Malta and Sicily Tour: Sea Roads of the Old World

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  • 23 Days
  • Max Guests : 12Fully Escorted
  • Exclusive Experiences
  • Archaeologist-guided site visits
  • Luxury Accommodations

Islands of the Southern Mediterranean Revealed

You’ve carried these islands in your imagination for years: dawn light catching the Maltese bastions and Sicilian headlands in the same pale stone, linked by the narrow sea that has carried traders, pilgrims, and armies for millennia. And now, in one journey, you explore Malta’s underground prehistoric chambers and cliff‑top temples and Sicily’s Phoenician islands, Greek theatres, Roman villas, and baroque hill towns.

Who Our Malta and Sicily Tour Is For

  • Travelers who have long dreamed of seeing Malta’s prehistoric temples and Sicily’s Valley of the Temples, and want to experience them not as separate bucket-list stops, but as chapters in one connected Mediterranean story.
  • Guests who prefer conversations to lectures, walking with an archaeologist through megalithic sites, Phoenician islands, Greek cities and baroque towns, asking questions as you go and unfolding the past in an easy, informal way.
  • Curious travelers who like their days full but not frantic: time in Hypogeum chambers and temple valleys, balanced with long lunches, harbor walks and evenings free to wander Valletta, Ortigia or Taormina at your own pace.
  • Guests who care as much about food, wine and contemporary island life as they do about ruins – happy to share tables in village restaurants, taste volcanic and coastal wines, and see how people in Malta and Sicily live among their layered past today.
  • In short, travelers who want to go deep, go local and go back in time across two remarkable islands – and return with Malta’s megaliths and Sicily’s many civilizations under their skin, far beyond the guidebook level.

Details of Your Historical Malta and Sicily Tour

Join our expert-led Malta and Sicily history and archaeology tour to follow one continuous story from prehistoric temple islands to a many-layered Mediterranean crossroads. Beginning in Valletta, you explore Malta’s three UNESCO World Heritage sites (its megalithic temple complexes, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, and the fortified cityscape of Valletta and Mdina) alongside harbors, war rooms, and palaces that reveal how this small archipelago guarded sea routes for millennia.

From Malta, you cross the same waters that once carried Phoenician traders and Roman fleets to Sicily, where you trace the island’s history from Etna’s volcanic slopes and Greek cities like Segesta, Selinunte, Agrigento, and Syracuse to Roman villas, Norman cathedrals, and late-baroque towns rebuilt after earthquakes.

Along the way, you stay in carefully chosen boutique and luxury hotels in historic centers and countryside estates, share long meals and local wines, and see how contemporary life in Valletta, Ortigia, Palermo, Ragusa, and Taormina is still shaped by the ancient landscapes, trade routes, and civilizations you’ve been exploring.

Should you have any questions about this tour, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team.

Malta and Sicily Tour: Sea Routes of the Old World

September 16 - October 8, 2027

What's Included

Accommodation

  • 7 nights in an elegant 4-star restored 17th‑century baroque palace in central Valletta on Malta, plus 15 nights in carefully selected boutique and luxury hotels in historic centers, including character properties in Catania, Palermo, Marsala, the Agrigento countryside, Ragusa Ibla, and Taormina.

Expert guiding and unique experiences

  • Fully escorted Malta and Sicily tour led by professional archaeologists and Maltese guides throughout the itinerary, with local specialists joining at key sites.
  • Private walking tours in Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities on Malta, and in Catania, Palermo, Cefalù, Ragusa Ibla, Noto, Syracuse/Ortigia and Taormina on Sicily.
  • Private walking tours in Sicily, including in Catania, Palermo, Cefalù, Ragusa Ibla, Noto, Syracuse/Ortigia, and Taormina.
  • Private, small‑group visits to many of Sicily’s greatest UNESCO World Heritage sites and other key monuments, including the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, Villa Romana del Casale, the late‑baroque towns of the Val di Noto, Mount Etna, and Arab‑Norman Palermo with Cefalù and Monreale, as well as major sites such as Segesta, Mozia, Selinunte, Syracuse’s Neapolis Archaeological Park, and museums including the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum and the Whitaker Museum on Mozia, as detailed in the itinerary.
  • In‑depth, small‑group visits to Malta’s megalithic temples, the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, medieval and early‑modern fortifications and war rooms.

