My wife and I are in our mid 70's. Both active and in good health. My wife is concerned about the activity level indicated in the best of Sicily tour. Can anyone that has been on the tour give us some insight as to how demanding it really is? We have been on the Best of Spain, Portugal, France and England tours and have had no issues. Look forward to hearing back from you on any insight.
Cheers!
I took the Sicily tour in March 2022 at age 71. I think you will be fine. If you have taken other RS tours, you will find this one is similar. I have taken 11 RS tours and I’m not sure why they rate this one as more active than others as I found it not all that different than others I’ve taken, especially in Italy. Yes, there are a few places where you hike up or down a hill, but we were never rushed or pushed to do more than we felt able to do. Every tour I’ve taken have had some hills or stairs! Just so you know, I am in good health, but rarely exercise when I’m home LOL.
The Sicily tour was wonderful - great food, fascinating history, nice scenery, and a terrific guide (if you get Alfio, you are in luck!)
Thank you. I appreciate your effort to reply to my inquiry. Your thoughts have helped eliminate some of my wife's fears.
Never taken that tour but if you are concerned about exhaustion I wouldn’t suggest to take that Sicily tour from mid May through September. It can get really hot at certain locations away from the water. I toured the Valley of the Temples (Agrigento) at the end of May, and it was challenging to walk from temple to temple in the sun and heat, and I was younger and much fitter. Segesta was equally hot, but the walk from the parking lot up to the temple is short. Erice should be cool, as it is often swept by winds on top of the peak. But to walk from the parking lot where I parked to the castle on top, it was a longish uphill trek. Palermo is also hot downtown, but it’s pretty flat, at least the places you will be visiting. If you avoid a summer tour you will be fine.
Thank you for your comments.
Cheers!
Every tour has a lot of walking, but we found the Sicily tour less stressful than others. The bus rides are short. Stairs at some sights. The hard part for me was the standing around listening to guides at museums with my knee and back.
My husband was 77 when we took this tour in 2022. He didn’t have any trouble with the activities on this tour, but he did take a seated cane with him as he’s has 2 knee replacements, and as Stan says, the standing around can be tiring. Each tour may handle a little differently, but when we took it, there was a shuttle available at Segesta from the parking lot to the amphitheater. The climb from the parking lot in Erice paused several places, so we didn’t have any trouble with that and the tour at the Valley of the Temples started at the top and went downhill. We were there in mid-May. We loved this tour.
Thank you for your reply. It’s helpful. Cheers!
I was on the Sicily tour in October 2025 and had a great time. At age 76 I have a few physical concerns (stiff knee, prone to tripping) so I brought along one hiking pole, which meant I had to check my bag rather than travel with a carry-on. I was glad I had the pole even though I only used it several times. It was helpful with the uneven ground at the antiquities sites, and especially going down stairs that lacked handrails. Several tour members remarked that they wished they had brought one along. Otherwise I think you would be fine, but recommend building up your walking stamina beforehand, as you will be on the move a lot on this tour.
Thank you everyone for all your input.
Cheers,
