What To Do In Sicily For A Week- Get lost in Sicily’s beautiful, sun-kissed scenery and rich cultural tapestry. A week there will turn into a wonderful adventure just waiting to be found. Great food, beautiful scenery, and a long past all come together beautifully on this beautiful island in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Start your seven-day trip by exploring the historical sites of Palermo, the main city. Take a stroll through the busy markets of Ballar and Vucciria and get lost in the physical pleasures of Sicily’s street life. Explore the beautiful Valley of the Temples near Agrigento. It is home to Greek ruins that show Sicily’s long past. The UNESCO has named the Valley of the Temples a World Heritage Site.
Enjoy the delicious foods of Sicily, like cannoli, arancini, and fresh fish, as you stroll through the pretty seaside towns. Travel slowly to Mount Etna, which is Europe’s tallest and most active volcano. While you’re there, enjoy some of the area’s famous wines and be amazed by its beauty.
At the end of the week, take it easy on one of the beautiful beaches in Taormina or in the clear water around the Aeolian Islands. Sicily is one of Italy’s most beautiful places to visit, and a week there promises delicious food, culture immersion, and one-of-a-kind experiences.
Day Sicily Itinerary
Are you planning to stay in Sicily for seven days? That was a good choice. The largest island in Italy is one of the most interesting and varied places to visit in the Mediterranean. To fit it all in, there are famous archaeological sites, small, pretty towns, stunning coastlines, old volcanoes, and some of the best food and wine in the world. Plum Guide’s experts carefully put together these top seven-day plans for Sicily to help you get the most out of your week-long trip to explore the island.
Day One: Explore Palermo
It’s best to start your seven-day trip in Palermo, Sicily’s beautiful main city. If you like taking walks through towns in medieval Europe, you’ll love the maze of narrow streets that connect hidden squares and beautiful buildings. Take advantage of the Norman Palace, the Palermo Cathedral from the 1100s, or Quattro Canti, which has waterfalls that are just the right size. The oldest church in Italy, Cattedrale di Monreale, is just outside of the city.
If you’re looking for something artistic to do, the Massimo Theater is the best place to go for an opera night because of how well it sounds. There are, of course, a lot of art galleries and museums.
Enjoy the views in Taormina
For very good reasons, Taormina has become the place that Italians want to go in the summer. This resort town sits on top of a hill with a wide view of the Mediterranean coast. All year long, symphonies, operas, ballets, plays, musicals, and music events take place there. It has been doing this for hundreds of years, ever since the third century, when its old Greek and Roman theater, the Teatro Antico di Taormina, was built. On a clear day, Taormina is one of the most beautiful places in Italy when Mount Etna rises above these old ruins.
By the third day of your trip, you’ll know your way around the cute streets and interesting buildings. In Taormina, too, you can walk along Corso Umberto and find a lot of shops and places to eat outside. People love taking pictures in Piazza IX Aprile because it has many decks and squares with beautiful views of the sea. By taking the cable car, you can quickly get to the beach and enjoy an exciting trip there. If you have time, go to Isola Bella, a small island off the coast where you can swim, fish, kayak, and stand-up paddleboard.
Climb Mount Etna
What kind of Sicilian plan would allow them to miss this? One of the most famous volcanoes in Europe and one of the most active in the world is Mount Etna, which stands tall and covers large parts of the island. Still, even though a lot is going on all the time, it is easy to explore and visit. You can really test your hiking skills by going to the hill 3,300 meters above the Mediterranean, which is reached by a number of different trails. Along the way, you’ll see lunar-like landscapes with craters, old lava flows, and hot thermal springs that will make you feel like you’re in another world. If you choose to do it by yourself, be ready for a tough climb and strange things to happen. You could also get a tour guide.
Let us know if all of this sounds like a nightmare. You’ll be glad to know that there is a cable car and a narrow-gauge train that can take you up the mountain without making you work hard. You should take some pictures and try not to throw up from the sulfur fumes. Then come back in about an hour. For the best weather and sights, we suggest going between May and September. On the other hand, Mount Etna is a great place to visit, even in the winter, because you can ski and sled down some of the hills.
