Sicily is an island and an Italian region that holds incredible cultural, architectural, natural, and gastronomic treasures, and much more. The weather is usually pleasant, and even if it gets cloudy, it never lasts long since you’re on an island.
From cities, volcanoes, temples, beaches, and nature reserves, there’s something for everyone in Sicily.
Here, we’re sharing our itinerary for a week (or more) of road-tripping across Sicily, with our must-see spots, from the best places to visit to the must-try local specialties. Let’s get started!
We visited Sicily as part of our Europe tour. We arrived by ferry from southwestern Italy to explore this island in our van. Since the next leg of our European journey was already planned (taking the ferry from southeastern Italy to Greece), we had less than a week to spend in Sicily, so we had to make choices in our itinerary. Keep in mind that although Sicily is an island, it’s the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, so distances between stops can still be significant (especially considering it’s also a mountainous island).
Here’s our route, with four full days of visits:
It’s easy to extend or shorten this road trip. There are still many more cities and places to discover in Sicily. Originally, we had a much longer list (which we share at the end of this article), but we had to make some tough decisions...
First, let’s talk about how to get to this island.
To visit Sicily, there aren’t many options. You can either:
In our case, during our van tour of Europe, to get to Sicily from Italy with our vehicle, we had no choice but to take the ferry.
We departed from Villa San Giovanni (yes, that’s the name of a town) in southwestern Italy, but we know you can also take the ferry from Salerno, Rome, Naples, and even Genoa in the north, to Messina in northeastern Sicily.
We used the company Caronte & Tourist, but there’s also the company Bluferries offering the same route.
With our van, considered a camper, we paid €110.50 for a round trip. Prices are much lower for cars!
In hindsight (as I’m writing this article), Bluferries seems to offer the same trip for €90, but we didn’t know about it at the time.
For a little anecdote, purchasing the tickets was a bit (or rather very) chaotic. We couldn’t get the tickets online because the Caronte & Tourist website isn’t well optimized, especially on mobile. Since we didn’t want to go through a third-party comparison site, we decided to buy the tickets on-site. However, we forgot that Italians don’t speak a word of English and make no effort to communicate if you don’t speak Italian... So, it was a bit complicated.
When you arrive by road, make sure not to miss the turn to the ticket office. It’s well-indicated, but since it’s laid out oddly (and we were afraid of getting stuck in the wrong area), we made a mistake.
The ticket office is literally the exit from the highway. If you want to cross to Sicily with your vehicle, you need to access the ticket office with your car. Do not leave the highway to park in the town (which is the mistake we made while looking for parking), because if you do, you’ll have to take another lap: get back on the highway and come back to the ticket office exit.
When you arrive at the ticket office, there are older gentlemen who speak French (and practically all languages) acting as “watchers” and who approach you to offer tickets, though they don’t sell the tickets themselves... It’s weird because it feels like a scam, but all they do is tell you to go to the Caronte & Tourist counters (which are visible and literally two meters behind them, so you can clearly find them yourself, but oh well... 😂).
Anyway, they’re “reassuring” because they’re the only ones speaking French, but they don’t serve much purpose, because once at the counter, they leave you to deal with the clerk on your own.
So, we pull up to the counter with the van (like at a toll booth), there’s a sign showing the ferry prices for different vehicle types, but the price the clerk is asking for doesn’t match what’s on the sign. We try to explain and understand, but it’s no use. The French-speaking men have gone to bring other customers, so we can’t even call them back for help translating... So, we’re left alone with an angry clerk who doesn’t make any effort (and insults us, thinking we don’t understand).
Eventually, we used Google Translate and understood that the sign might “not be up to date”... Absurd!
But anyway, we stopped arguing. We were expecting to pay around €60, but in the end, we paid €110.50 round trip for two people and a camper. It’s expensive, but we had no other choice... If we had known, we would’ve done more research ahead of time and:
Sorry for the long anecdote... But it’s important to share the challenges we faced because it could help you avoid making the same mistakes and save some money 😂.
And still on the topic of transportation, if you need to rent a car on-site, it’s easy and we recommend using the platform DiscoverCars. They compare hundreds of companies to offer you the best deals. With them, the price displayed is the final price (no hidden fees), and their rental conditions are unbeatable with unlimited mileage, partial coverage included, and theft protection.
Now that you know how to get to and move around Sicily, let the visits begin.
Here, we’ll introduce you to the cities we visited during our road trip and share our opinions on each, without diving into the details of every place to see. For that, we’ve prepared dedicated articles for each city (if they aren’t published yet, they will be soon—sorry for the delay!), so that each article is more concise and easy to digest. (Yes, we’re thinking of you behind your screen! 😉)
Taormina was the first city we visited in Sicily.
Located 50 km south of Messina, this town nestled in the hills offers entertainment, art, colors, and beautiful views of the Bay of Catania and Mount Etna.
To be honest, Taormina was a true favorite of ours in Sicily. The city is vibrant, colorful, and surprising. We hope you’ll have the chance to visit it and enjoy it as much as we did.
Find out more about visiting Taormina in this article: The Must-Sees of Taormina.
In the southeast of Sicily lies Syracuse. It’s a beautiful city with stunning buildings and a rich historical heritage.
Its peculiarity is that its historic center is located on a small peninsula called the island of Ortygia (or Ortigia). Naturally, it’s quite windy here, so we recommend bringing a light jacket or windbreaker during your visit.
To be honest, we weren’t charmed by this city, and we could have skipped it, but we must admit it was still pleasant to stroll around for a few hours (despite the wind).
Learn more about visiting Syracuse in the article: Discover the City of Syracuse.
