Sicily

It's a round trip from Portorosa Marina on Sicily's north coast, boarding Saturday afternoon and returning Friday afternoon. Four charter companies operate around the marina, up to 20 minutes' walk apart, so check your yacht's exact location in the Key Info section of your booking, confirmed about two weeks before departure. Catania (CTA) and Palermo (PMO) airports are both about three hours away.

Portorosa is about a three-hour drive from both Catania (CTA) and Palermo (PMO); fly to whichever is cheaper. Transfer details are sent four weeks before departure. If you're flying long-haul, arrive a day early rather than connecting straight to the marina.

• From Catania: bus to Milazzo with Giuntabus or SAIS Trasporti, or train from Catania Centrale to Milazzo or Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, then a 20-minute taxi to the marina.

• From Palermo: Trinacria Express to Palermo Centrale, then train to Milazzo or Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, then a 20-minute taxi. SAIS Autolinee also runs buses.

Four of the Aeolian Islands, from Portorosa: Lipari, Stromboli, Salina and Panarea, in that order. Lipari for the scooter rides and the Tenuta di Castellaro winery, Stromboli for the volcano hike, Salina for sunset wine bars, Panarea for the smallest and smartest of the islands. Exact stops are confirmed in the Yacht Week app and can change with the weather.

No. Every yacht comes with a professional skipper who handles all the sailing, mooring and anchoring. Join in during the regatta if you want to, or don't touch a rope all week.

Included: seven nights on your yacht, a professional skipper, all events and parties, DJs, final cleaning, linen and towels, and the dinghy. All cabin categories except Classic Monohull also include a host and on-board food (six breakfasts, six lunches, two dinners).

Extra: flights and the airport transfer (about three hours each way, so budget more than on other routes), food and drink on the yacht (unless you're on a cabin booking with a host), the cash kitty your skipper collects on day one (port fees, fuel, water, shore power, water taxis and the refundable deposit, with anything unspent returned), eating and drinking out, dinners for your skipper and host, crew tips, and activities paid locally such as the Stromboli hike, scooter hire on Lipari and the winery tasting.

Yes. Book a cabin and you'll join a yacht of six to eight guests with an even gender ratio. You'll meet your yachtmates, skipper and host in the Yacht Week app about two weeks before departure. Groups of five or more usually book a full yacht.

Slower than Croatia. Yacht Week Sicily is built around rooftop venues, wine tastings, the Stromboli volcano and long Italian dinners rather than the biggest parties in the fleet. There's still a regatta, circle raft and raft party. If nightlife is your priority, Croatia is the better fit; if it's scenery, food and wine, Sicily is.

Three consecutive weeks in June only, weeks 23 to 25. It's the shortest season of any Yacht Week route, so availability is limited. Prices by week are shown on the route page.

Not always. Cabin bookings in every category except Classic Monohull include a host who cooks six breakfasts, six lunches and two dinners, with the food included. Classic Monohull cabins and full yacht bookings don't include food. Full yacht bookings can add a host, but the host's fee doesn't cover the food, so you'll still need to do the supermarket shop.

It's a real hike and can be challenging depending on your fitness. Proper hiking shoes with grip are essential as the terrain is steep and rocky; without them you may not be allowed to join. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, light breathable clothing and a hat. The hike is paid locally, not included in your ticket.

Boarding is from 4pm Saturday at Portorosa; your skipper confirms the exact time and meeting point in the Yacht Week app. Complete online check-in before you travel or you may be refused boarding. The fleet returns Friday around 3 to 4pm; you can sleep on board Friday night but must leave by 8am Saturday. With a three-hour airport transfer, book your flight home for Saturday rather than Friday evening.

To do a large grocery shop, visit the Conad Superstore in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, about a 15-minute taxi ride from the marina. There are also smaller markets within the marina itself, such as Supermarket Sigma and Supermarket Quattrocchi, for smaller purchases.

The local currency is the Euro (€). Foreign currency isn’t accepted, but exchanging it is easy and accessible. ATMs and currency exchange offices are widely available for cash withdrawals.

Some smaller establishments may prefer or only accept cash. It's always good to have some Euros on hand for these situations.

The average age of our guests is 30; however, we have a range of attendees varying from 20 to the late 30s and beyond.

Please note that the minimum age to join our events is 20 (or at least 20 years old in the year of travel).

We are confident that, regardless of your age, you will have a memorable time on the water!

We cannot advise you on which documents you will need, as this depends on your nationality and the country you live in.

Travelling to your destination

The VisaHQ website can tell you exactly what you need. Remember to include the countries you might travel through to reach your final destination as well.

​Traveling to
🇭🇷 Croatia
🇬🇷 Greece
🇮🇹 Italy

At the marina and check-in

You will need to bring your passport or/and ID* to the event for check-in.

* If you are travelling through the Schengen area and are using your ID card, this is fine as long as you have entered your passport details into your booking profile before departure.