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Sicily
Italy's ancient secret
29th September to 6th October 2026
2026
Flights from the UK and all transport within the itinerary
Quality Accommodation of 4* and above
Experienced Tour Guide from the UK
All gratuities
Sicily is a large island, just off the ‘toe’ of Italy. It is a stunning place, known for landmarks like The Valley of Temples and Mount Etna. The island is framed by beautiful sandy beaches, studded with vineyards and beautiful scenery. Originally inhabited by the Greeks, the island was passed on to the Romans and then the European powers during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
What's Included
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Guided tour of Taormina
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Visit to Mount Etna
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Guided tour of Modica
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Guided tour of Syracuse
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Various agricultural visits as per itinerary
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Guide/interpreter with an agricultural knowledge
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All Gratuities
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Bay Farm Tours tour manager
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7 nights’ quality accommodation
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7 Breakfasts - continental self-service buffet
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5 Lunches at a vineyard and farms
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7 Evening Dinners
Sicilian Agriculture
Agriculture in Sicily is often small in scale and unusual to our eyes. The climate is generally very hot throughout the summer months, with little or no rain, therefore water is an issue for the island in general and impacts greatly on agriculture.
The finalised itinerary provides an opportunity to visit a family vineyard close to Mount Etna, utilising the minerals of the volcanic soils evolved over thousands of years. Another of our visits is to an orange, olive and almond grove where they also have a herd of Ragusano milking donkeys, whose milk is renowned for its beneficial properties. This is a species native to Eastern Sicily.
More Agriculture!
Another of our farm visits is to a milking buffalo herd where they have in total over 1,000 head of cattle, with the milk being used to produce mozzarella and other cheeses. Another visit being to a milking goat herd where they produce a speciality cheese. This farm also has extensive olive production, which is pressed into extra virgin olive oil, and also grows ancient grains native to Sicily from which pasta is produced.
Livestock farming is very regionalised, and the Sicilian diet is not dominated by meat but fish and vegetables. As we undertake our visits it will be very apparent that the land is very productive and certain fruits, nuts and vegetables grow in abundance.
Weather
The average temperature is 22ºC during the day in October. Expect sunny days and cooler evenings.
Currency
The Euro
Before the Euro came along it would have been Italian Lire but Italy has been part of the Euro since 2002.
Pace
Grade C
All of our tours are graded A to D according to the pace of the tour, with A being the least active. To find out more, please click here.
Meals
Breakfast each morning
5 Lunches
Evening Dinner each night
I write to thank you for the wonderful tour to Canada, from which we recently returned. We both thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip and appreciate all your attention to detail. Each day was different and we continue to talk about our varied itinerary with an interesting balance of farm visits, cities and gardens.
We highly recommend Bay Farm Tours and look forward to travelling with you again.