Admire the architecture in Catania
Mount Etna casts a shade over Catania, which is Sicily’s second-largest harbor city and an old city. Because of its location, the city center has had to go through many fixes because of the volcano. This has created a patchwork of ornate historical architecture. People in Catania have built on top of, inside, and around the cooled lava streams to create a unique and interesting style of architecture known as “The Ebony Baroque of Catania.” In the Piazza Duomo, you can see the large cathedral and a lava pachyderm, which is a sculpture made of cooled lava with an Egyptian obelisk on top of it. As the symbol of the city, this pachyderm is thought to bring luck to the area.
The impressive Ursino Fortress from the 1300s and the second-largest Benedictine abbey in Europe, Monastero Dei Benedettini, are great places to learn about the area’s past. Stopping at the famous fish market La Pescheria is a fun (if a little stinky) thing to do that is well worth your time. There are many fish restaurants nearby where you can enjoy fresh Mediterranean food that was caught that morning.
Step back in time in Agrigento
The last stop on our ultimate Sicily schedule is a beautiful day in the Valley of the Sanctuaries, which is just outside of Agrigento. It is one of the most famous tourist spots in Sicily and the world’s largest archaeological site. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Still, it’s not really a surprise, given how well some of these Hellenic bones have been preserved. There are many buildings to see, but the most beautiful is the Doric Temple of Harmony, which was built around 500 BC.
Plan to spend an hour or two in the nearby town of Agrigento, even though the valley (more of a mountain) has some beautiful views. There are many trattorias and bars in this medieval city, and you can always take a stroll through the small streets that wind between beautiful churches and old homes. The Cathedral of San Gerlando is very interesting because it has elements of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Arab-Norman architecture. If you want to learn more about history, the Pietro Griffo Archaeological Museum has about 5,000 artifacts that were found in the Valley of the Sanctuaries. Food lovers should go to the weekly market every Friday to try some authentic Sicilian treats.
Is 1 week enough for Sicily?
A one-week trip to Sicily is the perfect amount of time to see some of the island’s highlights, but it will be impossible to see and do everything that this diverse island has to offer.
Wonderful choice! Sicily is a great place to spend a week in the sun without spending a lot of money. Enjoy beautiful beaches, breathtaking views, and a lot of archaeological gems; on top of all that, Italian food is known for being very tasty.
I’ve made a detailed plan for your week-long trip to Sicily to help you make plans and make sure you get everything!
In addition to showing you the best sights and places you have to see, I’ll also give you advice on where to stay that won’t break the bank. Planning a trip to Sicily for six, seven, or eight days will be as easy as 1, 2, and 3.
It is only possible to see some things in Sicily in one week; you need two weeks. That is why this plan focuses on the East Coast of Sicily. I also put together a 10-day plan for the west coast of Sicily, which you can read about here: How to Spend 10 Days in Sicily (West Coast). It can also be cut down to one week.
How many days do you need in Sicily?
Sicily in 10-14 Days
If you are short on time but want to circumnavigate the island, it is possible to squeeze it into 10 days, but you will have to cut at least a few activities from our recommended 14-day itinerary or sacrifice some of the built-in downtime.
How long you stay on vacation in Sicily depends on how much you want to see and which places you want to see. It’s not possible to see everything Sicily has to offer in just a few days, but a seven-day trip is a good place to start. A lot can be done during this period, from visiting important historical places to enjoying beautiful scenery and delicious food.
If you’d rather take things more slowly, staying an extra ten days will let you see more of both Sicily’s east and west coasts, as each has its sights and charms. This long trip gives you plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful culture, relax on the beautiful beaches, and savor the delicious food in Sicily without feeling rushed.
Finally, people who only have a little time can still have a good time in Sicily by planning a 4-5 day trip that focuses on certain places or themes that interest them. Sicily has a lot to offer for a long or short stay. From the architectural wonders of Taormina to the historical wonders of Palermo to the archeological wonders of Syracuse, there is something for everyone.
Is Sicily cheap or expensive?
Sicily is a very cheap place, but it depends if you want to live in bigger cities like Palermo or Catania, or in smaller places. In big cities, life is a little less expensive than other Italy’s ones.
