The Ultimate Two Week Sicily Road Trip Itinerary

This two week Sicily itinerary is done as a road trip, making one loop around the island. On this itinerary, explore Sicily’s most beautiful cities, climb Mount Etna, explore ancient Greek temples, stroll through picturesque hill towns, taste Modica’s famous chocolate, and spend some time on the beach.

We spent just over two and a half weeks in Sicily and this itinerary is almost exactly how we did it. We had a few more days, which we used for wine tasting in the Mount Etna wine region, plus an extra day in a few cities, just in case we got some bad weather along the way.

With that time, we also visited more than what is listed in this itinerary. This two week Sicily itinerary includes what we think are the absolute best places to visit in Sicily, and skips a few cities that will show up on other itineraries.

14 days may sound like a long time to spend in Sicily, but there is a lot to do here. If you have less than two weeks in Sicily, it’s possible to shorten this itinerary, but you will have to give up a few of the island’s top experiences.

About this Sicily Itinerary

This itinerary is done as a loop, starting and ending in Palermo. This makes it easy to plan flights and reserve a rental car without having a drop fee. Since this itinerary is a loop, you can also start and end it in Catania, which also has an airport. At the end of this Sicily itinerary, we list an overview on how to do this.

You will need to rent a car for this itinerary. This itinerary has stops in towns, beaches, and historical sites that are challenging/almost impossible to get to using public transportation.

This itinerary can be done all year. However, the best times to do it are from April through early June and mid-September through early November, when the weather is pleasant (not too hot or cold). We did this itinerary from late October through early November and had a fabulous experience. Most days the average high was 24 °C/75°F (it’s a bit cooler in Taormina and on the slopes of Etna) and we had sunny skies for all but the last day, where we experienced a few rain showers.

IMPORTANT!: We have been getting so many requests for this itinerary that we are publishing it before our city guides are available. You may see references to other Sicily articles that are ‘coming soon’ and I will publish these as soon as possible and update this article with additional information. So, this itinerary will be slowly evolving over the next few months, but we wanted to get it out there, so you can use it to plan your trip. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comment section at the end of this itinerary.

Two Week Sicily Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Palermo
Day 2: Palermo
Day 3: Cefalù & Taormina
Day 4: Etna day trip from Taormina
Day 5: Taormina
Day 6: Taormina
Day 7: Syracuse & Ortigia
Day 8: Noto & Modica
Day 9: Ragusa
Day 10: Valley of the Temples
Day 11: More Greek Temples & Castellammare del Golfo
Day 12: Northwest Sicily
Day 13: Northwest Sicily
Day 14: Fly home

Sicily Itinerary Day 1

Arrive in Palermo

Driving Distance & Time: 30 km, 35 minutes

At the airport, pick up your rental car. And get ready for your introduction to driving in Sicily.

Sicily is a challenging place to drive (we cover this in more detail at the end of this itinerary). It’s chaotic and at first appears as if there are no rules. Palermo is one of the most overwhelming places to drive in Sicily, with drivers ignoring stop signs and a different flow of traffic than you see elsewhere in the world. It seemed as if we were constantly dodging other cars on the road.

We used Google Maps to route us to our hotel. Take your time, be patient, and it helps to have another pair of eyes on the road. As you drive through Sicily over the coming days, it gets easier, as you will pick up this different rhythm of driving.

If you are traveling to Sicily from outside of Europe, there is a good chance that you will be getting into Palermo sometime in the afternoon. For that reason, this first day is very light. If you have some free time in the afternoon, you can explore the city center or tour one of Palermo’s top attractions, such as Teatro Massimo (the opera house) or Palazzo Conte Federico.

Teatro Massimo

If you will be arriving in Palermo in the morning, you can follow our One Day in Palermo Itinerary. This will give you an extra day on this itinerary, which you can use to do more in Palermo, or you can add that extra day to Taormina or Castellammare del Golfo.

So, today, we don’t have much in the plans. Check into your hotel, go for a walk, and have dinner. For dinner we recommend La Galleria (our favorite restaurant in Palermo) or Ristorante Ferro (very good fish and seafood dishes).

For hotel recommendations, take a look at our One Day in Palermo Itinerary.

Sicily Itinerary Day 2

Palermo

Driving Distance & Time: 0

Today, spend the day in Palermo. We have a detailed Palermo Itinerary, complete with a walking route through the city that takes you to Palermo’s top sights that you can see here ↓

Palermo City Guide

Best Things to Do with One Day in Palermo

Things to do and detailed one day itinerary for Palermo, Sicily.

Here is an overview of today’s itinerary:

Morning: Start the day at the Norman Palace, where you will see the breathtaking Palatine Chapel. From here, it is a short walk to the Palermo Cathedral. Walking on the rooftop terraces of the Palermo Cathedral is one of the top experiences to have in town.

Palatine Chapel in the Norman Palace

On the rooftop terrace of the Palermo Cathedral

Palermo Cathedral

The morning ends with a visit to four small churches that are clustered together. Several of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are very important religious sites in Sicily.

The view from the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria

More mosaics inside of the Church of the Martorana

Lunch: Have lunch at Ballaro Market or sit down to lunch in one of several restaurants in the city center.

Afternoon: Take your pick between a tour of Teatro Massimo, visit the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, and/or a tour of Palazzo Conte Federico. You also have the option to take a walking tour, with the NO Mafia Walking Tour or a street food tour being some of the most popular options.

In our Palermo itinerary, we list a visit to Monreale in the afternoon as an option. However, on this Sicily itinerary, you will visit Monreale on day 13, so there is no need to put it into your plans today.

Evening: Enjoy the view from a rooftop bar or two and have dinner. Tonight, sleep in Palermo.

Rooftop view of Palermo

Sicily Itinerary Day 3

Cefalù & Taormina

Driving Distance & Time: 300 km, 4 to 5 hours

It was a quick visit but it’s time to say arrivederci to Palermo. Over the next few days, you will be touring several of our favorite places in Sicily: Cefalù, Taormina, and Mount Etna.

In the morning, check out of your hotel and drive to Cefalù. Once you exit the crazy streets of Palermo, driving becomes a lot less stressful. It’s an easy drive, mostly on a highway, to get to Cefalù (70 km, 1 hour).

Cefalù

Cefalù is one of Sicily’s most beautiful cities, with its setting next to a long stretch of golden sand and mountainous backdrop.

You can be active and adventurous, and hike to the top of Rocca di Cefalù for the views. You can relax, spending a few hours on the beach. Or you can simply explore the charming old town, with its maze of beautiful streets, historical sites, and fantastic cafes and restaurants.

Top Experiences in Cefalù:

Hike to the top of Cefalù Rock (the views are amazing!)
Explore the medieval old town
Visit the Cathedral of Cefalù
Relax on Spiaggia di Cefalù or Spiaggia del Porto Vecchio

An average visit here takes about 6 hours, with time to hike to the top of Cefalù Rock and visit the town.

Cathedral of Cefalù

Drive to Taormina

Once finished in Cefalù, drive to Taormina. There are several driving routes. The quickest route stays on the coast, heading to Messina and then dropping south to Taormina. This is an easy drive on the highway (210 km, 2 hours 45 minutes).

We drove through the interior of the island, which was interesting and very scenic, but filled with narrow, windy roads. However, we didn’t go right to Taormina. Instead, we spent a few nights in the wine region of Mount Etna, which is why our driving route was different.

I think staying on the highways is the best way to go, but if you are curious, you can look at the other driving routes on Google Maps.

Once in Taormina, check into your hotel and have dinner. Get hotel and restaurant recommendations on our Guide to Taormina (coming soon). You will spend four nights in Taormina.

Sicily Itinerary Day 4

Mount Etna

Visiting Mount Etna is one of Sicily’s top experiences. There are several ways to do this, from hikes on Mount Etna to simply riding the cable car for a view.

From Taormina, it is very easy to day trip to Mount Etna, with multiple tours to choose from and the option to visit it independently.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Visiting Mount Etna on your first day in Taormina gives you some contingency time. Hiking tours and day trips to Mount Etna can be cancelled during bad weather, so if your tour gets cancelled on your first day in Taormina, you have two more days to rebook your day trip.

A visit to Mount Etna can take half to a full day. We cover the full details on how to plan your visit, both independently and on a tour, in our Guide to Mount Etna (coming soon).

Sicily Itinerary Days 5 & 6

Taormina

Driving Distance & Time: 0 unless you day trip to the Etna wine region or Catania

Taormina is one of the most beautiful cities in Sicily, if not all of Italy. With is cliffside setting, ancient Greek theater, cobblestoned streets, nearby beaches and tiny islands, and steaming Mount Etna in the not too far off distance, this city captures the heart (and photos) of many who pass through here.

