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Sicily in 8 Days

This route takes you right across Sicily: from the gleaming gold mosaics of Monreale through the alleys of Palermo to temples, Baroque squares and the black volcanic landscape of Mount Etna. The scenery changes constantly, but never the feeling of travelling through the real south. One moment you're standing in cool church interiors, the next by the sea, then among ancient stones in dusty light.

What makes this trip special is the density of contrasts over short distances. Arab-Norman architecture, lively markets, archaeological parks and coastal towns mesh here almost seamlessly.

Who is this trip for?

This trip is ideal for you if you don't want to experience cities, history and landscape separately. The pace is active but not rushed – good for anyone who wants to see a lot and is up for atmospheric old towns, excavations and striking scenery.

What to expect

Expect plenty of walking, some of it over cobblestones, climbs through old towns and longer visits between churches, markets and excavation sites. The rhythm mixes compact city strolls with larger cultural sites and one big nature day on Mount Etna.

Day 1 · Palermo

Gold, Stone and Kings

The trip opens with the Cattedrale di Monreale, plunging you straight into one of Sicily's most impressive worlds of imagery. The mood then shifts abruptly in the Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo, where Palermo shows its darkest, strangest side. With the Palazzo dei Normanni, the day closes on a monumental, regal note, right in the middle of the island's long history of power.

  1. Cattedrale di Monreale
  2. Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo
  3. Palazzo dei Normanni
  4. Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel
  5. Palermo Cathedral
Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo© Sibeaster · Public domain
Catacombe dei Cappuccini di Palermo
Palazzo dei Normanni© Lasterketak · CC BY-SA 4.0
Palazzo dei Normanni
Palermo Cathedral© Julian Lupyan · CC0
Palermo Cathedral

Day 2 · Palermo

Palermo at Street Level

The day begins in the Mercato Ballarò, where Palermo feels loud, dense and immediate. Around the Fontana Pretoria and the Quattro Canti you sense how closely street plan and stage set belong together here. Later your route leads to the Teatro Massimo di Palermo, before the Mercato del Capo brings real everyday life back onto the route.

  1. Mercato Ballarò
  2. Fontana Pretoria
  3. Quattro Canti
  4. Teatro Massimo di Palermo
  5. Mercato del Capo
Fontana Pretoria© Salvatore Ciambra · CC BY-SA 4.0
Fontana Pretoria
Teatro Massimo di Palermo© Holger Uwe Schmitt · CC BY-SA 4.0
Teatro Massimo di Palermo

Day 3 · Agrigento

White Cliffs, Old Town

The day starts bright, windy and wide with the Stair of the Turks – a landscape that instantly sticks in your mind. In the Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Gerlando things turn quieter and more steeped in history. Along the Via Atenea you slip into the rhythm of Agrigento, before the Giardino della Kolymbethra reveals a surprisingly gentle side of the city between greenery and antiquity.

  1. Stair of the Turks
  2. Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Gerlando
  3. Via Atenea
  4. Giardino della Kolymbethra

Day 4 · Agrigento

Temples and the Present

The day spans an unusual arc: at the CULTURAL PARK FARM, Sicily shows its creative, contemporary face. Then the Valley of the Temples opens up – a landscape where history doesn't disappear into a museum but lives on under the open sky. At the Temple of Concordia this presence becomes especially tangible, before the Archaeological Museum "Pietro Griffo" of Agrigento pulls the finds and their context together.

  1. CULTURAL PARK FARM
  2. Valley of the Temples
  3. Temple of Concordia, Agrigento
  4. Archaeological Museum "Pietro Griffo" of Agrigento
CULTURAL PARK FARM© Francesco Lombardi · CC BY-SA 4.0
CULTURAL PARK FARM
Valley of the Temples© Wolfgang Pehlemann · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Valley of the Temples
Temple of Concordia, Agrigento© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0
Temple of Concordia, Agrigento

Day 5 · Syracuse

Nature and Ortigia

The Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari begins the morning with space, water and open horizons. With the Castello Maniace you then move to the tip of Ortigia, where Syracuse feels compact and stony again. At the Arethusa Spring and in the Syracuse Cathedral you find that blend of myth, sea and city that makes the Island of Ortigia so special.

  1. Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari
  2. Castello Maniace
  3. Arethusa Spring
  4. Syracuse Cathedral
  5. Island of Ortigia
Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari© Davide Mauro · CC BY 2.0 it
Riserva naturale orientata Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari
Castello Maniace© Laurel Lodged · CC BY-SA 3.0
Castello Maniace

Day 6 · Syracuse

Ancient Syracuse

At the Temple of Apollo (Apollonion) the day begins with an early chapter of the city's history, right in today's urban fabric. In the Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi, single pieces suddenly become whole eras. Then the Neapolis Archaeological Park leads you straight out to the great sites, with the Ear of Dionysius and The Greek Theatre of Syracuse as an impressive finale.

  1. Temple of Apollo (Apollonion)
  2. Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
  3. Neapolis Archaeological Park
  4. Ear of Dionysius
  5. The Greek Theatre of Syracuse
Temple of Apollo (Apollonion)© Allie_Caulfield · CC BY 2.0
Temple of Apollo (Apollonion)
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi© AbelDionis · CC0
Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi
Ear of Dionysius© Michael Wilson from York, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Ear of Dionysius
The Greek Theatre of Syracuse© fotovideomike from Italia (Michele Ponzio, @michele_ponzio) · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Greek Theatre of Syracuse

Day 7 · Taormina

Taormina with a View

At the Teatro Antico di Taormina you start off with that rare combination of ancient stage and sweeping view. The Villa Comunale di Taormina then feels like a calm interlude with air and greenery above the sea. Later the town condenses around the Piazza IX Aprile and the Corso Umberto, before the climb to the Chiesa della Madonna della Rocca and the Castello di Taormina ends the day with a panorama.

  1. Teatro Antico di Taormina
  2. Villa Comunale di Taormina
  3. Piazza IX Aprile
  4. Corso Umberto
  5. Chiesa della Madonna della Rocca
  6. Castello di Taormina

Day 8 · Catania

From the Volcano to Catania

To finish, Mount Etna delivers a change of scenery that shows Sicily in a completely different light: black, raw and open. Via the Funivia dell'Etna and the Rifugio Sapienza you get close to this immense volcanic world. In Catania the day finally lands back in the heart of the city, at the Fontana dell'Elefante (uʻ Liotru), the Piazza del Duomo and the Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata.

  1. Mount Etna
  2. Funivia dell'Etna
  3. Rifugio Sapienza
  4. Fontana dell'Elefante (uʻ Liotru)
  5. Piazza del Duomo
  6. Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata
Mount Etna© BenAveling · CC BY-SA 4.0
Mount Etna
Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata© Kamares · CC BY-SA 3.0
Basilica Cattedrale di Sant'Agata
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