Experience Sicily - Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Katherine G.

Allison customized a memorable, turnkey week in Sicily based on our interests that she learned about over zoom. She planned day trips and outings with drivers and guides to wonderful destinations. We were interested in art, history, and food. We visited Greek ruins at Selinunte, Norman-Arab cathedrals in Palermo, walked the streets of Palermo with art historians and foodies, experienced village life with a trip to the cheesemakers farm, and ate in the home of locals. It was so nice not to have to stress over driving!! We look forward to our next trip to Sicily and would love to go on an Experience Sicily trip to explore a different part of the island.

Angela B.

I am Italian American and have been to Italy and Sicily numerous times. Allison's tour of Sicily was by far the best in depth experience I have ever had. She also organized a fabulous day trip to my grandfather's birthplace! I can't wait to take another trip with her and her fabulous team.

Karen M.

This was one of the best experiences we have every had - if you are considering a vacation to experience the sights, smells and culture of Sicily; Allison, and her team at Experience Sicily is the BEST! From the time you arrive, everything is organized - your obligation is to immerse yourself in her knowledge, the places you will see (and there is NO WAY you would be able to see all of this on your own!), the guides that walk you through history and the FOOD (and don't forget the wine!). From Etna, to Agrigento, to the Salt Flats, along with the markets, the countryside, Palermo....this is an island NOT to be missed if you love to experience culture, history and the warmth of the proud Sicilian. Ten stars Experience Sicily!

Kim C.

I can’t say enough good things about my trip with Experience Sicily! It exceeded my expectations every step of the way. Allison was an amazing guide - such a thorough organizer and planner, as well as, a knowledgeable and engaging teacher of all things Sicily. Allison surrounds herself with the best ambassadors for life in Sicily. Each excursion was a delightful as the one before. Our specially curated trip was exactly what we asked for and it will stick with me forever. Thank you Allison, and your whole team at Experience Sicily, for the travel experience of a lifetime!

Craig B.

The name “Experience Sicily” perfectly captures the essence of the journey. Allison and her team deliver an exceptionally well-organized adventure. Reflecting on all we saw, learned, and tasted, it’s clear how much thought went into the planning. Allison’s flexibility in adjusting plans to accommodate weather changes or traveler preferences is impressive. Her background as a musical artist is evident in the tours she curates and her engaging approach with the group.

However, what impressed me the most is that Allison is a walking encyclopedia. I gained a wealth of knowledge during our trip, a testament to her meticulous curation.

Lastly, the tour fostered an environment of fun, and we gained new friends along the way.

Andy D.

Experience Sicily! We are home now, adjusted to our local time zone, with time to reflect and appreciate the wonderful time we had in Sicily!

The entire Experience Sicily team is extremely customer oriented, very responsive and exceptionally knowledgeable. Allison Scola, who is an amazing individual, adds an unprecedented passion and excitement to this incredibly talented and dedicated team. The entire Experience Sicily team is wonderful! They understand the vacation industry. Trip pre-planning activities are well documented, coordinated and communicated. Once we arrived in Sicily the local team was equally organized! These two weeks we just spent in Sicily, were some of the best vacation days we’ve had! The entire ES team delivered a wonderful customer experience.

On our tour we saw many wonderful things; Including UNESCO sites, archaeological parks, ancient theaters, valley of the temples, museums, churches, and cathedrals! Excursions were lead by certified professional tour guides. Their knowledge and expertise helped us understand and appreciate what we were seeing and learning.

We had the privilege of meeting and traveling with world-class chefs and wine experts. We were treated to the best gelato ever! We participated in several cooking classes! We learned how to make different kinds of pasta, caponata, sausage, panelle, and of course Arancini. In Ortigia and Palermo, we walked through the open markets. Fresh fish, fresh meats, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, fresh breads, fresh pastries, fresh everything!! Vendors chanting and competing for your attention… hard to describe, easy to enjoy! For sure, Sicily has the best cannoli in the world and fortunately for us we found a couple pasticcerias where we treated ourselves!

We visited a working sheep farm where they were making fresh ricotta. We actually tasted some of the fresh ricotta curd. What a treat! We stopped at a local butcher shop to make fresh sausage, we bought homemade salami, chess, and then headed off for lunch. Our hosts, Giuseppe and Valeria, treated us to an unbelievable Barbecue-Picnic lunch in the mountains.

A trip to Trapani to visit the salt flats included a walk through the salt beds with a view into some of the ancient technology (Archimedes screw) that was used to move water from one flat to another. We took a boat excursion on the Tyrhennian Sea where we were able to jump into the sea to enjoy the cool refreshing waters. Hiking on Mount Etna, visiting wineries… On our winery tours we experienced the entire process of how fresh grapes are turned into wine. We tasted wine drawn from the cask. We bottled, corked, and labeled our own bottles.

Eating in amazing trattorias, enjoying passeggiata, learning the differences between Buongiorno, Buonasera, and Buona notte!

With love and appreciation, Grace & Andy DeMore

Jeff C.

Spent 12 days exploring Sicily with Allison and a a great time. She is very thorough, knowledgeable, and helpful, and the logistics were handled easily.

One of the best parts of the trip was all the great people she introduced to us along the way.

Mark L.

In-depth and comprehensive survey of Sicilian culture and history on the Stunning Sicily tour curated by Experience Sicily. I generally plan my own travel, but it was a relief (and joy) to have delegated the transportation and hotel logistics, allowing us to spend time focusing on the history and context and experiences. The Stunning Sicily itinerary was 90% congruent with an ideal itinerary I had sketched out for ourselves after a month of research and consulting with a business colleague who has travelled to Sicily 3-4 times. I spoke with Allison on the phone before committing and decided this was the right operator for us.

Allison is a joy to travel with and she has cultivated warm, lasting relationships with expert guides at every major destination. Her in depth study of Sicily has earned Allison insights on beliefs, trends and practices on the island.

10 of 11 people on our tour had previously travelled to Italy, and several had previously travelled to Sicily. They felt they saw much greater depth and breadth than travelling independently.

I enjoyed our meals with the group - well orchestrated within the itinerary. About half of the dinners were on our own, and in those cities, Experience Sicily provided us a list of15-20 restaurants to select from.

Fascinating itinerary, great food, comfortable lodging, good people, smooth execution and no headaches. A wonderful journey.