Most Inspirational Moment
Walking around the volcanic craters of Mount Etna. The island of Ortigia. Many memorable sites there to be visited, including a vibrant local market. The castle doesn't have a huge amount to see but pay (very little) to go in there so that you can walk the castle walls and enjoy stunning views. The stunning mosaics of the Roman Villa. The temples of Selinunte – less crowded than other sites and in a stunning rural setting. Suggest you use the buggy service here to save time rather than walk between the temples. The Zingaro Nature Reserve was beautiful, the views were stunning and it was inspirational to see how the fabulous flowers and fauna had recovered so well despite the damage caused by a fire in 2025.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Tiziano is the best tour leader you could wish for. Superbly well organised, communicative, knowledgeable about all aspects of Sicilian life. He communicated his extensive knowledge with passion and humour. I felt that I came to understand the Sicily of today and the Sicily of the past because he presented them so well. Every day’s schedule was clearly sent to our Whatsapp group, along with regular packages of the history and culture of the destinations for the day. He made sure that everyone in our group had the best Sicily had to offer and addressed everyone’s needs – from the smallest to the largest issues. Tiziano gave us great suggestions for places to visit and where to eat the best Sicily food has to offer. I had an unfortunate fall and Tiziano took great care of me during my hospital visits whilst also ensuring the others on our tour enjoyed their scheduled destinations. I would have struggled to navigate those visits without him and his kind, caring support. He arranged a taxi to enable me to rejoin the group and was there to meet me when I reached the next hotel – by which time he had already booked a GP to attend the hotel to deal with my injuries. Truly professional and compassionate. Exodus UK staff were also in immediate contact due to Tiziano's prompt reporting to ensure that all the help I needed was being offered which I found very reassuring.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I enjoyed the trip to Mt. Etna and took the cable car option and the 4 x 4 trip to reach two volcanic craters. Just going to the top cable car station doesn’t offer as much as continuing from there by 4 x 4. I had taken a walking pole but wished I had two. However, at the top cable car station, it is possible to hire extra clothing layers, poles etc if time allows. I was walking in early May but there was a good layer of snow to walk through – I was glad of a good pair of walking shoes. Disappointing: Taormina: Very busy / designer shops etc. Also worth pointing out that parts of the amphitheatres at Siracusa and Taormina were covered with plastic seating and the centres of those amphitheatres were rigged with technical equipment for the regular evening concerts held in them. Carry your European Health Card with you at all times. It was thanks to having the card and my passport with me that my access to hospitals was smooth and rapid. I found the activity level for the trip was fine for me but I think others might find the Easy/Moderate level a bit misleading. The tour involves quite a bit of walking in order to visit the destinations that will delight you.