Meals

  • 22 breakfasts, 16 lunches, and 15 dinners, as detailed in the day‑by‑day itinerary.
  • Wine and bottled water included with lunches and dinners.

Transport and logistics

  • International economy flight from Valletta, Malta, to Catania Airport in Sicily.
  • Luxury air‑conditioned mini‑bus for all scheduled group transfers and excursions during the tour.
  • Group arrival transfers to and from Valetta Airport on the first day and departure transfers from Taormina to Catania Airport at the conclusion of the tour.

Fees, taxes, and tips

  • All entrance fees to archaeological sites, museums, and monuments included in the itinerary.
  • All local taxes on included services.

What's Not Included

  • International and domestic airfares to and from Malta and Sicily with the exception of the Malta to Sicily international flight between the two islands during our tour.
  • Meals, drinks, and activities not specifically listed as included in the itinerary.
  • Additional beverages beyond the wine and bottled water provided with included meals, plus any minibar or room‑service charges.
  • Solo supplement for guests travelling alone who prefer not to share with a room buddy (amount as stated on the booking page).
  • Personal expenses such as laundry, souvenirs, and phone calls.
  • Your personal travel insurance (comprehensive medical and cancellation cover is strongly recommended and is a condition of travel with us).

What to Expect from Your Historical Sicily and Malta Holiday

During the southern Mediterranean’s long, warm season, we spend ample time outdoors: walking through archaeological parks, exploring historic quarters on foot, travelling along the coast and through inland valleys, and pausing at viewpoints over sea, fields, limestone or lava slopes. Days are designed to avoid the worst of the crowds and heat where possible, and to give you space to stand quietly in front of major monuments rather than rushing past them.

With a maximum of only 12 guests, the group feels more like a small company of explorers than a tour bus. You’ll share discoveries during the day and stories over wine and dinner at night, then return to hotels chosen for their sense of place – from historic palazzi, to countryside estates among olive groves to baroque‑era townhouses in hill‑top centers.

The experiences you have on tour create a continuous thread: the ancient past emerging not only from ruins and museums, but also from today’s ways of life, food and wine traditions, and local crafts. 

Our Historical Sicily and Malta Tour Highlights

  • Private walking tours in Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities and Gozo’s citadel in Malta, as well as in Catania, Palermo, Cefalù, Ragusa Ibla, Noto, Modica, Syracuse/Ortigia, and Taormina in Sicily.
  • In‑depth visits to Malta’s megalithic temples and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum alongside Sicily’s greatest ancient sites: Segesta, Selinunte, the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento (UNESCO World Heritage), Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse, and the Greek theatre at Taormina.
  • Exploration of Malta’s fortified harbors, bastions, and war rooms together with Norman Palermo and Monreale’s cathedral and cloister (UNESCO World Heritage within the Arab‑Norman Palermo and Cefalù inscription), showing how medieval rulers blended different artistic traditions.in Sicily.
  • A thorough exploration of Villa Romana del Casale (UNESCO World Heritage) to appreciate its extraordinary late‑Roman mosaics and imperial lifestyle.
  • A thorough exploration of Malta’s key UNESCO World Heritage megalithic temple complexes and museums on Malta and Gozo.
  • Time in Valletta, Malta’s Baroque harbourside capital, the medieval walled city of Mdina, the historic Three Cities, and the medieval‑Baroque hilltop Cittadella and town of Victoria (Rabat) on Gozo, together with Sicily’s baroque towns of Ragusa Ibla, Modica, and Noto (all part of the “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto” UNESCO World Heritage site), with an emphasis on post‑earthquake and post‑siege urban design and everyday life.
  • Encounters with living traditions on both islands, from vibrant food markets and Maltese foods and wines in harborside and village restaurants to regional food and wine experiences at volcanic and coastal wineries and artisan workshops with family‑run producers, showing how Malta and Sicily’s past is still woven into everyday life.
  • Boat experiences in Malta’s Grand Harbour and around Taormina’s coast to appreciate the islands’ shared maritime setting and, with luck, spot dolphins against the backdrop of Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage natural site.
  • Luxury and boutique 4 and 5 star accommodations

Itinerary of Our Ancient and Historical Sicily Tour from Catania

Day 1Welcome to Malta

Our tour begins in Valletta, Malta. 

