Well I have just finished an 11day tour of Sicily with one of Rick Steves tour guides, Nina. The trip was an amazement of organization, tons of incredible food and wine (almost all of it included) and fascinating people. The group limit is 24 people and we had a total of 22. Four of us travelers were solo and the rest were couples. The age group was somewhere from 50-70 years old with Nina our tour guide in her early 40’s the youngest. I did hear from others that kids are sometimes on the trips as well.
Our group
A few observations about my first Rick Steves tour to Sicily, Italy.
1. Everyone was an avid and knowledgable traveler
2. Most guests have done at least one other Rick Steves tour and many have done several with one couple having gone on 14 tours. Rick Steves gives alumni $50 off for each trip they have done / person/ trip up to $750 max.
3 Our guide was incredibly knowledgable of the region and the unbelievable amount of history she remembers. She was American but has loved in Italy for years with grandparents from Italy.
4. The logistics of getting from town to town was handled brilliantly as many old town centers is only reachable by foot. So glad I was not driving.
5. The food in Sicily is amazing. The best I have had in all of Italy.
6. The mafia is alive and well in Sicily but the only time I noticed it directly was in Palermo when we visited the countessa house and the mafia had set up camp in their courtyard 15 years ago and the police would do nothing about it. They have homes and stables and they use the electricity and water supply from the countessa’s house.
7. I would actually consider doing another Rick Steves tour.
8. They are very physical. We walked miles everyday. Wish I had my fitbit with me.
9. We got so much food and wine on the trip is was amazing.
10. Sicily is cheaper than the rest of Italy. Average drink price was 5€. Wine incredibly cheap. For a liter of house wine (always wonderful and local) was 7€.
Details of the trip:
April 13-23, 2015
Day 1: Welcome to Sicily
We all gathered at our hotel in Palermo at 3 p.m. for a welcome meeting. Our first Sicilian adventure together was to visit a contessa for a personal tour of her family’s home, the Palazzo Federico.
Day 2: Palermo and Monreale
Visited the hill-topping town of Monreale, renowned for its Arab-flavored cathedral. Then we returned to Palermo to take a walking tour of Palermo’s back streets, churches and colorful Capo street market — all spiced with an evocative whiff of Africa.
Day 3: Ancient Segesta and Mountaintop Erice
Visited the site of Segesta an Ancient Greek site with a Doric temple and hilltop theatre. We had a fantastic lunch with Maria and making almond pastries. Afterwards we drove to an enchanting medieval mountaintop town of Erice. Believed by Romans to be the home of Venus, Erice eventually evolved into a center for Christian convents and home to heavenly pastries. My 2nd favorite stop of the whole trip was the sea side port of Trapani.
Day 4: Salt Harvesting and Seaside Trapani
Visited the Trapani “salt-pans” — a coastal wetland and nature reserve where sea salt has been harvested for nearly 3,000 years.
Day 5: Ancient Agrigento and Country Living
History tour through the ruins of Agrigento, one of the richest of the Greek colonies and a thriving democracy 2,500 years ago. We’ll also tour the vast collection of artifacts at Agrigento’s Archaeological Museum.
Day 6: Colorful Mosaics and a Hill Town
The Romans also colonized Sicily, where we explored, the Villa Romana del Casale, the world’s most rich and colorful collection of Roman mosaics — including the time-bending “bikini girls” mosaic, discovered less than 60 years ago. We spent 2 nights in Ragusa.
Day 7: Charming Ragusa
We wandered along Ragusa’s narrow streets and soak in the simple pace and traditions of everyday Sicilian life. In the evening we gathered for a Sicilian cooking lesson featuring the region’s traditional recipes. We made the famous Arancini, which are stuffed rice balls that are coated with breadcrumbs, and fried. Ours were filled with ragù (meat sauce) and mozzarella. We also fried cheese which was so yummy.
Day 8: Sicilian Baroque and Ortygia
We visited Noto, where we saw the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, an example of Sicilian Baroque. We then drove onto Syracuse, in ancient times “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all.” We stayed in the city’s historic old town on the island of Ortygia, this was my absolute favorite place of all of Sicily.
Day 9: Syracuse, Past and Present
We visited Syracuse’s impressive Neapolis Archaeological Park, where an ancient Greek theatre is carved into the rock. Afterwards we visited the unusual Sanctuary of the Madonna of Tears, a modern church that houses a miraculous statue. We had an amazing sandwich prepared at the public market, Caseificio Borderi. Each sandwich is a masterpiece and only costs 5€ and must be split by two people as it is so big.
Day 10: War, Wine and Catania – last full day of the tour.
We headed north to Catania, and toured the Museum of the 1943 Landings in Sicily (Museo dello Sbarco). Nearly a year before D-Day, Allied troops found themselves fighting against — and at the same time liberating — their Italian adversaries. We experienced a simulated air raid bunker. Very impressive interactive museum. Afterwards we toured Catania’s famous fish market, and we saved the best for last a lovely drive up the slopes of Mount Etna to a local winery – Benanti.
Good Bye Sicily till I return.
Mt Aetna from my flight.
