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Customer Reviews for Go Ahead Tours Best of Sicily
Go Ahead Tours Best of Sicily
Travel south for a completely different view of Italy—from Palermo to Taormina.
Average Customer Rating:
(78 Reviews) 78
47 out of 50 94% of customers would recommend this tour.
Customer Reviews for Best of Sicily
Review 1 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JGTERESA |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:WV
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JGTERESA |
April 22, 2012
Best of Sicily Feedback
We had a great tour of Sicily. The Director of the tour (Tamara Hauptman) was excellent. She was open and inviting to questions and our inquiries about various sites and cultures. In addition, she was very personal and caring. Because Sicily has a long history of diverse cultures there was never a time when we did not have interest and questions. For me, because of a small disability, at times I found the walking a bite tiring but that was just a minor problem. The group was good and easy to get alone with. We had a good time with the entire group. We will definitely take another Go Head Tour.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
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Review 2 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by PATRICIA640 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:LA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by PATRICIA640 |
April 20, 2012
best of Sicily
Awesome tour guide, Tamara. Excellent food and wine. Plenty of time for touring, individual sightseeing and shopping. Great beauty in Sicily.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat
-1point
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Review 3 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
4
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by ETHELCHANGSTER |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:CA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by ETHELCHANGSTER |
April 14, 2012
A Very Happy Birthday Trip for my Sister's
Sigificant 70th birthday and a memorable one for the sisiters who went with her. Whay a way to relax and enjoy in such a beautiful place as Sicily. The weather, the views, the food all made for an exceptional holiday to remember. Taormina was indeed the highlight of the visit- its locale, its grand views, the wonderful Hotel Dorrito with individual balconies, its sumptous breakfast all made for a lovely stay.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
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Review 4 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by LSERIO1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:LA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with a group coordinator/organization
by LSERIO1 |
April 9, 2012
A little overkill on temples and theatres
I was a Group Coordinator, and offered this tour primarily for Sicilian-Americans. The free time on the tour would allow people to pursue family and/or ancestral towns in the Palermo area, which they did. The long day at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento ended up being too much antiquity for the average traveler when we did theatres and ruins again in Siracusa the very next day. The theatre in Taormina is lovely with the Etna backdrop, but all 3 sites in the "included" touring is too much. Most of my group did not do the Erice/Segesta excursion because that was their day to pursue family roots - if they had done so, it would have been one more Greek temple! I assume that Piazza Armerina was taken out of the routing because of the restoration work, but the mosaic floors there, or even the ceramics of Caltagirone, would make for a more interesting ride to Siracusa. Even to pass the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento at night when it is illuminated is lovely. But if visiting Agrigento on the travel day is mandatory to routing or timing, I would suggest taking the group to the Baroque towns around Sircacusa the next day and make the archaeological park an optional excursion. I want to offer this tour again, but if I do I may suggest that my group skip the included touring in Siracusa if they are not specifically interested in the classics.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
+1point
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Review 5 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:LA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by Anonymous |
April 8, 2012
An Experience Challenging and Satisfying
All of the highlights of Sicily were visited with very adequate time for shopping. Having experienced Sicily twice before I found this tour even more enriching to me educationally and aesthetically - the tour guides and others connected with the visit were each very technically prepared to lead us through the history, culture and religious explanations at Monreale to Gibilmanna to the Archaeology Museum to the catacombs of Syracuse to the Cupola of St Peter's . A visit to "Mama Etna" was most awsome.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Nature & Wildlife, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Relaxing Retreat, Experienced Travelers
