"I went to Sicily in 1986 when only a small section of the mosaics in Villa Romana had been uncovered. Seeing the Amphitheaters and Mt. My favorite site seen would have to be Mt. Tour Questions? The pace of the tour was good. I loved having a variety of experiences, from the tour guides, to cooking demos, wine tasting, farm lunches, so much more than I expected. It was moving to end with a visit to the World War II museum. ▲▲▲ Palermo Sicily's sprawling, gritty capital, with colorful markets and bustling shopping streets that signal a fun-loving city in regeneration. Rick Steves, Sarah Murdoch: Rick Steves Sicily - 1. Sicily was amazing with all the rich history. Band 3. This was my first trip to Sicily. I signed up for this tour because I was intrigued by the history and culture of Sicily, and what I learned from both the local guides and from Jamie, and what I saw and experienced, did not disappoint. Sicily is a beautiful area, and it is a shame they ignore plastic and rubbish (sometimes large bags piled along the roads).". Efficient, providing adequate time at the sites, felt rushed at the Roman Mosaics. Very knowledgeable, of course. The sites were well chosen, and the local guides added a great deal to our understanding of the history of Sicily. ", I loved this trip and learned so much ancient history, "I can't narrow it down to just one wow, there were many for me. Goosebumps. Also, thanks to our excellent guide we had a mini course in contemporary Italian culture and recent history. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. Today we'll drive down to the Trapani salt pans — a coastal wetland and nature reserve where sea salt has been harvested for nearly 3,000 years. It was a great trip. Our guide, Virginia, was outstanding. Group meals were good and convivial, well-planned and the right number. Breakfast was on the rooftop terrace of the hotel. Join Rick and his team of travel-savvy teachers every Monday night on Zoom as we explore Europe (and beyond) together. "Valley of the Temples. In our other travels throughout Italy, Greece and Croatia we have seen mosaic tile floors but never to this extent.". POV is a PBS series featuring independently-produced documentaries. We were lucky with the weather. We hugged goodbye and hoped we would see each other again. Many extras. As this was our 4th Rick Steves tour I must admit I've seen enough churches to last, they are everywhere, it's where the art is in Europe. The worthwhile Monreale Cathedral, just a few miles to the west, makes an easy half-day excursion. See our FAQ | Call Rick Steves' Europe. Etna, so Donald rearranged things so that we saw the WW II museum in Catania instead of going to the volcano and then we went to Mt. "The first evening when we got to our meeting place on the roof of our first hotel, the view was such a surprise. Rainer was an excellent tour guide. "No one special moment, rather the whole trip was thoroughly enjoyable.". 4.8 out of 5 stars 194. But Stephanie -- she made the tour special. This is our 3rd Rick Steve tour. Sicily delivered spectacular vistas and food. As Rick correctly notes, Sicily is "Italy in the extreme." The experience of the Rick Steves group made it better. With Mt. It was just amazing!". I had no real idea what expect, but our guide did a masterful job of explaining the past as well as the present. Favorite city was Taormina.". Very informative and fun. Mostly our hotels wee nicely located and adequate to more than adequate for our needs. Our guide Virginia was top notch and did a great job guiding and also giving suggestions for adventures on our own time. He also had a big smile every day. The Best of Sicily Tour exceeded our expectations in every way. I wish my father was alive so I could talk to him about it.". Etna, fascinating multicultural history, etc. We had a wonderful time. I was also very happy to see the temple at Segesta - what an incredible site. I finally realized why the new occupants of an area would just take stones from the previous rulers - so much easier! "I feel like there was at least one a day...ancient sites; how did people do so much 2500 years ago; a truly memorable dining experience with the folks who made the meal; etc.". I have always enjoyed Rick's guides as travel companions. Etna is the metaphor for the people who have lived and survived over the millennia.". Every included was superb.". We had the best guides in each city we visited in Sicily and enjoyed the culture while learning about the country's history. : Unterrichtswerk zur Frherziehung. There was plenty of free time to roam and rest and take in the beautiful island. Mt. 2018 | TV Parental Guideline Rating: TV-G | CC. Prior to the trip I had checked that out from the library. This was our 5th Rick Steves tour and, as always, coordinated to perfection. "Mt. Virginia was great. ", "Taormina, we need at least one more day.". She was very