After your private transfer from the airport to the hotel, we warmly welcome you to Malta and head out to Sliema to board a cruise of the two harbors and main creeks of Malta, followed by a wonderful local dinner with wine.

Meals: D

Overnight: Valletta

Day 2Historic Valletta

After breakfast at our hotel, our tour guide leads us on a walking tour of Malta’s fortified main city, Valletta.

We spend the day in Valletta, walking its narrow, hilly, and cobblestoned streets. It’s hard to imagine a small island with more layers of ancient, religious, and maritime history than Malta. Valletta is a treasure trove of historic sites and the final headquarters of the Knights of St. John.

We visit the maritime fortresses, the mighty walls of the city, the Palace of the Grandmaster of the Knights and the major Inns of the Knights (known as Auberges in Malta), the major museums, the astonishing Co-Cathedral of St John, the Upper Baraka Gardens and the Saluting Battery, and much more.

The evening is free for you to eat dinner by the Mediterranean.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Valletta

Day 3Gozo and the Ġgantija Archaeological Park

After breakfast at our hotel, we travel by minibus to the car ferry in the north of Malta to make the short crossing to Gozo Island. Here we begin at the Temples of the Giantess, the Ġgantija Archaeological Park.

We head next to the capital of Gozo to explore the Gozo Museum of Archaeology. This is followed by a traditional Gozo lunch at a charming restaurant and a tour of the city of Vittoriosa.

We travel back to Valletta and eat at a lovely traditional restaurant near our hotel

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Valletta

Day 4Prehistoric Malta: Ta' Ħaġrat, Ħaġar Qim & Mnajdra Temple Complexes

After breakfast at our hotel, we set out to see the first of our three prehistoric temple complexes. We are accompanied today by a renowned expert archaeologist from the Department of Archaeology at the University of Malta.

We stop at the small site of the Ta’ Ħaġrat Temples before heading to our highlight of the day, the Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra Archaeological Park. 

We drive next to the impossibly charming Marsaxlokk Harbour for a seafood lunch by the water and admire the colorful traditional fishing boats.

Returning to Valletta, the afternoon and evening are yours to explore or relax.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Valletta

Day 5Medieval Malta and Malta at War

After breakfast at our hotel, we take a guided tour of the Lascaris War Rooms and War HQ Tunnels.

We then cross the Grand Harbor by small traditional boats (dgħajjes) to the Three Cities to explore the maritime and military history of Malta. 

On our guided walking tour of Vittoriosa, we’ll stop at the Malta at War Museum, before heading back in time to the medieval Inquisitor’s Palace. We’ll view its ethnographic museum, prison cells, and torture chamber.

We’ll hop on small boats between Vittoriosa and Senglea for a harborside lunch before resuming our exploration of medieval Malta on Vittoriosa.

We’ll tour the Maritime Museum (if open) and then walk a little further to the tip of Vittoriosa, with spectacular views of Valletta across the Grand Harbor. We’ll explore the forbidding Fort St Angelo, the headquarters of the Grand Master of the Knights of St. John, de la Vallette, during the Great Siege against the Ottomans.

Finally, it’s time to turn toward the fortified hill city of Mdina to walk its beautiful streets as dusk falls and the Instagrammers leave the streets for us to ramble and photograph.

We’ll eat a magnificent Maltese dinner here before returning to our hotel in Valletta.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Valletta

Day 6Optional Food and Wine Experiences Day

Today is a free day for you to spend at your leisure. You can hang out by the pool, choose from the many boat tours to the Blue Lagoon at Comino Island, or shop and use the spa.

If you’re interested in food, wine, and sailing, we can recommend a walking food tour of Valletta and lunch and wine tasting at a local winery as an optional extra experience – still leaving you some free time in the afternoon and evening!

Meals: B

Overnight: Valletta

Day 7The Unparalleled Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum and the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex

We like to save the best for our last day in magical Malta! After breakfast, we travel to the suburb of Paolo, to tour the very-well preserved Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex. This UNESCO World Heritage Site dates to approximately 3400 B.C.

