Things to do in Sicily
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Sicily
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months: warm sea, open sites, manageable crowds.
Very hot inland, packed beaches, peak prices; book everything.
Harvest and quiet; still swimmable early on.
Mild, cheap, empty; cities work, beach towns sleep.
Easter processions fill the baroque towns; book ahead.
What's on
- Festa di Sant'Agata 3-5 February
Catania's enormous religious festival.
- Infiorata di Noto May
The flower-petal street carpet.
- Taormina Arte summer
Concerts and opera in the Greek Theatre.
Best things to do in Sicily
Valley of the Temples
The best-preserved Greek temples anywhere; opening or sunset only.
Ballarò Market
Palermo's essence: shouting vendors, panelle, swordfish; mornings.
Palatine Chapel
Byzantine mosaics over Arab ceilings; Sicily's great interior.
Greek Theatre of Taormina
The ancient theatre with Etna and the sea as the backdrop.
Ortigia
Syracuse's island old town; Duomo, fountain, dusk passeggiata.
Mount Etna
Europe's most active volcano; weather decides the day.
Noto
Honey-coloured baroque at golden hour; the Val di Noto showcase.
Cefalù
Norman mosaics above a sandy beach; 45 minutes from Palermo.
Where to stay in Sicily
Palermo
city, food and the west
Markets, the chapel, Cefalù and Monreale in reach; no car needed in the city.
Taormina
views, luxury and Etna
Cliff-top town and the island's grandest hotels; pricey in season.
Syracuse and Ortigia
history and evenings
The Duomo and the waterfront; calmer and more authentic than Taormina.
Val di Noto
baroque and food
Modica chocolate, Noto granita, vineyard country; you need a car.
Cefalù
beach plus town
Sandy beach below the cathedral; an easy train from Palermo.
Trapani and the west
salt pans, Erice and the Egadis
The quieter corner; you need a car.
Think twice about
- Catania station and market blocks at night
Rough around the edges after dark. Stay on Via Etnea or in the centre instead.
- One base for the whole island
Sicily is too big; Palermo-to-Syracuse day trips waste the holiday. Split west and east.
- A far-flung beach resort in shoulder season
The big south-coast resorts shut facilities outside summer; check what is open.
Best restaurants in Sicily
Osteria Ballarò
Slow-food Sicilian cooking in the old stables; book it.
I Pupi
Starred cooking playing with street food; the special night.
La Capinera
Starred fine dining over the Ionian Sea; closed Mondays.
Ristorante Rosmarino
Family Sicilian cooking and Etna wines without tasting-menu prices.
Osteria Santa Domenica
Central osteria by the theatre; panelle and local wines.
Osteria Antica Marina
The Catania seafood lunch off the morning's boats.
Caffè Sicilia
The granita people detour for; almond, coffee, lemon.
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto
Cold-worked chocolate since the 19th century; taste the spiced bars.
Best bars in Sicily
Etna wine country
Contrada wineries on the volcanic slopes; book the tastings.
Outdoor things to do in Sicily
Vulcano
Mud baths and a crater climb; hydrofoil from Milazzo.
Zingaro Nature Reserve
Coastal path to foot-only coves; bring water, no shade.
Scala dei Turchi
White marl cliffs like a staircase; check access rules first.
Vendicari Nature Reserve
Flamingos, empty beaches and the old tonnara at the trail's end.
Best hotels in Sicily
Grand Hotel et Des Palmes
Belle Époque icon by the Teatro Massimo.
NH Collection Palazzo Sitano
18th-century palace turned design hotel near the sea.
Grand Hotel Piazza Borsa
Cloistered courtyards by the Quattro Canti.
Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo
The terrace facing the Greek Theatre; Taormina's grand hotel.
Hotel Villa Taormina
Gardens and rooftop hot tub, minutes from Corso Umberto.
Hotel Continental
Panoramic bar and shuttle to Isola Bella beach.
Grand Hotel des Etrangers
The Ortigia classic on the waterfront.
Hotel Henry's House
Design rooms in the Ortigia old town.
Is Sicily expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €75 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €170 a person |
| Splurge | €380 a person |
| No limits | €800 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Valley of the Temples: a few days ahead
- Palatine Chapel: weeks ahead
- Greek Theatre of Taormina: a few days ahead
- Etna wine country: a few days ahead
- Mount Etna: a few days ahead
- Vulcano: a few days ahead
- Grand Hotel et Des Palmes: weeks ahead
- Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo: weeks ahead
- Palatine Chapel tickets, Etna summit guides and August hydrofoils: book ahead.
- I Pupi and La Capinera: book the starred dinners with your dates.
- Taormina hotels in July and August sell out months ahead.
Is Sicily safe?
- Petty theft in Palermo and Catania markets and stations; car break-ins at isolated viewpoints. Emergency number 112.
Sicily travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Godfather bus tours; Corleone's anti-mafia museum is real, the film-set circuit is not.
- Taormina restaurant touts on Corso Umberto; eat one street off.
- Etna summit tickets: check what is actually included before paying.
Getting around Sicily: public transport and more
- Split the island: Palermo airport for the west, Catania for the east.
- A car is essential outside the two big cities; book ahead in summer.
- Palermo to Cefalù is an easy train; the rest is car or bus.
- ZTL zones in the old towns: park outside and walk in.
Who Sicily suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Sicily your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store