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 Two islands, two very different personalities, and one of the most layered stretches of history anywhere in the Mediterranean. We'll start in Catania, a city built almost entirely from black volcanic stone after Mount Etna had an earthquake that flattened it in the 1690s. The result is baroque architecture in a color you won't see anywhere else and a fish market that has some of the best street food in Italy. Mount Etna itself looms over everything, and we'll spend a full day up on it.
From there we head down the coast to Siracusa, once a Greek superpower that rivaled Athens, now a beautifully worn city with its heart on the little island of Ortigia. It's a place made for wandering with the sea on all sides and a cathedral built inside a Greek temple. Soak in the history and architecture, and breathe in the fresh sea air in this incredible part of Sicily.
We then sail off to Malta across open water and, we land somewhere completely different: a fortress capital built by the Knights of St John, honey-colored limestone everywhere, a language unlike anything else, and one of the most progressive countries in Europe when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights. We'll base ourselves in Sliema, just across the harbor from Valletta, with the medieval Silent City of Mdina and the Dingli Cliffs nearby.
LGBTQ+ history runs through this trip in a way it doesn't on most itineraries. We've built in a dedicated queer history walking tour in Catania, and Taormina, where we spend a day, was one of Europe's first genuinely gay destinations, drawing writers and artists to the Ionian coast well over a century ago.
This is a relaxed, culture-forward trip with a good amount of walking, volcano exploring, plenty of coastline, and deliberate free time built into the middle of it. If your schedule allows, take our Sorrento & Amalfi Coast extension onward to see one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy.
• All group transport between itinerary destinations
• Accommodations for your 10-day gay tour experience
• All breakfasts
• Welcome dinner
• Guided LGBTQ+ history walking tour of Catania
• La Pescheria fish market visit
• Full-day Mount Etna 4x4 jeep excursion
• 2-hour coastal boat tour from Giardini Naxos with light lunch onboard
• Guided tour of Taormina
• Walking tour of Siracusa including the Greek Theater
• Ferry crossing from Pozzallo to Malta
• Half-day Mdina, Rabat & Dingli Cliffs tour
• Morning harbor cruise in Malta
• Arrival and departure transfers
• Knowledgeable and fun gay trip leader
• All taxes
• Meals and drinks outside of those listed above
• Activities outside of the those listed above
• Optional gratuities
• International Airfare
• Optional gratuities
Additional spending budget?
Your big-ticket items are included through the trip, but you'll want to budget for additional spending such as additional meals, drinks, shopping, activities, etc. These costs can vary dramatically with differing personal habits, but we suggest expecting to spend an additional $700 USD at the lower end for the more budget-conscious and $1,100 USD at the higher end for the splurgers. While there are many ATMs available, we suggest arriving in Catania with approximately 150 EUR for those places that don't accept credit cards.
Days 1, 2, 3, and 4
We'll kick things off in Catania with a welcome apericena dinner at a local trattoria to sample some Sicilian cooking, which is an Italian concept that combines an aperitivo (pre-dinner drink) with a more substantial collection of food.
The next morning a local guide takes us through the historic center on a walking tour that traces the city's LGBTQ+ history alongside the baroque landmarks it's famous for. We'll also visit La Pescheria, Catania's legendary fish market full of vendors shouting with many delights to enjoy. Afterward you're free to eat your way through the surrounding streets, where you'll want to sample the arancini, cannoli, and granita with a brioche to do Catania right.
On Day 3 we embark on a full-day 4x4 jeep excursion on Mount Etna, Europe's tallest active volcano. We'll get up among the craters and old flows for views that stretch all the way to the sea. It's an extraordinary landscape and completely unlike anywhere else on the trip.<
On Day 4 we head north by private coach to Taormina, a hilltop town perched above the Ionian Sea with an ancient Greek Theater that frames Etna behind the stage. Taormina has a long queer history of its own. It became a haven for gay artists and writers around the turn of the twentieth century, and, more recently, it was the setting for the fictional resort in Season 2 of HBO's The White Lotus. After our guided tour we'll drop down to Giardini Naxos for a two-hour boat tour along the coast, with lunch on board before heading back to port.
Included Activties: Welcome dinner • Guided LGBTQ+ history walking tour of Catania • La Pescheria fish market visit • Full-day Mount Etna 4x4 excursion • Guided tour of Taormina • 2-hour coastal boat tour with a light lunch on board
Optional Activities: Catania street food crawl • Teatro Massimo Bellini • Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolň l'Arena • Ursino Castle • Villa Bellini gardens • Isola Bella beach at Taormina
Days 5, and 6
We check out of Catania on Day 5 and transfer by private coach down the coast to Siracusa, where we'll be staying on Ortigia, the small island that forms the old city. We'll walk the ancient heart of a place that was, for a stretch, one of the most powerful cities in the Mediterranean, taking in the Greek Theater along the way. Archimedes was born here. Plato taught here. Caravaggio painted here while on the run from a murder charge.
