Cornelius Amann
06 octobre 2026
5/5
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Southern Italy: Naples, Matera, Calabria and Sicily
12 days from Naples to Catania: Herculaneum and a pizza lesson, the Sassi of Matera, Tropea on the Calabrian coast, the ferry to Sicily, Etna, Taormina and Syracuse.
12 jours · Naples à Catania · jusqu'à 12 voyageurs
Sant'Agostino above the Sassi of Matera Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sant%27Agostino_(Matera).jpg)
Les faits
En bref
- Durée
- 12 jours, 11 nuits
- Départ et arrivée
- Naples à Catania
- Taille du groupe
- 7 à 12 voyageurs
- Niveau d'activité
Modéré
Town walking on cobbles, stairways and polished stone, about 2 to 4 hours on foot on touring days; Matera's Sassi are steep steps throughout. On Etna you walk on loose lava and ash at up to about 2,900 m, or stay lower at about 1,900 m if you prefer. One long drive day (day 5), broken by lunch.
- Repas compris
- 11 petits-déjeuners, 9 repas du midi, 2 repas du soir
- Chambre individuelle
- + CAD 1,615 (prix estimé)
- Saison
- April to June and September to October
Points forts
Pourquoi ce voyage
- Herculaneum at opening, with the upper floors and wooden beams that Pompeii lost
- A hands-on pizza lesson in Naples, then dinner on what you made
- Two nights in Matera: the Sassi with a local guide in the morning and lit up at night
- Civita, an Albanian-speaking village above the Raganello gorge, as the lunch stop on the long drive south
- Two nights in Tropea on its cliff, with a free afternoon on the beach below
- Lunch in Scilla's fishing quarter, then the car ferry across the Strait of Messina
- Etna by cable car and off-road vehicle to about 2,900 m with a volcano guide, then lunch at a winery
- Three nights on Ortigia in Syracuse, with Neapolis, the market and baroque Noto
Ce qui distingue ce voyage
Le temps libre fait partie du programme
Le temps libre et les choix sont indiqués les jours où ils ont lieu.
En solo, sans pénalité
Une chambre individuelle coûte + CAD 1,615 (prix estimé).
Jour par jour
Itinéraire
Touchez une étape de la carte pour ouvrir ce jourCliquez sur une étape de la carte pour ouvrir ce jour
Arrive in Naples
Naples International Airport or Napoli Centrale to your hotel in the historic centre
- Welcome dinner
- Nuit : Naples
- Environ 30 min de route
Fly into Naples International Airport (NAP), about 7 km from the centre, or arrive by train at Napoli Centrale; a driver meets you at either and takes you to your hotel in the historic centre. Plan to arrive by about 5 pm. At 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the twelve days ahead: how the drives are split, what to pack for Etna, and which evenings are yours.
Après-midi
Then we walk out together along Spaccanapoli, the long straight street that still follows the grid of the Greek city, past the church of Santa Chiara and into Piazza San Domenico Maggiore, as the shops reopen after the afternoon break and the lanes fill. The historic centre of Naples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this first walk is about its everyday life: washing strung over the alleys, shrines on street corners, an espresso standing at the bar.
Soir
We finish at a local trattoria with a welcome dinner of Neapolitan dishes.
Compris
- Pick-up at Naples International Airport (NAP) or Napoli Centrale
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk along Spaccanapoli
- Welcome dinner
Temps libre : Free until the 6 pm briefing
Herculaneum at opening and a pizza lesson
Naples to Herculaneum and back
- Petit-déjeuner, repas du midi et repas du soir
- Nuit : Naples
- Environ 1 h de route
We leave at 8 am for the short drive around the bay to Herculaneum, about 25 minutes, so we are at the gate when it opens and its narrow streets are still quiet. The eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 buried this small Roman seaside town under a deep layer of volcanic material that set hard, so it kept what Pompeii lost: upper floors, carbonised wooden beams and doors, and colour on the walls. With a licensed local guide you walk its streets to the House of Neptune and Amphitrite, with its glass-paste wall mosaic, the Suburban Baths and the old shoreline, where the remains of some 300 people who sheltered in the boat sheds were found. Herculaneum is far smaller than Pompeii, so two to three hours is enough without rushing.
Après-midi
We are back in Naples for a sit-down lunch, and the afternoon is free.
Soir
In the evening a pizzaiolo shows us how a Neapolitan pizza is made, from the dough to the wood-fired oven, and then we eat what we have made.
