Southern Italy and Sicily

I would everyone to know that Trafalgar will change your tour after you have begun your journey. Very, very unhappy with my tour. Six nights out of nine were relocated to different hotels. They were NOT 4 star hotels and they were not close to the area of the hotels that were promised. This lead to at least 8 extra hours on the bus to get back and forth. It also caused me to spend extra money for taxi's in order to see some of the sites and get to one of the dinners. The Radisson in an industrial area off of a freeway, is not the Italy that I expected. Trip of a lifetime turned into an extreme and expensive disappointment. I am so embarrassed when friends ask me about my trip. I tell people to never gamble with Trafalgar.

An Unforgettable Journey Through History, Culture, and Beauty! If you’ve ever dreamed of immersing yourself in the heart of Italy, Trafalgar’s Southern Italy and Sicily tour is the perfect way to make that dream a reality. Our recent experience with this tour exceeded all expectations, offering a harmonious blend of history, culinary delights, stunning landscapes, and authentic local encounters. Expert Guidance and Seamless Organization From the moment the tour began, Trafalgar’s professionalism and expertise was evident. ***************, our Travel Director, was knowledgeable, approachable, witty, and passionate about sharing the stories behind each destination. The itinerary was thoughtfully planned, with just the right balance of guided excursions and personal free time. All logistics, including hotels, transportation, and group activities, were executed flawlessly, allowing us to truly relax and enjoy the journey. And we could not imagine a better coach driver than Umberto, who meticulously guided us through narrow city streets, treacherous mountain switchbacks, and almost impossible parking challenges with awesome expertise. Captivating Destinations The tour covers a spectacular range of locations. We wandered through the ancient ruins of Pompeii, marveled at the vibrant, cliffside villages along the Amalfi Coast, and basked in the charm of Sorrento. In Sicily, highlights included the awe-inspiring Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the picturesque seaside town of Taormina, the slopes of Mt. Etna, and the lively markets and cathedrals of Palermo. Each stop revealed a different layer of Southern Italy’s rich history and culture. Culinary Adventures Food plays a prominent role on this tour. Trafalgar includes Be My Guest experiences, inviting travelers into local homes and family-run farms where we savored homemade pasta, fresh cheeses, and regional wines. These meals weren’t just delicious—they came with warm hospitality and memorable stories that deepened our connection to the region. Authentic Local Experiences What truly sets this tour apart is Trafalgar’s commitment to connecting guests with local life. We enjoyed hands-on activities like limoncello tastings in Sorrento, traditional cannoli-making in Sicily, and visits to carefully chosen shops and cafes. These exclusive moments provided a genuine cultural immersion that went far beyond the usual sightseeing. Comfort and Companionship The accommodations throughout the tour were comfortable and well-located, offering restful retreats after each day’s adventures. Traveling with a small group of like-minded people fostered a sense of camaraderie and made the journey even more enjoyable. Final Thoughts We wholeheartedly recommend Trafalgar’s Southern Italy and Sicily tour to anyone seeking an enriching and worry-free travel experience. Whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or simply someone who loves to explore beautiful places, this tour promises memories that will last a lifetime. Grazie, Trafalgar, for an unforgettable Italian adventure!

Travel director ,was pretty temperamental....

great trip, beautiful views and experiences. Our director Gianmarco was outstanding.

Will never travel with your company again. Where we stayed was different from what was advertised and meant further travel to destinations up to 2 hours more which profoundly affected our enjoyment of the tour as well as many more hotel moves.

The tour itinerary was greatly adjusted on the fly while we were on the bus in Italy. The number of nights staying in hotels changed the location of hotels changed. We didn’t even stay in some of the cities they promised us to stay in. It was extremely disappointing

Wonderful! Kept moving and listening/seeing all the history we wanted. All tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Almost all hotels on this trip were substituted. One was a business hotel with zero amenities which was 1 1/2 hours from the actual intended destination. This resulted in extra early starts and ridiculous time on the bus. You also had to participate in the “optional” activity or spend 3-4 hours in a town that you just spent time shopping in the day before. No return to the hotel since it was 1 1/2 hours away. This was in Sorrento. It happened again in Taormina and again in Palermo. Unacceptable! At least these hotels were nice and had amenities but they were still too far away to be returned to by the bus resulting in very long days if you chose to participate. Very disappointing experience.

Enjoyed the trip as a whole but too much time on the bus and not enough at the sites we visited. The church in Pallmero only had about 40 minutes there, Syracuse was almost a 2 hour ride each way and maybe an hour at site and so on. Our guide was excellent though.

