A Classic Journey Around Sicily

Private journey designed by you

Feel the heat in Italy’s enchanting southern island, with an enlightening road trip around its rich cultural mix of ancient temples, romantic baroque cities in ravines, wild sandy shores and vine-threaded volcanic slopes.

10 days

suggested length

Apr-Sep

best time to go

$15,495

price from

Masked Hero image of A Classic Journey Around Sicily

Presided over by fiery Mount Etna, Sicily is a red-hot mix of sunbaked temples, sizzling sea views and sensational produce grown on its fertile volcanic slopes. Travel back in time on a tailor-made road trip from the charmingly chaotic capital of Palermo to fiery Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe. Marvel at Norman-Arab-Byzantine architecture, Doric temples and honey-hued churches, drive through sun-kissed countryside dotted with olive and almond trees, and learn to cook (then eat) traditional Sicilian dishes.

Drive right up to the crater edge of Etna by private jeep, and taste wines from grapes grown in its fertile soil

Drink in the views of Mount Etna from Taormina’s ancient amphitheater

Delve into Arab-Norman-Byzantine Palermo, intriguing and full of stories, including the dazzling cathedral and cloisters of Monreale

Learn to cook classic Sicilian dishes such as caponata and arancini

Wander among near-intact 2,000-year-old temples, strewn among almond trees outside Agrigento

Marvel at the Roman mosaics of the Roman Villa del Casale

Fall under the spell of beautiful Syracuse and the tangle of cobbled streets at its island heart

Admire the baroque churches of the Val di Noto and taste artisanal chocolate in Modica

Book a Tailormade journey to Europe by April 15 and receive a $1,500 air credit per person when you reserve your international flights with A&K.

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abercrombie kent A Classic Journey Around Sicily-4

This Tailormade Journey is just the beginning of a beautiful adventure, ready to be customized by you. Choose the hotels you want to stay in, enhance your journey with extra experiences, and tell us where else you want to go.

Customize your itinerary further by viewing and adding to your wishlist.

Palermo, Italy

2 days

A colorful capital with a Norman-Arab-Byzantine heart

suggested

Dramatically situated on the north-west coast between a shimmering harbor and brooding mountains, Sicily’s charmingly chaotic capital, with its gritty piazzas and crumbling baroque townhouses, is a riot of architectural riches left by the many cultures who have conquered it, from the Romans and Arabs to the Normans and Aragonese. Beyond the city, the surrounding coastlines and landscapes of the north-west are rugged and beautiful, veering from windmill-studded salt pans to old rural hill towns such as Erice.

Your A&K Experiences: Unlock the past on a private tour with a local guide who can reveal the city’s most intriguing stories, taking you to the Duomo, medieval churches, vibrant Ballaro Market, and the great Cathedral of Monreale. Head into the hills of the north-west to visit charming hill towns (try the locally made almond sweets Grammatico Pasticceria).

Your Hotel:

Agrigento, Italy

2 days

Doric temples and distinctive local wines

suggested

The rugged west corner of the island is little-visited by travellers. But it holds all kinds of treasures, from gentle vine-covered slopes, olive farms and wild deserted beaches to some brilliantly preserved Greek and Roman ruins – the highlights being the Temple of Segesta and the Temple of Concordia, strewn among almond and olive trees in the Valley of the Temples outside Agrigento.

Your A&K Experiences: Walk among the atmospheric temples at Segesta, which overlook Sicily’s beautiful south-west coast, with an expert historian to reveal the stories behind the site. Head to a tenuta (farm estate) in the countryside for an olive oil tasting on a terrace among the olive trees. Take a cooking class to become a Sicilian master chef, whipping up local specialties such as caponata. Explore the Valley of the Temples at its most evocative: in the early morning without the crowds. Call in at the ancient aristocratic estate of the Roman Villa del Casale in Piazza Armerina, famous for its mosaics.

Your Hotel:

Syracuse, Italy

3 days

An ancient island and the most beautiful city of them all

suggested

Cicero described Syracuse on the southeastern coast as ‘the greatest Greek city and most beautiful of them all’. Its historic heart, the island of Ortigia, where Plato holidayed, is now a tangle of cobbled streets wending this way and that, lined with fabulous boutiques, restaurants, and ancient buildings such as the Temple of Athena, part of the cathedral. Locals swim off the sun decks around its shores, in clear green-blue water.

Your A&K Experiences: Explore the cultural highlights of Syracuse and Ortigia on foot, with a local guide to show you the best spots. Mosey around Ortigia’s antique shops, pick up beautiful locally made ceramics and discover remarkable Greek and Roman ruins on the edge of the city. Embark on a privately guided tour of the Val di Noto region in Sicily’s southwest: bathe in the honey-colored glow of the baroque architecture in Noto, Ragusa and Modica and join a chocolate-making demo in Modica.

Your Hotel:

Taormina, Italy

2 days

An ancient amphitheater with views of Mount Etna

suggested

Elegant Taormina on the north-east coast is home to the Teatro Greco amphitheater: built by the Greeks, rebuilt by the Romans and overlooking Mount Etna. (There are more sensational views from the tiny hamlet of Castelmola.) Taormina is one of the most wildly romantic places in all Italy, and indeed the world – honeymooners love it – and its chic streets and stunning shores recently played a starring role in Series 2 of White Lotus.

Your A&K Experiences: Explore Taormina on foot, accompanied by a knowledgeable local guide. Head up Mount Etna by private Jeep, discovering the Grotta del Corruccio lava cave by lamplight, then on to the Sartorius craters, summiting a crater rim to look down into the great, smoking volcano. Taste volcanic vintages at a local winery, and eat the most delicious lunch made with locally produced ingredients.

Your Hotel: