Sicily Itinerary

Sicily is such a wonderful destination it has so much to offer. This is the Sicily Itinerary you need for the best 8 days in this amazing part of Italy!

Where is Sicily?

Sicily is located in the south of Italy, in the boot! It is an island which can be accessed via flight or by ferry. It is possible to catch overnight or day buses across to Sicily, we left on an overnight bus to Bari. If you are looking for this option then Flix or Itabus.

How many days do I need for Sicily?

I always say more days are better! Sicily is amazing and I would love to come back and do the whole area. This itinerary is for 8 days and the south east, however I have options below to shorten or add more days.

Do you need a car for Sicily?

Being able to drive around Sicily makes it much easier to visit and to get to those harder to reach locations. It is not completely necessary however, you can still get around and have a great trip using public transport.

Day 1 – 2: Fly into Catania – Ragusa

Fly into Catania and either pick up your car or jump on a bus. You are heading to Ragusa! There is a bus to Ragusa from the airport or you can take trains from the city. Spend the afternoon taking in local streets around Ragusa Superiore, this area feels very authentic.

Spend time in Ragusa Ibla, walk the old town and visit all the churches, beautiful cafes and shops. This is the oldest part of Ragusa and the most beautiful. Make sure to do the walk between the two halves of Ragusa, it is not that hard and the views are stunning! Check out what we did in our detailed Ragusa blog.

These are the best places to stay in Ragusa Ibla:

Budget: Terra di Venere Inn, Bella Epoque, Ragusa Inn,

Midrange: Incanto barocco, Centosedici Rooms, Casa Vacanza B&B Sangiovanni

Luxe: Hotel Vittorio Veneto, Locanda La Meridiana

Beautiful Ragusa Ibla from the walk between Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla

Day 3 – 5: Ortigia, Siracusa

Ortigia is one of my favourite places in Sicily! Spending three days here is so easy and delightful you might wish you had more…we did! Walk the charming streets, take in the water views, swim in the ocean, visit local sites and nearby towns. Eat some of the best food and enjoy the markets and local life. Check out our dedicated Ortigia, Siracusa blog to find out what you need to do!

These are the best places to stay in Ortigia:

We stayed at Ortigia Charme piazza Duomo. It was perfect! The location was just off the main Duomo square. There is a external door and the apartment has its own private entry. There is a separate bathroom, great TV and kitchenette. The host is so helpful, it feels like you are staying in a renovated locals home. It has some little shutters that open out on to the street. As it is on the ground floor it is cool in the middle of the day.

Budget:

Palazzo Spagna – Amazing location, lovely apartment, clean with everything needed. Excellent pricing.

Jasmine Studio by the Sea – clean, great location, good pricing.

Midrange:

Hotel Gutkowski – Simply designed rooms that are clean and fresh, perfect location on the waterfront lungomare in Ortigia. Good breakfast and some rooms with sea view.

Casa Bidduzza – Excellent location, quiet, clean and fresh.

Luxe:

Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel – Incredible rooms and location. The breakfast is excellent and rooms are spacious and comfortable with an elegant design.

Alla Giudecca – Beautiful rooms in a great setting. Good breakfast and staff. Excellent location.

Day 6 – 8 Taormina

Taormina is a literal dream! It is the prettiest and cutest town with quite a lot to see surprisingly! You will spend a day soaking up the streets and taking in the charm. Venture further a field to see the Isola Bella, Naxos beach, go wine tasting or visit Mt Etna! You will fall in love with this gorgeous place, check out our Taormina blog to find our must visit hidden gems!

Where to stay in Taormina

Budget Taormina Hotels

Villa Mabel – a really old, historic building with an excellent location and budget rooms! We stayed here and although it was old it really was a great experience and the location was exceptional! Very cheap for its position.

B&B Villa Maria Ausilia – Excellent location, breakfast included, comfortable rooms, great host. Really great price!

Hotel Continental – Great location, breakfast, staff and rooms. All round great value for money.

Casa Turrisi – Great price and breakfast, location right in the centre. Clean modern rooms.

A’Coffa – Rooms&Breakfast – Excellent location, clean comfortable rooms with great breakfast included.

Midrange Taormina Hotels

Splendid Hotel Taormina – Great location, good rooms and breakfast included.

Il Piccolo Giardino GH ***Superior – modern rooms, great location, pool and service.

Luxury Hotels Taormina

Hotel Villa Taormina – Magical views from this hotel, great rooms and breakfast

Excelsior Palace Hotel Taormina – Wonderful rooms, service, breakfast and location! Beautiful castle like hotel.