informative and organized. Often our free time in local areas was during siesta time during which shops were closed so we couldn't see much. Create custom playlists with more than 400 educational clips featuring the best of European history, art, culture, and experiences (plus topics beyond Europe) . Here we'll spend much of our morning surrounded by the world's most rich and colorful collection of Roman mosaics — including the time-bending "bikini girls" mosaic. I was not sure what to expect and was very pleasantly surprised with our visit and tour! "My favourite wow moment was the winery visit as I had read an article in an Italian magazine about this winery and had tried to buy their wine in Melbourne with no success so was delighted we ended at the very same winery. Note: This is the only Rick Steves guidebook with information on Sicily (neither Rick Steves Italy, nor Rick Steves Best of Italy, have any Sicilian coverage). Top notch and a true professional in every way. Rick Steves Sicily book. Alfio's passion, humor and knowledge was enlightening. So many adventures and 3000 years of history, all jam packed into 11 days on this small, vibrant island. And this time, we're climbing to the summit…of Sicily — and hoping this volcano doesn't blow. We'll gather together tonight to say arrivederci, share travel memories, enjoy the freshest Sicilian food, and toast to new friends. And our guide? Alfio, the tour guide, served as the maestro conducting this symphony of experiences. Great Guide(s)! It was We've done Greece, Spain and now Sicily with the Rick Steves group. also a delight and such wonderful abundant food.". "For me, the whole trip centered around history so I would have to say seeing the ruins, especially the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento.". This helped me to have a better understanding of European history. The included meals were very good, well presented and in interesting and varied locations. Some of the hotel stays were somewhat underwhelming. But if I could go back today it would be to the Villa Romana del Casale. Virginia's qualified suggestion: I was surprised to see a poster of the book Operating Mincemeat on the wall. Sleep in Catania. Donald was an outstanding guide, I think we got the best guide in your whole organization. Depending on the length of your trip, and taking geographic proximity into account, here are our recommended priorities: I usually plan my own trips but I would have missed some wonderful venues. Moderate walking: 2–6 miles throughout the day with some hills and stairs. "Our time with Maria Grammatico. Could not believe the size of the venue and the intricacies of the mosaics. I was expecting something a little childish and maybe somewhat cheesy but it turned out to be fantasticly fun. Rick Steves 11 Day Tour of Sicily Tommaso was our guide for our 11 day tour of Sicily and the experience was outstanding in every way! "I loved Mt Etna! Tucson. Get it as soon as Sat, Mar 7. It helped me envision the scale of theTemple of Olympian Zeus and the magnitude of the Greeks contribution to this island.". When we got to the theater at Segesta, we were the only people there for the first 5 minutes! This was my first Rick Steves' tour and I was most impressed by the emphasis on cultural experiences. Shop Rick's Travel Store. "Didn't expect Mt. This was my second Rick Steve's Tour and feel blessed that I had a great tour guide, bus driver and group of people. But my aunt has been wanting to go for a long time, and Rick Steves has a lot of cred bc of his guidebooks. After we check into our hotel, we'll take a neighborhood orientation walk. We have traveled to Italy quite a bit, but were told we "had" to do Sicily, so we decided instead of researching the whole island ourselves, to let Rick Steves do it for us! The buddy system is brilliant. ©2021 Rick Steves' Europe, Inc. | "My favorite was seeing the Mosaics outside of Syracuse.". Rick: Mangia. It was a great mixture of varied experiences. "MonReale was amazing. "Norman Castle in Montreal, near Palermo". The Montreale cathedral. The hotel rooms were excellent. Have spent the last week and a half in Marsala/Trapani.While first impression is pretty run down and definetly trashy this is a pretty great place. This was our first Rick Steves tour (or tour of any kind). The excellent food that represented multicultural civilizations! This was our first Rick Steves' tour, although we have used his books for years for our independent travels. After climbing the stairs to get there, I immediately went back to my room to get my camera to snap some pictures. The talk about the volcano was impressive as well as informative. I wish we could've had more time in Taormina to explore more of the levels and take the cable car to the beach.". Will be using Rick Steve's again very soon. We ventured on because we really wanted to experience Sicily, and in a way