Sicily's East Coast in Depth

6 days
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Small Group Tour
Experience the splendour of Sicily’s East Coast on a six-day Intrepid adventure covering its hotspots. Sip granitas overlooking the beaches of Taormina, climb high above the Ionian Sea on a private Mt Etna tour, travel by train to the ancient alleys of Siracusa (Syracuse) and be enlightened by a traditional way of swordfishing from two sisters in Messina. Bas...

Overview

Trip type
Small Group Tour
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Full schedule

Highlights

    • Many parts of Catania are a hive with activity, and none more so than its renowned fish market. Stroll through the bustle and chaos, stopping by some local street vendors for a fresh and tasty snack.
    • Experience the mighty Mt Etna up close and personal on a private tour to its summit area. You’ll travel by cable car and 4x4 Unimog, plus have the chance to head deep into a lava cave!
    • Join two sisters on their traditional felucca boat as you learn about a more traditional way of swordfish fishing in Messina. Part of a fish cooperative, these women will provide all the nautical know-how.
    • Take the train to the ancient town of Siracusa (Syracuse) and stroll the historic streets with your leader. You’ll also have the chance to see the cavea of Siracusa’s Greek Theatre in all its open-air splendour.
    • So much to see in Sicily calls for time to choose your own adventure. With plenty of free time included in Catania, Siracusa and Taormina, you’ll be seeing the things that matter to you.

What's this trip about?

    Experience the splendour of Sicily’s East Coast on a six-day Intrepid adventure covering its hotspots. Sip granitas overlooking the beaches of Taormina, climb high above the Ionian Sea on a private Mt Etna tour, travel by train to the ancient alleys of Siracusa (Syracuse) and be enlightened by a traditional way of swordfishing from two sisters in Messina. Basing yourself in Catania, and with a great balance struck between inclusions and free time, your Sicilian adventure covers all the important bits, at a pace that suits you. Sicily is laidback Italy – a match made in heaven, and the best combination while on holiday.

Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeIntimate group - max of 12 people
Age range15 years and up
Flights and transportN/A
Start CityCatania
End CityCatania

Travel Themes

  • High Adventure

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Italy

Attractions

  • Mount Etna
  • Sicily

Trip includes

    • Catania - Fish Market Visit & Snack
    • Catania - Walking Tour with Local Guide
    • Mt Etna - Cable Car & Truck to Mt Etna's Summit
    • Mt Etna - Day Trip with Vulcanological Guide
    • Mt Etna - Lava Caves Exploration
    • Siracusa - Leader-led Orientation Walk
    • Siracusa - Day Trip by Local Train
    • Siracusa - Greek Theatre Archaeological Site Visit
    • Taormina - Leader-led Orientation Walk
    • Messina - Boat Trip & Sustainable Fishing Experience with Lunch

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1 Catania

Benvenuto! Welcome to the atmospheric and lively city of Catania, on Sicily’s southeast coast. With no activities planned for today, you’re free to arrive at any time. Keep in mind that there’s a welcome meeting at 6 pm where you’ll meet your leader and fellow travell...

Day 2 Catania

Get exploring in Catania this morning with a guided city tour. You’ll pass some of the highlights of the city, and stop by the bustling fish market for a fresh snack to keep you going. Getting your bearings in a city like this is super important from the outset, so yo...

Day 3 Mt Etna / Catania

See that thing looming on the horizon to your northwest? That’s Mt Etna, and you’re going to get up close and personal with Europe’s largest active volcano today. Your group will reach up to 3000 metres above sea level as you climb to the summit area by cable car and ...

Day 4 Siracusa / Catania

This morning, board a regional train to Siracusa (Syracuse), where you’ll have the day to explore the streets of this ancient city. On arrival, join your group leader for an orientation walk around the Old Town, passing crumbling facades, secret courtyards and a whole...