Compris
- Herculaneum at opening with a licensed local guide
- Sit-down lunch in Naples
- Hands-on pizza lesson with a pizzaiolo, with dinner
Activités en option
- The National Archaeological Museum of Naples, where many of the finds from Herculaneum and Pompeii are kept (closed on Tuesdays)
Temps libre : Afternoon free in Naples
Activité : About 2 to 3 hours on foot at Herculaneum on Roman paving, with some ramps and steps.
The Veiled Christ, then east to Matera
Naples to Matera through Campania and Basilicata
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Matera
- Environ 3 h de route
Matin
A slower morning in Naples. At about 9 am we visit the Sansevero Chapel, whose centrepiece is the Veiled Christ, carved from a single block of marble by Giuseppe Sanmartino in 1753, the veil so fine it looks like damp cloth over the body. Then we load the van and drive east, about three hours and 260 km, out of Campania and into Basilicata, through the hills past Potenza and down towards the Basento valley.
Après-midi
We reach Matera for a late sit-down lunch of Lucanian cooking: sweet peppers dried in the sun, fresh orecchiette and the town's thick-crusted durum wheat bread. After lunch there is time to settle in and rest.
Soir
Before sunset your guide walks you to a viewpoint on the edge of the old town for your first look down into the Sassi, two hollows of cave houses, rock churches and stairways cut into the side of a ravine. They turn gold in the evening light and glitter once the lamps come on.
Compris
- The Sansevero Chapel and the Veiled Christ
- Drive from Naples to Matera with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Matera
- Sunset walk to a viewpoint over the Sassi
Temps libre : Late afternoon and evening free in Matera
The Sassi of Matera
A day on foot in Matera
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Matera
Matin
This morning belongs to the Sassi, walked with a licensed local guide before most day groups arrive. Matera has been lived in since prehistory, and until the 1950s thousands of families still lived in these caves, often sharing them with their animals, before the Italian government moved them to new districts on the plateau. Today the Sassi are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 1993. We go down through the Sasso Barisano and the Sasso Caveoso, into a furnished cave house that shows how a family lived, and into rock churches with medieval frescoes, among them Santa Maria de Idris on its outcrop of rock. Under Piazza Vittorio Veneto we visit the Palombaro Lungo, a huge cistern cut to hold the rain this dry town depended on.
Après-midi
Lunch is at a local restaurant, and the afternoon is free: rest out of the heat, visit a museum, or cross the ravine for the view back at the town.
Soir
In the evening the Sassi are lit and the lanes are quiet again.
Compris
- Guided walk in the Sassi with a licensed local guide
- A furnished cave house and rock churches, including Santa Maria de Idris
- The Palombaro Lungo cistern
- Sit-down lunch in Matera
Option plus facile : Skip the lower lanes of the Sasso Caveoso and wait for the group at a café on the upper town's piazza.
Option plus active : In the afternoon, cross the Gravina ravine on foot and climb to the rock churches and viewpoints of the Murgia park opposite the town, about 2 to 3 hours with a steep path.
Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free
Activité : The Sassi are all stairways and uneven stone; about 3 hours on foot in the morning.
Civita and the drive to Tropea
Matera to Civita in the Pollino National Park, then south to Tropea
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Tropea
- Environ 5 h de route
Soir
Today is the long drive of the trip, about 390 km and five hours on the road, over our 4 hour cap, because Matera and the Calabrian coast sit on opposite sides of the toe of Italy, and the only alternative is an extra one-night stop. We break it in the middle. We leave at 8:30 am and drive about two and a quarter hours down to the Ionian coast and along the Gulf of Taranto to Civita, a village on a ledge inside the Pollino National Park, the largest national park in Italy. Civita was settled in the fifteenth century by Albanian families, the Arbëreshë, whose language and Byzantine-rite church still survive here. Walk through the lanes with your guide to the edge of the Raganello gorge and the Devil's Bridge, a stone arch over the river far below. We stop for a long sit-down lunch of local dishes, then drive about two and three-quarter hours south on the A2 motorway, past Cosenza and Lamezia, to Tropea, in time for an evening stroll to the balconies above the sea.
Compris
- Drive from Matera to Tropea with your guide
- Civita village walk to the Raganello gorge and the Devil's Bridge
- Sit-down lunch in Civita
Option plus facile : Stay in the village square in Civita instead of walking down towards the bridge.