And then it’s on to the astonishing Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a unique prehistoric monument, for an underground tour you will never forget. Abandoned and undiscovered for almost 4000 years, the Hypogeum is a necropolis built entirely below the ground and is one of the world’s oldest structures – older than Stonehenge, and older than the Pyramids. It was in use from 4000 BC.

Its three levels were left covered over when the island’s inhabitants abandoned the island. Almost 4000 years later, it was discovered when builders were digging a cistern for a new house in the suburb of Paolo. The shaft they created is now a ventilation shaft for the Hypogeum.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Valletta

Day 8Farewell Malta

After breakfast this morning, bid farewell to Malta and transfer to Malta International Airport to fly to Sicily.

Our Sicilian journey begins in Catania, the vibrant city at the foot of Mount Etna, where black volcanic stone and pale baroque façades sit side by side. On arrival, we transfer to our centrally located hotel and settle in before we embark on the Sicilian leg of our journey tomorrow.

 

Meals: B, D

Overnight: Catania

Day 9Welcome to Sicily!

Much of the day is yours to relax or discover before meeting your archaeologist‑guide and fellow travelers later in the day.

In the late afternoon, a gentle orientation walk through the historic centre – Piazza del Duomo, the elephant fountain, Via dei Crociferi, and the exterior of the Roman amphitheatre – introduces Catania as a city literally built from Etna’s lava and repeatedly reshaped by eruptions and earthquakes.

This first walk sets the tone for the tour: noticing how geology, history, and everyday life are layered together in streets, stones, and skylines.

We gather this evening for a welcome to Sicily dinner of seasonal Sicilian dishes and local wine.

 

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight:  Catania

Day 10Mt. Etna, Volcanic winery, and a Catanian Cultural Evening

After breakfast at our hotel, we traverse the slopes and winding roads of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active stratovolcano, with an eruptive history that spans 500,000 years.

After breakfast, we drive up the slopes of Mount Etna, Europe’s highest and most active stratovolcano, whose eruptions have shaped both Sicily’s landscape and its human history.

As we traverse winding roads and walk among old lava flows and craters (subject to local conditions), your guide explains how Etna’s activity created the fertile soils that later attracted Greek colonists, and how nearby communities have adapted to living with such a powerful neighbour.

We visit a volcanic winery for a relaxed lunch and tasting, seeing directly how ancient and modern farmers alike have made use of this rich but challenging terrain.

In the afternoon, we return to Catania for some time at leisure.

This evening we head back out into the city for a local dinner and a performance – perhaps music, theatre, or traditional puppetry – giving you an early feel for Sicily’s contemporary culture and how stories from the past are still retold today.

 

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight:  Catania

Day 11Cefalù & Arrival in Palermo

After breakfast, we leave Catania and follow the northern coastline to Cefalù, a picturesque town where the sea meets steep rock and Norman history.

Here we visit the magnificent cathedral, part of the Arab‑Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its celebrated 12th‑century mosaic of Christ. Standing in this church, you begin to see how medieval rulers used grand architecture and imagery to anchor their authority in a landscape that had already seen the power of the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines.

After exploring the Duomo, we stroll down Corso Ruggero, the medieval main street lined with artisan workshops, boutiques, and pasticcerie; here, your guide points out traditional ceramics, jewellery, textiles, and food shops that still follow the town’s historic commercial axis. 

Enjoy a relaxed lunch of your own choice.

After lunch, we gather again to continue for about an hour to Palermo, where we check into our central luxury hotel and share a relaxed group dinner, introducing the next chapter of Sicily’s story in its former royal capital.

 

Meals: B, D

Overnight: Palermo

Day 12Norman Palermo, Monreale & Optional Jazz Evening

Today, we explore how Sicily’s medieval rulers turned a crossroads island into a centre of royal power. After breakfast, we visit the Palazzo dei Normanni and its glittering Cappella Palatina, whose mosaics and carved ceilings show how Norman kings drew on Greek, Arab, and Latin artistic traditions to express their rule.

Walking through the historic core to churches such as La Martorana and San Cataldo, you see this distinctive Arab‑Norman style repeated in parish settings, showing how a courtly aesthetic filtered through a diverse city.

