Sicily itinerary, day by day

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.

🗓️ 4 or 7 days📍 3 stops☀️ Best time: May to June and September to October

Taormine · Photo Judicaël C. / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

Sicily in 4 days

2 stops · 8 things to do · ≈ 180 km

1Palermo 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.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: A Casa di Amici (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Politeama (€110 a night) · Luxury: Grand Hotel Wagner (€200 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Sicilia Bedda ★ 5 · 158 reviews
Bottega Sugameli ★ 4.9 · 280 reviews
Ristorantino Filia ★ 4.7 · 1610 reviews
Ristorante Rais ★ 4.7 · 1255 reviews · €€
Il Coppo Siciliano ★ 4.7 · 796 reviews · €€

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 250 km

2Taormina and Etna

Days 3-4

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.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel Villa Nettuno (€70 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Villa Schuler (€140 a night) · Luxury: Grand Hotel Timeo (€600 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Ethica Chef’s Table and Garden ★ 5 · 382 reviews
San Michele Ristorante Taormina ★ 4.8 · 154 reviews
St. George Restaurant by Heinz Beck ★ 4.8 · 110 reviews
Liola Osteria and Bar ★ 4.7 · 1314 reviews · €€
TreQuarti Taormina Antipasteria Siciliana ★ 4.7 · 958 reviews · €€

Photo Reinhard Bruckner / Pexels

Sicily in 7 days

3 stops · 11 things to do · ≈ 450 km

1Palermo and San Vito Lo Capo

Days 1-2

🎟️ 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.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: A Casa di Amici (€35 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Politeama (€110 a night) · Luxury: Grand Hotel Wagner (€200 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 3h · 250 km

2Taormina and Etna

Days 3-4

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.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel Villa Nettuno (€70 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Villa Schuler (€140 a night) · Luxury: Grand Hotel Timeo (€600 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Reinhard Bruckner / Pexels

🚗 Car · 2h45 · 175 km

3Agrigento and the south

Days 5-6

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.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

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

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: PortAtenea (€65 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel della Valle (€115 a night) · Luxury: Hotel Villa Athena (€230 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Nuccio Ristorante Meat&Fish ★ 4.9 · 515 reviews
Cozzitorto Osteria del Capitano ★ 4.9 · 395 reviews
Sant'Arfo Enosteria ★ 4.9 · 334 reviews
Sal8 ★ 4.8 · 2943 reviews · €€
Carisi ★ 4.8 · 326 reviews

Photo Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

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.

⚠️ What to avoid

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.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Sicily guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit Sicily, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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