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Review 6 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CRICHTER1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:NJ
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by CRICHTER1 |
April 5, 2012
Extremely interesting and enjoyable
I didn't expect Sicily to be so beautiful and so interesting. My sister and I chose this trip to avoid winter weather and got much more than we expected--the Greek temples and theaters, the hairpin turn roads that our driver managed so expertly, Mount Etna, the ancient jewelry in the basement of the archeological museum in Siracusa==I could go on and on!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by AAJDNJ |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/15/2012
Location:LA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by AAJDNJ |
March 30, 2012
Springtime in Sicily is Stunning
From the moment our group met up with our wonderfully knowledgeable tour director, Tamara, things went smoothly. Our accommodations were very nice, conveniently located and clean and comfortable. The driving of our bus driver was spectacular. I would not have dreamed of driving on my own in Sicily, but I never had a moment of anxiety that we were in safe hands. And, what can one say about Sicily in the springtime? The smell of orange, lemon, olive and almond groves was in the air. The colors were spectacular. The commentary by our director was spot on. I love learning history and touring ruins, and the ones in Sicily rivaled the ones I had seen in Greece. But if ruins are not your thing, there was so much more to experience, and our tour guide made sure that everyone's interests were accommodated. My favorite experiences were the meal at the Manor House cooked by the Contessa and sitting in the middle of the theatre in Taormina looking out over the sea and Mount Etna. This was a special trip for me and my sister, and I am so happy that Go Ahead did such a great job making it perfect. I will definitely travel with Go Ahead again. I do think it would be awfully warm there in the summer, but we had perfect weather in March.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine
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Review 8 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by CBELENCHIA1 |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:02/16/2012
Location:MI
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by CBELENCHIA1 |
March 8, 2012
Best of Sicily with Ms Tamara
Of all the excellent things to say about Sicily and its fine people,,fine food,,beautiful weather,,scenery second to none ,,A cultural diversity that has been so well preserved thru the centuries,,Fine hotels that were chosen for us were excellent and their locations were perfectly suited to our stay...All of this said however was exceeded by the Graciousness,,Kindness and Intelligence of our TOUR GUIDE----TAMARA.....She and Salvo (driver) did every-thing possible to make us feel special...Her sense of humor,,right up there with Gloria and Rob -My family loved her ,,wife and daughter,,The rest of the group felt the same way.........................Judy,,Susan,,Charles Belenchia
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, Experienced Travelers
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Review 9 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JVAN WERT1 |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/03/2011
Location:MA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:solo
by JVAN WERT1 |
December 4, 2011
an amazing journey
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I thought the tour guide was the best ever-Stephania and we had a very personable bus driver Salvo.
I thought the trip was an ok value for the money but there were too many free days...granted, there were optional things to do but I thought a couple of them could have been included.
Recommended for: Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 10 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by GPETERKORT1 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:11/03/2011
Location:OR
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by GPETERKORT1 |
November 27, 2011
Best of Sicily
I thought the tour was a good mix of activities and time on my own for exploring. All of the local guides were excellent. The optional excursions were worth the cost and well paced. I would have liked a little more free time in some of the hill towns as well as Syracusa. Overall, the tour was a very good experience.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by daisypat |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/3/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:VA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by daisypat |
November 25, 2011
What a great trip!