Two days in Taormina is plenty of time to explore the city sights, relax on the beach, go shopping, and have a few great meals. This is the perfect time to recharge, after a busy start to your trip to Sicily, and before hitting the road again.

We cover the full list in our Best Things to Do in Taormina article (coming soon), but here are the top experiences to have in town:

Visit the Ancient Theater of Taormina
Have a granita at the Bam Bar
Go shopping along Corso Umberto
Spend some time in Piazza IX Aprile
Visit the beautiful Public Garden
Ride the cable car and visit Isola Bella
Climb the steps up to Castello di Taormina

The Ancient Theater

From Taormina, you can also day trip to the Etna wine region, Catania, and Alcantara Gorge.

Mount Etna Wineries Day Trip

For wine aficionados, taking a day trip the Mount Etna wineries is well worth it. The grapes grown on the slopes of Mount Etna are frequently “fertilized” with ash from the volcano, giving the wines here a different flavor.

Red wines from Mount Etna are lighter reds with acidity similar to white wines. If you are a white wine drinker, there’s a good chance you’ll like the Mount Etna red wines. If you like big, bold red wines, you won’t get that here, as these reds are more like a Pinot Noir.

We spent a few days touring the wineries around Mount Etna. There can be quite a bit of variability in the wines on the north slopes versus the south slopes. Our favorite wineries are Cottanera (a small winery that produces our favorite wine from this region), Benanti (beautiful winery with a fantastic food and wine pairing tasting), and Planeta (a must for White Lotus fans, as this was a filming location).

You can do this independently or on a tour. This private tour from Taormina gets rave reviews and this small group tour is a slightly cheaper option and also gets near perfect reviews.

We cover an extensive list of wineries and how to visit them in our Guide to the Mount Etna Wineries (coming soon).

Sicily Itinerary Day 7

Syracuse & Ortigia

Driving Distance & Time: 120 km, 1 hour 30 minutes

If you’re like us, it’s a lot harder to say goodbye to Taormina than Palermo. But not to worry, there are still many, many more memorable places to visit.

Next on the itinerary are the cities of Syracuse and Ortigia, which sit side by side. To get there, it is an easy drive south, most of it on a highway.

You will drive right past Catania, one of Sicily’s largest and most famous cities.

Why Skip Catania? If you read other Sicily itineraries, there’s a very good chance that you’ll see Catania included. We visited Catania and yes, it does have a few interesting places to visit, but with only two weeks in Sicily, it is not worth putting any time here. It is similar to Palermo, with its chaotic streets and being a bit rough around the edges, but has far fewer things to do. It works as a great home base for someone on a quick trip to Sicily, as lots of day trips can be done from here, but we think it’s best to be skipped on this itinerary, to make sure you have enough time for Sicily’s smaller towns and historical sites.

Once in Syracuse/Ortigia, drop your luggage off at your hotel. Theft from cars is an issue in Sicily (we cover this in more detail at the end of this itinerary), so we minimized how long our luggage was in our car.

Syracuse

Syracuse was once one of Greece’s most important cities, rivaling Athens in size in the 5^th century BC. Today, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Greek theater and Roman Amphitheater. These can both be visited together at the Neapolis Archaeological Park in Syracuse. A visit here takes between 1 and 2 hours.

The Greek Theater

The Roman Amphitheater

Ortigia

Ortigia is a small island. Also called Città Vecchia, is the historical city center of Syracuse. Exploring these city streets is the top thing to do here, but you can also see the Temple of Apollo, visit the Syracuse Cathedral, visit Maniace Castle, and see the Fountain of Diana.

Spend a leisurely afternoon wandering through Ortigia. Have dinner and spend one night in Syracuse/Ortigia.

For things to do, recommended hotel and restaurants, take a look at our Guide to Syracuse and Ortigia (coming soon).

Sicily Itinerary Day 8

Noto & Modica

Driving Distance & Time: 90 km, 1 hour 15 minutes

Val di Noto is an area of southeastern Sicily that is home to several gorgeous Baroque towns. On this list are Ragusa, Noto, Modica, Scicli, and even Catania. For the next two days, you will be exploring several of the towns in the Ragusa area: Noto, Modica, and Ragusa. For me, these towns were one of the highlights on our visit to Sicily.

You can stay in any one of these three towns and visit them in any order. I am listing this exactly how we did it, because it worked very well and I loved the hotel Tim picked out in Modica.

Morning: Noto

Early to mid-morning, drive from Syracuse to Noto (40 km, 40 minutes).

Noto is famous for its Baroque architecture, long list of churches, and buildings constructed from tufa stone, which gives them a golden hue in the sunlight. A half of a day here is all you need, to walk the city streets and visit a few of the churches.

Afternoon: Modica

It is another relatively short drive to Modica (50 km, 40 minutes). We checked into our hotel first to drop off luggage and then spent the remainder of the day sightseeing in Modica.

Modica is a breathtaking city, with stone buildings and churches that cling to the hillsides. If you’ve been to or seen Matera in photos, these towns look very similar.

A visit here is mostly about exploring the city streets and tasting chocolate, which Modica is famous for. Be prepared to walk up and down a lot of steps and hills, so a visit here can feel like a workout.

Where We Stayed in Val di Noto

For our visit to Val di Noto, we stayed at Itria Modica in Modica. The view from this hotel is one of the best you can get in Modica. It has a hilltop location with panoramic views of Modica Alta. Plus, it gets near perfect reviews by prior guests. We loved starting and ending our day with the view from our room.

The downside is the walk into town. From the hotel, there is a long series of steps and alleyways that lead down to the main street. Tim counted roughly 300 steps, so it is a hefty climb, so make sure you can handle that before making your reservation. You’ll have to climb those steps at the end of the day to get back to the hotel.

We have more hotel recommendations in our guides to Modica, Noto, and Ragusa (all coming soon). You will spend two nights in Val di Noto.

Sicily Itinerary Day 9

Ragusa

Driving Distance & Time: 32 km, 50 minutes

Ragusa is very close to Modica, just a 16 km drive that takes under 30 minutes. As you approach Ragusa, you get a beautiful view of this town, and there are pull offs along SS115 where you can stop and take a photo.

Of the three Val di Noto towns in this itinerary, Ragusa was our favorite, which is why you have a full day here.

There are two parts to Ragusa: Ragusa Superiore and Ragusa Ibla. Ragusa is very fun to explore and photograph, but there are a few important historical sites to visit as well.

Top places to visit include the Church of St. Mary of the Stairs, the Duomo of San Giorgio, Giardino Ibleo, and Piazza Duomo.

We cover the best things to do plus a walking route in our Guide to Ragusa (coming soon).

Tonight, sleep in Val di Noto (Noto, Modica, or Ragusa).

Sicily Itinerary Day 10

Valley of the Temples

Driving Distance & Time: 150 km, 2 hours 30 minutes

For Tim, the Valley of the Temples was his favorite experience in Sicily. For me, it was a very memorable experience, as this is where I celebrated my 50^th birthday.

This massive archaeological site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest archaeological sites in the world. With Greek temples that are over 2600 years old, this is also one of the most important ancient Greek sites in the world.

There are several very well-preserved Greek temples to visit, with the Temple of Concordia being the most famous. It was built in the 5^th century BC but still stands relatively intact, similar to the Parthenon in Athens.

It takes several hours to visit the entire archaeological site. Plan on spending the afternoon here, and in the evening, you can either relax in your hotel (we have an awesome hotel to recommend) or explore the nearby town of Agrigento.

We splurged, since we were here for my birthday, staying at Villa Athena Resort, a 5-star hotel that sits right next to the Valley of the Temples. From our room, we had a stunning view of the Temple of Concordia, which is illuminated in the evening. The hotel also has a walking path that connects it to the archaeological site, making it very easy to get to.

The view from Villa Athena

In our Guide to the Valley of the Temples (coming soon), we cover what you need to know to visit this site, plus recommended hotels and things to do nearby. You will spend one night at the Valley of the Temples/Agrigento.

Sicily Itinerary Day 11

More Greek Temples & Castellammare del Golfo

Driving Distance & Time: 175 km, 2 hours 35 minutes (if you visit both archaeological sites and stay in Castellammare del Golfo; add on another 15 km if you choose to stay in Trapani)

Today you will drive to the northwestern corner of Sicily. Along the drive, you have the option to add on two more important Greek archaeological sites and even after seeing the Valley of the Temples, they are quite impressive.

We visited both of them along the drive, getting to Castellammare del Golfo in the late afternoon. If you have no desire to visit two archaeological sites in one day, Selinunte would get our vote. Segesta makes a great day trip from Castellammare del Golfo or Trapani, if you wanted to do it on a different day.

On this Sicily itinerary, you will spend three nights in northwestern Sicily. We stayed in Castellammare del Golfo, a small seaside town, and loved it. Trapani is a bigger city and is another option.

Selinunte Archaeological Park

Selinunte is an ancient Greek city that dates back to 550 BC. It was once one of the most important Greek cities on Sicily. Now, the archaeological park contains an acropolis and many temples, some of which are still very intact. This archaeological park is 270 hectares, so it is much smaller than the Valley of the Temples, but even so, it takes several hours to see the highlights.

I wasn’t thrilled about visiting another archaeological site so soon after the Valley of the Temples, but Tim and I both really enjoyed visiting this archaeological park. Some of the temples here are in amazing condition, such as the Temple of Hera. The acropolis is fun to explore and photograph, with views of the Temple of Apollo and the acropolis’ beautiful seaside setting. Plus, you are allowed to walk in the temples, something that is not permitted at the Valley of the Temples.

The archaeological park is divided up into several sections and when purchasing your tickets, you can add on a ride on the golf car like shuttle to get you from section to section (well worth it!). A visit here takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on how much of the park you plan to visit.

We cover the full details on the things to see and do and how to plan your visit in our Guide to Selinunte and Segesta (coming soon).

Segesta Archaeological Park

This archaeological park is the smallest of the three. It is located in northwestern Sicily, so if you skip it today, you can day trip here from Castellammare del Golfo or Trapani on day 12 or 13 of this Sicily itinerary.

There are two parts to the Segesta Archaeological Park: the Temple of Segesta and the Theater of Segesta.

The Temple of Segesta is a Doric temple was constructed over 2,500 years ago. It is another very well-preserved Greek Temple. This temple can be seen from the parking lot and to get to the temple, it is a short, uphill walk. If you only plan to visit the Temple of Segesta, a visit here lasts about 30 minutes.

Temple of Segesta

The Theater of Segesta is located in the hills above the Temple of Segesta. There is a bus that runs from the park entrance up to this temple, which requires a small additional fee, but it’s well worth it. Ride the bus up to the theater and the views from here are wonderful, with its hilltop setting. Also on top of the hill are several other archaeological sites, but the theater is the highlight.

You can walk (about 1.4 km/0.9 miles) down the hill to the parking lot or wait for the next shuttle bus.

If you visit both the Temple of Segesta and the Theater, a visit here lasts about an hour and 30 minutes.

This evening, check into your hotel, either in Castellammare del Golfo or Trapani (there are also other small towns you can look into, but Castellammare and Trapani are the most popular places to stay) and have dinner.

The view from our room at Costamante Suites & Spa

In Castellammare del Golfo, we stayed at Costamante Suites & Spa and loved it. This small, boutique property has suites with kitchenettes, some with 1 to 2 bedrooms, and some with balconies and sea views. Tim and I really enjoyed staying in this small coastal town, and from this property, we were within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants.

B&B Nencioli is a mid-range bed and breakfast that gets exceptional reviews and Sopra Le Mura is a small, mid-range hotel with rooms that overlook the harbor.

You will stay in Castellammare del Golfo or Trapani for three nights.

Sicily Itinerary Days 12 & 13

Erice, Zingaro Nature Reserve, Monreale, Castellammare del Golfo & Trapani

For the next two days, spend your time visiting the towns, beaches, and coastal sights in northwestern Sicily. If you skipped Segesta Archaeological Park, you can add that in too.

You can do two of these on each day. Erice, Monreale, and the Zingaro Nature Reserve are not to be missed. Spiaggia San Vito lo Capo is great when the weather is warm (we were here in November and it was a bit chilly to go to the beach).

Here is a list of places to visit in northwestern Sicily, starting with our favorite experiences.

Erice. This gorgeous town is located on top of Mount Erice. The views from this town are spectacular, as it overlooks the coastline, the salt flats, and Trapani. This small town is also fun to spend half of a day, walking the picturesque streets, visiting a few historical sites, and sitting down to lunch or dinner.

The view from Erice

Erice

Monreale. This is another small, hilltop town. Monreale is famous for its cathedral, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most stunning cathedrals in Italy. It’s a bit of a drive to get here (it is actually very close to Palermo), but it’s also a very scenic drive.