Day 5 Ganzirri / Taormina / Catania

Yesterday, you headed south along the Sicilian coast. Today, it’s time to head north! Transfer to Ganzirri – a fishing village closest to the Italian mainland – for a unique fishing experience. You’ll meet with two sisters who have founded a sustainable fish cooperati...

Day 6 Catania

With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave your accommodation in Catania any time after breakfast. That doesn’t mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you would like to spend more time in Sicily, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).

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Dates & Availability

Price From $1,700
Price per day$283
Last Updated: 4/9/2024

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Intrepid Travel.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator

Intrepid Travel

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The Intrepid Travel Experience

If you’re looking for adventure, you’ve come to the right place. For the past 25 years, we’ve been taking small groups of travelers on unforgettable trips around the world. What makes them unforgettable? Take a look for yourself and discover the Intrepid experience.

Our travelers have three styles of tour to choose from: Basix, Original and Comfort. Each has a different level of inclusions and accommodation, but all have unforgettable real life experiences as part of the package. Travellers can also choose themed trips, such as Family, Sailing or Food, to suit their interests.

Our group size has an average of just ten travellers, which allows us to get off the beaten track, use local accommodation and transport, and really get to know the culture. It also ensures we are contributing to the local economy; by choosing local suppliers we were able to keep AUD 60 million in local economies in 2012. We’re also working hard to reduce our carbon footprint and were the first in our sector to introduce carbon offset trips. This, along with our many corporate sustainability activities, has meant we’re one of the travel industry’s leaders in responsible travel.

Why Intrepid?

  •   Small groups - average of 10 people per trip
  •   Sustainability - pioneers for the industry
  •   Local leaders - authentic perspectives
  •   Local transport - get close and personal
  •   Local accommodation - experience real living
  •   Intrepid travelers - like-minded companions 

History

Intrepid Travel has come a long way since its beginnings in 1989. From two university friends, a typewriter and a kitchen desk, it is now a proud member of The Intrepid Group, taking over 100,000 travelers every year.

Intrepid Travel is part of The Intrepid Group of companies, alongside leading small group adventure companies Peregrine, Urban Adventures and PEAK DMC.

Despite growing into a global business with over 1,000 staff based all over the world and over 800 different trips across every continent, we’ve remained devoted to the same grassroots values and responsible travel philosophies that we had at the very beginning.

 

Values

On every trip we operate and in every interaction we have with a client, supplier or local, we live our core values everyday:

  • Integrity – Doing the right thing
  • Responsible – Think global, act local
  • Growth – Stakeholders in our own success
  • Innovation – Thriving on new ideas and embracing change
  • Fun – It’s engrained into who we are and what we do
  • Passion – We are inspired by the work we do and the trips we offer

 

Why we love this operator
They’re very committed to sustainable and responsible tourism and contribute to important initiatives like climate action.
What they’re known for
Small group tours for active and adventurous travelers at a range of different price points and service levels.

