Sicily for Two: One Week Couple’s Retreat

Our Zicasso travel specialist did a fantastic job planning our family vacation for five adults.

Each hotel was top-notch. At the villa in Taormina, the rooms were luxurious, with unbelievable views of the bay and Mount Etna from private verandas. The staff were gracious and the restaurant's breakfast buffet delicious. Lunch and dinner were top-notch. The hotel in Agrigento was modern and the grounds were exceptional. It was close to the Valley of the Temples, with amazing views of the ruins from each room and the beautiful infinity pool. The hotel in Palermo was old-fashioned luxury with up-to-date facilities and close to the old town.

Our tour guides and drivers were excellent.

My only regret is that we only had 10 days to explore Sicily as there was so much more to see!

Our agent did a yeoman's job helping us plan this trip.

We had a fabulous time in Sicily. It was our first visit and Zicasso’s travel company planned an excellent itinerary, with great recommendations on the cities and towns to visit that felt like a truly local experience. (Other agents focus on the big cities of Palermo and Taormina, but the travel company recommended we spend more time in Syracuse/Noto, Ragusa, and Modica.)

We loved our primary driver and the boutique hotels they selected for us. Communication and documents were all easy to follow.

The only piece we wish might have been curated a little more was the recommended dining options. There were too many and not necessarily great restaurants.

Overall, I loved all that was planned for me by the travel specialist. She did a great job planning the transfers, tours, and activities we discussed during our planning. In particular, I loved my tour of Modica, the winery visit, my visit to Agrigento, and my visit to Noto and Marzamemi. I also loved my hotel in Ortigia - the location, the architecture, the views. I wish I had requested a sea view for my Taormina hotel, as not having that felt like a miss. I did not like at all the hotel in Rome (in spite of its convenient location) - it was a miss after such a glorious trip.

Every single tour guide and driver was excellent, knowledgeable and reliable. The initial personal fast track transfer in Rome was also excellent, and I requested the same service when I was leaving.

I would have liked the food and wine tour in Taormina to be a bit more elevated, given I am a foodie with elevated tastes. The local Sicily organizer, was very responsive overall. I just found it strange that she did not follow through on her offer to pay for a dinner because I chose my own venue.

The reason I am not giving this trip a 5 is because of a few issues: the room in Taormina and the hotel in Rome. The trip started strong with the transfer support and I wish it had been included at the end - I paid an additional fee for it. I also paid a significant additional fee for a private tour to Mt. Etna, which was given by the same person who drove me there. I feel like I overpaid for that tour. I canceled the Etna Food and Wine tour and wish I had gotten some consideration for that.

Stepping back, I am grateful for the trip and all the detailed organizing that went into it. I will look more closely at hotels offered so I avoid being disappointed.

Zicasso’s travel agent and her team were very responsive when we needed assistance. We definitely didn't need three weeks in Sicily—there's not that much to see. Three of the hotels were great and two not so great, but again, the travel agent's team was quick to find us a better alternative. Thanks to the travel agent and her team.

Everything was really perfect! The tour guides and drivers were fabulous, and the hotels were top-notch! Zicasso’s travel specialist listened to all our requests and delivered a wonderful experience for us to explore Sicily.

It was a pleasure working with Zicasso’s travel specialist and her team for our recent trip to Italy, including Rome and Sicily. The travel specialist was thoughtful throughout and demonstrated exceptional local knowledge when crafting our itinerary, particularly for Sicily, where we spent seven to eight days exploring the northwest, east, and southeast regions.

The itinerary beautifully blended visits to charming fishing villages with well-paced day tours, allowing for meaningful free time in between. In fact, she strongly encouraged us to include a free day to explore on our own, which made a noticeable difference, as we never felt rushed or exhausted. The hotels were impeccably selected and added greatly to the overall experience.

This was a truly memorable trip that we enjoyed every step of the way.

Thank you to the travel specialist and the travel company for creating such a wonderful experience. We will absolutely turn to them again for our next visit to Italy.