Catania Tours in October 2027

From the get-go, Explore were great with information and deadlines. I felt in very safe hands as I'd never been to Sicily before and would not know where to start. We were based in Recanati, just at the close of the holiday season - plenty of places to eat and drink but not crowded. From there, our fantastic, highly knowledgeable and very friendly guide Lara took us to some amazing sites, including the slopes of Etna, Taormina and the islands of Lipari and Volcano with great (not strenuous) walks and superb scenery. It was like lots of tasters of the East side of the island. Wonderful.

The range of activities; embracing walking, stunning scenery and fascinating history coupled with our amazing guide Lara providing comprehensive information on the geology, history and culture contributed to a truly memorable experience.

Italy is way more than a few big cities. This tour provided a mix to see the real Italy while exploring the rich history that made this place so special.

Excellent tour. Local guides were all excellent. Itinerary was very good. Rome hotel was not in the best location. Not a lot around it like restaurants, cafes. Optional dinners were way overpriced and the optional Rome dinner was terrible. A number of the group complained to the tour director and most including us did not take the other 2 dinners. Optional tours were all good but again most people found them overpriced and felt that Insight should have included some of them in the package. Hotels were ok and were the same hotels that Globus tours used. Did not like the Palermo hotel even though it was in a fairly good location it was very dark had no place to meet up with others or sit and relax. It would have been nice to end the tour with a hotel by the water or with a pool.

Sicily certainly didn't disappoint. It is a beautiful place and the history it has to offer is wonderful. I loved every moment but particularly Savoca. Visiting the markets in Catania was an experience not to be missed. Even though the landscape in places looked very dry it had a beauty of its own.

Very interesting and different from other areas of Italy previously visited a number of years ago. The history of Southern Italy and Sicily was amazing, the culinary tastes and traditions that have been carried on and through the centuries. Hearing about the centuries of history and the ongoing preservation that is maintaining the living history that surrounds you on your visit is very inspiring.