Sicily has been much fought over for all of its history. The Greeks, from the 8th century BC, colonised the south and east of the island, establishing city states of great wealth and splendour, of which Syracuse was pre-eminent. The Phoenicians settled in the north and west and, in 734 BC, founded Palermo.

The brooding presence of Etna looms over the eastern side of the island, bringer of great fertility and destruction. Syracuse, perhaps the loveliest city in Sicily, is rich in its Greek heritage. Fabulous gardens outside the city are filled with citrus trees, agaves and tender shrubs amid roses, cascading Bougainvillea and Plumbago. Palermo is a vibrant melting pot, where Christian and Moorish influences are blended. This seven-day tour is based first both in Syracuse and in Palermo.