Sicily

Sicily, in a few days

From Palermo to the slopes of Etna and the Greek temples of Agrigento, a drive from one coast to the other: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

Day by day

1

Palermo and San Vito Lo Capo

Days 1-2

A capital shaped by Greeks, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards, with street markets and Arab-Norman churches that UNESCO listed in 2015. The white beach of San Vito Lo Capo lies about an hour and a half's drive west.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Guided walk: markets and the old centre2h30 on foot · from €30
  The Ballarò and Vucciria markets, then the cathedral and the gold mosaics of the Palatine Chapel.

✦ Free to visit

• Monreale Cathedral
• San Vito Lo Capo beach
• The Kalsa district

📲 Book things to do in Palermo and San Vito Lo Capo on GetYourGuide

2

Taormina and Etna

Days 3-4 · 🚗 Car 3h

A hill town on a terrace above the Ionian Sea, with an ancient theatre framing the view. Behind it rises Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe and a UNESCO site since 2013.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Etna excursion (craters and lava fields)Half day · from €55
  Up the volcano by cable car and 4x4 towards the summit craters, across lava fields from recent eruptions.

✦ Free to visit

• The ancient theatre of Taormina
• Isola Bella
• The villages of Etna

📲 Book things to do in Taormina and Etna on GetYourGuide

3

Agrigento and the south

Days 5-6 · 🚗 Car 2h45

The Valley of the Temples, one of the largest groups of Greek temples anywhere, stands on a ridge between the modern town and the sea. UNESCO-listed since 1997.

🎟️ Worth booking

• Valley of the Temples, guided2h30 · from €35
  The Doric temples of Juno and of Concordia, one of the best preserved in the Greek world, both at their finest as the sun goes down.

✦ Free to visit

• Scala dei Turchi, the white cliff (seen from the beach)
• Agrigento's old town

📲 Book things to do in Agrigento and the south on GetYourGuide

Worth sorting before you go

You will want a car · The stops are far apart and trains between them are slow, so a hire car gives you the island. Leave it outside the old centres: Palermo and Taormina restrict traffic in their historic cores.

📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly

🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta

🚗 Car hire
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking

💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut

🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer

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Flavours & local habits

🍽️ Worth tasting

• Arancine: fried rice balls filled with ragù or ham and cheese, the island's street food.
• Pasta alla Norma: pasta with tomato, fried aubergine and salted ricotta, the pride of Catania.
• Cannoli: crisp pastry tubes filled with sweet sheep's ricotta, best when filled in front of you.
• Granita with brioche: crushed ice made with almond, lemon or coffee, eaten for breakfast with a soft bun.
• Caponata: a sweet and sour stew of aubergine, celery, capers and olives.

⚠️ Best avoided

• Be wary of restaurants with picture menus and staff pulling you in near the big sights.
• Check the bill for the coperto (cover charge) and any service before adding a tip.
• Do not drive into the ZTL, the restricted zones of the old centres: cameras send the fine to your hire company.
• Cover shoulders and knees for churches, including Monreale Cathedral.

Words that help

English ↔ Italian

✈️ Flight delayed by 3 hours or more, or cancelled? You may be owed up to €600. Check your flight on AirHelp.

The practical page

Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/sicily

Packing checklist

Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.