As the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has plenty to offer travelers: sun-soaked beaches, enthralling archeological sites and a food scene that will keep you full as you travel across this beautiful land. The hardest part will be choosing where to go and what to do. 

The first step is picking the best time to visit Sicily, and then picking a route. Here are three itineraries, ranging from five days to one week, that will show off the best of this magnificent island. Extend these itineraries by adding extra days at various stops, or combine them to build your perfect trip. Whatever you choose, the time you spend in Sicily will astound you. 

1. The highlights of Sicily: a week-long itinerary 

7-day itinerary
Distance: 755km (469 miles)

This circular grand tour takes you from the Byzantine mosaics, Arabesque domes and frescoed cupolas of urban Palermo to ancient Greek temples by the sea, beautiful baroque hill towns and magnificent Mt Etna. Feasting exceedingly well on traditional and modern Sicilian cuisine is unavoidable.

Palermo: 1 day

Start in Palermo, exploring its monumental cathedral, royal palace and churches glittering with Byzantine mosaics. Between blockbuster sights, wander vibrant street markets, art-plastered backstreets and pedestrian lanes specked with artisan boutiques.

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Detour: Catch a bus to the hilltop Monreale to be dazzled by shimmering-gold Byzantine mosaics and palatial sea views in its UNESCO-listed Norman cathedral. 

Next stop: Drive 2 hours from Palermo to Agrigento. 

Agrigento: 1 day 

From Agrigento spend the day uncovering Sicily’s most enthralling archaeological site at Valley of the Temples, then return to town for an old-town meander (don’t miss Monastero di Santo Spirito with its hidden bakery) and dinner.

Detour: When leaving Palermo, ancient Greece aficionados could explore remarkably well-preserved Greek temples at Segesta and Selinunte (add 1 day).

Next stop: Drive 3 hours from Agrigento to Syracuse. 

Syracuse: 1 day 

Split your time in Syracuse between the ancient island city of Ortigia, with oysters at the market for lunch, and the Parco Archeologico’s vast classical ruins. Potter along the coast towards Noto for a sunset swim.

Detour: Cherry-pick a showpiece baroque town in Val di Noto; Scicli is the most relaxed place to stay if adding an overnight (add 1 day). 

Next stop: Drive 1 hour from Syracuse to Catania. 

Catania: 2 days

Continue up the coast to Catania, Sicily’s second-largest city. Its UNESCO-listed old town and baroque piazzas, stucco-stitched churches, Roman ruins and raucous fish market make light work of a couple of days. Dining is also sensational. Navigating the volcanic slopes of Mt Etna with a mash-up of cable car, 4WD and walking ticks off another day.

Next stop: Drive 45 minutes from Catania to Taormina. 

Taormina: 1 day 

Take your foot off the pedal in the super-chic resort town of Taormina. Chill atop clifftops with breathless Mt Etna views, meander old-world alleys, sea dip, scoff cannolo and catch a moonlit theatre performance in the town’s spectacular Greek theatre.

Detour: Break from driving with a narrow-gauge train tour of Etna’s prestigious vineyards; hop aboard in Riposto (add 1 day). 

Next stop: Drive 2½ hours from Taormina to Cefalù. 

Cefalù: 1 day 

Loop back to Palermo along the beach-laced Tyrrhenian Coast. Spend the day en route in Cefalù where Sicily’s finest stretch of powder-soft gold sand and UNESCO-prized 12th-century cathedral vie for your attention.

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Detour: En route to Palermo, dose up on green mountain splendor and hilltop castles in the Madonie peaks; Caccamo is an excellent starting point (3 hours).

Next stop: Drive 1 hour back to Palermo. 

2. See volcanic Sicily: a 5-day Sicily itinerary 

5-day itinerary
Distance: 185km (115 miles) 

Sicily’s active volcanoes – Mt Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano – form the dramatic backdrop to this tour of northeastern Sicily. Lovers of the great outdoors will enjoy the walks and outdoor action inspired by the three smoldering peaks, but there are ample opportunities for serene admiring from afar, too.

Catania: 1 day 

From Catania, a city built from lava from the volcanic eruption of 1669, hike up Mt Etna. To appreciate the size of this brooding mountain – at 3326m, Italy’s highest mountain south of the Alps – admire it from the rooftop of Catania’s Chiesa della Badia di Sant’Agata.

Detour: If you have wheels, dip or canyon in the icy waters of Gole dell’Alcantara, lava gorges formed over millennia by Etna (5 hours).

Next stop: Take a 35-minute to 1-hour train from Catania to Riviera Dei Ciclopi. 

Riviera Dei Ciclopi: half⁠-day

Dizzying cliffs and towering black rocks rising out of the sea – solidified lava – bear witness to past volcanic activity along the coast here. Take it all in from the seaside resort Taormina. Its Teatro Greco, suspended between sea and sky with Mt Etna looming on the southern horizon, is the world’s most dramatically situated Greek theatre.

