Tour Reviews

“We were annual travellers to various sites and cities in Europe prior to COVID, and our first trip back to Europe was to Sicily in May 2022. We spent three very enjoyable days with Gianni experiencing Western Sicily in its many dimensions. These included Selinunte; Erice; Segesta; Mazara del Vallo; and various art museums and installations in the area. We found him to be knowledgeable and thoughtful. For instance, when he found out we are art enthusiasts, he changed one day’s events to include a wonderful art museum in Gibellina, Fondazione Orestiadi. We also learned much about Italian life in our conversations over three days. Through and professional in all regards, he’s the kind of guide travellers like ourselves feel fortunate to have met. Highly recommended”.

“Exceeded Expectations! It is normal and expected for a guide to master the local history but, above and beyond, Gianni has a mastery of world history. His ability to relay/detail the history of Western Sicily in combination with relevant events world wide made my tour and took away a truly valuable experience. He clearly understood where my references were and utilised those assumptions of my experiences to enhance the understanding of many topics. Honestly, I am grateful for having crossed his path.”

“Private tour. Gianni is the living encyclopaedia when it comes to Sicily and its history and culture. He will show you places tourists have never visited, tell you many interesting facts and stories about them and bring you closer to Sicilian heritage. Very professional, flexible and ready to make the tour about you and your interests. Not unlike many tour guides, who only stick to itinerary and have no consideration for the pace and needs of customers. I wholeheartedly recommend Gianni and Easy Trapani if you plan on going to Sicily - this is your best choice!”

“I took part in a walking tour in Trapani with Gianni and it was a lovely Experience. Trapani is a beautiful city, probably less known than it should be for its historical, artistic and natural beauties. The food and wine tasting with Gianni was excellent, and all the information he provides during the walking tour is essential to appreciate the city. During the nice walk we passed by all the main highlights of the city and Gianni told us many important details about them. We also stopped on the way to try some local delicacies and discuss the importance of food in the city culture. If you want to visit Trapani, I recommend doing it with Gianni , he is a very knowledgeable guide and, being a local, a real Expert of the city's best food stops!”

“I really cannot recommend Gianni enough. He is a fantastic guide and we enjoyed our time with him so much during a full-day wine tour that we booked the cooking class for the next day. He has a wealth of knowledge and it's fascinating to learn about the history of the area but also about the wine and food that make Sicily so special. Highly highly recommend booking!”

“My partner and I took a full day, private tour with Gianni. He collected us from the port in Trapani and took us to see the incredible Land Art site - Cretto di Burri. Stopping at various additional archaeological sites along the way - in particular the incredible Temple of Segesta! Gianni has a degree in history. In addition to being a wonderful person and excellent driver we learned so much about the local history, food and wine culture. Overall a fantastic day. Would highly recommend Easy Trapani.”

“Gianni provided me and my wife a well organised and efficient itinerary based on our preferences for a full day tour starting and ending in Trapani. We decided to pay for a private tour instead of the group tours offered by our cruise on the Le Ponant cruise line so that we can maximise our experience around Trapani with the limited time we had for the day. Gianni did not disappoint us and he included an incredible lunch cooked by the wife of a vineyard owner whom he knew with an extensive seafood menu”.

“I had originally booked this for March 17, 2020. But, as you can guess, COVID ruined my plans. Prior to the worldwide shut down, I was speaking with Gianni, and he had told me that March 17 was the day that Italy celebrated its unification. Along with the wine tour, he was going to show me around some of the historical areas where Italy's fight for unification began. As soon as I was able to travel to Italy, I quickly rebooked this trip. Gianni remembered our prior conversation and included these historical areas in my tour. Gianni is a wonderful person, and he is very knowledgeable in not only the wine production, but also Italy's rich history. I was on this tour by myself and at no time did it feel awkward or was there a lull in conversation. By the end of the day, I had felt I had made a new friend. The sites were beautiful, the wine and food were delicious, and the company was exceptional. I hope to make it back to Italy at some point, and I would love to see what other tours Gianni has to offer.”

“We spent 10 hours with Gianni and loved every minute! He contacted us ahead of time to customise our tour. He took us to Erice, walked us around the city, pointed out all the interesting sites and let us try a Genovesi pastry. Then we headed to Alcamo, with a scenic stop along the coast, for our wine tour. The meal was amazing and we tasted 5 different kinds of wine. The owner had to go and harvest the grapes since it was almost October, so Gianni walked us around the winery and explained all the old machines. We then went to a processing site and were allowed to taste some wines in different stages of fermentation. On the way home we saw the Segesta Temple and some Mussolini relics. Gianni is SO knowledgeable about the history of Sicily and we learned as much as we could - including some mafia stories. The day we spent with him would rate 5 stars, but he went above and beyond. He gave us wonderful suggestions about how to spend the remaining time in Trapani. He was even "on call" for us when I sent a last minute text about the best bakery to get something sweet. All of his suggestions were fantastic. It was like we had a personal tour guide for our time in Trapani.”