Temps libre : Evening free in Tropea
Activité : The longest drive of the trip and the one day over our 4 hour cap: about 2.25 hours, then a 2.5 hour stop in Civita, then about 2.75 hours. Comfort stops on both halves.
Tropea and a free afternoon by the sea
A day in Tropea
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Tropea
A day by the sea, with one guided walk.
Matin
In the cool of the morning your guide takes you through Tropea's old town, built on a sandstone cliff above the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the Norman cathedral, which holds the icon of the Madonna of Romania, the town's patron, and out to the balconies at the ends of the lanes, where the coast curves away towards Capo Vaticano and, on clear days, the cone of Stromboli shows on the horizon. Below the cliff, a stairway climbs to the church of Santa Maria dell'Isola on its own rock above the beach.
Après-midi
Lunch is a sit-down meal of Calabrian cooking, with Tropea's sweet red onions and spicy 'nduja from nearby Spilinga. The afternoon is yours: swim from the beach below the town, sleep, or walk the shore. From late spring to early autumn, boats leave Tropea in the afternoon for Stromboli and return after dark past the Sciara del Fuoco, the volcano's lava slope, an optional trip we can book for you.
Compris
- Tropea old town walk with your guide: the cathedral and the balconies over the sea
- Santa Maria dell'Isola
- Sit-down lunch of Calabrian cooking
Activités en option
- Boat trip to Stromboli, returning after dark past the Sciara del Fuoco (seasonal, weather and volcanic activity permitting; price shown at booking)
Temps libre : Afternoon and evening free
Activité : Steps down to the beach and up to Santa Maria dell'Isola; the rest is level.
Scilla and the ferry to Sicily
Tropea to Scilla, the ferry from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, then Taormina
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Taormina
- Environ 3 h de route
We leave Tropea at 9 am and drive about an hour and a half south to Scilla, where the mountains drop straight into the Strait of Messina. In Greek myth this was the rock of Scylla, the monster that faced the whirlpool Charybdis across the water.
Après-midi
Walk down through Chianalea, the old fishing quarter whose houses stand with their feet in the sea, below the Ruffo castle on its headland, and sit down for a lunch of local fish. Then it is ten minutes to Villa San Giovanni and the car ferry across the strait, about twenty minutes on deck with Sicily filling the view ahead. Our minivan crosses with us, so there is no luggage to carry. From Messina we follow the coast south for about fifty minutes to Taormina, our base for two nights, on a terrace high above the Ionian Sea.
Soir
In the early evening walk with your guide along Corso Umberto to Piazza IX Aprile, where the view opens over the bay and, when the sky is clear, to Etna.
Compris
- Scilla and the Chianalea fishing quarter
- Sit-down lunch in Scilla
- Car ferry across the Strait of Messina
- Evening walk on Corso Umberto in Taormina
Option plus facile : In Taormina, ride the van to the Porta Messina end of Corso Umberto and walk only the level stretch to Piazza IX Aprile.
Temps libre : Evening free in Taormina
Mount Etna and a winery lunch
Taormina to Etna's south side, a winery on the lower slopes, and back
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Taormina
- Environ 3 h de route
Après-midi
We leave Taormina at 8 am, because cloud often gathers on Etna's summit by early afternoon. The day's three hours on the road come in short legs: about an hour and a half up to the Rifugio Sapienza on the south side, at about 1,900 m. Etna is Europe's highest active volcano and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, and its slopes change shape with each eruption. The cable car lifts us to about 2,500 m, and off-road vehicles climb to about 2,900 m, where an authorised volcano guide walks you across fresh lava and ash towards the summit area, as far as the rules on the day allow. Back down near the refuge, walk the rim of the Silvestri craters, formed in an eruption in 1892. Lunch is at a family winery on the lower slopes, with a tasting of wines grown in volcanic soil. The drive back to Taormina is about an hour, so we are back by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is free for the town's lanes, the public gardens or the beach at Isola Bella, below the town.
Compris
- Etna cable car and off-road vehicles to about 2,900 m with an authorised volcano guide
- The Silvestri craters
- Winery visit with lunch and a wine tasting
Option plus facile : Stay at about 1,900 m and walk the Silvestri craters while the group goes up, then meet for the drive to lunch.
Temps libre : Late afternoon and evening free in Taormina
Activité : About 2 hours on foot at altitude on loose lava and ash; it is cold and windy up high, even in June.
