Chase the sun down the beaches and through the towns of Sicily’s luminous coast with other solo travelers.
Whether you’re visiting Sicily for its multicultural history or its delectable street food, the island has a rustic charm that sets it apart from mainland Italy. Experience the enigma, ancient ruins, and natural beauty of this Mediterranean destination, journeying through Palermo, Syracuse, and Taormina. And if your heart longs for more time in Italy—and how could it not—extend your trip to Rome for an eternally good time.
Your tour package includes
6 nights in a private room at handpicked hotels
6 breakfasts
1 lunch
3 dinners with beer or wine
1 cooking class
1 food tasting
5 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
Included highlights
Cappella Palatina
Piazza Armerina
Sicilian cooking class
Island of Ortigia
Syracuse Cathedral
Taormina’s Greek theater
Views of Mount Etna
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Palermo today.
Palermo2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Palermo
Included meal: Dinner
Welcome to Italy! Settle into your hotel in Palermo, Italy’s fifth-largest city and the capital of the island of Sicily. Then, gather with your Tour Director and fellow group members at a mixer before enjoying a welcome dinner, served with beer or wine.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This modern hotel is located in the Palermo city center. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, a bar, and a spacious lobby. Nearby, you'll find Teatro Politeama, Teatro Massimo, and Via Roma.
Grand Hotel Villa Politi
This grand hotel is located near the historic archeological zone. Guests enjoy a restaurant, bar, and spa. Nearby, you’ll find the Greek Theater of Syracuse, Temple of Apollo, and Ortigia island footbridge.
Excelsior Palace Hotel Taormina
This historic hotel is located in the city center. Guests enjoy an outdoor swimming pool, sun deck, and restaurant. Nearby, you’ll find Corso Umberto, the Greek Theater, and Taormina Cathedral.
UNAWAY Hotel Empire Roma
This historic hotel is located in the heart of Rome. Guests enjoy the architectural features from the original noble Venetian family, piano bar, and on-site coffee house. Nearby you'll find the National Museum of Rome, Villa...
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
In order to enter Italy, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2025, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2025, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to **goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements **and searching the code SI6.
You will walk for at least 1.5 hours daily across uneven terrain, including cobblestone streets and unpaved roads.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Palermo and depart from Catania (or Rome on the tour extension). A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at your destination are included for travelers who have purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who purchase their own flights may request airport transfers with Go Ahead Tours for an additional cost.
A flight from Catania to Rome is included in the price of your tour extension.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to **goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements **and searching the code SI6.
Sicilian cuisine in particular is heavily influenced by Spanish, Greek, and Arab traditions. The Spanish brought New World influences to the region in the form of tomatoes, chocolate, and maize, while the Arab influence can be tasted in recipes that include rice, spinach, saffron, and citrus fruits. Regional specialties include arancini, cannoli, and granita.
For more authentic meals, try local trattorias, small restaurants set away from the main piazzas. A typical Italian meal includes wines and the occasional beer, followed by a few sips of after-dinner drinks like grappa or limoncello.
On the tour extension, Roman food is typically freshly prepared and varies depending on the season. Must-try bites include cacio e pepe (a simple dish of pasta, cheese, and pepper) and supplí (a fried rice ball similar to Sicily’s arancini ).
Italy operates on the European standard 220-240 volts and uses Types C, F, or L plugs with two or three small, round pins.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
Italy is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the euro on tour.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it’s customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $3USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
What a memorable time in Sicily. The tour had a nice pace to it with ample amount of down time to explore as you wish and a solid amount of activities built into the day. My favorite excursion was going to the food market and cooking in the chefs restaurant. Such a personal, fun...
DM
5 out of 5 stars
3rd-time traveler Anonymous, traveled in Mar 2024
Sicily is beautiful. The food is delicious. The people are pleasant. The local tour guides are quite knowledgeable about their history.
Overall, EF Tours is a great agency to plan your trips. I love the experience, and I also met great people from all walks of life. Overall,...
Beautiful Sicily!
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Debra, traveled in Mar 2024
Sicily was lovely. Hotels very nice, overall. Stunning views of the ocean/volcano/ruins/countryside. Tour guides and driver all good. Met many new friends. Nothing's ever perfect, but terrific, for the most part.
My first trip as a solo traveler
5 out of 5 stars
3rd-time traveler Judith, traveled in Sep 2022
It’s was not easy to take a trip as a widow! I did and will continue to do so with EF go ahead tours!
Group ended up being all women with a woman leading us! How did that happen? I loved it! For a first time alone it was perfect! Some men wouldn’t be a bad thing though!...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Hi Judith,
We are delighted to hear about your positive experience with EF Go Ahead Tours, especially as a widow embarking on a solo...
Sicily/Rome
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Brian, traveled in Oct 2023
This was my first EF solo tour, and I can honestly say it was amazing! The hotels were great and if you are interested in history, religion, and culture you will have a blast. Made life long friends and memories that I cherish.i personally enjoyed Sicily as much as Rome, it's...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Hi Brian,
We are thrilled to hear about your amazing experience on your first solo tour with EF. It's wonderful to know that the hotels,...
Sicily solo tour
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Linda, traveled in Oct 2023
It's definitely a worthwhile experience. Lovely and interesting trip. I'm so glad i went. Met many very nice tour mates and our Guide, Tamara, made it even extra special. The Rome extension should not be missed either.
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for taking a moment to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you had a lovely and interesting experience...