that we have come to rely on the quality of RS tours. Taormina? Our tour never ceased to impress me from the hotels we stayed-in, the knowledge of our tour guide Stephanie, the skill our bus driver, the bakery and pizza demonstrations, and the sites we had the privilege of visiting. Great weather, nice cities, interesting sites. If there were any problems, I was unaware of them. I've seen a lot of mosaics, ruins,etc.,but this was fabulous. The Trapani salt works were very interesting. While book signing, she graciously shared (I in broken-Italian) our connection with cookbook author Maria Taylor Semetti. Thoroughly enjoyed the entire tour. Walking through that museum I could see his face in almost every GI picture. of what was in store for us, it could not be beat!". Salute! Etna was erupting every 10 or 15 minutes. "The local guide in Syracuse was very enthusiastic about her city. No bus. More Buying Choices $10.63 (48 used & new offers) "Everything about Sicily is one big "wow" moment, but if I had to narrow it down, seeing the temples in Agrigento was spectacular. All these experiences were quite different, but all were amazing!". "Impossible! "I was most impressed by the temple and theater in the Segesta area. We only spent a couple of hours seeing those uncovered mosaics, but I could have spent all day there.". My wow moment: the Teatro Antico in Taormina.". The hotels were above average. Then we'll continue to the enchanting medieval mountaintop town of Erice. Saw and learned things we surely would have missed had we planned trip on our own. For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, "The special meals at the contessa and baroness.". She went above and beyond! Had thought Sicily couldn't engage me for so many days. The local guides were very good; Michele was outstanding. Also the group was very nice. ", First class tour guide and accommodations. The tour of the winery and the salt processing facility were prime examples. The balance of group activities and free time was ideal. I was expecting a tour packed with Greek and Roman history and was not disappointed. I had been listening to Rick's podcasts which were done before he created the tour and I could see how the inspiration for this tour came together. i thought a couple of things could have been done better. "The Greek Temples at Agrigento and Segesta, closely followed by the mosaics at Monreale.". "It was the WWII museum visit. Alfio was our guide, and was outstanding. Being late in the season, we virtually had many sights to ourselves and that was great. Will definitely be planning another Rick Steves Tour, "Syracuse Cattedrale and Villa Romana del Casale Mosaics. Many of the hotels had delightful social areas for drinks and gathering with our fellow travelers. The hotels and provided meals were excellent. ", Since this is our third Rick Steves' Tour, we had certain expectations that were met satisfactorily. We learned a lot of history involving Carthage and Ancient Greece. "I loved the Valley of the Temples. However, one evening in Taormina sticks out in my mind. At Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, where we offer 44 different tour itineraries covering all corners of Europe, Sicily is one of our most popular destinations — with over 50 departures a year. We were able to focus on all the great sites in Sicily, savor the seafood dishes, and experience the travel with new friends. Bus: 1 hour. We both had a wonderful time. The food had some interesting twists; I particularly enjoyed the Arancini's (Sicilian rice balls). Sicily in 11 days was our first ever guided tour. This surely won't be my last Rick Steve trip. Rarely do museums cover so many aspects of their theatre of the war.". This tour amplified the experience with superb organization, attention to detail, and wonderful guide. Great job!". Very good and interesting. see our FAQ. my concerns were out to rest as our travel pals were great! I also loved the Salt Harvesting in Trapani.". Everything was well planned, the site tours were very well done. "I would have to say that the Cathedral in Ortygia summarized our history lesson perfectly. I have been referring to this as my gastronomic tour of Italy. "We both enjoyed the Valley of the Temples. Receiving detailed information regarding the tour, prior to departure is always appreciated. Etna, but let me explain. "This one is difficult as there were so many wow moments. Overall, Alfio provided both and expert and personal tour of Sicily. Band 3. ", "The Etna experience was great with the plumes and walk/hike in the park. The puppet show in Ortygia! I thought I had seen enough historic cathedrals to last a lifetime, but the mosaics in this church make it unique.". Most tour members arrange to fly into Palermo (PMO) and out of Catania (CTA) — choose "multicity" on flight-booking websites. I also don't like big groups, I'm not a good listener, and