A Sicily itinerary from west to east
This route starts in Palermo, crosses the island by way of Trapani, Agrigent and Piazza Armerina, and ends in the southeast near Catania. Fly into Palermo and out of Catania, or the other way round, and ask the car hire company about one-way fees. The main legs of the 7-day version add up to 569 km. Seven days cover the highlights at a steady pace; with ten you can slow down and add the extras.
The east has more guides of its own: Mount Etna, Taormina, Syracuse and Modica, plus Stromboli for the volcanic island. Here you get the route and the driving times, not the full detail of each town.
Day by day at a glance
Driving times are routing estimates for a car, without traffic or stops.
| Day | Overnight | Main stops | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Palermo | Cathedral, Norman Palace, markets, Monreale, day trip to Cefalù | Monreale 16 min, Cefalù 65 min |
| 3 | Trapani | Segesta, Erice, salt pans | 1 h 27 (1 h 33 via Segesta) |
| 4 | Agrigent | Valley of the Temples | 2 h 55 |
| 5 | Catania | Villa Romana del Casale | 1 h 36 and 1 h 33 |
| 6 | Noto | Syracuse and Ortigia, Noto | 55 min and 35 min |
| 7 | Flight home (7-day trip) or Modica | Morning in Noto, then back to the airport or on to Modica | Airport about 1 h 30, Modica 50 min |
| 8 | Catania | Ragusa Ibla and Scicli, then back to Catania | 19 min and 16 min from Modica |
| 9 | Catania | Etna and Catania | – |
| 10 | Flight home | Taormina, then the airport | 45 min, then 54 min |
Our picks along the route
Etna, Taormina and Ortigia on the east side of the island.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Guided summit hike on Mount Etna
A volcano guide, helmet and insurance. The cable car or 4x4 for the higher options costs extra: €54 to 3,000 m, €82 to 3,400 m per adult.
Check availability →
Taormina ancient theatre ticket with audio guide
Priority entry and a multilingual audio app, also in German. No live guide.
Check availability →Ortigia and sea caves boat trip
A guide and skipper, a swim stop and life jackets. Masks can be hired on board.
Check availability →Sicily tours and day trips
Etna excursions, the Valley of the Temples, boat trips and food tours, with live prices and availability.
Days 1 to 7: Palermo to the southeast
The core route.
Day 1 and 2: Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù
Spend a full day in Palermo. The cathedral nave is free (Monday to Saturday, 7 am to 7 pm). The Norman Palace with the Cappella Palatina (the royal chapel) costs €19 in 2026, and the palace is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Monreale is 10 km away, 16 minutes by car. On day 2 take the train to Cefalù: €7.10, 39 to 59 minutes from Palermo Centrale. By road it is 71 km, about 65 minutes. The cathedral's full visit route costs €13. Palermo has a restricted traffic zone (ZTL, Zona a Traffico Limitato), so pick up your car on day 3.
Day 3: Segesta, Trapani and Erice
Palermo to Trapani is 106 km, 1 h 27. Stopping at the Greek temple of Segesta adds only a few minutes: Palermo to Segesta is 76 km (64 minutes), Segesta to Trapani 33 km (29 minutes). Segesta closes at 5 pm from 25 October. In Trapani, the Erice cable car takes 10 minutes and costs €9 one way or €15 return; it is closed from 3 November to 4 December 2026. The salt pans between Trapani and Marsala (29 km, 43 minutes) suit a late afternoon.
Trapani and Erice →Day 4: Agrigent and the Valley of the Temples
The longest drive of the trip: 168 km, 2 h 55. The Valley of the Temples costs €14 in 2026 (€7 for EU citizens aged 18 to 25, under 18 free), plus a €3 exhibition surcharge until 31 October. It opens at 8:30 am and closes at 8 pm, with evening opening from 20 June to 20 September. The Scala dei Turchi (the white cliffs near Realmonte) costs €6 for a 20-minute visit, reserved by email. To break the drive, Selinunte lies between Trapani and Agrigent (78 km and 94 km, 3 h 20 in total).
Valley of the Temples →Day 5: Piazza Armerina to Catania
The Villa Romana del Casale near Piazza Armerina has Roman floor mosaics and is a UNESCO site since 1997. It costs €14 and is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm, last entry 6 pm. Agrigent to Piazza Armerina is 90 km (1 h 36), then 101 km (1 h 33) on to Catania. Skipping the villa and driving straight from Agrigent to Catania takes 159 km, 2 h 05.
Day 6: Syracuse, Ortigia and Noto
Catania to Syracuse is 67 km, 55 minutes by road. Walk Ortigia, the old town on its small island. Then continue 37 km (35 minutes) to Noto for the late baroque cathedral and the streets around it. Sleep in Noto or Syracuse. If you go by public transport, note that buses replace trains between Catania and Syracuse until 12 December 2026, about 2 hours.
Day 7: Back to Catania Airport
Spend the morning in Noto, then drive back via Syracuse (37 km, then 63 km to the airport), roughly 1 h 30 in total. Return the car at the airport and fly out.
Airports and transport →Days 7 to 10: Modica, Etna and Taormina
Three or four extra days in the southeast and east.
Day 7 and 8: Modica, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli
Instead of flying home on day 7, drive from Noto to Modica (37 km, 50 minutes) and sleep there. On day 8 visit Ragusa Ibla, 15 km from Modica (19 minutes), and Scicli, 10 km from Modica (16 minutes), then drive back to Catania for the night. With Noto they belong to the UNESCO group of late baroque towns of the Val di Noto, listed in 2002.
Day 9: Etna and Catania
Use Catania as your base for a day on the volcano and an evening in the city. A guided excursion saves you the mountain driving. Etna has been a UNESCO site since 2013.
Day 10: Taormina
Taormina is 55 km, 45 minutes from Catania. The motorway toll from Taormina to Catania Nord is €1.80 for a car. From Taormina the airport is 70 km, 54 minutes. Pay motorway tolls by card at staffed booths only, so keep some cash.
Variant: the Aeolian Islands
Swap the southeast for the islands.
From Palermo, Milazzo harbour is 198 km (2 h 29) and from Cefalù 135 km (1 h 44). Hydrofoils take about 1 h 05 from Milazzo to Lipari. Leave the car in Milazzo: in 2026, visitors' vehicles may not land on Lipari, Vulcano and Filicudi from 1 June to 30 September, nor on Panarea and Stromboli from 1 May to 31 October. Winter timetables apply from 1 October. See the Aeolian Islands page and check the current timetable before you go.
Getting around on this route
Car, train and tolls.
By car
The route is easiest with a hire car from day 3. Real driving times in summer, in roadworks or on mountain roads often exceed the estimates. On the A18 and A20 motorways, card payment has only worked at staffed toll booths since 8 September 2025. Cefalù to Buonfornello costs €0.90 in tolls.
By train
Palermo to Catania takes 2 h 57 and costs €17.20. Palermo to Agrigent is €11.40, 2 h 04 to 2 h 18. Trapani is poorly served by rail from Palermo (4 h 10 or more with a change), so take a bus.
When to go
May to June and September to October are the most comfortable months for a trip across the island. See weather and best time for the numbers.
Where to sleep
Palermo, Trapani, Agrigent, Catania and Noto are the natural bases. The where to stay page compares the regions.
More on the stops
Guides for the places on this route.
Palermo
The cathedral, the Palatine Chapel, the markets and Monreale above the city.
Valley of the Temples
Greek temples on a ridge above the sea, plus the Scala dei Turchi.
Noto and the baroque towns
Noto, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli in the Val di Noto.
Trapani and Erice
Salt pans, windmills and the cable car up to Erice.
Sicily itinerary: frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for Sicily?
Seven days cover Palermo, the west, Agrigent and the southeast at a steady pace. Ten days let you add Modica, Etna and Taormina, or the Aeolian Islands.
Which is the longest drive?
Trapani to Agrigent: 168 km, about 2 h 55. Palermo to Catania directly is 207 km, 2 h 42.
Can I do this route without a car?
Partly. Palermo, Cefalù, Agrigent and Catania are connected by train (Palermo to Catania is €17.20, 2 h 57), but Trapani and the baroque towns work better with a car or a guided day trip. Buses replace trains between Catania and Syracuse until 12 December 2026.
Where should I fly in and out?
Fly into Palermo and out of Catania to avoid driving back. Palermo Airport is 35 km from the city, 51 minutes by car. Catania Airport is 9 km from the centre, 12 minutes.
What changes in 2026 affect the route?
The €3 surcharge at the Valley of the Temples runs until 31 October, the Erice cable car is closed from 3 November to 4 December, and rail replacement buses run between Catania and Syracuse until 12 December.