Sicily, Etna & The Aeolian Islands

Your holiday begins with a flight from London to Catania. From here, you transfer to Giardini Naxos, a beautiful resort bursting with history and situated just outside of the popular hilltop town of Taormina. On arrival, you check in for your seven-night stay.

• Dinner

You enjoy a guided tour of Taormina which includes a visit to the stunning Teatro Greco. This incredible brick amphitheatre dates back to the 3rd century BC, and still hosts performances today. Built during Roman times in a Greek style and the second largest of its kind in Sicily, it's immaculately preserved. From the top of the auditorium, there are breathtaking views of Mount Etna in one direction, and the peaks of Calabria in another.

• Breakfast, Dinner

You head to Syracuse, a prestigious port city with a rich history. Enjoy a guided tour of Neapolis - which was once the 'New Town', but is now an important archaeological park, with many of the city's centuries-old public buildings. Amongst the incredible findings here are a Greek amphitheatre that dates back to 500 BC, and the Latomia del Paradiso - a series of limestone caves that were once used as prisons, but today are filled with lush greenery. Later you continue to Ortigia, a tiny island connected to Syracuse by a bridge. You could visit its superb cathedral which was built from a former Pagan temple and is reputedly Europe's oldest Christian church. Ortigia is also the home of the majestic Fountain of Arethusa, found on the seafront. This freshwater spring is surrounded by myth and legend, and its gentle waters, dotted with pretty wild papyrus, are well worth seeing.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Your day is free for you to relax in the hotel, or perhaps revisit Taormina, to explore its many attractions. Perhaps visit Villa Comunale and take in Taormina's impressive public gardens, where gorgeous blooms line the paths, shaded by magnolia trees. Otherwise, you could shop for souvenirs in the glamorous boutiques along the Corso Umberto and the surrounding side alleys.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Take an excursion to mighty Mount Etna on Day 5, Europe's largest active volcano. Take a coach past the rugged lava plains along the higher slopes and see the impressive Silvestri Craters. From here, you're free to take in the view, or you could take the cable car to the top. The summit's active crater is visible, often casting out smoke, accompanied by lumps of tiny red and grey lava - an incredible phenomenon to behold. Later, take the Circumetnea railway around the mountain's base, taking in views of the surrounding villages. This narrow-gauge railway first opened in 1898, and the views of the volcanic landscapes from its carriages are spectacular.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Take a boat cruise to the Aeolian Islands, a small volcanic archipelago boasting UNESCO World Heritage status. You stop at Lipari, the largest of the islands, where you spend time in the colourful seaport of Lipari Town, the closest thing to the capital city. Further from the pastel-coloured houses of the bustling harbour, the scenery turns wilder, with dense greenery and rugged hillsides rising out of the water. Continue to Vulcano, which is famed for its hot springs and smoky volcanic peaks. Believed by the Romans to be a by-product from the God of Fire's underground workshop, the island was named in his honour. Even today the black beaches, natural mud baths and rugged coastline have a touch of mythology in them.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a free day today, perhaps taking advantage of the hotel's two swimming pools. Otherwise you might like to relax on the hotel's private beach. If you enter the water, there's plenty of sea life to admire amongst the fossilised lava flows from age-old Etna eruptions. For a more sedate way to pass the time, make your way to the pedestrianised seafront, lined with shops, restaurants, pizzerias and cafés.

• Day 7 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 8 - Breakfast

Bid farewell to Sicily today. Transferring to Catania Airport, you fly back to London where your holiday ends.

• Breakfast