Ragusa, Noto and Chocolate Tasting - Day tour from Siracusa
Description
Today 8.30am be ready at pick-up location to meet our driver and departure from Siracusa in direction of Ragusa Ibla. You have the chance to explore independently the old part of the city and an undisputed reality of Baroque art. Soon after, you will discover the local Chocolate in Modica. This particular chocolate is made with a very old recipe, the one coming from the Aztecs. We then continue to Noto. In the Arab period the town was the capital of one of the three districts of Sicily (the Val di Noto) and once defeated by the Christians, Noto became a rich Norman city. Unfortunately, it was totally destroyed by the 1693 Sicilian earthquake and rebuilt in a new position nearer to the Ionian Sea. But the new Noto is a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque! Later we return to Siracusa (estimated arrival time h 4pm) Guaranteed departure with minimum 2 travelers
Tour Options
Itinerary
Ragusa Ibla highlights the wide array of Baroque architecture in Sicily, including several stunning palaces and churches. Independent walking tour of Ragusa Ibla.
Modica is a small Baroque town famous for the chocolate. Modica’s chocolate is still made the same way the ancient Aztecs made chocolate in Mexico. Visiit on your own the most renowned chocolate shops of Modica or stroll around. We suggest to visit the Cathedral of St. George, that is one the symbols of Sicilian Baroque, or the Cathedral of St. Peter. Both the churches house paintings or frescoes, sculptures and works of art.
Noto is a masterpiece of Sicilian Baroque! Most of the buildings, including churches and noble palaces, follow one another along the main street and are characterized by the honey tonality of tufa stone.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The duration of the tour is approximate, the exact duration will depend on the day and traffic conditions
- Comfortable walking shoes recommended
- Please, note that the tour does not include a tourist guide. The Tour is operated by an English speaking driver
Reviews(13)
This tour was a 10 out of 10!! Francesco, our driver, is amazing…. So knowledgeable about these towns and really all of Sicily. We lucked up and the tour ended up being a private with just me and my hubby. I loved all of Francesco’s guidance as we explored each town. The chocolate tasting was a very cool experience. I highly recommend this tour.
Alex was our very safe English Speaking Driver. He guided us through Ragusa, Noto and Modica. We ate some delicious chocolate in Modica. Alex was very kind. He also gifted us a delicious watermelon:)
Francesco made this tour truly exceptional. He wasn’t just a driver but also a knowledgeable local guide, which added a lot of depth to the experience. He was incredibly attentive and friendly throughout the day, always making sure we were comfortable and enjoying ourselves. We never felt rushed at any stop, which made the experience much more relaxed and enjoyable. When it started raining, he even brought umbrellas to us—such a thoughtful touch that really stood out. He’s also a very skilled and safe driver, which made the long day much more comfortable. He went above and beyond by offering to take photos for us, making sure we captured great memories at each stop. Overall, Francesco provided outstanding service and truly elevated the entire experience. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your wonderful and detailed feedback. We are truly delighted to hear that Francesco made your experience so special. It is exactly our goal to provide not just transportation, but a warm, attentive service that helps guests connect more deeply with the places they visit. Your kind words about his knowledge, friendliness, and attention to detail mean a lot to us. We are especially pleased to hear that the day felt relaxed and unhurried, and that the small touches—like providing umbrellas and helping with photos—made a difference in your experience. This is the level of care we strive to deliver to every guest. We will be sure to share your compliments with Francesco—he will be very happy and proud to read your words. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we truly hope to welcome you back to Sicily for another memorable journey with us!
It fearured a very cooperarive and skilled driver, 3 interesting cities, and a rescue by Viator after their contractor failed to send a driver to the appointed rendezvous. After an hour delay the driver showed. He was fine. We got to see all 3 towns but waiting on the contracting company to get its act together was very annoying. Maybe Viatour should look into how its contractors operate. Or don’t operate.
Hi James, Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback. First of all, we would like to sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced at the beginning of the tour. Unfortunately, on March 2nd (the day of your excursion) our originally scheduled driver had a last-minute issue, and we were forced to arrange a replacement driver on very short notice. This unexpected situation caused a delay of approximately 50 minutes at departure. After receiving your call at 8:42 AM, our team immediately worked to resolve the situation and sent you a message at 8:53 AM to inform you about what had happened and to update you on the arrival of the replacement driver, as we were unfortunately unable to reach you by phone. We are however very pleased to read that, despite the initial inconvenience, you still enjoyed visiting Ragusa, Noto and Modica and that the driver who assisted you during the day provided a good service. Situations like this are extremely rare for us, and we truly regret the frustration caused by the delay, which was unfortunately due to circumstances outside of our control. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on another tour in Sicily in the future. Warm regards, Vincenzo Ciceraro
Fantastic tour. Great driver and some must see cities from Siracusa. Flexibility to do what you want in the cities
Thank you so much for yuor review This is very helpful for our job and help us to improve day by day
The trip was excellent. All went perfectly and all drivers and tours were beautifully organized. Our last trip (Ragusa, Modica and Noto) with Francesco was outstanding, we never felt rushed and we had plenty of time to enjoy each stop. He was also a fount of both local and historical information and didn’t overwhelm us with the amount of historical information.
We truly appreciated Mattia who was our excellent driver and who also told us about the areas we were visiting. The scenery around the three baroque cities, Ragusa, Modica and Noto, was beautiful. We walked around Ragusa for a couple of hours and followed the recommendations from our guide book. We finished at the Botanical Garden and got to enjoy the fragrant roses. Then we were off to Modica where we visited the gorgeous cathedral and took in the amazing view below it. Next we were off to the oldest chocolate factory which was across the street for a tasting. Our last stop on the tour, Noto, was the town we enjoyed the most. This little town is the smallest of the three we visited and it’s quite a gem. It was not crowded, and because we could not resist going into an art exhibit, we could easily have spent more time in Noto. If we were to take the tour again we may suggest to the driver to spend a little less time in Ragusa and Modica so we could really explore Noto. But, which city appeals most can certainly be personal, so some research and pre-planning for how you want to use your time is recommended. Overall, we had a fabulous day!
What a wonderful day with Francesco our driver to Ragusa, Noto and Modica. Francesco know all there is to know to plan for a terrific day. He brought us to a lovely Wine Bistro for lunch in Noto after visiting Ragusa and Modica for a delicious chocolate tasting experience. When we arrived in Ragusa he took us to a lovely Cafe where he treated us to refreshing Granitas and pastry. He is the best!
My wife and I did a day trip with Tour of Sicily from Ortigia to Ragusa, Modica and Noto. We highly recommend Michele, who was our driver, as he turned up on time, was very friendly and knowledgeable and made us Australians feel comfortable while exploring fabulous Sicily. We loved how many places he recommended for us, including the best chocolate in Modica, the yummiest granita in Noto, a fantastic wine (his favourite), a delicious local Sicilian lunch and numerous historical sites. His knowledge of Sicily amazed us and his relaxed nature made our day trip truly memorable. Thank you Tour of Sicily and thank you our friend Michele.
Thank you so much for your review Our team is glad you have enjoyed the Tour with Michele
First of all, our guide Francesco was top of the class - knowledgeable, helpful and well organised. In my opinion, Ragusa & Modica should be rated as the top destinations in the Sicily. Not crowded, fantastic mountainous landscape and beautiful baroque monuments. It was a great experience in all aspects (local cuisine as well).
Thank you so much for your review Our team is glad you have enjoyed the Tour with Francesco