The next day is yours to choose: a full-day private escorted tour of the ancient cities of Noto and Ragusa (additional charge applies - minimum 7 participants), or simply a day off. And a day off in Ortigia is no hardship: wander the narrow lanes, browse the daily market, swim off the rocks, and settle in for an aperitivo as the afternoon slows down.
Included Activities: Walking tour of Siracusa including the Greek Theater
Optional Activities: Full day private escorted tour of Noto and Ragusa • Neapolis Archaeological Park and the Ear of Dionysius • Duomo di Siracusa • Ortigia street market • Swimming off the Ortigia rocks • Caravaggio's "Burial of St Lucy" • Fonte Aretusa
Days 7, 8, 9, and 10
On Day 7 we make our way to Pozzallo to board the ferry to Malta, crossing the Mediterranean to a completely different island. We'll transfer to our hotel in Sliema, a relaxed seaside town facing Valletta across the harbor, and the rest of the day is free to unwind after the journey.
The next morning on Day 8, we head inland to see the more historic side of the island. Mdina comes first, a walled hilltop city of a few hundred people and almost no cars (hence being called the 'Silent City'). Just outside its walls, Rabat hides Malta's largest network of early Christian catacombs beneath its streets, along with the grotto where tradition holds St. Paul sheltered after his shipwreck in AD 60. We finish at the Dingli Cliffs, where the island ends: 253 meters of limestone falling straight into the sea, with the uninhabited islet of Filfla offshore and Sicily visible on a clear day.
Day 9 is our final day together. A morning cruise around the Valletta harbor is included, but the rest of the day is yours to spend however you like: whether that's finally getting inside St John's Co-Cathedral to stand in front of the Caravaggio, wandering the shops and side streets of Valletta's grid, or taking the ferry across to the Three Cities for a look back at the city from the water. If you'd rather spend the day swimming, there are boat trips out to the Blue Lagoon and coves along the coast worth the drive. If you'd rather not move much at all, the Upper Barrakka Gardens after a long lunch will do nicely. We'll come back together in the evening for our final dinner and raise a glass to a wonderful trip with 10 days of memories.
Day 10 is when you can schedule your flight back home or onward to more travel adventures. If your schedule allows, take our Sorrento & Amalfi Coast extension onward to see one of the most beautiful coastlines in Italy.
Included Activities: Half-day Mdina, Rabat & Dingli Cliffs tour • Morning harbor cruise
Optional Activities: St John's Co-Cathedral and its Caravaggio • Upper Barrakka Gardens and the saluting battery • Grand Harbour boat tour • The Three Cities • Sliema–Valletta ferry • Blue Grotto • Day trip to Comino and the Blue Lagoon
Days 10, 11, 12 and 13
Trade the islands for the mainland and finish your trip on one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world. This four-day extension is based in Sorrento, a clifftop town perched above the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius sitting on the horizon, lemon groves running down to the water, and limoncello coming out of every second shop. From there you'll spend two full days on the water: one on Capri, the island that's been drawing artists, writers, and free spirits for well over a century, and one running along the Amalfi Coast to the towns of Amalfi and Positano.
Both boat days come with English-speaking assistance on board and plenty of free time built in, so you can swim, shop, hike up to a viewpoint, or find a table with a view and stay there. With a private airport transfer on arrival, comfortable accommodations, and breakfast every morning, this extension is an easy and very rewarding way to add a few days to your time in Italy after our 10 Days in Sicily & Malta trip.
We don't like staying in smelly shacks on our vacations and we're pretty sure you don't either! You work hard to go on vacation and we believe you deserve an enjoyable, comfortable place to wind down at the end of each day. We put a LOT of time into finding the perfect accommodation for your trip. After rigorous wifi signal testing, fluffing pillows, and taking a shower or two, we've narrowed down our favorite properties.
Catania, Sicily
Etna Suite Rooms
 Housed in a 19th-century building, this is about as central as Catania gets. There are 21 rooms spread across four distinct wings, each individually decorated, some classic and elegant, others brighter and more contemporary. Rooms are well-equipped, with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a minibar fridge, and soundproofed windows. A sweet and savoury on-site breakfast is available daily. The guest house also offers bike hire and car hire. Piazza Duomo is 900 metres from Etna Suite Rooms, while Villa Bellini - Park is just opposite the property.
