Exploring Sicily Traveller Reviews

Exploring Sicily was 2 weeks of delving into ancient history, modern food and wine, with great travel companions; superbly well organised and lead by Peter Sommer Travels.

Exploring Sicily was my 6th Trip with Peter Sommer Travels - and I enjoyed it as much as my 1st! They never fail to enthuse you about ancient cultures; and then combine it with modern culture of food, wine and wonderful travel companions. The Leaders are always excellent, personable, well organised and very professional.

The 14 day 'Exploring Sicily' tour with Peter Sommer Tours was outstanding - providing the opportunity for in depth immersion in the complex Ancient (and Medieval) History of Sicily. An additional focus throughout the tour was the opportunity to sample excellent Sicillian food and wine.

Both of our Guides were professional, exceptionally knowledgeable with excellent communication skills. Comments from other participants with previous experience, suggests that this is a prominent feature of Peter Sommer Tours.

Comprehensive and well planned two week journey into the history and culture Of Sicily. Led by a guide of considerable knowledge and enthusiasm. Much recommended

This is my second trip and was as impressive as the first to Turkey. Certainly hope to travel with Peter Sommer again. A high quality memorable experience .

Having enjoyed three previous truly wonderful tours with Peter Sommer Travels, I had prepared myself to not expect too much during our two-week tour of Sicily since I did not want to be disappointed. From the onset, I realized that our fourth tour was going to be another amazingly wonderful tour experience comparable to the first three. First, the hotels were varied in type and style, but all absolutely nice places to stay (to say the least). Second, the tour content was once again a thoroughly satisfying mixture of ancient ruins, lovely landscapes, magnificent churches, fine museums, and vibrant cities. Third, the two guides (Michael Metcalfe and Lucia Iacono) were fantastic (more on them later). Fourth, the food and wine were a fabulous taste of Sicily literally and figuratively. Fourth, the 14 guests were a "self-selected" group of well educated, intelligent, travelers who sought an archeology-focused tour experience rather than a tourist vacation. And they were wonderful people with whom to be traveling. Of the 14, six of us had traveled together previously on Perter Sommer Travels tours. Fifth, given the winding mountain roads and the outrageously creative city traffic, our tour was a great success in no small part to a fabulous, careful, conscientious driver Giancarlo Gradino, who was also a most pleasant fellow traveler during the tour.

Michael Metcalfe was assisted by Lucia Iacono and the two of them were phenomenal guides/tour operators. They each had wonderful personalities and exhibited a) concern for each traveler's needs, b) patience in dealing with situations, and c) wonderful senses of humor which helped make the two-week experience truly wonderful. Given all the sites, all the ruins, all the museum exhibits, it is important to note that these two group leaders are phenomenally knowledgeable. They conveyed portions of their knowledge to us without ever talking down to us and encouraged us to ask questions if they had not touched upon some point of interest. Although their knowledge was impressive, their enthusiasm for their subjects was infectious. They really enhanced our appreciation of what we were seeing and why it was important in an historical and/or socioeconomic context.

Spring was glorious, Sicily has much more varied food than its reputation has it. Tour guides were great as were their selections of hotels, restaurants, sites & more. The occasional closed museum or missing collection (we experienced 3 to various degrees) were a disappointment, but we're learning this happens on most European tours at least once.

Thorough and customer-oriented, unlike larger operators with which we've dealt. All personnel in direct contact were polite and attentive, helpful and never misleading.

Extremely enjoyable holiday, led by very knowledgeable and engaging guides..

We have traveled with Peter Sommer Travels on three previous occasions, and have thoroughly enjoyed each experience. . The combination of beautiful and historic venues, extremely knowledgeable and personable guides, and small group size makes for a wonderful experience. We come away from the trips having learned a great deal of the history and archeology of the region, while also experiencing the bountiful local cuisine.

This was a two week tour that visited almost all of the island. It was both enjoyable & educational: there is so much more to see in Sicily than I had realised, and this trip really showed us beautiful scenery, superb cooking, fine wines, and complicated history, in addition to the famous temples & churches that I'd anticipated. Our guides were excellent - a great combination of local & historical knowledge and careful organisation.

A small operator that provides holidays with great archaeological & historical content, in addition to showcasing the very best of local produce - small scale hotels, visiting wineries, tasting speciality foods & eating at fine restaurants.

"Exploring Sicily" was an excellent tour in every respect. A small group, expertly guided tour of Sicily's fascinating past and present and its geography. The accommodation was always pleasing and the meals superior. In all a wonderful, stimulating thirteen days.

Peter Sommer Travels maintained excellent communication with us prior to the tour. We were impressed by the immediate and responsible actions taken when one of our group on a free day was injured in an attempted bag snatch and was hospitalised. The high standard of accommodation and meals said a great deal about the operator.

fantastic trip .great guides covering archeological sites in sicily. peter sommer has the most superb guides.

professional, superb team and small groups. top class

This was an introduction to Sicily on a grand scale. By day we were taken back to the Greeks and Carthagenians and could feel them around us and by sunset we could immerse ourselves in the hospitality, the food and the wine of modern Sicily. The guides were of the highest standard and their organisation and planning resulted in an easy and comfortably paced tour.

From the first contact with Peter Sommer's office to the last farewell to the guides in Sicily the company excelled in everything they did. They do 'what they say on the tin'. Spot on!