Gulets beyond Turkey, plus a brand-new culinary tour of Sicily

While Peter Sommer Travels’ roots may be in Turkey, its expertise in running cultural and archaeological tours also extends to southern Italy and Sicily, too.

Here, tours combine all the elements for which the company is renowned – expert guides, exceptional hospitality and immaculate attention to detail – with some of Italy’s most impressive sights and museums, as well as cuisine.

Unusual cultural and gastronomic experiences fill the itineraries of both tours, made possible by small group sizes and expert guides who possess a wealth of local, insider knowledge. Make your own olive oil in the Iblean countryside in Sicily – gathering olives from the ancient olive groves, pressing them and taking home a bottle as a souvenir. Or how about embarking on a tasting tour of Ortigia’s fantastic outdoor food market, accompanied by a Slow Food expert? Alternatively, explore the Roman Emperor Tiberius’ infamous palace on the island of Capri, accompanied by your own expert guide who will combine its fascinating history with its archaeological secrets and unsurpassed views over the Bay of Naples.

Two Italian trips are lined up this autumn – a brand-new gastronomic tour of Sicily and an exclusive gulet cruise of the Amalfi coast – the only gulet holiday of its kind in Italy:

Cruising the Amalfi coast (15 September 2012)
Cruise the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi coast as the ancient Greeks and Romans would have done, aboard a wooden sailing boat – the only tour of its kind. Inhabited since the Stone Age, the region is packed with archaeological sites. Swim off the island of Capri, picnic among the ruins of world-famous Pompeii and admire outstanding Imperial villas and palaces. There’s plenty of time too for tasting local wines and delicious Neapolitan pizzas, as well as swimming, walking and relaxing onboard. Limited to just ten guests, attention to detail is second-to-none with an expert guide and a traditional gulet which has been stylishly refitted.
- Departing 15 September, the seven-night tour costs from £3,595 pp (two sharing) including transfers, seven nights’ full-board on the gulet, all entrance fees and expert guiding. Flights (Naples) extra.

Brand-new: A Gastronomic Tour of Sicily (6 October 2012)
Taking in the very best of Eastern Sicily’s diverse cuisine and culture, this week-long tour explores the island’s culinary traditions and history. There’ll be tastings of some of Sicily’s best cheeses, chocolate, olive oils, honey and wines, as well a visit to a herb farm and a cooking class. There’s also a fishing trip, a walk on Mount Etna with a volcanologist and visits to Taormina’s Roman theatre and Syracuse Archaeological Park, with its impressively well-preserved Greek and Roman remains. You’ll be in the hands of expert guides Marcello Baglioni and Sicilian expert Dr. Michael Metcalfe (who has just edited the latest edition of the Blue Guide to Sicily).
- Departing 6 October, the seven-night tour costs from £2,495 pp (two sharing) including transfers, seven nights’ B&B (hotel/country farmhouse agriturismo), nine other meals, all entrance fees, tastings and expert guiding. Flights (Catania) extra.

For further information about Peter Sommer Travels, visit petersommer.com.