Sicily for the Family

Greek temples brought to life, volcano picnics and beach days — history as adventure. A private, tailored journey of 8 Days · 7 Nights in Sicily, Italy, designed end to end by a Forest Travel advisor — with Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels, from US$18,500 per traveler.

Few countries reward the discerning traveler as generously as Italy, where art, coastline and the pleasures of the table meet at every turn.

When to go

May through June and September into October, when the light is golden, the crowds thin and the tables at the finest establishments open to those who know to ask. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A private archaeologist leads your family through the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, turning 2,500-year-old ruins into a living story rather than a guided lecture.
• A volcanologist escorts your group to the crater rim of Etna on a morning excursion timed before the crowds arrive, with a picnic spread among the lava fields on the descent.
• Your own crewed vessel spends a day along the Zingaro Nature Reserve coastline, stopping at hidden coves between Scopello and San Vito Lo Capo where the water is shallow enough for young swimmers.
• A Palermo street-food walk through the Ballarò market, followed by a private pasta-making lesson with a local family cook, turns lunch into the day's main event.

A sense of the rhythm

Mornings belong to the history and the landscape — temples, craters and coastal trails before the midday heat settles in. Afternoons slow to beach time, a granita stop and a long table dinner in a courtyard. Children set the tempo and the itinerary bends around them without ever losing its sense of occasion.

Whether to base in one place or move between areas

Families travelling with younger children generally do best with a single base in the Palermo or Trapani area, where the western temples, the Zingaro coast and the city markets are all within an hour. Those with teenagers who can handle a transfer mid-trip gain considerably by spending the second half near Taormina, adding Etna, the Aeolian ferry from Milazzo and the Ionian beaches to the programme. We design the logistics so the moves feel effortless rather than disruptive.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• Etna excursions above 2,900 metres require advance permits and are weather-dependent — we secure provisional slots at least six weeks out and hold a backup morning on the itinerary.
• June and September are the sweet months: sea temperature is perfect, school-holiday crowds have not yet peaked or have already thinned, and Agrigento is bearable by mid-morning.
• The Aeolian Islands day crossing from Milazzo runs reliably from May through October; an overnight on Salina or Stromboli requires booking the finest luxury hotels in the islands at least three months ahead in July and August.
• Palermo's Ballarò market is liveliest Tuesday through Saturday before noon — we time arrival accordingly and arrange private access to a palazzo kitchen for the cooking session immediately after.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$18,500 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring Sicily

Part of our Sicily travel guide. Related private journeys:

• A Sicilian Honeymoon
• Greek Temples & Baroque Towns
• Etna's Vines & the Markets
• Sicily in the Grape Harvest

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Sicily for the Family around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →