Sicily

When to go

What to see

Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, 90-120 min. Entry €13.50. Book online to skip the ticket queue. Visit at late afternoon for golden light. Skip the museum unless you love broken pottery.

Cappella Palatina, Palermo, 30-45 min. Entry €15 (combined ticket with Palazzo dei Normanni). Book online. The mosaics will floor you. Go right when it opens at 8:30 to avoid tour groups.

Greek Theatre, Taormina, 45-60 min. Entry €13. The view of Etna is the real draw. Come at 4pm for soft light. Skip the tacky tourist shops on Corso Umberto.

Mount Etna, Half day. Guided jeep tour from Rifugio Sapienza costs about €65. You can also take the cable car (€50 round trip) and walk the craters yourself. Bring a jacket, it's cold at 2900m even in summer.

Noto Baroque Old Town, Free to wander. Chiesa di San Domenico and Cathedral are the standouts. Arrive by 9am before coach groups fill the streets. Do not bother with the official guided tour.

Syracuse: Ortigia and Archaeological Park, Full day. Park entry €13.50. Ortigia is free. The Ear of Dionysius is a ten-minute stop. The Duomo square is worth an hour. Eat lunch at a market stall on Via Trento.

Selinunte, 60-90 min. Entry €9. Far less crowded than Agrigento. You can walk among fallen columns with nobody around. Go in the late afternoon for fewer people.

3-day itinerary

Day 1: Palermo

9:00, Cappella Palatina (booked ahead). 10:00, Walk through Piazza Pretoria for the fountain. 10:30 to 12:30, Mercato Ballarò. Taste panelle, arancine, fresh squid. 13:00, Lunch at Trattoria al Vecchio Forno (pasta with sardines, €14). 15:00, Cattedrale di Palermo (€13 rooftop tour, skip the interior). 17:00, Catacombe dei Cappuccini (€3.50, eerie mummies). 20:00, Dinner in Vucciria market area but do not eat at the tourist-trap stalls. Go to Osteria dei Vespri for better food.

Day 2: Valley of the Temples and Agrigento

8:00, Train from Palermo to Agrigento (2h, €13). 10:30, Valley of the Temples (booked). 13:00, Lunch in Agrigento centro at La Corte dei Sospiri. 14:30, Scala dei Turchi (white cliff, free, 20 min walk from parking). 16:00, Bus back to Palermo or stay overnight.

Day 3: Syracuse and Ortigia

9:00, Train Palermo to Syracuse (3h15, €22). 12:30, Archaeological Park. 14:00, Walk to Ortigia over the bridge. 14:30, Lunch at Caseificio Borderi (massive sandwich, €8). 15:30, Duomo and Arethusa Spring. 17:00, Aperitivo on the seafront. 19:00, Train back to Palermo or onward.

Where to stay

Getting around

Trains work well on the main lines: Palermo to Messina (3h, €15), Palermo to Agrigento (2h, €13), Syracuse to Catania (1h, €9). Regional trains are slow but cheap. Avoid renting a car in Palermo or Catania city centers. Parking is a nightmare and ZTL zones will cost you fines. Rent outside the city for ruins and villages. Buses are for connections trains skip: Palermo to Trapani by bus is faster than train. Do not take a taxi from Catania airport to Taormina (€80). Take the Alibus to Catania Centrale (€4) then train to Taormina (€7).

Budget

Mistakes to avoid

Do not eat at a restaurant with photos of the food on the menu. That is for tourists. Sicilian granita in summer is not a smoothie. It is crushed ice with flavor. Eat it for breakfast with a brioche. Do not order cappuccino after 11am. The barista will serve it but judge you. Do not drive in Palermo. You will get stuck in ZTL zones and fines take months to arrive. Avoid the bus to the top of Etna in July (queues of 45 minutes). Go at 8am instead. Do not buy the Palermo City Pass. It is overpriced and the included buses are unreliable. Do not think you can see Sicily in 5 days. You cannot. Focus on one region per trip. Do not assume card payment works in small towns. Carry €100 in cash.