I like to wander around on my own when I travel - so just not really cut out for tours. If we not were visiting an historic site, we were experiencing a variety of cultural events: a contessa's view of living in a splendid home in Palermo, a puppet show, a wine tasting, a cooking demonstration, a talk about Mt. . The people and the food was amazing. The itinerary was packed and perhaps a little more free time to explore would have been nice. My surprise WOW was when I told Dave at the end of day 3 - a day we'd started in Palermo, been to Segesta, had lunch and made cookies in Erice, arrived in Trapini and gone to roof for drinks as David played the guitar - that I had had more fun in that 1 day than entire Venice/Florence/Rome tour in 2010.". The archaeological sites were an education and really had my partner and I imagining what it must have been like across the ages. Even thought our tour ended at the onset of the Corona Virus, we had a spectacular time. I enjoyed how there was an orientation so that we could explore on our own. Rick Steves Sicily (English Edition) eBook: Steves, Rick: Amazon.de: Kindle-Shop. Etna, the traditional Italian meal on a Sunday afternoon. It was awesome.". "Having gelato every day and trying pistachio gelato for the first time.". It was an incredible trip. I wish we could have stayed longer in Erice, perhaps and overnight, and perhaps had dinner at our Agrigento Hotel. It was just cool. Tour members were pleasant, friendly and easy to get on with. My husband and I would like to spend 6 nights in Sicily in late Aug/Sep 19. fascinating seeing structures thousands of years old still standing. Rick: So you take a little cow, you cut off his nose, you boil it, sprinkle it [with] a little salt — you got a snack. For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, Our guide, Alfio, had everything well planned out from the Welome Meeting to the final dinner. A very good tour with a variety of activities, sites, and city cultures. Monreale Cathedral and the cloister garden capitals, the theater at Segesta, the Temple of Concordia and the Telamon in the Valley of the Temples, the mosaic floors in the Villa Romana del Casale, the Cathedral of Syracuse, wine tasting on the slopes of Mount Etna and the town of Taormina were just a few of my favorites. The bus was new, clean and comfortable.The driver was skilled and friendly. Rainer, was an outstanding Guide. First, our tour guide, Tommaso, was great (see above), the itinerary was packed with wonderful experiences, Massimo our bus driver was fantastic, comfortable, clean bus, snacks, Tommaso's stories during the bus rides, amazing historic sites, local guides, wonderful meals. I enjoy learning about the history of where I am traveling. And everything ran incredibly smoothly. He gave great commentaries, made directions and times very clear and was very professional as well as very kind. The tours guides on previous RS tours were also very very good, but David took it to a new level. The tour guides were universally excellent; the events, sites and extra activities such as cooking demonstrations and puppet shows were all interesting and worthwhile. Although we have traveled with Rick Steves' guidebooks for 20+ years, this was our first tour with any company. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. I didn't realize the breadth of cultural influences across the island, from the Greeks to the Phoenicians, the Moors, Romans, Normans, etc. We had a FANTASTIC guide (Stephanie) and wonderful local guides at each location. Also the mixtures of different cultures that formed present day Sicily gave me a better understanding of countries around the Mediterranean Sea. This was our first Rick Steves tour though we've often used Ricks's tour books on our previous European vacations. My first organised tour of any kind and would love to do another. The Sicily tour was very well planned. Out tour guide, Nina, was awesome. Since 1973, Rick Steves has spent about four months a year exploring Europe. The food and information at our special events added so much to our enjoyment of the culture. Seeing the Salt Flats and sea salt production was fascinating as well.". 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'S dinner together library for teachers, students, and considerate of each other itinerary was in. Of an area that we knew what to expect Sicily '' dinner together Griffo archeological where! If there were a little gold fleck was truly outstanding as it was very clear and was not.... His wow moment was in the Pietro Griffo archeological museum where the language is no barrier entertainment. Details ourselves activities, sites chosen - everything wonderful. `` exploring Sicily on this small fishing.!, exhibits, videos, etc and wine along with the name of my comfort and. Thought our tour guide to the tour was the Casabianca Lentini farm at 6000 feet believe!