“Gianni took us on a personal tour of Erice and Trapani. His knowledge of the history and culture of western Sicily is phenomenal. We learned an entire course in western civilization in 5 hours. We only wish we could spend another day learning more.”

“Many thanks to Gianni Grillo for helping us to finally meet our Sicilian relatives in Trapani. He worked continuously and tirelessly for over 18 months to gather information that eventually led to a meeting with family that we never knew we had! Without his help it would not have been possible. He also guided us on several tours throughout western Sicily to places such as Selinunte, Belice valley, and the Florio winery in Alcamo, as well as making a rental car available for us to explore on our own. If you want to know Western Sicily, look no further than Easy Trapani - they can do it all. Our family will be forever grateful to Gianni for helping us to connect to our Sicilian heritage.”

“An experience we don't want to be without. The guide Gianni was unique, informative and interesting. We got to see many wine regions and explained a lot about wine plants, grapes and different species. Ended the tour at the winery, with wine tasting and served Italian specialties. Highly recommended if you want an enriching experience.”

“We did one full day personalized and private tour with Gianni and it was an amazing experience. We started the tour visiting Segesta temple. Gianni has a deep knowledge about history After, we did a wine tasting and lunch at a winery that was recommended by Gianni. We were received by the owner (Vincenzo) and his wife who are amazing people. The wine and the food were spectacular. We really felt at home!!! At the end of the day, we visited the salt flats at Trapani. I really recommend this experience!!! Thanks Gianni”

“Wonderful cooking class + wine tour We enjoyed the food, the wines, the beautiful surroundings and all the nice people that made our cooking class + wine tour an experience to remember. Gianni organised everything, shared his historical insight on western Sicily - and kept on opening new wines😁. Thank you, Gianni!”

“Still Pondering the Magic of Trapani: I am so grateful to have found Gianni / Easy Trapani as our guide for an EXTRAORDINARY day touring around the countryside tasting wine and meeting locals connected with the abundant agriculture of Sicily. We had a fantastic time, and I will not soon forget our experience with Gianni.... highly recommend…”

“Great day in Trapani and Erice with Gianni: My wife and I booked a full day tour with Gianni to see Trapani, Erice, the countryside and a winery. It was absolutely fabulous! Gianni is extremely knowledgeable about the history of this part of Sicily as well as of the food and wines of the region. In addition to great walking, lovely and driving sightseeing, Gianni arranged for a fantastic lunch and wine tasting at a lovely vineyard where all the food was grown by the owners - absolutely superb! We’d love to go back and explore even more with Gianni - other wineries perhaps?”

“Much more than just a wine tour! The day will probably remain in our memories for a long time to come as the highlight of our holiday in Sicily! Gianni has an incredible knowledge of the country, people and of course the wine! With his charmingly funny nature, we enjoyed listening to him and learned a lot about Sicily and its wine growing! The program included a visit to a small backyard wine shop, a tour of the "industrial" wine facilities and finally a tour of the private winery. An incredibly delicious and hearty lunch, during which various wines could also be tasted, rounded off this perfect day! We say mille grazie for this great experience and the warm welcome!”

“The winery tour was by far the best tour my husband and I have ever gone on, hands down. Gianni was fabulous from the moment he picked us up (right on time!) his knowledge base of history, geography, and wines of Sicily is amazing and even better, he conveys his information in an extremely entertaining way as well. Our drive took about an hour from Palermo to Alcamo and it was filled with info in a way that made the time fly by. Once in Alcamo, we were given a driving tour of the area then on to Adamo winery where the owner’s wife greeted us with a homemade 7 course lunch that was by far the best food we ate in Italy. The owner met up with us to eat (and drink MANY bottles of their fantastic wine) and then take us around his winery, and the company and the food made the day feel like a day with good friends. As a bonus, the owner and Gianni took us to another winery to see the more modern set up for comparison. Bottom line - it was a once in a lifetime tour and we would encourage anyone interested in the Sicilian countryside, history, wine, amazing food, or any combination of these, to take this tour!”

