7 Days in Sicily: Palermo, Agrigento, Syracuse & Taormina

Fly into Palermo, fly home from Catania. In between: Palermo (2 nights) → Syracuse (2 nights, with Agrigento on the way) → Taormina (2 nights). This 7 day Sicily itinerary covers the island's three layers in a straight line across the south and up the east coast: Arab-Norman Palermo, Greek Agrigento and Syracuse, and Taormina with Mount Etna behind it. The moves are by road and none is longer than about three hours. One week does not cover the whole island. The Aeolian Islands, Cefalù, Ragusa, Noto and the west around Trapani and Marsala are all more than a day's detour, so keep them for a longer route.

Palermo has been ruled by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards, and the old town shows all of it at once. The best single hour is in the Cappella Palatina, inside the Norman Palace, where the walls and ceiling are covered in gold Byzantine mosaics and the wooden ceiling is Arab in style. A short walk away, the churches of La Martorana and San Cataldo show the same mix, with red domes that look more like Cairo than Europe.

Keep the afternoon free for the markets. Ballarò and the Capo are the two old street markets, and they are working markets first: stalls of fish, vegetables, spices and fried snacks such as panelle (chickpea fritters) and arancine (rice balls). Eating your way through them is a fair substitute for a restaurant lunch. Palermo is loud and a little rough at the edges, and that is part of why people like it.

Day three is the longest drive of the week, so it is built around two stops. Agrigento is about 2 hours from Palermo. The Valley of the Temples is a ridge of Greek temples from the 5th century BC above the sea, and the Temple of Concordia is among the best-preserved Greek temples anywhere. Go with a guide, because the site is large and the ruins make more sense with the story of the colony of Akragas behind them. After the temples, stop at the Scala dei Turchi, a white chalk cliff on the coast, then continue about 3 hours east to Syracuse.

Syracuse was once as powerful as Athens. In the morning, visit the Neapolis Archaeological Park: the Greek Theatre cut into the hillside, the Roman amphitheatre, and the Ear of Dionysius, a cave with unusual acoustics. In the afternoon cross to Ortygia, the small island that makes up the old town. The Duomo was built into the columns of a Greek temple of Athena, and you can still see them in the walls. Ortygia is mostly pedestrian, the market is in the morning, and you can swim from the rocks at the southern tip.

The drive north from Syracuse takes about 1.5 hours, with Mount Etna (about 3,300 metres, and still active) growing larger on the left. Taormina sits on a ledge high above the sea. The Greek Theatre, rebuilt by the Romans, is the reason to come: the stage wall frames Etna and the coast, and it is still used for concerts and festivals in summer. The main street, Corso Umberto, runs through the town from gate to gate, and Piazza IX Aprile has the terrace view.

Day six has no fixed plan. Take the cable car down to the beach at Isola Bella and Mazzarò, book a boat along the coast, or ask us for an Etna excursion. Etna's upper slopes can be reached with a guide on most days of the year, though weather and volcanic activity can close the high paths, so we confirm on the morning. On the last day, the transfer to Catania airport takes about 50 minutes, and the Catania fish market is a good stop if your flight is in the afternoon.

Palermo: in the historic centre, close to the Norman Palace and the Cathedral, so you can walk everywhere. Syracuse: on or beside Ortygia, where the Duomo, market and waterfront are all on foot. Taormina: in the old town, close to Corso Umberto. Many Taormina hotels sit on the cliff with sea views, and the streets are steep, so ask about luggage help and the walk from the drop-off point.

April to early June and September to October are the best months. It is warm enough to swim from late May, the temples and theatres are comfortable to walk, and the crowds are smaller than in July and August. Midsummer is hot, often above 35°C inland, which makes the Agrigento day hard in the afternoon. Winters are mild on the coast, though some beach facilities close and Etna may have snow. The route works all year, and we adjust the pace to the season.

Got 8 or 9 days? Add a night in the Baroque towns of the southeast, such as Noto, Modica and Ragusa, between Agrigento and Syracuse. With 9 days or more, our Best of Sicily tour adds more of the island. Prefer a relaxed week? Cut Agrigento and stay three nights in Syracuse instead, driving there directly from Palermo. If you are keen on the volcano, swap a Taormina night for a night on the slopes of Etna. For food, add a cooking class or a wine day on the Etna slopes, where the vineyards grow on black volcanic soil.

We build this route around your dates: a private driver for every transfer, guides at the Norman Palace, the Valley of the Temples, Syracuse and Taormina, and hotels chosen for their position. The drive times are fixed, but the pace is not, and we shorten or lengthen days to suit you. A real person on our team is your contact from the first email to the flight home.