My daughter and I really enjoyed this trip. This was my second trip to Sicily and I was even more impressed with the island than the first time. This trip took me to places I had not yet experienced such Monreale and Erice--beautiful and "must sees" when in Sicily. All the destinations were excellent. and our hotels were mostly well situated. However, I do think that we optimized the experience with the additional excursions. We took advantage of all of them and they did not disappoint. They were all reasonably priced and definitely increased our enjoyment of the overall trip. Moreover, it still left just the right amount of free time to explore on our own. Unfortunately, the flights were not the best, but that was mainly because the airline changed schedules after our arrangements were made. Finally, I can't say enough about Stefania and Salvatore; the tour director and driver can really dampen even the best planned tours. But they were 5-star all the way. Well done, Go Ahead Tours.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 12 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
4
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by MLANGERLAAN2 |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:9/21/2011 12:00:00 AM
Location:NJ
Age:40-49
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MLANGERLAAN2 |
November 21, 2011
Wonderful Tour...Terrible Flights
Sicily was wonderful! We flew into Rome then to Palermo. Palermo was a large city with wonderful churches and places to explore. Being a city, it allowed us to explore without having to walk far to see different sites on our own. The greek ruins were in excellent shape and quite fascinating. The food at the Sicilian Manor House was out of this world and visiting Mt. Etna was truely a unique experience. The most beautiful town was Taormina but it was very crowded. We also loved seeing the towns and places where the Godfather movies were filmed. But all this was somewhat marred by our flights...especially from Rome back to the U.S. The three of us booked our tour together and months in advance yet on only one flight, our flight to Rome, did we sit together. Making matters worst, we all had middle seats on the other flights. It was a terrible way to end such a wonderful vacation.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+3points
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Review 13 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JDEMARCO19 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:11/03/2011
Location:NY
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JDEMARCO19 |
November 19, 2011
Wonderful Sicily Tour
Steffana and Salvatore made the trip exceptionally memorable. Both were extremely helpful, good natured, and both went the extra mile. In addition, the individual tour guides were very informative and full of information about the optional excursions we attended. The scenery was splendid, the hotels were in excellent areas where we could explore on our own time,and we had just the right amount of free time.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 14 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by JHPERRONE |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/03/2011
Location:FL
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by JHPERRONE |
November 17, 2011
Sicilian History
This tour covered the ancient history of Sicily to great extent. The guides were full of interesting information. In the future though, I would like to hear a little more of the current history in the making. Our tour director Stefania was great as was our driver Salvatore. I would highly recommend this tour.
Go Ahead did a great job.
Go Ahead did a great job.
Recommended for: Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by SMCIVER43 |
Number of past tours:9
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:NV
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by SMCIVER43 |
October 26, 2011
Best of Sicily - Understatement!
Our tour of Sicily was a wonderful experience. It was just the right length, we hit all the best areas and we had the very finest of local guides. I am always impressed by the knowledge and passion exhibited by the very talented guides. Traveling on one’s own with even the finest guidebooks can’t equal the insight given by these individuals. Having access to the VOX Whispers meant that you could hear every word the guides said while also being able to step back to take photos and look around at the wonderful settings
The history and culture offered in every region of Sicily was stunning. Beginning in Palermo (make time to see the Quattro Canti -Four Corners - and Kalsa Piazza (we weren’t able to make enough time for a visit to eat sea snails – next time!) and Monreale (wonderful tour of the Norman cathedral with its beautiful mosaics) kicked off the experiences to come. Tour Director, Rita Baiamonte, set the stage from the moment we stepped off the plane and energized us to be ready for the days to come. She made every day a delight with her skills and knowledge for handling a pretty large group. And she has a wonderful sense of humor!
First point of housekeeping was getting local money. The ATM’s are located at banks and are signed as “Bank O Mat”. If you use your ATM card, the window will read that you are taking a cash advance but it will register on your personal bank as a typical ATM withdrawal. If you use a credit card, it will be a cash advance with the attending fees. We got enough money in Palermo to last us the trip saving time in having to hunt up banks around the island. Any monkey left over, can be used for the tips you’ll want to bestow at the end of the tour.
The hotels were very reluctant to make change. Whenever you can, get the large bills received at the ATM broken down to as small a denomination as you can. You will want lots of single Euro coins for small purchases at street vendors and cafes and 50 cent pieces for restroom access. 5 and 10 Euro bills are the easiest to carry and offer for payment in shops.
My first purchase at a street vendor was a collapsible walking stick. I paid 6 euros and it was my favorite souvenir. I carried it everywhere and it was a great help in navigating over the cobblestone streets and rocky surfaces and climbing up and down steps and steep inclines. It had a handle like a cane, a wrist strap with a bonus mag light and compass.
The entire tour was enlightening and beautiful but for me the high points came during the excursions to Segesta and Erice (spectacular drive and views), and the Sicilian Manor House (best food and wonderful hostess in a very relaxing, convivial setting). Mt. Etna was exciting (cold and windy – take appropriate outerwear including hood and gloves). The day after our climb, we woke up to seeing the mountain covered in snow!