We next drive up into the hills to Monreale. We pause for another delightful Sicilian lunch, then explore Monreale’s great cathedral and cloister (also part of the Arab‑Norman UNESCO inscription). Here we see an even more expansive cycle of mosaics, tying theology, kingship, and the fertile Conca d’Oro valley together in a single vision.

In the evening, there is an optional visit to the Kalsa district to see the atmospheric, roofless church of Santa Maria dello Spasimo, a deconsecrated 16th‑century church now used as a performance space by the Blue Brass jazz club and for the Sicilia Jazz Festival,  hinting at how sacred buildings and neighbourhoods can be repurposed while keeping their layered pasts visible.

When concert schedules align with your stay, tickets can be arranged for a live performance here or in the adjoining complex.

Dinner tonight is at your leisure.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Palermo

Day 13Segesta

This morning, after breakfast, we explore the markets and street food of  Palermo. Feeling very full, we then bid farewell to vibrant Palermo and get our archaeological juices flowing with expectation as we head to Segesta, about 1 hour away.

At Segesta, we explore how local communities negotiated identity and power in a landscape dominated by bigger Mediterranean players. Once an Elymian city that adopted the Greek temple form, our archaeological guide gives us a private tour of Segesta’s superbly preserved Doric temple and hilltop theater with views over the Gulf of Castellammare. 

In the late afternoon, we travel to Marsala and settle into our hotel, which will be our base for exploring Sicily’s Phoenician and maritime past. 

Meals: B, D

Overnight: Marsala

Day 14Mozia, Salt Pans & Marsala Wine

After breakfast at our hotel, we drive across flat coastal saltlands to a pier on the Stagnone lagoon, then take a short boat ride to Mozia (Motya), a small island that was once a key Phoenician settlement.

Walking among its remains with your archaeologist‑guide, and then through the Whitaker Museum’s collection – including the famous “Young Man of Mozia” – you encounter a world of sailors, merchants, and artisans who connected Sicily to wider Mediterranean trade networks long before Rome.

Back on the mainland, we visit a Marsala winery for tastings and lunch, linking ancient agricultural traditions to modern wine‑making in this same region.

In the afternoon, a walk among the Marsala salt pans, with their traditional windmills and pools, illustrates how the extraction and trade of salt shaped this coastline and underpinned economic life from Phoenician through Roman times and beyond. We return to Marsala in the late afternoon.

Dinner tonight is at your leisure.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Marsala

Day 15Spectacular Selinunte

Today our focus turns fully to Greek colonisation and the rise and fall of a great city.

After breakfast, we drive south to Selinunte, one of the largest Greek archaeological sites in the Mediterranean, set on a promontory above the sea. As you walk through temple districts, city walls, and the Acropolis area, your guide explains how this city grew powerful through agriculture and trade, and how its conflict with Carthage ended in sudden destruction, leaving behind the dramatic ruins you see today.

The combination of massive fallen blocks, partially restored temples, and views over the coastline makes this one of the clearest places to imagine a classical polis in both its glory and its vulnerability.

In the afternoon, we continue east into the Agrigento countryside and settle into a charming agriturismo, a working farm and historic estate where we enjoy a home‑cooked dinner made from local produce, giving a sense of continuity between ancient rural economies and today’s agricultural life.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Agrigento

Day 16The Valley of the Temples

After breakfast, we head to the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most important ensembles of Greek temples anywhere. During a detailed walk with our archaeologist guide along the ridge, taking in temples such as Juno, Concordia, Heracles, and Zeus, we consider how sanctuaries marked the boundary between city and countryside, how ritual spaces were arranged, and how the city planned its defences and processional routes. 

The setting – with columns silhouetted against fields and sea – makes it easy to imagine ancient visitors approaching these monuments as part of daily life and festival activity. 

After a break and lunch, a short drive brings us to the Regional Archaeological Museum, whose collections—vases, architectural fragments, and the colossal telamones from the Temple of Olympian Zeus—help you connect sculptures and structural pieces to the buildings you have just walked through.

We head back to our agriturismo to relax before another authentic Sicilian countryside meal.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Agrigento

Day 17Villa Romana del Casale & Ragusa

Leaving the Agrigento countryside after breakfast, we drive inland to Piazza Armerina to visit Villa Romana del Casale, a UNESCO World Heritage late‑Roman imperial villa famed for its extensive mosaic floors.

Room by room, you walk across scenes of mythology, hunting, sport, and daily life, seeing how an elite landowner used imagery to project status, education, and connections across the wider empire. This stop shifts our focus from Greek city‑states to Roman aristocratic life and the countryside estates that helped sustain it.

After lunch nearby, we continue south into the Val di Noto, arriving in Ragusa, a baroque town rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake and perched above a deep ravine.

An orientation walk through its lanes, piazzas, and viewpoints introduces the idea of baroque urban planning as a response to disaster, and sets up the next phase of the tour as we follow Sicily into its early‑modern chapters.

We share dinner at a local restaurant in Ragusa.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Ragusa

Day 18Ragusa and Modica

This morning, after breakfast, we explore Ragusa in more depth, visiting the Cathedral of San Giorgio, public gardens and vistas that highlight how planners and builders reshaped the town after the earthquake, using staircases, piazzas and façades to organise space on steep terrain. Your guide explains how these choices reflect both practical needs and baroque ideals of drama and order. 

We then pay a private visit to Cinabro Carrettieri, where master artisans paint and restore traditional Sicilian carts – a UNESCO‑recognised element of Sicily’s intangible heritage. Here you see how stories from medieval and classical history, coats of arms, and folk tales are translated into imagery on wooden panels, turning carts into moving narratives and social statements.

After a Sicilian lunch, we drive to nearby Modica, another baroque town set in a dramatic valley, where we explore its streets and churches and visit a renowned chocolate workshop. A hands‑on chocolate‑making experience reveals how a distinctive local technique, rooted in early transatlantic exchanges, has become part of the town’s identity. 

We return to Ragusa in the late afternoon, with the evening free for independent dining.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Ragusa

Day 19Noto and Ortigia

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Ragusa and drive to Noto, often considered the showcase of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto UNESCO World Heritage site. Walking along Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with its carefully composed façades, staircases, and aligned perspectives, your guide shows how Noto’s plan was conceived almost from scratch after the earthquake, reflecting new ideas about light, processions, and civic representation.

Key buildings such as the Cathedral of San Nicolò and surrounding palazzi demonstrate how architecture expressed both religious devotion and social hierarchy in the 18th century.

After lunch, we continue to Ortigia, the historic island heart of Syracuse, where we check into our hotel and enjoy a waterfront stroll past the Temple of Apollo, the main piazza, and harborfront.

Here, for the first time, you see clearly how a Greek colonial foundation, later Roman and medieval city, and modern town all occupy the same compact island, foreshadowing the deeper dive into Syracuse’s archaeology tomorrow.

We dine together this evening in Ortigia.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Ortigia

Day 20Neapolis Archaeological Park & Paolo Orsi Museum

After breakfast, we focus on Syracuse as a major Greek and later Roman power. A short drive takes us to the Neapolis Archaeological Park, part of the Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica UNESCO World Heritage site, where we spend the morning exploring the Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre, Altar of Hieron II, and the stone quarries (latomie), including the famous Ear of Dionysius. 

These structures show how Syracuse organised public spectacle, political events, religious sacrifice, and labour extraction, and how its leaders used architecture to project their influence. 

After lunch, we visit the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum, one of Italy’s most important collections, where your guide selects key pieces that tell the story of Greek colonisation, indigenous Sicel cultures, and Syracuse’s changing regional role. Seeing inscriptions, sculptures, and everyday objects from across the city’s territory rounds out the picture created by the morning’s monumental remains.

The evening is at leisure in Ortigia, giving you a chance to wander its streets and harborfront with fresh eyes after this deeper historical context.

Meals: B, L

Overnight: Ortigia

Day 21Papyrus Museum, Aci Trezzi and Dolphin Spotting

This morning we walk to the Museo del Papiro “Corrado Basile”, which preserves Syracuse’s distinctive papyrus heritage: the Ciane River area is one of the few places outside Egypt where papyrus grows naturally.

Here we view ancient papyrus documents and watch a demonstration of traditional papyrus‑paper making, exploring how this plant and technology connect Syracuse to Ptolemaic Egypt and broader Mediterranean exchanges of materials and knowledge.