Siracusa, Sicily
Livingston Hotel
A historic building on the Ortigia seafront and a few minutes' walk from Piazza Duomo. Rooms are traditional in feel, with high ceilings, hardwood floors, and dark wood trim. They come with air conditioning, free WiFi, a flat-screen TV, and a minibar, and guests have use of the Galatea spa and its hydro-massage pool. Livingston Hotel offers a piano bar, a reading room, and a conference centre.
Sliema, Malta
1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa
 A four-star hotel on the Sliema seafront with an art deco spirit and a whole lot going on. Standard rooms come with a private balcony, queen or twin beds, air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a fridge and minibar, coffee-maker, free WiFi, and bathrobes and slippers, with full toiletry set in the shower room. For an unforgettable experience, escape to La Terrasse (reservations required, weather permitting), luxurious, adults-only, heated rooftop pool with breathtaking panoramic views.
Sorrento, Italy
Gardenia Hotel
Hotel Gardenia is a 10-minute walk from both the historic centre of Sorrento and Sorrento Train Station of the Circumvesuviana line. It features a swimming pool and a rooftop terrace with a view of the Bay of Naples. The Gardenia Hotel is gay friendly, family-run hotel. Each room features a private balcony complete with table and chairs. The hotel was completely refurbished in 2007 and is an Ecoworldhotel, because of its eco-friendly policies. Start your day with a rich, American-style buffet breakfast, which includes homemade pastries and cakes. You can relax in the garden.
*Please note that due to availability, these exact hotels may not all be available during all our trips. However, we will always replace these with similar hotels.
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The Climate
Sicily and Malta are two of the warmest, sunniest corners of Europe, and all of our departures fall in prime Mediterranean weather. Expect hot, dry days with highs in the low-to-mid 80s °F (around 28 - 30°C) and very little chance of rain.
Two things to plan for. First, the sun here is strong and shade can be scarce, particularly in Malta where the landscape is open and stony. Second, Mount Etna has a completely different climate. At altitude it can be 20 - 30°F (around -7°C to -1°C) cooler than the coast, and it's frequently windy, so a warm layer and long pants for that day are essential no matter how hot Catania is when you leave. Evenings elsewhere are pleasantly warm, but a light layer is handy for sea breezes and boat days.
The People and LGBT Friendliness
Malta is one of the standout success stories in Europe. It held the number one spot on ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Index for a full decade and still sits near the very top, with same-sex marriage legal since 2017 and some of the strongest legal protections anywhere on the continent. Valletta and Sliema are relaxed, safe, and openly welcoming, and the country's Pride celebrations draw crowds from across the Mediterranean.
Italy is a more mixed picture, and we'd rather be straight with you about it. National-level protections lag well behind most of Western Europe. Civil unions have been legal since 2016, but marriage is not, and Italy ranks near the bottom third of European countries on the same index. That said, day-to-day travel in Sicily is comfortable and welcoming, and the cities we visit have genuine queer history and community. Catania has an established scene, and Taormina was drawing gay travelers, artists, and writers from across Europe over a century ago. Attitudes tend to be warmer in the cities than in the countryside, and as always, our trip leader knows the ground and will point you in the right direction.
What to bring?
Our advice is simple. Pack your bag, then take half of those things out and leave them back home. It's common to hear people wishing they'd packed less stuff, but we've never heard anyone complain that they didn't bring enough. Even if you realize you forgot to pack some crucial item, you can always pick up a replacement once you arrive.
That said, comfortable walking shoes are key as we cover real distances on cobblestones, limestone, and volcanic gravel. Bring serious sun protection: high-SPF sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Pack swimwear, because there will be opportunities. Bring one warm layer and long pants for the Etna day. And if you plan to visit churches in your free time, including St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, covered shoulders and knees are required. We'll include trip-specific packing advice based on expected weather as part of our update email to you, sent 10 days prior to your trip.
The Cuisine
Sicilian food is not simply Italian food. Three thousand years of Greek, Arab, Norman, and Spanish rule left its fingerprints all over it, so you'll find saffron, raisins, pine nuts, and citrus turning up in savory dishes, and sweet sheep's milk ricotta that puts most of Europe to shame. Catania's signature dish is pasta alla Norma, with fried eggplant and salted ricotta. Elsewhere you'll meet arancini, caponata, swordfish, sardines with fennel, and cannoli filled to order. Do as the locals do at least once and have granita with a warm brioche for breakfast. The wines are outstanding and underrated, especially the reds grown in volcanic soil on Etna's slopes.
