Photo by VINCENZO INZONE on Unsplash
The 6-day plan, rearranged for 5 days: the best-ranked places stay, and each day keeps to one part of town.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The island that holds the old center of Syracuse, joined to the mainland by a short bridge, with lanes of pale stone, a market, harbor walls and a seafront promenade. Walk it slowly, and end at the square.
Go when Morning, when the market is open and the light is soft.
Local tip The island is small and car-free in places, so park outside it and walk in. The seafront promenade is lovely at the end of the day.
A huge theater cut into the rock of the hill in the fifth century before Christ, in the archaeological park on the mainland. Greek plays are still performed here in late spring. Check ahead for the season.
Go when Midday, then shade in the park nearby.
Local tip A big, open site with little shade, so wear a hat. Greek plays are staged here in late spring, so check ahead if you want to see one.
Pasta with clams or sea urchin, the plate of the sea in Syracuse.
Local tip Sea urchin is a taste for the brave, so ask for it on the side.
The cathedral on Ortygia's main square, built inside an ancient Greek temple of Athena, so that the Doric columns of the temple stand within its walls. A rare, clear layering of two thousand years.
Go when Afternoon, when the square is quiet.
Local tip Walk the side of the cathedral to see the Greek columns built into the wall. Cover your shoulders and knees.
A baroque town of honey-colored stone, rebuilt after 1693, with a long main street, a cathedral and grand palaces. It is at its best at dusk, when the stone glows. The cathedral dome fell in 1996 and has been rebuilt.
Go when Evening, when the stone glows (about 7:42 PM).
Local tip Walk the main street from the gate to the cathedral, then wander into the side lanes. Stay for dinner.
A slow-cooked rabbit with olives, or a plate of aubergine caponata, with bread and wine.
Local tip Sicilian wine from Nero d'Avola is a good match.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A hill town above the sea, with a long main street of palaces and cafes, gardens and a view of Etna and the coast. Take the time to walk the whole street.
Go when Midday, then the evening promenade.
Local tip Park outside the old town, since traffic is limited. The main street is busy, so step into a side lane for quiet.
The old lower town of Ragusa, a maze of baroque palaces and churches on a hilltop, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693 around a cathedral. Walk its steps and little squares.
Go when Midday, then a long lunch.
Local tip Park in the new town or the lot below and walk in. The old town is steep, with many steps, so wear good shoes.
A square of Modica chocolate with a savory filled pie called scacce from Ragusa.
Local tip Modica chocolate is grainy by design. Try the chili or the cinnamon.
A Greek and Roman theatre on the edge of town, still used for performances, with a famous view of Etna and the sea through its broken arches. Come in the late afternoon, when the light is softest.
Go when Late afternoon, when the light is soft (about 7:42 PM).
Local tip Sit on the stone steps and look through the arch to Etna. Check ahead for performances, which can close the site for part of the day.
A baroque town built down both sides of a deep valley, with a grand church at the top of a long flight of steps. It is known for its chocolate, made in an old, grainy way with sugar not fully dissolved.
Go when Afternoon, then a stop for chocolate.
Local tip Try the local chocolate with cinnamon or chili. The steps up to the church are long, so pace yourself.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The ruins of the Greek city of Akragas, a ridge of Doric temples from the fifth century before Christ. Walk the length of it, from the temple of Juno to the temple of Concordia, in the early light.
Go when Morning, before the heat, or evening in summer.
Local tip There is almost no shade, so take a hat and water. In summer, the site stays open late for the evening light, which is lovely.
The tallest active volcano in Europe, whose slopes are black with lava and green with vineyards and pistachio groves. Cable cars and guided buses take visitors up the mountain. Check ahead on activity and on how high you can go.
Go when Morning, before cloud builds on the peak.
Local tip Etna is an active volcano, and access to the summit depends on its activity. Wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes, because it is cold and windy at height, and go with a guide above the cable car.
Pasta with a green sauce of pistachios grown on the slopes of Etna.
Local tip The pistachios of Bronte are known across the island.
A large Roman country villa of the fourth century, near Piazza Armerina, famous for its floors of colorful mosaics showing hunts, animals and athletes. Raised walkways take you above them. Go early.
Go when Morning, before the heat and the coaches.
Local tip The mosaics are covered by walkways and roofs, so the visit is in shade. Give it at least an hour, and take water.