Next stop: Take a 4-hour bus and a boat trip to get from Riviera Dei Ciclopi to Lipari. 

Lipari: half⁠-day

Arriving by hydrofoil from port town Milazzo, explore the Aeolian’s largest island Lipari. Learn about the archipelago’s fiery history, geology and volcanology at Lipari town’s top-notch Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano inside castle walls, and shop for artisan jewelry set with jet-black obsidian (volcanic glass formed by solidifying magma) and crafted in gold smelted in lava rock.

Detour: Island-hop to the Aeolian’s most verdant island, Salina whose twin extinct volcanoes are among the Aeolians’ highest peaks (add 1 day). 

Next stop: Take a 1-hour-and-45-minute boat from Lipari to Stromboli.

Stromboli: 2 days

Walking up the black slopes of Stromboli’s active volcano to watch its nightly eruptions light up the night sky is a once-in-a-lifetime must. Reserve your guided sunset hike to 400m in advance. Spend the day exploring the island’s black-sand beaches. The second day, hike around Ginostra – take a picnic – and savor the island’s alfresco drinking, dining and movie scenes after dark.

Next stop: Take a 1½ to 2½-hour boat from Stromboli to Vulcano. 

Vulcano: 1 day

Stromboli’s little sister, likewise presided over by an active volcano, is worth exploring. From sulfurous fumes that hit you on arrival to the visibly smoking crater which you can see from almost every point, Vulcano is a fascinating window into daily life beside a volcano. Walk up the volcano and view it from the shoreline, while on a stand-up paddleboard.

3. Gourmet trails: a 5-day Sicily itinerary 

5-day itinerary
Distance: 435km (270 miles) 

From a lard-dripping offal sandwich on a noisy market street to a white-tablecloth dinner on an elegant terrace looking out to sea, foodie experiences know no bounds in epicurean Sicily. This culinary sampler covers the full spectrum of island cuisine and its fine wines.

Marsala: 1 day

Graceful, palazzi-strewn Marsala is a charming viticultural town. Tour cellars and taste the world-famous wine at Cantine Florio; meet winegrowers at Palazzo Fici; dine on stunning food-wine pairings at Ciacco Putia Gourmet.

Detour: Drive or cycle the Via del Sal (Salt Road; between Marsala and Trapani), lingering at Saline Ettore e Infersa to learn about salt production on a salt pan tour (5 hours).

Next stop: Drive 40 minutes from Marsala to Trapani. 

Trapani: 1 day

Trapani’s position on the sea route to Tunisia has made couscous the signature dish of this tempting port town. Explore its old town, learn about tuna and coral fishing, feast on couscous at a Slow Food-endorsed trattoria.

Detour: Whizz up to hilltop village Erice for coffee and cakes in a secret garden at Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico (5 hours).

Next stop: Drive 1½ hours from Trapani to Palermo.  

Palermo: 1 day

Diving into the souk-esque torrent of fresh produce and aromas at Palermo’s open-air food markets is gourmet heaven. Eat your way around this epicurean heavyweight. Flit from heirloom pushcart and trattoria to African lounge bar and community garden. Learn how to cook with a duchess, eat marzipan fruits, scoff a spleen-and-lung bun and drink an aperitivo on a rooftop.

Next stop: Drive 1½ hours from Palermo to Petralia Sorpana. 

Petralia Soprana: half⁠-day

Head east, skirting the Madonie and Nebrodi mountains. Sample local black pork, fresh ricotta, pecorino, mushrooms, hazelnuts, locally foraged herbs and other fruits of the earth in traditional trattoria kitchens like Da Salvatore in the pretty hill town of Petralia Soprana.

Detour: Go mad over forest mushrooms and wild boar in Castelbuono (5 hours).

Next stop: Drive 2 hours from Catania to Petralia Soprana.

Catania: 1 day

Eat your way around Sicily’s second-largest city, kicking off with its rowdy, chaotic fish market La Pescheria. Break over a refreshing Seltz limone e sale (fresh lemon juice and sparkling water) with locals at a traditional chiosco (street kiosk), snack on artisan arancini and lunch on Catania’s signature pasta dish, pasta alla norma, in an urban trattoria.

Next stop: Take a 40-minute train ride from Catania to Bronte. 

Bronte: half⁠-day

Enjoy a scenic train ride, past acres of nut groves and vineyards on the western flanks of Mt Etna, to Bronte. Visit a farm and feast on Sicilian “green gold” in the small town, famous throughout Italy for its pistachios, grown on the lava soil and harvested by hand every two years. Don’t miss the different pistachio-flavored gelato at Pasticceria Fratelli Gangi.