“I cannot recommend Gianni's tours enough! We originally booked the full-day wine tour and had such a wonderful time with him throughout the day, that we immediately signed up for the cooking class the following day, which was such a memorable and special experience. I think it was by far our favourite day of the entire trip. Gianni is incredibly knowledgeable about everything in the region and is fascinating to listen to. He has a great sense of humour and is generally wonderful to spend the day with. Book any of his experiences and you won't regret it!!”

“We booked one full-day custom tour - hiking in Zingaro Nature Reserve plus a half-day winery tour - and then two simple transfers, one with a stop at Segesta. We got so much more!! Gianni is an extremely knowledgeable guide, eager to share his historical, cultural, literary, and culinary expertise. Even on our initial, point-to-point transfer, he added several stops and detours of great interest, and talked almost non-stop, providing a tremendous amount of information that enlightened the rest of the trip, long after we said goodbye. The wine tour was really more of a food tour, with a fantastic assortment of typical Sicilian dishes, that for me, at any rate, eclipsed the wine. The winery itself, in an old "baglio," was interesting to see. Segesta was a highlight, where Gianni's history background and current research added much more than you can get from the guidebooks. Aside from his intellect, he is a generous and thoughtful man, and I would be delighted to spend another vacation in his company.``

“Amazing day filled with great history, food and wine! We did a full day trip in May 2019. Gianni picked up our family of 5 and drove us through gorgeous vistas while we learned about the incredible history of western Sicily. Then, Gianni guided us through the archaeological site of Segesta. After battling brutal winds at the top of Segesta, we settled at the historic winery, previously owned by the Florio family, where its current owners presented us with the most incredible lunch and free flowing wine. The lunch was the highlight of our week in Sicily! We also learned about how the wine is made and walked through the historic buildings, but the lunch was top notch! Very highly recommend Gianni and his trips. He was very easy to deal with, extremely knowledgeable and very accommodating and fun! Would definitely book again!”

“Wine tour...plus..plus..plus My wife and I spent a full day touring western Sicily with Gianni and had a great time. The day began with an unexpected stop in the coast town of Castellammare del Golfo. After mentioning to Gianni that it was the birthplace of my father he kindly offered to take a side trip there so we could stop and see the town. On the trip and throughout the day Gianni talked about and discussed with us many topics related to wine, growing and processing grapes and how it all related to Sicilian history and culture among other things.Highly recommend the tour.”

“Excellent day with Gianni! My wife and I booked the full day wine tour with Gianni. Not only did we enjoy the day meeting local farmers making their own wine, but we enjoyed a perfect outdoor lunch at another winery. In addition, we stopped at the salt flats which were very interesting. Gianni is incredibly knowledgeable about the history of the region and kept our attention all day with his fascinating stories. Gianni provides many services and I highly recommend him on your next trip.”

“Historical food walking tour with Gianni - fabulous day! We were a party of 7 and had been to Sicily before, but never to the Trapani region. We arranged for a walking tour of old Trapani, with local food as the focus to give us a feel for the region. Gianni's standard offerings did not quite meet what we had in mind and he was more than willing to tailor a tour to meet our interests. Gianni met us at the dock and off we went. The cruise port is practically in old town, so it was just a short stroll to get started. Gianni was raised in Trapani, and his appreciation for his home town is evident. He knows the historical significance of the region and is able to clearly communicate that information. He spent a few years in the US, followed by 10 years in London, so his command of the English language is excellent! And the food! Oh my! First stop at a small bakery where we sandwiched our way in between a steady flow of local customers to taste, and then view the actual wood fired oven still in use today. Then after a stop at the local fish market to view the offerings off we went to a local fish store where they pulled out all the stops. Plates of 'salamied' fish, olives, cheese, crackers were presented to each of us. And even our non-fish eaters found plenty to snack upon. Then Gianni opened a local white wine (Chardonnay) and even though it was still morning it went down smoothly with the food offerings. Several of us bought bottles, as well as packages of specialty pasta, to take back with us. If we had known what was in store for us later that morning we would all have likely held back a bit! We would walk a while, learning more of the history of the town and region, then stop to snack, then off again. One of the highlights, and there were many, was our stop to taste a variety of items, including Timballo, pasta, peas and tomato sauce baked in a pie crust! Absolutely delicious. At one of the stops we even spotted our ship's head waiter buying an order of Cannoli!. After tasting this offering we know why he came there! Stop after stop we tasted Sicilian delights that most of us had only imagined. And then off we went in our large taxi to Erice, where most of us walked through the heart of town to the world famous Maria Gramatico bakery. It was a cool, windy day up on the side of the mountain, and not many people were around: They were all at this bakery! Again, too many things to taste but we all found room for the house specialty: the Genovese - a puff pastry with a creamy custard type filling! Bear in mind this was a group of cruise ship passengers who had been dining on gourmet food for 20 days! We felt this was one of the best dining experiences we had the whole trip! Gianni does not use his own van, instead he uses a local taxi that is appropriate for the size of his group. He personally limits his tours to 3 or 4 per week to spend time with his children. If you want to tour with Gianni himself be sure to book early! We hope to visit the area again and see what else Gianni can show us”