We then travel north towards Taormina, stopping in Aci Trezza for a memorable coastal lunch in a landscape associated with volcanic sea‑stacks and classical myths.

In the afternoon, we continue to Taormina, check into our luxury hotel, and then head out on the water for a small‑boat excursion around Isola Bella and the Gulf of Giardini Naxos, with Etna rising inland.

With luck, we may spot dolphins, but even without them, this outing underscores Sicily’s maritime setting and the sea routes that linked all the places you have visited – from Phoenician Mozia to Greek, Roman, and medieval Syracuse and beyond.

Meals: B, L, D

Overnight: Taormina

Day 22Magnificent Taormina

After breakfast, our guide leads an orientation walk through Taormina, a town whose history spans Greek, Roman, medieval, and modern resort phases. You see how older structures, later palazzi and contemporary life intertwine along its main streets and terraces, offering a final example of Sicily’s layered urban fabric.

The rest of the day is free for shopping, independent exploration, or simply relaxing and enjoying the views over the sea and mountains.

In the late afternoon, we visit the ancient theatre (Teatro Greco), one of the world’s most dramatically sited, whose Hellenistic layout and later Roman modifications provide a natural point of comparison with other theatres and performance spaces you have seen on the tour.

As you look out from its cavea towards the coast and Etna, you can reflect on the whole journey – from Etna’s slopes and Catania’s dark stone, through Greek cities, Roman villas, Norman chapels and baroque towns, to this final panoramic stage. 

We come together this evening for a final Sicilian dinner to celebrate the memories and insights gathered over the past two weeks.

Meals: B, D

Overnight: Taormina

Day 23Farewell for Now!

After breakfast at our hotel, we  return to Catania airport. Our tour ends here.

Fino alla prossima volta (until next time!)

Meals: B

Sep 16-8 Oct 2027
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Meet Your Archaeologists

Dr. Huw Groucett

Internationally renowned Malta-based Welsh archaeologist, Dr. Huw S. Groucutt, specializes in the intersection of climate change and human prehistory. He currently digs at two sites in Malta and is a lecturer in Mediterranean prehistory. Trained at Sheffield (BA Archaeology, MSc Palaeoanthropology) and Oxford (DPhil Archaeological Science), he investigates how environmental shifts influenced human evolution and cultural development.

His research uses stone tool analysis to understand human adaptations across the Mediterranean, Southwest Asia, and Northern Africa. With fieldwork experience spanning Malta, Arabia, and Senegal, Dr. Groucutt explores how prehistoric communities responded to environmental challenges throughout the Quaternary period.

Archaeologist Huw Groucutt stands near ancient rock carvings depicting animals on a large, reddish-brown sandstone surface, capturing the essence of European travel with Take Me To Europe Tours.
Dr Annalisa Costa, archaeologist and tour guide with Take Me To Europe Tours.

Dr Annalisa Costa

Dr Annalisa Costa, B.A. (Rome), B.A. (Milan), Ph.D. (Trento), is a Sicilian archaeologist and licensed regional tour guide who brings the island’s ancient past vividly to life. She holds multiple degrees in archaeology from La Sapienza University in Rome and the University of Milan, specialising in prehistoric developments in the Ancient Near East, and completed her PhD research at the University of Trento on pottery production techniques and experimental archaeology. Her academic work spans excavations in Italy, Turkey, and Switzerland, as well as collaborations with universities, museums, and cultural organisations.

Annalisa has also studied the rock art engravings of Valcamonica, a UNESCO World Heritage site, adding a deep understanding of prehistoric imagery and ritual to her expertise. Her Sicily tours, especially around Catania and Taormina, are infused with a passion for prehistory, archaeology, and Sicilian history and culture, weaving together landscapes, monuments, and everyday life to show how the island’s rich past still shapes its present.

What Customers Say About Annalisa

Annalisa was amazing! She was very well-versed in the history of the area, and her expertise is in archaeology. She also gave us a flavor of local traditions. One of the most interesting aspects of our tour was when she took us to a small shop where papyrus is used to hand-make paper. Truly fascinating!