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Logistics

Accommodation

Hotel (5 nights),

Transportation & Flights

Private vehicle,Local train,Cable car,4x4 truck,

Transportation & flights

Private vehicle,Local train,Cable car,4x4 truck
Guides
All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is compulsory on all our trips for those travelling internationally. We require that at a minimum you are covered for medical expenses including emergency repatriation. If you are travelling within your home country or region please confirm before travel that you are entitled to access the public medical system easily should an accident occur. We strongly recommend all travellers have a policy that also covers personal liability, cancellation, curtailment and loss of luggage or personal effects. For international trips, you will not be permitted to join the group until evidence of travel insurance and the insurance company's 24-hour emergency contact number has been sighted by your leader. If you have credit card insurance your group leader will require details of the participating insurer/underwriter, the level of coverage, policy number, and emergency contact number rather than the bank's name and your credit card details. Please contact your bank for these details prior to arriving in-country. Travellers who reside within the European Union or Switzerland receive basic international health insurance, so travel insurance is not mandatory under European Union Law. However, as this does not cover situations such as emergency rescues, private health care, or repatriation to their home country, comprehensive travel insurance is strongly recommended. European Union or Swiss travellers who decline travel insurance when travelling outside of their home region must sign a Travel Insurance Waiver Form at the Group Meeting. For assistance with travel insurance or other services, please visit the link below: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/booking-resources/our-services
Visa requirements
PASSPORT You will need a valid passport to travel internationally. As a general rule, most countries require that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity remaining. Your passport details are required to complete your booking. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets exactly and contact us immediately if there are any errors. We recommend taking copies of the main passport pages and other important documents with you as well as leave copies at home with family or friends. VISAS Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveller. Entry requirements can change at any time. It is important that you check your government's foreign travel advisories along with the consular website of the country or countries you are travelling to for the most up to date information specific to your nationality and circumstances. Please be aware that not all visa information found online from other sources may be valid while COVID-19 restrictions are in place. Visas can take several weeks to process, so make sure you research the requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for obtaining any necessary documents as well as the application and processing time. Your booking consultant can advise on a visa processing service or you can apply yourself directly through a consulate. COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS Below you will find general visa advice about the destinations on your trip. Due to constantly evolving COVID-19 requirements and restrictions, please refer to your government's foreign travel advice for the most up to date information. RETURN TRAVEL Please ensure you stay up to date with any current testing or quarantine requirements for returning to your home country or transiting through other destinations after the completion of your tour. Visas for Italy are not required for passport holders of the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. All other nationalities should check with the relevant authorities.
Health & Safety
Most national governments provide regularly updated foreign travel advice on safety issues involved with international travel. We recommend that you check your government's advice for their latest travel information before departure and ensure that your travel insurance covers you for all destinations and activities on your trip. Please refer to our website's safety page for links to major travel advisories and updates on safety issues affecting our trips here: https://www.intrepidtravel.com/travel-alerts We strongly recommend the use of a neck wallet or money belt while travelling, for the safe-keeping of your passport, flight tickets, cash and other valuable items. Leave your jewellery at home - you won't need it while travelling. Many of our hotels have safety deposit boxes, which is the most secure way of storing your valuables. A lock is recommended for securing your luggage. Your leader will accompany you on all included activities, however, during your trip you'll have some free time to pursue your own interests or relax and take it easy. While your leader will assist you with the available options in a given location, please note that any optional activities you undertake are not part of your Intrepid itinerary, and Intrepid makes no representations about the safety of the activity or the standard of the operators running them. Please use your own good judgement when selecting an activity in your free time. Please also note that your Leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the trip itinerary if it's deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Intrepid's operational safety policies can be viewed on our website at the link below. We recommend that you take a moment to read through this information before travelling, and would appreciate any feedback on how safety is being managed on our trips. https://www.intrepidtravel.com/safety-guidelines FIRE PRECAUTIONS: Please be aware that local laws governing tourism facilities in this region differ from those in your home country and not all the accommodation which we use has a fire exit, fire extinguishers or smoke alarms. TRAFFIC AND DRIVING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD: Depending on where you come from please note that drivers in this part of the world may drive on the opposite side of the road from what you are used to. Look both ways before crossing any road. Traffic can be a little more chaotic than you might be used to at home. Be aware! PETTY THEFT AND PERSONAL SAFETY: While travelling there is always the risk of pick-pocketing and petty theft, particularly in the more touristy cities. We recommend that you exercise caution when walking alone at night and encourage you to walk together and only on main, well-lit thoroughfares. Be particularly vigilant on public transport. Simple measures like carrying your day pack on your front, not hanging your bag over the back of your chair or on the floor and wearing a money belt will reduce any chance that your valuables should go missing.
Age Requirements
15 years and up
Additional Information

Finish point

  • Hotel Manganelli Palace
  • Via Recalcaccia 2
  • Catania
  • ITALY
  • Phone: +39 095 7151842
Trip ID
intrepid-ZLKS

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