Unknown to many when talking about Sicily, Noto is a small baroque village that was also a favorite during our trip. In fact, we love discovering places we’ve never heard of before because it means we don’t have any particular expectations, and we’re less likely to be disappointed.
This town has nothing to envy compared to its more famous counterparts (like Syracuse or Palermo). Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, simply wandering its streets is enough to appreciate its beauty.
Definitely not to be missed if you’re passing through!
Find out more about visiting Noto in the article: Visiting the Stunning City of Noto.
Located more towards the center of the island, you can visit the Villa Romana del Casale. It’s not a city and is a paid visit (€10 full price), but it’s definitely something to see if you’re a fan of Roman history.
The villa is in ruins, but the mosaics that once covered its floors and walls are incredibly well preserved.
We hadn’t planned to visit this place, but added it based on the recommendation of a retired couple.
Simon wasn’t particularly impressed by the visit, but we must admit that the quality of the mosaics is truly outstanding, and for that alone, it’s worth seeing.
Learn more about visiting Villa Romana del Casale in the article: Discover the Ruins of the Villa Romana del Casale.
This city, whose name may remind you of Quebec, is about ten kilometers from Palermo. It’s a small town perched in the hills, offering a beautiful panorama of the surrounding bay. In addition to its location and stunning views of Palermo, Monreale is known for its architecture and its famous cathedral, which features Arab, Norman, and Byzantine influences. Its interior is fascinating and truly worth a visit! Don’t miss it—it would be a shame.
And to think we would have missed this place entirely if we hadn’t met a retired couple at the start of our journey through Sicily... That’s what traveling is about—meeting people!
Learn more about visiting Monreale in the article: Discover Monreale and Its Cathedral.
To wrap up this (quick) tour of Sicily, let’s talk about Palermo. The capital of Sicily, it’s the must-visit city during your stay here.
A diverse city with Arab, Norman, Byzantine, French, and Spanish influences, it’s full of character and treasures.
We loved wandering its streets and being surprised by the magnificent buildings and beautiful facades scattered throughout the city. It’s also here where we sampled some local culinary specialties that we absolutely loved!!
Learn more about visiting Palermo in the article: The Must-Sees of Palermo.
Many activities and guided tours are available in Sicily. Don’t hesitate to check out what GetYourGuide has to offer:
As we mentioned earlier in this article, due to time constraints, we couldn't visit everything we had planned in Sicily. We had to make some tough decisions among the places we had spotted.
Here’s a list of other points of interest on the island, discovered through articles or recommendations gathered along the way.
Unfortunately, we don’t have personal experiences to share with you, but we still wanted to mention them:
We’re wrapping up this article with some culinary specialties. Exploring a country, region, or city (or any place, really) goes beyond visual sights—it also involves tasting the local food! Here are some Sicilian specialties we loved during our trip:
A cannolo (singular), cannoli (plural), or cannolu in Sicilian, is a delicious Sicilian pastry. Rich and undeniably sweet, the cannolo is a crispy fried pastry shell filled with a creamy ricotta filling (which can be flavored with pistachio, hazelnut, chocolate, orange, etc.), often topped with chocolate chips, almonds, or other crushed nuts.
Fun fact: the traditional cannolo is filled with sheep's milk ricotta and just a few chocolate shavings. That’s it!
During our trip, we tried cannoli at:
Sicilian brioche is a soft, round, fluffy bun with a small ball on top, resembling a French religieuse pastry. These brioches are called brioche con il tuppo or brioche col tuppo, named after the chignon hairstyle worn by Sicilian women in the past.
These brioches can be eaten plain, with a granita, or filled with ice cream—known as brioche con il gelato.
It’s surprising and unique, super tasty (and filling), and it’s definitely a change from the usual ice cream cones or cups.
We tried the “brioche con il gelato” at Cannoli&Co, filled with orange and pistachio gelato. A real treat!
Granita is a Sicilian institution. This semi-frozen dessert is enjoyed at any time of day, from breakfast to after coffee or as an afternoon treat. With a smooth texture and a variety of flavors (coffee, lemon, almond, and many more), it's a must-try for anyone visiting the island. Perfect for both kids and adults!
Arancini are an iconic Sicilian street food. These fried rice balls are stuffed with fillings like meat, tomato sauce, peas, and cheese. Arancini are typically round but can also be conical, especially in eastern Sicily. You’ll easily find them while exploring the island, so be sure to give them a try!
Another popular and traditional dish from Sicily is Pasta con le Sarde (Pasta with Sardines). This flavorful recipe blends Arab and Italian influences with fresh sardines, pine nuts, raisins, saffron, and fennel tossed with pasta (typically spaghetti or bucatini).
We had this dish at Casa del Brodo dal Dottore, in Palermo.
Sicily is home to some incredible local produce, including:
We’ve now reached the end of this article, where we’ve shared what we believe to be the unmissable spots and culinary delights of Sicily. We hope it’s been helpful and that it assists you in planning your own journey to this beautiful Italian island. Now it’s your turn to design your trip and enjoy your stay!
And if you’re ready to book your flight to Sicily, just click below:
Feel free to share your experiences and tips in the comments for other travelers! 😉
1. Just so you know, there are discounts on ferry tickets if you do a day trip or a round trip within three days between Sicily and mainland Italy. It’s useful to know, though it’s tough to tour Sicily in under three days! If you don’t qualify for those discounts, you’ll pay full fare, and you have up to 60 days to make your return journey.
2. In Sicily, as in the rest of Italy, there are ZTLs (Limited Traffic Zones) in city centers. Be mindful of where you drive and park, as only certain vehicles are allowed to enter these zones, which are monitored by cameras. Unless you fancy a €200 fine, we advise you to park a little further from the historic centers and walk.
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