One of the best preserved Greek temples anywhere, almost whole, with its columns, beams and gable still in place. Seen from the path below, it glows in the sun.
Go when Late morning, when the sun lights the columns.
Local tip You cannot go inside, but the path below gives the best views. Photograph it from the east side in the morning.
Pasta with fried aubergine, tomato and ricotta salata, named for an opera from Catania.
Local tip Share a plate of caponata first, a sweet and sour dish of aubergine.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
The oldest and liveliest street market in Palermo, with stalls of fish, fruit, spices and street food in the lanes of the old Albergheria quarter. Eat as you walk, and keep your bag in front of you.
Go when Morning, when the stalls are full and the shouting starts.
Local tip Try a small street snack at several stalls. Keep your bag in front of you, and step aside for the carts and scooters.
A Norman cathedral with two square towers beside a small fishing town and a beach, with a huge mosaic of Christ in the apse. A quieter, smaller cousin of Monreale, and the town is a good place for lunch.
Go when Midday, then lunch in the old town.
Local tip The mosaic of Christ in the apse is the high point. Cover your shoulders and knees, and walk down to the beach afterward.
A thick Palermo pizza topped with onion and breadcrumbs, or a plate of the day's fish by the sea.
Local tip Ask what was caught that morning.
A white cliff of marl on the sea at Realmonte, shaped by wind and waves into broad stair-like steps. Access to the rock has been limited to protect it, so check ahead and view it from the beach or the paths nearby.
Go when Late afternoon, as the cliff turns gold (about 7:42 PM).
Local tip Access to the cliff has been limited, so check ahead and respect the signs. Stay off the cliff edge, which is soft and crumbles.
A great rock that rises behind the town, with a stepped path up to the ruins of a temple and a castle. The climb is steep and exposed, and the view over the town and the sea is wide. Go in the cool of the late afternoon.
Go when Late afternoon, when the heat has eased (about 7:42 PM).
Local tip The climb is steep and exposed, with uneven steps. Wear good shoes, bring water and turn back if you are tired.
A whole fish grilled with lemon and olive oil, with a salad of tomatoes and onion.
Local tip Fish is sold by weight, so ask the price before you order.
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
A twelfth-century cathedral on the hill above Palermo, its walls covered with some of the largest gold mosaics in the world. A cloister of paired columns, each carved differently, sits beside it.
Go when Morning, before the tour groups reach the hill.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees. Look up at the apse and the story told along the walls. Check ahead on the cloister, which has its own hours.
A cathedral built, changed and added to over many centuries, so that Norman, Arab, Gothic and baroque styles stand side by side. Royal tombs, including that of the Emperor Frederick II, lie inside.
Go when Midday, as a cool stop out of the sun.
Local tip Cover your shoulders and knees. The royal tombs are in a side chapel, and the roof can be visited separately for a view of the domes.
Fried rice balls filled with meat and peas, and little chickpea fritters in a roll, bought from a market stall.
Local tip Eat them hot and standing. Arancine in Palermo are round, and arancini in Catania are cone shaped.
The royal chapel of the Norman kings, inside their palace, covered in twelfth-century gold mosaics under a painted wooden ceiling made by Arab craftsmen. One of the great rooms of the Mediterranean. Check ahead on visiting, since the palace is also used by the Sicilian parliament.
Go when Afternoon, with a booked time.
Local tip Entry is controlled and the chapel can close when the parliament sits, so check ahead and book. Give it time, because the gold is best seen slowly.
The baroque crossing at the heart of the old town, where two main streets meet and four curved facades of fountains, statues and balconies face each other. A good place to stand at dusk and watch the city go by.
Go when Evening, as the facades catch the last light (about 7:42 PM).
Local tip A quick stop, and then go on to dinner. The streets around it fill with people at night.
Pasta with sardines, wild fennel, raisins, pine nuts and breadcrumbs, a Palermo classic.
Local tip Sicilians eat late, so book for nine or later.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, February to June, October and December are the most comfortable months for walking around Palermo. This plan is built for april to June, or September to October, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 5 days in Palermo, planned for april to June, or September to October. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 8.0 to 347.7 kilometers between its stops, and 904.9 kilometers in all across 5 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
7 days on the Amalfi CoastAbout 340 km away
4 days in RomeAbout 510 km away
7 days in CorfuAbout 530 km awayMake it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated November 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
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