“It's been 2 years now since I went on a private winery tour with John, and I can remember it as if it was yesterday. Not only was Gianni knowledgeable, he was fun to be with. The wine, the jars of various spreads, the tomatoes, eggplant all were delicious. So if you're looking for a tour of a winery I strongly recommend Gianni, you will not regret it.”

“Highlight of my trip to Sicily I did the full day trip with the optional pickup from Palermo, and it was the highlight of my time in Sicily. I'm a wine and food nerd, so I loved learning about all the history, economics, and process of wine making in Sicily. We visited a grape processing co-op, had a massive and delicious lunch at the old family winery, and saw the modern winery where they make and bottle wines today. It was particularly fun to visit at that time of year (mid-late September), when the last of the harvest was coming in. We got to see truckloads of grapes being juiced, as well as sample wine in the midst of fermenting, from fresh juice all the way to fully fermented.”

“On October 12th we took an Easy Trapani tour that was fabulous and very well planned. We contacted the agency and arranged a customised tour of the Trapani area that included Erice and a wine tasting with lunch. Our guide met us right at the appointed time and we started the tour. Although it was raining hard in the morning, he was still able to show us the old town of Trapani and help us understand the importance of Trapani. We then drove up the mountain to Erice where he walked around the old town in the midst of the clouds and we stopped to taste a pastry unique to Erice. We then went on for a wine tasting and a huge typical Sicilian lunch which must have included 6 to 8 courses of typical Sicilian food accompanied by some excellent white and red Sicilian wines. We were so full when we got back to our cruise ship the Azamara Journey that we didn’t even eat dinner that night! We had a wonderful day and the whole tour was fantastic and one of the highlights of our cruise. I would highly recommend Easy Trapani tours.”

“My family's first tour with Easy Trapani was the tour of Agrigento: the Valley of Temples. Gianni Grillo, our guide, is an exceptional local historian. His knowledge is broad and deep. We were so impressed with him that we took other tours with him. The entire family enjoyed an evening of learning to cook "Sicilian style", then delighted in eating the products of our efforts. Our third day with Easy Trapani included a wonderful tour of "Mafia History". This was not a typical tourist show, but rather a fantastic lesson in the history of crime and the ugly truths behind the myths. Lastly, we toured a wonderful winery in Alcamo. This tour ended with a fantastic family style dinner composed of organic local ingredients and wine. For this meal bring a big appetite and prepare to spend time feasting on what seems to be an unending flow of fantastic foods and wines”.

“Wonderful experience! If you are in the area, a visit to the wine country of Trapani has to be included and then a tour with Vincenzo, Vincenza and Gianni across their vineyard is the best there is. The wine, food, tour and explanation of the winery were superb and they provided a real Sicilian countryside experience, our best day in Sicily!”

“A walk through time! Gianni is a historian who has earned advanced degrees from European and American institutions. I highly recommend him for tours anywhere in Sicily, but especially in Western Sicily where we met him for a tour of Trapani (his hometown!). Gianni drove us to see important, historic sites in Trapani and then walked with us in the historic centers of the city. We stopped at piazza's where Gianni explained important events that were truly "eye opening"! His knowledge of history was evident in that he wasn't just reading a script and was able to answer questions and fill in the details that made the history of Trapani come alive for us”.

“Gianni is very knowledgeable about Sicilian History: we took the full-day Anti-mafia tour. We informed Gianni that in addition to learning about the history of the Sicilian Mafia, we wanted to see the Sicilian countryside - so Gianni tailored a tour to our request. He is pretty flexible and was communicative in the weeks and days leading up to our tour. Gianni picked us up in Palermo and we visited Salemi, Alcamo, and Cinisi before returning to Palermo. The drive through the countryside was quite nice - similar to Tuscany. The tour included a lovely stop at a Sicilian winery where we had an awesome lunch and were given a private tour. Gianni is very knowledgeable about the history of Sicily and the mafia. This tour does not at all glorify the mafia, but certainly helps you to understand it a bit better. I think the tour lasted about 11 hours end-to-end.”