Because of the miles to cover, there’s a lot of driving and walking. Overall, comprehensive coverage of Sicily condensed into an efficient itinerary.

Great tour guide. The only negative was the amount of bus time riding. Overall great experience.

Excellent itinerary and it was a fantastic adventure and fitted a lot in each day but was all worth it.Southern Italy and Sicily was so beautiful and had a great time. The host and the bus driver fantastic and all the people on the tour were just great.

A great journey through southern Italy and Sicily. we got a taste of many different small towns in Italy. Some were off the beaten path, but the more popular places were just as fun and interesting. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about Italy and its history, which made the trip even more interesting.

Yed

This was my first European experience, and I felt that the tour was beautiful. I didn’t like the idea that we were constantly rushed to stay on schedule. I would love to visit Europe again, but would prefer a smaller personalized tour.

That you spend way too much time on the bus. And the optional dinners a way too expensive.You can eat locally for so much cheaper The optional excursion to positano, what a waste of money that was The hotel in agricento smelled like sewage, and not once in any of these other waterfront hotels, did we get a room with a view?We always looked at allie's dumpsters.It was terrible

I found this tour lacking in site options. Not the usual Trafalgar standards I have been use to. The food was lacking and some hotels were terrible most of the optional experience were all food related and way to expensive. I travel to see sites not to eat . I was very disappointed in this tour. This was my 7th tour with Trafalgar and my last. I don’t feel I got my monies worth this time

The tour director was excellent, bus driver fabulous, local specialist great and group fun.

Great local guides, TD very informative. Mt Etna and Pompeii were the highlight of my tour. To actually be in the town where The Godfather was filmed was a great experience. From coastline to countryside I loved seeing the landscape change. Enjoyed hearing the history/stories of places we visited. This was my second trip with Trafalgar. Purchased my tour from the last minute deals. Consultant made my purchase so easy checking my information Making sure I received all the discounts I was entitled to being a return customer. Would recommend Trafalgar to anyone who is considering a coach tour.

The trip was great - covered a lot of territory and had interesting and fun extra excursion tours. There is quite a bit of steep walking and steps so it is not for everyone.

I don't think I would change anything. The pace was comfortable, the sites were historical and interesting, the landscape, wow what breath taking sceneries! Our tour guide and coach driver made us feel safe and well informed. Well organized. As the old saying goes "why fix it if it ain't broke". This trip and the other trips we've purchased through Trafalgar have all been great value for our money.

Fantastic trip. Lots to see and do. It is very busy, however you can choose what you wish to do. This itinerary covers a lot of miles and there is a fair amount of time on the bus. A warning though if you can’t walk a lot this may not be the trip for you. Southern Italy and Sicily are very hilly, lots of up and down hills. I would have preferred to see some vineyards or working farms that produce the olives or lemons.

Daily excursions were good. It would be nice to have name tags. You meet a lot of people very quickly and name tags would help.

Well paced itinerary to interesting locations. Great Tour Director, Anna and Driver Antonio made the trip enjoyable. Wonderful food, wine and treats.

This tour has everything: the scenery, the food, the history & the fun! Prepare to fall in love with Sicily! Our native Sicilian tour guide and driver made everyday special. I had a great time! Recommended.

This was such a well-run and memorable tour — everything was thoughtfully planned and smoothly executed, which made it easy to just relax and enjoy the experience. It fully met (and even exceeded) my expectations, especially thanks to our amazing tour director and driver, who went above and beyond to make the trip smooth, fun, and informative. The local guides were also incredibly knowledgeable and added so much depth to each stop. If you’re thinking about visiting Southern Italy and Sicily, I can’t recommend this tour highly enough — it’s a fantastic way to experience the region.

The trip included all the special places to visit in Sicily. We took all the add-ons so we wouldn't miss anything. It was a little expensive, but worth it.

Enjoyable trip, wonderful guide . Fantastic group

The itinerary was full each day, busy with beach and hillside towns to explore. Trafalgar’s bus transportation from place to place was very comfortable and afforded time to rest and enjoy the scenery between stops.

A good mixture of history and information together with down time to explore at our own pace

We had the best group of people on our bus. They made the trip such a great time. *personal info removed by Feefo* our tour guide was the best she was funny and kept us to our time schedule. This was our second trip with this company and we would definitely do another one.

