Hi folks, I'm currently planning a 31-day trip to Sicily starting in early August and would like some help deciding upon the bases I should use, and the length of time that should be allocated to each. I'll be flying in and out from Palermo and plan to utilise public transport instead of driving, which has been a major factor in putting together the provisional plan I have here.

The list of regions/towns/attractions I am interested in visiting include:
Palermo/Monreale
Trapani/Erice/Egadi Islands
Agrigento/Valle Del Templi
Villa Romana del Casale
Val di Noto Baroque towns - Noto/Ragusa/Modica/Scicli
Syracuse/Ortigia
Catania/Mt. Etna
Taormina
Aeolian Islands
Cefalu

I currently have the following itinerary in place:
Palermo - 5 days
Trapani - 4 days
Agrigento - 3 days
Ortigia- 5 days
Catania - 4 days
Taormina - 3 days
Aeolian Islands - 4 days
Cefalu - 3 days

In order to keep the trip at a slower pace, I would ideally like to make use of a fewer number of bases and make day-trips to towns/points of interest in the surrounding region over doing shorter stays. So far, I am planning upon utilising Palermo and Trapani as bases from which to explore their surrounding regions. I would like to visit Valle dei Templi and am considering making Agrigento a base for a few nights, but am questioning the need for introducing the extra base as, outside of the Scala dei Turchi and maybe a day-trip to Sciacca, I'm not sure there's much in the surrounding area that I would be interested in visiting that is easily accessible via public transport. I understand that Agrigento can be reached in two-hours via public transport from Palermo, so is it still worth staying making Agrigento a base, or could I just make the day-trip to the Valle dei Templi from Palermo?

From my research, the only major city/base that I have under consideration that offers a direct route to Piazza Armerina to visit the Villa Romana del Casale is Catania, with the bus journey taking 1.5 hours each way. Is there a more convenient/alternate base from which to visit the Villa, and could it be visited from Agrigento?

I am planning on staying in Ortigia for one of the legs of the trip, and am wondering if this would make for a suitable base from which to visit the towns of the Val di Noto. Would I be better off introducing a dedicated base in the region itself such as Noto or Ragusa from which to visit the rest of the towns? I see that all of the towns I mentioned above are on the same train line, though the furthest (Ragusa) is over 2 hours on the train from Ortigia. How many days would I need to see the 4 listed (Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Scicli)? If only one or two, then maybe Ortigia would suffice?

On the final leg of my journey, I either plan to travel from the Aeolians to Cefalu to spend the final few days of my trip before flying home from Palermo, or I could rework the itinerary to travel straight to Palermo from the Aeolians and allocate the days I had dedicated to Cefalu elsewhere. Is it worth spending a few days in Cefalu given the provisional allocation of days that I have laid out here or could they be better spent on a longer stay elsewhere? Could and should Cefalu be done as a day-trip from Palermo?

Is this itinerary too ambitious? Would I be better off cutting down the number of bases and travel days involved? How would you reallocate the dispersion of days?

Many thanks!

Nice! IMO, a month is just about ideal for spectacular Sicily!

Must you fly into and out of Palermo? If you can fly into Palermo and out of (say) Catania, or vice versa, it might be more efficient.

In general, I think your allocation of days could be quite reasonable – but it would be very helpful if you would lay your itinerary out by NIGHTS, not days. As currently shown, it’s hard to tell how much time you are actually allowing for each destination. Unless I am very much mistaken, you don’t really have the time you say in each place because you need to get from one place to another, and especially if relying on public transportation, that can take a chunk of time from your transition days.

That said:

· 3 days for Agrigento could be a bit much. But maybe you mean 3 nights? IMO, the Valle dei Templi is among that island’s most stunning treasures, one that easily merits a full – a VERY full -- day. Personally, I would not consider trying to see it as a day trip from anywhere.

· Visiting Noto from Siracusa is very easy. Visiting the other towns of the Val di Noto from Siracusa would be more of a challenge. For Noto, you probably don’t need a full day -- I thought the better part of a day reasonable for that charming town.… but if you can catch it in the light of the setting sun, I don’t think you would regret it!

· I skipped Cefalu (time constraints, not lack of interest), but believe it is an easy trip from Palermo. If you want time at the beach, stay in Cefalu for a while. If your priority is its cathedral (added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites after I visited Sicily), a day trip from Palermo might suffice.

· Do you plan to visit Selinunte or Segesta? They are, IMO, quite remarkable and surprisingly different from Sicily’s other ruins.

Re: order of the trip. Are there any events that catch your interest? For example, I timed my trip (in spring) to ensure that I could see a production at the Greek theater in Siracusa. Awesome! Another consideration: Taormina can be decidedly unpleasant when there are cruise ships in the area. If you can avoid those days, I’d strongly encourage you to do so!

Personally, I don’t think your itinerary too ambitious … but it really depends on your interests and preferences. And if I see it laid out by nights (not days) and with rough estimates of transit times, I might see it a bit differently.

Do you have the Rough Guide to Sicily? When I went, it was by far the best of the guidebooks for that island.

I hope that helps!

A whole month in Sicily, I’m green with envy!

We had a fortnight, flew into Palermo for 6 nights, with a day trip to Monreale. Didn’t have time for anything else, Palermo needed all that time, and more too.

We also considered a day trip to Agrigento, then decided to spend a night there. Wise decision, we trained from Palermo and spent from mid morning to evening at the Valley of Temples. Truly a magnificent site, do make time for the adjacent museum also. The monuments illuminated at dusk adds to the magic, so do stay overnight.

From Agrigento we took two buses to Siracusa, though we actually stayed at Ortygia. Day trip to Noto, where we spent the better part of the day. Unfortunately didn’t make it to the other Baroque towns, nor to Piazza Amarina either.

Our last stop was Catania, IMO sadly underrated. Lots to see and do there, including three amphitheaters and the Duomo St Agatha, built over ancient Roman baths.

We flew our of Catania to Naples, I also suggest this, instead of flying in and out of Palermo. Our trip was in April 2022, the weather was gorgeous, with very few crowds. August will be much warmer and definitely more crowded.

Check the timetables of Sais (local lines, not lines sto continental Italy), Segesta, Etna Trasporti and trenitalia.
Agrigento - Piazza Armerina i a bit tricky.
There is no r egular bus line to the ruins of Segesta.
There are sometimes Cuffaro buses from Calatafmi or Trapani.

Regarding Villa Romana del Casale why don’t you stay in Piazza Armerina instead of bussing it from Catania? Piazza Armerina is really a beautiful place and is really overlooked by most tourists who use it as a pass through instead of staying there. Yes, there is a shuttle bus that runs from Piazza Armerina to Villa Romana. It runs daily, €1.50 o/w, €2.50 r/t.
Villa Romana Shuttle Bus

Sounds excellent!!

There might be a few tweaks you could make. The first thing that stands out is the short time in the Aeolians....only four days, so that's really only relaxed time for one island. You might take away a day from Agrigento or elsewhere and add two days to those islands...always keeping in mind the possibility of ferry cancellations.

I know only Salina, but there alone, I think four days would be the minimum...we loved it so much that after spending about a week in 2023, we returned the following year for a longer stay......I can help if you decide to go there....from what I've read about Scala dev Turchi, and the time needed to get there without a car, you could give that up and add to one of the Aeolians..Lipari, Salina or Vulcano....

I've read some pretty negative things bout crowds and touristic atmosphere in Cefalu...I've been there only once years ago so don't know firsthand, but I'd tend to skip that for more time in the Aeolians... for August on those islands, I would book as soon as possible, like today!!

Also, Ragusa is beautiful at night....and you have no overnights in any of these "Baroque" towns..I'd give the edge to Ragusa here....I don't think you will gain that much from a day trip to Noto in August....onen idea might be to stay in Ragusa, for example and visit Siracusa on a day trip, rather than do the opposite....Ortigia is jam-packed with tourists, or was last year in September so I cannot imagine how bad the crowds will be in August.....and one full day there is plenty of time, I think, plus time for the Siracusa archeological park..... Or stay in a rural hotel with easy transport to Siracusa and to one Baroque town....

I understand the desire to see Taormina, but I don't think you need 3 days there.....it's all about relaxing and wandering around..not really about "sights" except for the Theatre....and it will be so crowded in high summer.....again, I'd stay elsewhere and do a day trip or do one overnight if you have to... See Etna from Catania.

I am another fan of Catania, and you could explore beaches nearer to that city..what you might lose in tranquility you might gain in general atmosphere.....

You have a lot of time, but it will be rushed if you include too many overnights....especially depending on trains and buses...

You probably know this, but Trapani has some really pretty beaches right in the city....it has that unusual combo of great beaches within walking distance of a fascinating and laid-back city....

Hi, thanks for your reply. On second look, I actually did mean nights in the original post. Though since then I have reworked the itinerary a bit:
Arrive in Palermo late: 6 nights - 5 Full days
- 3 Full days for the city itself
- 1 full day for Monreale
- 1 full day for Cefalu
Transit to Trapani - 5 nights TBD (2 hrs transit from Palermo) - 4 full days
- 1 Full day Trapani and Erice
- 1 Full day San Vito lo Capo
- 2 Full days for the Egadis + Segesta (Not sure about the time needed here, could need an extra day)
- (Another potential add-on day to visit Mozia/Salt Flats + Marsala)
Transit to Agrigento - 2 nights (3hrs30mins transit from Trapani) - 1 Full day
- 1 Full day Valle dei Tempi
- Leaving or departure day could visit Scala dei Turchi
Transit to Catania - 5 nights (3hrs from Agrigento) - 4 Full days
- 1 Full day for the city
- 1 Full day for Villa Romana del Casale daytrip
- 1 Full day for Mt. Etna
- 1 Full day for Taormina
Transit to Syracuse - 4 nights (1 hr 30 mins from Catania) - 3 Full days
- 2 Full days for the city + archaeological park
- 1 Full day for Noto
Transit to Ragusa - 3 nights (2hrs transit from Syracuse) - 2 Full days
- 2 Full days split between Ragusa, Modica and Scicli - maybe some time on arrival day (Unsure about time needed here)
Transit to Aeolians - 6 nights (2 hrs to Catania + 2 hrs to Milazzo + 1 hr/ 1hr30 to Lipari/Salina ) - 5 full days
- 5 days either on 1 island (Lipari/Salina) and day trip the others or split my nights between 2 islands
Transit to Palermo (3-4 hrs ferry from Lipari)
- Late evening Flight home

As you can see I've knocked off the Taormina and Cefalu bases since they are visitable from both Catania and Palermo respectively (both 45 mins away from each), and I've added the base in Ragusa to more easily explore the Val di Noto towns (Not sure I fancy the 2 hr each way transit from Syracuse for daytrips), though it feels a bit strange to not be staying in two of the places most frequently talked about online/in guidebooks considering I have so much time, maybe I should revert this.

If you could advise as to how much time would be needed in Trapani to see all the sights listed that would be much appreciated, I feel like I could easily add 2 more nights there given the wealth of things to do around.

Finally as you can see the transit to the Aeolians from Ragusa makes for a really hefty day of travel, but definitely doable given the generous schedules between Ragusa and Catania and Catania and Milazzo. I feel like I have to order the trip in this way due to the lack of connection between Agrigento and the Syracuse/Ragusa region. I can only get to Catania from Agrigento. The only alternative I would have would be to re-order the stops of the trip so that I do the long day of travel to go from Agrigento to Ragusa (3 hrs to Catania then 2 hrs to Ragusa), and then work my way up the coast from Ragusa to Syracuse, then to Catania, then to the Aeolians, but this just puts the long travel day earlier in the itinerary. Given that there's only one connection involved going from Agrigento to Ragusa maybe this would be a better idea.

And yes, I have no alternative but to fly in and out of Palermo, but given the stop in the Aeolians and the direct connection there from Lipari, plus my late flight time on the day of departure, I don't mind this too much

Hi, thanks for your reply, as you can see from my reply to one of the other comments, I decided to increase the time on the Aeolians to 6 nights instead of 4 (this will only be 5 full days due to the fact I'll probably be arriving late on arrival day and leaving early upon departure. Do you think that I should stay all 6 on the one island or split my time between two? I'm thinking of either Lipari or Salina since they seem to be best situated/have the best links for visiting the other islands.