Metropole Hotel Taormina – Amazing luxury hotel, incredible location, modern comfortable rooms and excellent breakfast and service.

Day 8 – Fly out from Catania, spend a couple of hours before your flight checking out Catania. If you need to store your bags we use Radical Storage. They provide easy options for bag storage in most locations, we have used them many times and it has always been simple and convenient.

The Taormina Duomo with the fountain and mike, Taormina, Sicily

How to shorten this Sicily Itinerary?

If you need to shorten this itinerary I would take off a day from Ortigia and make it 7 days. Alternatively, if you only have 5 days it is easiest to remove Ragusa and stick to Ortigia and Taormina as they are easier and quicker to get to from Catania.

How to add on to this Sicily itinerary?

You have more days to spare? Lucky you! Ok I would add these locations. I will separate them into places to visit with public transport and by car as there are a couple of trickier locations to get to.

Near Ragusa I would add in Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples. There is a great Valley of the Temples tour here. Other places located between Ragusa and Ortigia I would add in are Noto, Modicia, Scicli. You could visit them from Ragusa or Ortigia if you don’t want to move accommodation multiple times. If you want to see the bigger cities and have loads of time add a day or half day in to see Catania as you would not return this way.

The Sicily Itinerary is now continuing on from Taormina, with rough guides to the amount of days I plan to spend at each, where I would stay. I will add in more detail and my favourite things to do when I have returned and visited these beautiful places!

3 days for Cefalu

Cefalu is high on my must visit list for our next trip to Sicily. The beaches are great and it is the perfect place to stay a few days soaking them up.

These are our best picks of where stay in Cefalu:

Budget:

Casa Sandy – spacious, clean, near centre and beach.

B&B del Giglio – Charming style and good room. Nice hosts close to train staiton.

Midrange:

Duomo Apartments Cefalù – in the centre, very clean and comfortable.

CORESI rooms – lovely host, very clean, excellent location, great breakfast included.

Luxe:

Kasamare apartments – very clean, perfect for beach and old town.

Casa Thalassa – beautiful new styling, great hosts and location.

Salemare Rooms & Suites – walk to the water, excellent breakfast included, great host, great room.

Liolá Cefalù – beautiful clean rooms, lovely hosts, great location.

2-3 days for Scopello

Another town I can’t wait to visit. This little town books out quickly and looks so idyllic.

Where stay in Scopello:

Budget:

Addisa Locazione Breve– clean and comfortable, good location, parking available, great pricing.

Antica Cascina Del Golfo – excellent breakfast included, clean bright rooms, great hosts, wifi, location and pool onsite!

Casolare La Torre – beautiful location, lovely hosts, great room, quiet peaceful.

Midrange:

Tenute Pla ia Agriturismo – fabulous breakfast included, great pool, charming clean rooms, location was quiet and beautiful, walk into Scopello village.

Residence Guidaloca – beautiful rooms, excellent host, great value and close to beach, peaceful location, parking available, short bus ride to Scopello.

Le Tartane B&b Guidaloca – beautiful views, great breakfast included, great hosts and location.

Luxe:

Torre di Scopello – lovely traditional style villas with kitchen, views of water, walk to water and a swimming spot, private secluded feeling.

Hotel Baglio Di Scopello – beautiful clean rooms, lovely hosts, great location for the beach, great breakfast.

Baglio Dello Zingaro – Excellent location to Scopello, excellent breakfast, clean rooms, great pool.

2 -3 days for Favignana Islands (from Trapani the town on the mainland)

These Islands are incredible by all accounts, I have heard of people going for a day and changing plans to stay a week across the islands. You can actually do a day trip to them if you have less time but want to fit them in. Check out the day tours below, they leave from Trapani which is the closest town on the mainland:

Fly out

You will fly out of Palermo, save a few hours or a day if you want to see this city.

How to map out your everything included route for this Sicily itinerary:

I would fly into Catania. The best route would be (to hav e he least amount of back tracking): Catania-Taromina-Ortigia-Ragusa-Argimento-Ceflau-Scopello-Trapani-Palermo

Places in Sicily I would visit if I have a car

Stair of the Turks and Grotta Delle Colombe- these will be must visits on my next trip.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments, I am happy to help your planning!

Is there an easier way?

Yes absolutley. If you want to make your trip to Sicily super easy then check out these tours. They arrange everything from accommodation, meals, guide and transport!

Catania to Catania visiting south Sicily only or this epic full circle Palermo to Palermo tour.