Taormina's theatre, Catania's market, on to Syracuse
Taormina to Catania, then Syracuse
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Syracuse
- Environ 2 h de route
We are at Taormina's Greek theatre when it opens at 9 am, before the cruise and coach groups. Built by the Greeks and rebuilt by the Romans, it is cut into the hillside so that the stage frames the coast and, on clear mornings, the cone of Etna. With a licensed local guide we walk the upper rows, then leave at about 10:30 for the hour's drive south to Catania.
Après-midi
The city was rebuilt in black lava stone after the earthquake of 1693, and its fish market behind Piazza del Duomo is loud and busy until early afternoon. Your guide walks you through the stalls, past the lava-stone elephant fountain that is the city's emblem and up Via Etnea, and we stop for lunch and a granita. About an hour more on the road brings us to Syracuse in the late afternoon.
Soir
Our hotel is on Ortigia, the island that holds the old town, and the evening is free to walk its seafront and lanes.
Compris
- Taormina's Greek theatre at opening with a licensed local guide
- Catania: the fish market, Piazza del Duomo and Via Etnea
- Sit-down lunch and granita in Catania
Option plus facile : Watch from the lower rows of the Greek theatre instead of climbing to the top tiers, and skip the climb up Via Etnea in Catania for a café on Piazza del Duomo.
Temps libre : Evening free on Ortigia
Ortigia and the Neapolis theatre
Ortigia in the morning, the Neapolis Archaeological Park in the late afternoon
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du midi
- Nuit : Syracuse
- Environ 15 min de route
Matin
We start early on Ortigia, where the morning market fills the street beside the ruins of the Temple of Apollo with fish, citrus, capers and cheese.
Après-midi
Your guide walks you through the stalls for tastings that become lunch, then on to Piazza Duomo, where the cathedral was built into a Greek temple to Athena of the 5th century BC, and its Doric columns still stand in the walls and the nave. A few minutes away is the Fountain of Arethusa, a freshwater spring at the edge of the sea with papyrus growing in it. After a long midday break, we drive a few minutes to the Neapolis Archaeological Park in the late afternoon, when the stone has cooled and most groups have gone. With a licensed local guide you see the Greek theatre, cut into the hillside in the 5th century BC, the quarry cave called the Ear of Dionysius, and the Roman amphitheatre. Syracuse and the rock tombs of Pantalica were listed by UNESCO in 2005.
Compris
- Ortigia market walk with a tasting lunch
- The Temple of Apollo, the cathedral and the Fountain of Arethusa
- The Neapolis Archaeological Park with a licensed local guide: the Greek theatre, the Ear of Dionysius and the Roman amphitheatre
Activités en option
- Boat trip around Ortigia and into the sea caves (price shown at booking)
Temps libre : Midday free on Ortigia
Activité : About 3 hours on foot in total, mostly level.
Baroque Noto and a free afternoon
Syracuse to Noto and back
- Petit-déjeuner et repas du soir
- Nuit : Syracuse
- Environ 1.5 h de route
Après-midi
A short morning trip and a free afternoon. Noto is about 40 minutes south-west of Syracuse. After the earthquake of 1693 destroyed the old town, it was rebuilt on a new site in the 18th century in honey-coloured local stone, and it is one of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, listed by UNESCO in 2002. Walk with your guide up Corso Vittorio Emanuele, past churches and palaces whose carved balconies rest on lions, horses and grotesque faces, to the cathedral of San Nicolò, whose dome collapsed in 1996 and reopened, rebuilt, in 2007. Stop for granita and brioche at a café on the Corso. We are back on Ortigia by early afternoon: swim from the rocks along the town's seafront in the warmer months, take the optional boat trip around the island, or rest.
Soir
In the evening we sit down together for a farewell dinner on Ortigia, with Sicilian fish and wine, and a last walk along the water afterwards.
