The Best Local Culture Travel Experiences

The toecap of Italy’s boot has gained fresh hype following season two of TV’s most wanderlusty show, The White Lotus. Just like the characters, you’ll spend time in Taormina, Cefalu and Noto as you see the best of Sicily at a slow pace – in keeping with the local rhythm of life. Over 8 days in the largest island in the Mediterranean you’ll savour the sights and sounds of southern Italy, with plenty of pit stops for gelato and limoncello. You’ll go on a fascinating trip to the Aeolian islands for close encounters with smoking volcanoes and hot springs, and explore the dramatic slopes of Mount Etna. Sicilian cooking workshops and multiple street food experiences will help you immerse yourself in the local cuisine, while culture and ancient history abound in Taormina and the baroque towns of Noto, Ragusa and Modica.

From the very first day exploring Old Tbilisi’s fourth-century Narikala Fortress, this cultural trip will take you back in time in the place many believe is the Land of the Golden Fleece. Your local experience will include a cooking lesson in a chef’s home, a trip to remote Juta village and a visit to the Kakheti region, where wine has been made since 6000BCE in clay vessels buried underground.