Special-Interest Vacations

For many visitors, a themed tour is the best way to explore the island.

For those who'd like to cycle along volcanic craters and rugged coastlines in sight of Greek ruins, an intriguing 8-day biking tour is offered by VBT Bicycling Vacations (tel. 800/BIKE-TOUR; www.vbt.com). It costs from $1,995 per person, including accommodations (airfare not included). Bike trips circle the craters of Mount Etna and go to Taormina and on to some of the Aeolian Islands, including Lipari and Salina.

Backroads (tel. 800/462-2848 or 510/527-1555; www.backroads.com), runs a 6-day biking and walking trip through Sicily that incorporates a boat ride to the Aeolian island of Panarea. It even offers a family version of this trip that's suitable for children as young as 9 years old. Both trips are around $3,700 per person (land costs only), double occupancy.

Butterfield & Robinson (tel. 866/551-9090 or 416/864-1354; www.butterfield.com) operates a ship-based tour that takes in Sicily and the Aeolian Islands by 32-passenger private yacht. Days bring opportunities for hiking, swimming, snorkeling, and diving. The 8-day tour starts at $8,450 per person (airfare not included).

Smithsonian Journeys (tel. 877/338-8687; www.smithsonianjourneys.org) features educational travel with guides who are experts in their fields. An 11-day "Legacy of Sicily" tour explores the island in great depth, visiting Palermo, Segesta, Selinunte, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina, Catania, and Taormina.

Academic Tours (tel. 800/875-9171 or 718/417-8782; www.academictours.com) is a real Sicilian specialist. It offers the best archaeological tours of Sicily, visiting such ancient cities and sites as Segesta, Erice, Selinunte, Piazza Armerina, Noto, and Syracuse. Typical prices for land arrangements are $2,000 to $2,200 in a double room for a 15-day tour.

To Grandmother's House We Go (tel. 718/768-4662; www.tograndmothershousewego.com) features cooking and cultural tours of Sicily. Cooking classes concentrate on simple, delicious food, and no more than 12 people participate at one time. The tour comprises not only food, but also historical sights as well as living history -- that is, the shops of artisans, a winery, a tuna fishery, and more. The cost is $2,500 per person, excluding airfare.