Compris
- Noto with your guide: Corso Vittorio Emanuele and the cathedral of San Nicolò
- Granita and brioche in Noto
- Farewell dinner on Ortigia
Activités en option
- Boat trip around Ortigia and into the sea caves (price shown at booking)
Temps libre : Afternoon free on Ortigia
Syracuse to Catania Airport
Syracuse to Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA)
- Petit-déjeuner
- Environ 1 h de route
Matin
A last breakfast on Ortigia and, if there is time, a last walk along the seafront while the town wakes up. The group transfer to Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) leaves Syracuse at about 10 am and takes about an hour, so book a flight leaving after about 1 pm. Catania has direct flights to Rome, Milan and many European hubs for connections home. If your flight leaves earlier than the group transfer allows, tell us when you book and we arrange a private transfer, priced by our desk. If you are staying on in Sicily, your guide can help you with trains and buses from Syracuse, and our Sicily trip covers Palermo, Agrigento and Ragusa, which this route leaves out. Your guide rides with the group to the airport and checks your flight before saying goodbye at the terminal doors.
Compris
- Group transfer to Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA)
Activités en option
- Private transfer for an earlier flight (price shown at booking)
Activité : Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm.
- Naples2 nuits
- Matera2 nuits
- Tropea2 nuits
- Taormina2 nuits
- Syracuse3 nuits
- Cataniaarrivée
- Étape avec nuitée
- Excursion d'une journée
- En bateau ou en train
Faune et météo : Spring and autumn are warm and quieter, and the sea at Tropea and Ortigia is usually warm enough to swim from late May to early October. We do not run in July and August, when inland heat can pass 40 C and the southern coasts are at their busiest. Etna is cold and windy at altitude in every month.
Vous voulez recevoir ce programme par courriel?
Recevez l'itinéraire jour par jour par courriel, ou posez-nous vos questions sur ce voyage. Un conseiller en voyages vous répond le jour même ou le jour ouvrable suivant.
Avant de réserver
Ce voyage est-il pour vous?
Ce voyage vous convient si vous recherchez
- Travellers who have seen Rome and Florence and want the south beyond the Amalfi Coast
- People who want Calabria and Matera but not the trains and buses of doing it alone
- A mix of guided mornings, free afternoons and time to swim
- Food lovers: a pizza lesson, market tastings and a winery lunch
Ce voyage ne vous convient pas si vous recherchez
- Step-free access: Matera, Tropea and Ortigia mean long flights of stone steps
- Travellers who want Pompeii, Capri or Palermo on the same trip
- A July or August beach holiday
- Anyone who wants a new city every day
Réservez vos vols une fois votre place confirmée.
11 nuits
Où vous logerez
Vos hôtels sont nommés dans la confirmation de votre voyage.
- Naples2 nuits
- Matera2 nuits
- Tropea2 nuits
- Taormina2 nuits
- Syracuse3 nuits
Un seul prix
Ce que le prix comprend
Compris
Hébergement
- 11 nights: 2 in Naples, 2 in Matera, 2 in Tropea, 2 in Taormina and 3 on Ortigia in Syracuse
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms, within walking distance of each old town; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- City tourist taxes
Transport
- Pick-up at Naples International Airport (NAP) or Napoli Centrale station on day 1
- A private air-conditioned minivan and professional driver for the group from day 2 to day 12
- The car ferry across the Strait of Messina, from Villa San Giovanni to Messina
- The Etna cable car and off-road vehicles to about 2,900 m
- Group transfer to Catania Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) on day 12
Votre guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from the day 1 briefing to the airport on day 12
- Licensed local guides at Herculaneum, in Matera, at Taormina's Greek theatre and at Neapolis in Syracuse, and an authorised volcano guide on Etna
Activités
- Naples: evening walk along Spaccanapoli and the Sansevero Chapel with the Veiled Christ
- Herculaneum at opening
- Naples: hands-on pizza lesson with a pizzaiolo
- Matera: the Sassi with a cave house, rock churches and the Palombaro Lungo cistern
- Civita: village walk to the Raganello gorge and the Devil's Bridge
- Tropea: old town walk, the cathedral and Santa Maria dell'Isola
- Scilla: the Chianalea fishing quarter
- Mount Etna: cable car, off-road vehicles, volcano guide and the Silvestri craters
- Etna: winery visit and wine tasting
- Taormina: the Greek theatre at opening and an evening walk on Corso Umberto
- Catania: the fish market and the old town, with granita
- Syracuse: the Ortigia market, the cathedral, the Fountain of Arethusa and the Neapolis Archaeological Park
- Noto: guided walk, with granita and brioche
Repas
- 11 breakfasts
- 9 lunches: in Naples on day 2, in Matera on days 3 and 4, in Civita, Tropea and Scilla, at the Etna winery, in Catania and the Ortigia market tasting
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Naples, the pizza lesson and a farewell dinner on Ortigia
Non compris
- International flights to Naples and from Catania
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1, 11 and 12, and dinners except the three listed
- Drinks, except the wine tasting at the Etna winery
- Optional activities: the Stromboli boat trip, the Ortigia boat trip and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples
- Private transfers for flights outside the group transfer times
- Beach loungers and umbrellas
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Personal expenses
Suppléments
- Chambre individuelle
- CAD 1,615 (prix estimé)
Quand partir
Dates et prix
Choisissez votre date de départ au moment de votre demande de réservation. Nous vérifions cette date et la confirmons dans votre devis.