I took a very good pair of walking shoes with sturdy soles that I wore to good effect on every outing. Comfort and fit are key.
We loved the juice made from the local blood oranges and I loved the granita de lemon (like a frozen lemonade or sorbet) that was so very refreshing. Make room in your luggage to take back Sicilian Sea Salt, organic olive oil, olives and capers in salt. All are local specialties that you won’t find elsewhere. We had the best four cheese pizza ever at Trattoria Kalliope in Ortigia. Cold beer, outdoor setting, beautiful people and food!
It was in Taormina where Ray & I declared a need to return to Sicily in the future. This is a town that envelops so much ancient landscape and history into a beautiful modern setting. We also took the excursion to explore Savoca. Watch the film, The Godfather, Part I and about an hour and forty minutes into it, you’ll see the settings that were filmed here.
Wonderful trip!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Honeymoons, Experienced Travelers
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by ACROZIER2 |
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:MA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by ACROZIER2 |
October 25, 2011
Exploring Sicily
Although this tour proved more physically intensive than expected, I thoroughly enjoyed my 10 days in Sicily. Breathtaking is the only word to come close to describing the mountains, seas, cities and villages of this island!
Our tour guide, Rita, made us feel like members of her family as she shared the history and stories of all the areas we visited. Our only regret was having to leave Sicily and her wonderful people behind.
Our tour guide, Rita, made us feel like members of her family as she shared the history and stories of all the areas we visited. Our only regret was having to leave Sicily and her wonderful people behind.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Food & Wine, Experienced Travelers
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by RMCIVER1 |
Number of past tours:9
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:NV
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by RMCIVER1 |
October 21, 2011
Excellent Sicilian Sampler
This tour allows the traveler an incredible opportunity to examine the highlights of this intriguing island so they may make an informed decision regarding if they want a longer, future stay. The two cities which come immediately to mind are Palermo and Taormina.
Both locations on this tour afford a quick overview of this pair of history-laden cities but leave an insatiable desire for "more!" I'm personally hoping that Go Ahead offers a City Stay for each.
Both locations on this tour afford a quick overview of this pair of history-laden cities but leave an insatiable desire for "more!" I'm personally hoping that Go Ahead offers a City Stay for each.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by Anonymous |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/21/2011
Location:MO
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by Anonymous |
October 19, 2011
Sicily was awesome
We had no idea what to expect when arriving in Sicily, but we were blown away by the beauty of the island. We wanted to go to Sicily because my husband's grandparents came from there -- near Palermo. We passed by a town with our last name, but didn't have enough time to get back there to see it. That will probablt mean a trip back to Sicily. We had a lovely group of fellow travelers which helped keep the trip very pleasant. Our tour director was excellent as was our driver.
The ruins were very interesting to see, but there were just a touch too many. Maybe another "hidden" village could take the place of one of the stops. Although, I don't know which one I would eliminate.
All in all, it was a great trip, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
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Review 19 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by RBRANUM1 |
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:09/29/2011
Location:VA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by RBRANUM1 |
October 17, 2011
Great trip
Images for this Review
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Absolutely superb tour director!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers
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Review 20 for Best of Sicily
Overall Rating
Tour Value
5
/
5
Tour Director
5
/
5
Leisurely
Challenging
by FREKENDUN |
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:09/21/2011
Location:MA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by FREKENDUN |
October 17, 2011
First Tour with Go Ahead Tours
I loved the trip to Sicily. This was my first time using Go Ahead Tours and I was very pleased with the entire tour. Everything was planned and there were no hassles at any stops. The tour guide, Stefanie Arena was excellent and really added to the trip. The pace of the trip was exactly as described, so no hidden surprises there. The food was wonderful, the sites were wonderful and the hotels were wonderful. The other travelers were terrific and we all had a fun time. I would definitly use Go Ahead Tours again.
Pat McCarthy
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Solo Travelers, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
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