that shaped the town.

Day three climbs Mt. Etna. You reach Refuge Sapienza at 1,900 meters to see the extinct Silvestri craters and walk on old lava flows, then ascend by cable car and Jeep to 3,000 meters for a 45-minute walk in the crater zone with an Alpine guide (this ascent is optional). After the hike you visit an organic winery on Etna's slope for a guided tour of the cellars and a tasting of at least five wines paired with cold appetizers and a light lunch. From there you drop back to Taormina for a free evening. The route then moves south: a walking tour of Noto, a UNESCO baroque town where you taste Modica chocolate, followed by a traditional fresh fish lunch in the fishing village of Marzamemi, then a transfer to Syracuse for the night.

In Syracuse you have a free morning to visit the Ortigia food market, the Neapolis archaeological area, or take a boat tour on your own. In the afternoon a local guide leads a 1.5-hour walk of Ortigia's old town, showing you the Apollo Temple, the colorful Via Cavour where artists and aristocrats gather, the Archimede Fountain, and the Jewish district founded in the 3rd century BC, ending at Duomo Square. The next day you leave Syracuse and drive toward Palermo, stopping at the Temple Valley near Agrigento for a two-hour guided visit of this UNESCO site, then eating a seasonal lunch in a local taverna before continuing to Palermo. Your final full day includes a two-hour walking tour of Palermo's old town (the Martorana Church, Piazza Pretoria, Quattro Canti and the Cathedral) with a glass of typical Palermo wine after, and a free evening to explore. On departure day you have breakfast at your hotel and a transfer to Palermo airport timed to your flight.

What’s included

• Eight guided activities led by licensed local guides.
• seven nights in centrally located 4-star hotels (three in Taormina, two in Syracuse, two in Palermo).
• all ground transport in an air-conditioned 8-seat Mercedes minivan with driver.
• arrival transfer from Catania airport and departure transfer to Palermo airport.
• Taormina food and wine evening tour.
• Godfather Villages tour with pasta lunch.
• Mt. Etna visit to 1,900 meters with organic winery lunch and wine tasting.
• Noto walking tour with fresh fish lunch in Marzamemi.
• Ortigia walking tour in Syracuse.
• Temple Valley guided visit in Agrigento with seasonal lunch.
• Palermo walking tour with a glass of local wine.
• breakfast daily and dinner on arrival night.
• 24-hour coordination from arrival to departure.

Before you book

Days and timesWednesday and FridayDeparts at 18:30Last departure this season: 30 Oct

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Under 18: can't be included in the booking

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 6 days before the start.Between 2 and 6 days before the start, 50% refund.After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Sicily Activities

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guided eight-day loop through Sicily's major regions (coast, mountains, baroque towns, temples) with seven other travelers rather than solo or as a private group.

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Top questions

What's included in the meals across the eight days?

The tour includes a Taormina food and wine evening, a pasta lunch in the Godfather Villages, an organic lunch with wine tasting at an Etna winery, fresh fish lunch in Marzamemi, and a seasonal lunch in Agrigento. Breakfast is at your hotel each morning, and dinner is included on arrival night in Taormina. Other meals are free time to choose.

Can I skip the optional ascent to Mt. Etna's 3,000-meter craters?

Yes. The ascent by cable car and Jeep to the main crater zone is optional. You'll still visit Refuge Sapienza at 1,900 meters, see the Silvestri craters, and walk the lava flows. The higher ascent is your choice at checkout.

How much time do I have to explore on my own?

You have a free morning in Syracuse to visit the Ortigia market, Neapolis, or take a boat tour; free afternoons and evenings in Taormina, Syracuse and Palermo after your guided activities end; and a full free evening in Palermo on your last night before departure.

What are the hotels like and where do I stay each night?

You stay in centrally located 4-star boutique hotels: three nights in Taormina with a swimming pool and sea view, two nights in Syracuse, and two nights in Palermo. All hotels are small and positioned in the heart of each town.

Is the guide the same person all eight days?

You have licensed local guides throughout. Different guides lead different activities: a food and wine guide in Taormina, a Godfather expert for the villages, an Alpine guide on Mt. Etna, walking guides in each town, so you get specialists for each region and its stories.

What's the group size and who else will be on the tour?

The maximum is eight guests, so the group stays small. You travel together in an air-conditioned Mercedes minivan with a licensed driver, and all ground transport is included from your arrival at Catania airport to your departure from Palermo.