Vous préférez voyager sans groupe ni guide? Demandez-nous d'organiser vos hôtels, vos transports et vos visites de ville pour voyager en autonomie.
Avant de réserver
Conditions de réservation
Rien n'est facturé maintenant. Les conditions complètes et le barème d'annulation accompagnent votre devis, avant que vous acceptiez.
Adresses de l'entreprise
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Avis des voyageurs
Ce que disent nos voyageurs
Avis de voyageurs ayant participé à nos visites d'une journée.
Jane
06 octobre 2026
5/5
Susan
06 octobre 2026
5/5
Tom L
05 octobre 2026
5/5
MandL83
05 octobre 2026
5/5
Darren O
05 octobre 2026
5/5
Bon à savoir
Questions
What does the trip price include?
Eleven nights in central hotels with tourist taxes, 11 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 3 dinners including the pizza lesson, a private minivan and driver, the ferry to Sicily, airport transfers, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides, and every visit in the day plan, including Herculaneum, the Sansevero Chapel, the Etna cable car, Taormina's theatre and Neapolis.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That is small enough for one minivan, one table at lunch, and a guide everyone can hear in Matera's narrow lanes or on Herculaneum's streets, where larger coach groups block the way.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the first evening in Naples to the airport in Catania. Licensed local guides join at Herculaneum, in Matera, at Taormina's theatre and at Neapolis, where Italian rules require them, and an authorised volcano guide takes you up Etna.
How fit do I need to be for this trip?
Moderately fit. Expect 2 to 4 hours on foot on touring days, often on stairways and uneven stone, especially in Matera and Tropea. On Etna you walk on loose lava at up to about 2,900 m, or stay at about 1,900 m for an easier crater walk. Day 5 is a long drive.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
A room of your own costs from CAD 1,615 more for the whole trip, shown before you book, with no other surcharge. If you would rather share, tell us and we will try to pair you with another solo guest for the whole trip, not a rotating roommate; we confirm whether a match is possible before anything is charged.
When is the best time to visit southern Italy and Sicily?
April to June and September to October. The days are warm, the sea is usually swimmable from late May to early October, and the sights are quieter. We do not run in July and August, when inland heat can pass 40 C and the coasts are crowded. Etna is cold at altitude all year.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes: the small group is from CAD 9,490 and the private trip from CAD 17,080.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels, transfers and local guides.
Do I need a visa for Italy?
Canadians and Americans do not need a visa for stays of up to 90 days in the Schengen area, and your passport must be valid for three months after you leave. The EU Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo at the border. We confirm current entry rules, including ETIAS, for your dates when you book.
How long are the drives, and how do we get to Sicily?
Most days have under three hours on the road. Day 5, Matera to Tropea, is the exception at about five hours, over our 4 hour cap, split by a walk and lunch in Civita. We reach Sicily on the car ferry from Villa San Giovanni to Messina, about twenty minutes, and our minivan crosses with us.
Why Herculaneum instead of Pompeii?
Herculaneum was buried deeper, so it kept upper floors, wooden beams and wall colour that Pompeii lost, and it is small enough to see well in two to three hours at opening. Pompeii is huge and crowded at midday. Our Amalfi Coast trip includes Pompeii if you want both.
Can I combine this with the Amalfi Coast or more of Sicily?
Yes. Our Amalfi Coast trip ends near Naples, so it runs straight into day 1 of this one. Our Sicily trip covers Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento and Ragusa, which this route leaves out. Ask when you book and we will match the dates and arrange the transfer between them.
See Sight Tours offre des services de voyage partout en Amérique du Nord depuis 2006. Présente dans 20 villes au Canada et aux États-Unis, l'entreprise se spécialise dans les tours en petit groupe qui offrent des expériences personnalisées et de grande qualité aux voyageurs.
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