CASSIE

The tour with Annalisa was a lot more than we expected. We were excited to visit Syracuse and wanted to see especially the parts of the ancient times (first/second punic war). We went through every ancient historic site (archaelogical parc in Neapolis is highly recommended), she showed us hidden gems and really nice places while she explained, very understandably, the history of the city. This tour had been a (perhaps the) highlight of our Sicily tour. Highly recommended.

CHRISTIAN

Excellent Tour! Annalisa was knowledgeable and made our tour interesting and informative. Her archeological knowledge was a bonus!

SHEILA

Activity Levels

Our tours are physically active! Clambering around archaeological sites, castles, acropoli, and fortresses is an essential part of the Take Me To Europe tour experience, and stairs are everywhere in Europe! On our Malta and Sicily tour, you will need to be able to

  1. Carry/roll your luggage over uneven pavement (possibly several blocks) and up stairways to reach your hotel.
  2. Be on your feet, walking and standing, for up to three hours, indoors and outdoors, in all weather conditions.
  3. After orientation and transportation lessons, you will be able to navigate cities on your own.
  4. Malta is full of citadels, so there is some uphill walking, especially in Valletta, and Sicily is full of large archaeological parks, which means a couple of hours of walking at each site – slowly, with breaks, etc. We’re not on a marathon here – we make sure to enjoy ourselves!

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Malta and Sicily Archaeology Tour

Q: What does the Malta & Sicily archaeology tour include?

This combined tour links our expert‑led Malta and Sicily itineraries into one continuous journey, including accommodation, many meals, guided visits with archaeologist‑guides, all listed site and museum entries, and all scheduled land and ferry transport during the tour.

Q: Which archaeological and historical sites do we visit in Malta and Sicily?

You explore Malta’s key megalithic temples (such as Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra and Ġgantija), the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities and Victoria (Rabat) on Gozo, then continue to Sicily for Segesta, Selinunte, the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, Villa Romana del Casale, Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse, and Taormina’s ancient theatre, among others.

Q: How does the tour handle limited tickets for the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum?

Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum entries are strictly limited, so we secure group tickets well in advance and structure that day’s schedule around our confirmed time slot; your entrance, guiding, and transfers are all included in the combined itinerary.

Q: How long is the combined Malta & Sicily tour, and in what order do we travel?

The combined itinerary runs for 22 days / 21 nights, starting in Malta and continuing on to Sicily, so you follow the historical story northwards across the central Mediterranean without any gap days between the two segments

Q: Is this Malta & Sicily tour suitable for my fitness level?

You should be comfortable walking and standing for several hours a day on uneven stone, slopes, and steps at temple sites, citadels, baroque hill towns, and historic city centres, including Valletta, Mdina, the Three Cities, Victoria, Catania, Palermo, Ragusa Ibla, Noto, Syracuse/Ortigia, and Taormina.

Q: What is a typical day like on the combined tour?

Most days begin with breakfast at your hotel, followed by 4–6 hours of guided visits to archaeological sites, churches, museums, and historic quarters, often with a hosted lunch or tasting, and time in the late afternoon or evening to relax, swim, shop, or explore at your own pace.

Q: How big is the group on the Malta & Sicily tour?

This is a small‑group tour, generally limited to around 12 guests, which keeps access easy in narrow streets and on archaeological sites and allows your archaeologist‑guides to answer questions and tailor explanations as you move through both islands.

Q: What kind of accommodations do we stay in across Malta and Sicily?

You stay in carefully chosen boutique and luxury 4‑ and 5‑star hotels, including a restored historic palace in central Valletta and character properties in Catania, Palermo, Marsala, the Agrigento countryside, Ragusa Ibla, and Taormina, all selected for comfort and sense of place.

Q: When is the best time of year to take the Malta & Sicily tour?

The combined tour runs in spring and autumn, when Malta and Sicily typically offer warm, sunny weather with milder temperatures and fewer crowds than peak summer, ideal for exploring outdoor archaeological parks and historic towns

Q: How do I get to the start of the tour and home from the end point?

You arrange your own flights into Malta at the beginning and out of Sicily (usually from Catania) at the end; we include group airport transfers on the first and last tour days, and your tour materials provide recommended flight windows and connection guidance.

From€11,746
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