itineraries
Sicily Grand Tour
14 days — Palermo to the baroque southeast, the full island circuit.
Curatorial note
The complete Sicily trip for travelers with two weeks. Palermo and the west, Etna and the east, and the baroque southeast. Long drives, real rewards — the deepest Italy trip you can take without leaving the country.
Town · Sicilia
Catania
Catania is worth a night as the base for Etna and the east coast. It is grittier than Palermo but has a great fish market and a Baroque center built from Etna's lava stone. Use it as a hub.
Town · Sicilia
Modica
Modica is worth a half-day on the Val di Noto circuit. The town is stacked in a ravine, and the chocolate — cold-pressed, grainy, and unique — is the reason to stop. Pair with Ragusa.
Town · Sicilia
Ragusa
Ragusa is worth a half-day on the Val di Noto circuit. Ragusa Ibla, the lower old town, is the beautiful part — a cascade of Baroque facades down a hillside. Pair with Noto and Modica.
Town · Sicilia
Erice
Erice is worth a half-day from Palermo or Trapani. The cable car from Trapani is the approach. It is cool, misty, and medieval — a contrast to the coast below.
Town · Sicilia
Monreale
Monreale is worth a half-day from Palermo. The cathedral mosaics are the finest Norman-Byzantine art in Italy. The bus from Palermo is 30 minutes. Don't skip it if you're in Palermo.
Town · Sicilia
Noto
Noto is worth a half-day on the Val di Noto Baroque circuit from Syracuse. The cathedral and the streets of golden stone are the most unified Baroque town in Sicily. Go at golden hour.
Town · Sicilia
Palermo
Palermo is worth two nights and is the best base for western Sicily. It is intense, faded, and magnificent. Pair it with Monreale and the coast, and use it to reach Erice and Segesta.
Ready to plan?
Ready to turn discovery into a trip?
Italy Field Guide helps you decide where to go. When you're ready to build the actual day-by-day itinerary, take your saved places to Travel Itinerary Co — your interests go with you.
Turn your saved Italy places into a trip