The hotels were supposedly 4 stars. I highly doubt Johanna Park Hotel is a 4 star hotel in terms of service, quality of hotel, and location. The service was poor and front desk person was rude. There was loud banging at past 10pm and when I complained the front desk person pretended he could not understand me. I had the worst food/meal in Italy also at this hotel- dry chicken, leathery fish, unrecognizable soup or watery pasta dish. Trafalgar prides their hotels being close to the city center yet this hotel was not and we could not explore since it did not seem to be walkable area. The free farewell dinner just so so. We were in Italy - finding good meals should be easy. Being My Guest at Daniela's farm was one of the best meals I had.

Very active itinerary. Beautiful. Great dinning. Our tour director was wonderful.

Loved being taken on this tour by a native Italian. Enjoyed tour greatly.

This was a great 10 day tour of Southern Italy & Sicily. All places I had never been before. Pompeii was my WOW moment, it has always been on my bucket list. The Trafalgar staff, Tour Director and our Driver, were awesome! I enjoyed discussions on Italian and Sicilian culture, education and food as Simone drove us safely around some of the smallest roads!!! All the food provided and experienced on our own were top notch. I also enjoyed meeting new travelers from across the globe and even some from our own backyards. The optional tours were all worth the extra $$ to fully experience Southern Italy and Sicily. This was my first Trafalgar tour and I would highly recommend them as a tour company.

We had great time on our tour. The tour director and bus driver were terrific and were so helpful with my wheelchair. The bus driver had it opened and waiting for me at every stop. He and the tour director assisted me with my wheelchair so I was part of the tour at every stop. My husband and I appreciate all the assistance they gave me. They worked hard to take care of the needs of each person on the tour. was knowledgeable and shared all his expertise with our group. was a super driver even when he had to drive the bus in some challenging situations. Thanks to both of them for making this trip a memorable one.

Hotels should be upgraded and in the city, not outside or up the hill Easy access to the city is important, so you can see the local area and people

Tons of fun. Hotels could have been better.

We were all over southern Italy by bus.

You should include an early check in at first hotel at start of trip esp for visitors who had over nite flights. It’s unpleasant sitting in the hotel lobby waiting for check in when you are exhausted. One or two of the local experiences were unnecessary- esp in Palermo. Didn’t need to hear about the mafia killings or a guide of the food market. . Our tour director was excellent.

It was fabulous !! The day was filled with always something to do and always free time too!

It was a little too much some days, could just be because it was very hot. Some of the local tours could have been shorter so we had more free time.

Great itinerary, interesting places visited, well run by tour guide

Yes

The Itinerary for southern Italy was great met some fabulous people. However a couple of the hotels we stayed in could do with some improvements

It’s thorough but not enough time to explore each town. A lot of the optional excursions should be included in the package. Dinners are pricey and not worth it. Some of the hotels in this itinerary are sub par . Our travel director is perfect! Funny, knowledgeable, patient and accommodating. I think it will be better to add more days so the schedule wouldn’t be that hectic. Going to shops that are recommended by the company should be eliminated. We waste so much time there instead of exploring other places. Pls omit the tour about mafias. It was a waste of time. Nobody was interested.

Good itinerary

Carefully selected by experts for the maximum immersion experience, expert guides, wonderful driver, and tremendous restaurant selection. Gianluca is a STAR and the driver could drive a bus through the head of a needle!

Our tour director and driver were great! Keep in mind this is definitely more of a go go vacation then relaxing but worth it. The sights and experiences you will have will be memorable. I agree with a lot of other reviews that the hotels were not great. Being from the US our definition of a 4 star hotel is different than European standards so keep that in mind. Two of the hotels we stayed at were not great. The The hotel we stayed at in Rome was 25-30 minutes from the city center and there was nothing to walk to ie restaurants or stores. The other one was just disgusting and we took pictures to show the front desk to get our room changed. We were thankful that our tour director was there and totally agreed with us that we needed to be moved. We did get our room changed and it was a bit better than the first.

Fantastic opportunity to experience Sicilian life from the beauty of the countryside to the magnificence of the towns and cities.

The itinerary was perfect as well as the hotels in which we stayed! Some of the optional attractions that we purchased or not as good as we had hoped. Some of the dinners that we attended did not provide the quality that we expected although there was plenty of food the quality was lacking..

we could not understand one word the tour guide spoke. His accent was so strong and he spoke so fast that it made it impossible to understand him! He should NOT be a guide for English speaking Tours. When asked a question directly he went on and on and never did give a direct answer. A lot of important information was missed by our not being able to understand him. Most everyone on the bus felt this way !! Also too much time on the bus and not enough time to relax at some of the lovely hotels where we stayed. It's not necessary to see how many places we can go in a day. One stop per day is enough. Not two to three hours drive between each stop before getting to the hotel !