Sicily Itinerary: 12 Days From Palermo to Catania
Sicily Itinerary: Palermo, Aeolian Islands, Catania, and More
June 2023
This was a solo international vacation, so I did a ton of planning to create my Sicily itinerary, and it was all worth it for a surprisingly easy adventure!
So where did I go? What did I do?
Sicily is a really large island, so there’s so much still to see. But with the time I had and my unwillingness to rent a car (as a solo traveler who doesn’t speak/read Italian), I was happy with the ground that I covered and all the amazing food I ate, people I met, and the experiences I had. It was an amazing trip that I’d totally recommend!
Here’s an overview of my itinerary, restaurants I ate at, and activities that I booked. Also check out my Sicily Travel Tips for all sorts of tips and tricks!
| Day | Morning Start | Night Stay | Timeline/Itinerary | Food/Activities |
| 1 | Palermo | Palermo | 10:30am Arrive PMO Take Palermo Airport Bus (Prestia e Comande) to town (~50 min to Palermo Centrale Station) Check into hotel Walk around town | Bakery: I Segreti del Chiostro Pizza: BIGA |
| 2 | Palermo | Palermo | 10:30am Street Food Tour | Streaty Street Food Tour |
| 3 | Palermo | Cefalu | Train from Palermo Centrale to Cefalu Leave luggage at hotel Lunch Walk around historic area Hike up to La Rocca | Hike up La Rocca Historical landmark: Castello di Cefalu Dinner: Tatiana Melfa Bakery |
| 4 | Cefalu | Malfa, Salina | Check out of hotel 9:13 am Train from Cefalu to Milazzo 12:30 pm Ferry (Liberty Lines) to Santa Marina Salina Citi bus to San Lorenzo/Malfa stop Walk around Malfa/beach | Beach: Spiaggia dello Scario |
| 5 | Malfa | Malfa | Get food for hike 9am Hike up Monte Fossa Citi bus to Lingua town for lunch, beach | Snacks: Pasticceria Barrano Hike up Monte Fosse Felci Lunch/Granita: Da Alfredo Granita: Il Gambero |
| 6 | Malfa | Stromboli | Check out of B&B Citi bus to Santa Marina Salina 11:30am Ferry to Stromboli Walk around town, get food 5/5:30pm meet for Volcano tour | Ashara Tour: Sunset Trekking at Sciara Del Fuoco Food: Bar Ingrid |
| 7 | Stromboli | Messina | Check out of B&B 8:45am Ferry from Stromboli to Messina Taxi to Torre Faro | |
| 8 | Messina | Messina | Swim prep | Casual food/pizza/granita: Ritrovo Donato Bar Pizzeria Gelateria |
| 9 | Messina | Messina | Swim across the Strait of Messina | Beach food/drinks: La Pinnazza Dinner: Oxtrica |
| 10 | Messina | Taormina | Bus #1 from Torre Faro to Messina Centrale Train Station 1:20 pm Train to Taormina Bus from Taormina train station to the town bus terminal Check in to B&B Walk around town Take cable line to Isola Bella | Isola Bella |
| 11 | Taormina | Catania | 9am Teatro Antico de Taormina Bus from Taormin Bus Terminal to Catania | Historical Amphitheater: Teatro Antico de Taormina Dinner: Ristorante Artu Snacks: Pasticceria Spinella |
| 12 | Catania | Catania | Full day Etna excursion | Active Sicily: Etna Full Day Excursion Seafood: Scirocco Sicilian Fish Lab Pastries: Prestipino Duomo Granita: Comis Ice Cafe |