“Perfect Sicilian Wine Tour. The entire day was fabulous. Had a great tour and guide, great wine, and a wonderful lunch with some fun guys. Got to see beautiful countryside and a 100 year old Marsala winery too! Couldn't have asked for a better day.”

“I booked a private day tour around the Trapani area with EasyTrapani. Gianni was able to pick me up from one town and drop me off in a different town. The tour is not only scenic but also educational. Gianni shared his wealth of knowledge of culture and history. It really was an amazing Sicilian experience. HIGHLY recommended!”

“This was our last day on our 14 day trip. When we booked it we didn’t realise it would be the very best of all. We had visited Trapani a few years ago, so we wanted a day trip that was different from the typical ride up to Erice (which is worth it – just not for this trip). We contacted Gianni through the internet and he was very responsive. He picked us up at the pier where our cruise ship was docked and we joined two other people for the day. We started at the fish market near the pier. We love to see these kinds of places and this was great. Plenty of exotic looking fresh fish and we would have loved to buy some to have freshly cooked for lunch! We went to a small shop where Gianni had us taste olives, almonds, dried tomatoes and carpaccio of both tuna and swordfish. Just delicious. Then he took us on a beautiful tour of the northern part of the island, treating us to a stop at Forno a Legna – a little bakery in the outskirts where he treated us to delicious cannoli and what he called the Sicilian “Big Mac'' – hot, fresh bread with tomato, oregano, olive oil and grated cheese. After that we toured the northern part of the island, including stopping for a short walk around a beautiful park called Zingaro. There was no one around, so it was truly beautiful. We eventually made our way back to Trapani, where Gianni treated us to a homemade Sicilian lunch cooked expertly by his lovely wife. We rolled ourselves out of his apartment and then went to tour an Olive Oil plant where they also packaged red garlic. From there we visited the salt fields on the ocean and ended the tour at a little hole in the wall which turned out to be the storefront for Salvatore Noto’s Marsala business. We tasted two wines as we watched the locals come in with their two empty two litre water bottles, leaving with them filled with Marsala. Gianni is a wonderful host with plenty of energy and a real knowledge of his surroundings. We highly recommend spending the day with him either privately or in a small group.”

“Gianni, made our trip to Trapani amazing!! He is by far the best guide I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. His knowledge of Trapani (and history in general) is mind bending! Our tours of the vineyards were nothing short of Fabulous. We were introduced to the owner Vincenzo who took us through the vineyard and allowed us to eat the grapes right off the vines. My husband was in his glory! Afterwards we were seated to a heartwarming, authentically prepared lunch by Lilianna; which was out of this world. I will be back and I will be using Gianni! He's responsible, knowledgeable, easy to get along with and he will make your vacation special and relaxing while learning. Hope to see you soon. As Cary and I said, our home is yours when you bring your family to New York!!! Thank you!!!”

“My friend and I had the pleasure of spending an entire day with Gianni to discover the charm of the Zingaro reserve and its surroundings. Gianni came to pick us up directly at the hotel around nine in the morning and brought us back there around nine in the evening, so he stayed with us even longer than necessary. We visited the Zingaro reserve, Gulf of Macari, Cala del bue marino, Monte Cofano with local lunch included. It was truly a unique experience, Gianni proved to be a person of a superfine culture, he passed on to us the passion he has for his land, he told us various historical and linguistic anecdotes, he spoke to us about the Sicilian culinary evolution and he also proved to be a wine expert. He made us visit places unknown to most, but known to the locals. We highly recommend this tour, the sensitivity with which he guided us in this part of Sicily really impressed us.”

“I had a winery tour with Easy Trapani a week ago. I have done this kind of tour several times since I was very interested in wine. Apparently this tour was the best I have ever had. The tour was very informative to learn about Sicilian wines, grapes and terroir. The lunch at the winery with a variety of cheese, wine and spreads was lovely. I highly recommend the tour with Gianni if you like Sicilian wine and food. You won't be disappointed.”

“We so enjoyed our day trip to Segesta and Trapani. We were picked up right on time at our hotel. We then made our way out of Palermo to the highway and you pointed out all the highlights of the countryside. Your extensive knowledge of the history of Sicily was incredible and you were able to paint a picture of Sicily past and present.You answered all our questions and gave us so much history at the beautiful ruins of the temple at Segesta... We then drove to Trapani and the Salt flats and Museum. It was fascinating to learn how the salt is extracted then stored. We enjoyed a sampling of the finest seafood that the western part of Sicily has to offer you did an amazing job Gianni.... We hope to see you again on another visit to your beautiful island.”