Summary
Short description
Let pretty drives and iconic hotels afford you the chance to explore Sicily’s widely varied highlights
British Airways Sale now on
The British Airways Sale is now on, with savings to a wide range of destinations from the USA and Canada to Asia and the Middle East. Book by 3 October 2023.
Highlights
- Uncover Sicily’s diverse heritage, from Greek wonders to medieval severity
- Stay in some of the island’s finest hotels, private beaches included
- Explore with backcountry and coastal drives
- Watch the sun set over Mt. Etna from a Greek amphitheatre
- Stay right among the millennia-old Valley of the Temples
In pictures
About
Recommended for:
August holidays | Beach | Food & wine | History & culture | July holidays | Self-drive | September holidays
From ancient cities and medieval villages to white sands and olive groves, this comprehensive road trip gives you the flexibility to explore Sicily’s richly varied delights. While the likes of its capital Palermo and mountaintop Taormina feature everything from remarkable cathedrals to Arab-Norman spectacles, there’s also Agrigento’s millennia-old temple wonders and Cefalù’s beaches, as golden as its fishermen’s houses. You’ll link it all with stays in iconic hotels and drives that bring you between spectacular coastal scenery and pretty backcountry routes.
Day by day itinerary
Day
1
UK/Palermo
Begin your holiday with complimentary airport lounge indulgence before your flight out to Palermo. From its Byzantine mosaics and Arabesque domes to its frescoed basilicas and Gothic palaces, Sicily's effervescent capital wears its diverse history on its sleeve. No other European city has hosted such a wide variety of civilisations. In between, there's a buzzing restaurant scene, a wealth of the art galleries and the small matter of Italy's largest opera house. On arrival, you will be transferred to your central accommodation. Along with the marbled Superior option, the sea views and historic frescoes of our Art-Nouveau Deluxe offering are particularly impressive.
Stay: Hotel Plaza Opera, Palermo (Superior) / Grand Hotel Wagner, Palermo (Deluxe)
Days
2-3
Agrigento
This morning pick-up your car hire and make the drive south, through the rolling Sicilian countryside, before weaving along the coast to your home for the next two nights – either a Superior-standard, 13th-century watchtower or a Deluxe, 18th-century villa just 200m from the Temple of Concordia. But, there's more to the Valley of the Temples than this masterpiece of Doric art. Dating back to the 5th century BC, it's a priceless series of golden-stone monuments strung out along a ridge line and backdropped by gorgeous views out over the sea. Together, it's the largest collection of early Greek architecture outside of the homeland.
Stay: Baglio della Luna, Agrigento (Superior) / Villa Athena, Agrigento (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
4-5
Cefalù
Swap coasts, back through Sicily's vineyard-dotted interior, to arrive at tiny Cefalù. Combining some of Sicily's finest beaches, all white sands and blue waters, with perhaps its greatest examples of Arab-Norman architecture, this medieval jewel is a true highlight. Wander its cobbled streets past honey-coloured buildings to discover a beautifully mosaicked 12th-century cathedral, charming squares and superb seafood restaurants that serve up the day's catch. Your luxury hotel even features its very own private beach along with an excellent spa and a fine restaurant housed in 18th-century stone.
Stay: Alberi del Paradiso, Cefalu (Superior and Deluxe)
Meals: B
Days
6-7
Taormina
Today's gorgeous coastal drive will bring you past secluded coves and yet more of those sandy beaches to Taormina in the island's northeast. Even 23 centuries ago it was famed for its beauty, with its ancient Greek amphitheatre commanding spectacular views out over to snow-capped Mt. Etna and the island's golden beach curves. It's a sight shared with the Monte Tauro hotel. However, you'll want to head out and explore Taormina's varied past, evidenced in its medieval cathedral-fortress, English gardens and Gothic palaces.
Stay: Monte Tauro, Taormina (Superior) / The Ashbee, Taormina (Deluxe)
Meals: B
Day
8
Taormina/Catania/UK
Continue down the coast to Catania, dropping off your hire car at the airport to make your flight home.
Meals: B
Map
Pricing
Any element of this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your needs. Just contact us to find out more.
Accommodation rating:
8-day tailor-made self-drive
from £1,260 pp incl. flights
Superior
Low Season
from £1,260 pp. incl. flights
Mid Season
from £1,485 pp. incl. flights
High Season
from £1,785 pp. incl. flights
Valid for travel: April to November
Package includes:
- Complimentary UK airport lounge access
- Return flights between the UK and Palermo and back from Catania
- Private arrival transfer in Palermo
- 7 days car hire (pick up day 2 leaving Palermo)
- 7 nights accommodation in 4* hotels on a BB basis
Local one way drop off fee will apply for car rental from Palermo to Catania
Terms & Conditions
Prices are per person based on two people sharing a twin/double room; prices are subject to availability and possible change; normal booking conditions apply.
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