Sicily is NOT a quick stop. It's 25,711 km² (bigger than Wales, almost as big as Belgium), with attractions spread across the entire island. 5 days = one coast (east OR west). 7 days = one coast properly + a taste of the other. 10 days = the full island. 14 days = the deep immersion including offshore islands. A car is essential outside Palermo and Catania. Where to stay →
Plan my Sicily trip →Day 1: Arrive Catania. Fish market (La Pescheria), Via Etnea walk, street food (arancini, cartocciate). Day 2: Etna morning (cable car + 4x4 to craters, €65) → Taormina afternoon (Greek Theater, Corso Umberto, Isola Bella). Day 3: Syracuse/Ortigia — Greek theater, ear of Dionysius, Ortigia island (cathedral built INTO a Greek temple), waterfront dinner. Day 4: Val di Noto baroque circuit — Noto (the golden limestone boulevard) → Ragusa Ibla (the canyon town) → Modica (chocolate). Day 5: Morning Catania, depart. 5 days gives you: volcano + Taormina + Greek heritage + Baroque — the eastern highlights.
Day 1-4: East coast (as above). Day 5: Drive Catania → Palermo (2.5h — or Agrigento detour, add 1h). Day 6: Palermo — Cappella Palatina mosaics (the finest Byzantine art outside Istanbul), Ballarò market, street food (arancini, panelle, sfincione), Quattro Canti. Day 7: Monreale Cathedral (15min from Palermo — the 6,340m² of gold mosaics are breathtaking) OR Cefalù day trip (1h — Norman cathedral + beach). Depart Palermo.
Day 1-4: East coast. Day 5: Agrigento — Valley of the Temples (UNESCO — Greek temples better preserved than most in Greece). Day 6: Drive to western Sicily — Selinunte (more Greek temples, on the sea) → Marsala (wine tasting). Day 7: Trapani + Erice (cable car to the medieval hilltop town — the view from Erice on a clear day stretches to Africa). Egadi Islands option (ferry to Favignana — Cala Rossa beach). Day 8-9: Palermo (2 full days — deep exploration + Monreale + Cefalù). Day 10: Depart Palermo. 10 days = the complete Sicily — east + south + west + Palermo.
Day 1-10: As above. Day 11-12: Aeolian Islands — ferry from Milazzo to Lipari (base), day trip to Stromboli (night eruption trek). Day 13: Return to Catania/Taormina coast. Day 14: Depart. OR replace Aeolians with: inland Sicily (Piazza Armerina mosaics + Enna + Caltagirone ceramic town — the Sicily tourists never see). Sicily vs Sardinia → · Best time →