As you can see I've added 3 nights to Ragusa, so along with Syracuse I'll be spending 7 nights total in the southwest region. Judging by your initial comment, you would probably think that that is too much time, though if you could advise as to the time needed to see all of Ragusa, Modica and Scicli that would be appreciated. Maybe I should take some time away from this region and add it to Trapani, as you can see there are quite a few daytrips that I want to take from there (Segesta, Sv lo Capo, the Egadis, Marsala/Mozia, Erice) and I'm not totally sure I've allocated enough time there.

IMO, you’ve tweaked your itinerary nicely! Some additional thoughts:

I must admit that I’d want to be in Palermo the night before my flight, even if the flight is late – but I’m risk adverse. If you decide to stick with this plan, you might want to check the weather forecast in time to switch to a ferry the day before if necessary. In contrast, you could put all your time in Palermo at the end, though it would mean a long arrival day.

If you do visit Palermo first, you might add a day there – there’s a LOT to see there, and if you have jet lag when you arrive, you might appreciate the extra time.

Re: Agrigento. The museum there is, IMO, quite good. I was able to spend some time there after my full day at the Valle dei Tempi; some people would find it difficult to see both the ruins and the museum on the same day.

Re: Mt. Etna – some people want to visit the mountain itself; some want to visit the wineries. I’m not sure which you mean and so just want to alert you to the difference. If you mean the mountain, you might prioritize tours that include the Gole dell’Alcantara.

Re: Taormina. If at all possible, visit on a day when no cruise ships are in port.

I’m sure you’ve done your research and are basing your allocation of time to suit your interests. For me, 5 days in the Aeolians would have been too much. It’s obviously not too much for many people!

Unfortunately, I had to skip Trapani, so can’t offer advice on it. IIRC, I spent about 3 hours at Segesta.

Re: long travel days. I’m not sure it matters, but you might give some thought to how the mode of transportation might affect you. For example, I find that managing a suitcase can be more stressful with a ferry, where I worry about accessing it in a timely way when it’s time to depart. That may be just me! Either way, note that getting to the port in Milazzo from the train station will likely require a taxi, so an extra transition. And I trust you’ve considered special events and whether you would be able to take in (or avoid, as you prefer) by tweaking your timing.

BTW, I’m not sure anyone has mentioned the weather: August can be brutally hot in much of Sicily! Weatherspark.com is an excellent resource for various climate statistics.

Why not Agrigento - Caltanissetta - Piazza Armerina (Villa del Casale) - Gela - Ragusa - Modica - Noto - Siracusa - Catania?

Thanks for your suggestions! The only other thing I am considering tweaking is maybe choosing Taormina as a base instead of Catania. The main reason I chose Catania was because of its transport links, as it allows for day-trips to Villa Romana del Casale and Mt. Etna. Currently I have 5 nights allocated there, with one full day being reserved for Mt. Etna, one for the Villa Romana, one for a Taormina day-trip and one for the city itself. Having found that it is also possible to visit the Villa Romana from Palermo (an extra half hours travel both ways compared to Catania) and that I can use Taormina as a base to see Etna, I am considering spending four nights in Taormina instead with one full day allocated for Taormina itself, one for Etna and one to day trip Catania. I can then allocate the extra night to Palermo to see the Villa Romana. If you have any advice on which would make for a better itinerary that would be great. I understand that Taormina is much more scenic though more expensive (I can still see some reasonably priced accommodations available), and this would allow me to see Taormina after the tourist crowds have left for the day (alongside the ferry-loads like you have mentioned).

I showed you in my post 10 above, how one can vist the places you mentioned without endless backtracking.
But iit's up to you.

When I was in Taormina years ago (2006), it was so crowded that I was physically bruised by people bumping into me, shoving me, and forcing me into walls as they pushed past me. NOT a pleasant experience. The views are magnificent and, IME, more enjoyable after day trippers have left. Still, you couldn't pay me to return.