Sicily is a great place to go on vacation. It has a wonderful mix of stunning natural scenery, delicious food, interesting historical sites, and fun things to do that will make your trip memorable. There are a lot of Sicily guides on this page. One thing to think about is how much it costs to visit Sicily. Take a look:
In general, Sicily is a cheap place to visit. Most hotels cost around €109 per night, while most vacation homes cost around €128 per night. A typical dinner with coffee and a drink costs about €14, while a dish with meat costs about €18. Public transportation in cities costs €2, but it can cost up to €23 to drive across the country.
You can still save money on lodging, especially during slow seasons when not as many people are traveling. When it’s busy, stay away from places like Taormina, which are full of tourists and where food and lodging are more expensive.
Should I go to Catania or Palermo?
Palermo and Catania each have a unique charm that makes them both worth visiting. If you have to pick only one, we suggest Palermo for those who want to roam around picturesque streets and delve into history and art, and Catania for those who are inclined towards hiking and discovering a culture influenced by nature.
You might have to choose between Palermo and Catania if you want to go to Sicily but need more time. You should try to find a way to see both of these big towns on the Italian island, but sometimes that’s not possible.
Both towns are great places to visit and have a lot to offer, but they offer different things. Palermo and Catania are also interesting places to visit on their own, with their main streets, delicious local food, and interesting places to visit.
Palermo is a better place to stay if you want to see more of Western Sicily because it has more tourist attractions and shops to check out. Catania, on the other hand, has fewer tourists and is a better place to start trips to Etna and Eastern Sicily.
The choice of where to go, however, comes with a lot more to learn. There are two big cities in Sicily that you might want to visit, but you need to know which one. This guide will help you choose between Palermo and Catania. Although there is a good option, there are other things to think about when picking between the two.
Which side of Sicily is better?
I, for one, prefer the east side. It’s a little bit less “Sicilian,” i.e., a little bit better organized. Nor — unless you spend all your time in Taormina — is it more touristed. Siracusa (the old part on the island of Ortygia) is a gem; the Baroque towns of Noto and Ragusa are lovely to visit.
Sicily is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula. The Strait of Messina divides it from the peninsula. It has three seas around it: the Tyrrhenian, the Mediterranean, and the Ionian. Surprisingly, its southernmost island is only 113 kilometers from Tunisia. Sicily is its world, even though African and European nations surround it. It’s not a surprise. A town that is different from the rest of Italy not only because it is by the sea but also because it has a long history of cultural and historical ties. But after going to Sicily, I learned that it is also a very important part of Italy.
Max, my husband, and I get to Catania in eastern Sicily on a warm spring afternoon. Catania is the ninth biggest city in Italy—the smoke-filled shape of Etna in the background. At first, Sicily seems like a tough sell: the ugly edges, industrial parks, and bad roads around Catania. But don’t make your nose look funny. There are times when first opinions are wrong. The more we go into its “old town,” the scenery changes. Inspired by the earthquake of 1693, the beautiful late-baroque building grows right in front of my eyes. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Then, we head north to Cefalu, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. Cefalu is a beautiful town that is about 70 kilometers from Palermo, which is Greece’s capital. A long, sandy beach goes on for miles away from a medieval town that was built under a huge granite rock.
Sicily is a wonderful place to spend a week because it has a lot of history, culture, and natural beauty. Palermo is a great place to start your trip because it has antique markets, beautiful churches, and the famous Norman Palace. Leave for Agrigento to see the beautiful Valley of the Temples, which is proof of Greek culture from long ago. Enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of Taormina, which is on a hill with a view of the sea, and check out the perfectly kept old amphitheater.
Enjoy the island’s delicious foods, from arancini in Catania to cannoli in Syracuse. Each dish is a fiery tribute to Sicily’s rich culinary history. Take it easy on Cefalù’s beautiful beaches and enjoy the lively scene by the water. Dive into the interesting world of Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, which offers thrilling hiking and stunning views.
Discover how beautiful the Aeolian Islands are, with their clear waters and cute little towns. In the historic city of Siracusa, you can end your trip to Sicily. This city has a lot of different styles, from ancient ruins to more modern buildings. A week in Sicily is like a mosaic of encounters that make you remember a fascinating trip around this island paradise for a long time.