Malta's cooking is its own hybrid. Sicilian at the base, with Arab and North African influence and a distinct British layer from 150 years of colonial rule. The national dish is fenkata, a slow-cooked rabbit stew, and you'll want to try pastizzi, the flaky ricotta or pea pastries sold from hole-in-the-wall shops for pocket change. Wash it down with a Cisk lager or a Kinnie, the bittersweet orange soft drink the Maltese are genuinely passionate about.
Money
Both Italy and Malta use the Euro (EUR), so there's no currency switching to think about along the way. ATMs are reliable and easy to find in every place we stay.
Credit cards are widely accepted, but Sicily runs more on cash than northern Italy does. Smaller trattorias, market stalls, street food vendors, and cafés may be cash-only or have a card minimum. Malta is broadly card-friendly, though small amounts of cash are still handy. We'd suggest arriving in Catania with around 150 EUR on hand, and topping up from ATMs as you go.
Tipping
Tipping in Italy and Malta is far more modest than what you're used to at home, and it's genuinely optional rather than expected.
Local tour guides — €10 per person
Hotel housekeeping — €2–3 per day
In Italy, many restaurants add a small coperto (cover charge) to the bill. That is not a tip and does not go to your server. For good service, rounding up or leaving 5–10% is plenty. In Malta, some restaurants add a service charge, so check the bill first; if not, 5–10% is generous. Coins left on the table at cafés and bars are the norm in both countries. Cash is best for tipping, as card terminals here often don't offer a tip line.
Many of our travelers ask us about what's appropriate when it comes to tipping your gay trip leader. We think they're amazing at what they do, and if you agree you may wish to reward excellent service with a gratuity, as is customary in the industry. As a gratuity is a personal choice and depends on your experience, we'll leave the amount up to your discretion, but we find most travelers budget around $100–120 USD each for their trip leader.
Accommodation
We have pretty high standards when it comes to choosing our accommodations, and trust us, we've done plenty of room-sniffing, pillow-patting, and bathroom inspections to make sure we stay at quality spots. To be approved as a Detours accommodations provider, a property must: be in an amazing location (close to the water or other hot spots), AND be gay-owned or gay-friendly. We won't be staying in 5-star Ritz-Carltons but we also won't subject you to anything we wouldn't want to stay in ourselves. Clean, comfortable, well-located spots that'll put a smile on your face, you can count on that!
Trip Leaders
All our trips are led by one of our very own gay trip leaders. They're there with you every day and their job is to help ensure that this is your trip of a lifetime by taking the hassle out of your trip and enabling you to experience everything you came for. Consider them like a friendly concierge that's traveling along with you. All of our trip leaders are gay and all are well-traveled and experienced in the destination they're leading in, so they'll be a great part of your experience!
Alarm Clocks
We do absolutely everything possible to avoid needing such a mundane awakening. A world without alarm clocks is one we want to be part of, and your “rise and shine” while in this part of the world should come from the sound of church bells in the distance. However, sometimes due to train or flight schedules we are required to make early departures, but we do everything we can to minimize this.
Staying Connected
Both Italy and Malta are in the EU, so if you're traveling with a European SIM your roaming will work seamlessly across the whole trip. For everyone else, your cell phone provider likely has several roaming options available, and we suggest reaching out to them prior to the trip to find out which package is right for you. An eSIM is often the cheapest option and works well in both countries. Keep in mind that all accommodation and most restaurants have free WiFi available as well.
Your Group
Overall, we've found that approximately 60% of the travelers on trips join solo, while the other 40% or so join with their partner or a friend, and many of our travelers are in their 50s to 60s. Whatever the age of the guys on our trips, everyone's already got something in common... an exciting new experience in a new country! Each group is led by gay trip leader who is there to ensure everything goes off without a hitch, allowing you to focus on having the time of your life!
Everyone is welcome to join our trips. That said, approximately 99% of our travelers are gay men, so that's typically the group dynamic you can expect.
Solo Travelers
Traveling solo? No problem!Don't worry, lots of our travelers come solo and our trip will provide plenty of chances to meet great people both inside and outside of our group, including other solo travelers.
As far as your accommodations go, you've got two choices. We can either pair you up with another solo group member in a two-bed room for no extra charge, or you can have your own room for a reasonable surcharge.
Electrical Outlets
This is one to pay attention to, because Italy and Malta don't match.
Italy uses "type C," "type F," and "type L" plugs, the type L being the distinctive Italian three-pin-in-a-row design. Malta, thanks to its long stretch under British rule, uses the "type G" plug: the chunky three rectangular prongs you'd find in the UK. The voltage is 230V with 50 Hz frequency in both countries.
Because of the different plug shapes required for this trip, we strongly suggest bringing a universal adapter that includes several plug shapes in one piece, rather than a single-country adapter.
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