Mosaics inside of the Monreale Cathedral

Monreale Cathedral

Columns in the cloister

The view from the Monreale Cathedral rooftop

Zingaro Nature Reserve. For those who want to be more active, you can go hiking in Zingaro National Park or spend a day at a secluded cove. A 7 km coastal path connects Scopello to San Vito Lo Capo. Along the way, you can detour to small coves and beaches.

Zingaro Nature Reserve

Tonnara di Scopello

Castellammare del Golfo. This coastal town already got a mention as a great place to stay, but it is also worth a nice stroll, to see its marina and remains of the Arab Norman Castle. Go to the beach, dine in its long list of restaurants (we recommend Rosmarina and Ristorante Mediterraneo), and drive up to Belvedere Castellammare del Golfo for a view of the town.

Castellammare del Golfo Marina

Castellammare del Golfo

Spiaggia San Vito lo Capo. This gorgeous beach is made even more beautiful with its mountainous backdrop.

Trapani. This small city also has an oceanfront setting. It makes a great home base and from here, boat tours sail to Isole Egadi (a cluster of islands just off the west coast of Sicily).

Salt Flats. These salt flats sit beside Trapani. They come up on a lot of lists, but they are only worth it if you have extra time to add onto this itinerary.

Sicily Itinerary Day 14

Fly Home

Today, fly home (or continue your travels) from the Palermo airport. From Castellammare del Golfo, it is a 45 km (40 minute) drive and from Trapani it is a 90 km (1 hour 10 minute) drive.

Two Weeks in Sicily: Starting in Catania

If you find cheaper or more convenient flights into Catania, here is how to do the same loop, starting and ending in Catania.

Day 1: Arrive in Catania, drive to Syracuse/Ortigia
Day 2: Syracuse & Ortigia
Day 3: Noto & Modica
Day 4: Ragusa
Day 5: Valley of the Temples
Day 6: More Greek Temples & Castellammare del Golfo
Day 7: Northwest Sicily Coastal Sights
Day 8: Northwest Sicily Coastal Sights (sleep in Palermo)
Day 9: Palermo
Day 10: Cefalu & Taormina
Day 11: Etna
Day 12: Taormina
Day 13: Taormina
Day 14: Fly home

With Less Time

It gets challenging to shorten this itinerary. However, you can do it in 12 days, if you skip the sights in northwestern Sicily. From the Valley of the Temples, drive to Palermo, and during the drive you can visit the Selinunte and Segesta archaeological sites, or visit Erice and/or Monreale.

To do Sicily in 10 days or less, it is best to explore one half of Sicily, either the eastern half or the western half. With Taormina, Mount Etna, Ortigia, and Val di Noto, there’s a bit more to do in the eastern half. We have plans to write up a shorter itinerary for Sicily that will include these sights, but in the meantime, if you have any questions, let us know in the comment section at the end of this Sicily itinerary.

Isola Bella, one of the places to visit in Taormina

Driving in Sicily

Driving in Sicily can be challenging, especially in the larger cities like Palermo and Catania.

At first glance, it appears that there are no rules. Drivers pull out into moving traffic, stop signs are merely a suggestion, and intersections are a free for all.

Our introduction to driving in Sicily (and yours will be too, if you follow this itinerary as it is written) was Palermo. In our experience, this was the most challenging place to drive in Sicily, followed by Catania.

We drove through numerous intersections without signs or traffic lights, with cars, trucks, and motorbikes each pushing their way into the intersection and out the other side. It was both chaotic and very calm in the same moment, and reminded us of the flow of traffic in Vietnamese cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The longer we were in Sicily, the more we got used to the different flow of traffic in Sicily. We never witnessed things like road rage or impatience like we see so frequently see in the USA, but you just have to be alert for cars and motorbikes that frequently (and seemingly mindlessly) pull out right in front of you, regardless of your speed.

Parking in Sicily

In our city guides, we list recommended parking lots. Many of these are paid parking lots, which you will pay either using an app, a kiosk in the lot, or directly pay the attendant. Credit cards are generally accepted but it is a good idea to have some cash on hand.

In Sicilian cities, as in other cities in Europe, blue parking spaces indicate a paid parking space. White parking spaces are either free or for residents. Before parking in a white space, read (or translate) the signs, to make sure you are not parking in a resident’s space.

ZTL Zones

In many city centers in Sicily, there is a ZTL zone, or Limited Traffic Zone. This zone is off limit to tourists, to restrict the flow of traffic in the busy, congested city centers. This zone is marked with a white sign with a red circle.

If you enter the zone, you will be fined. When picking out parking lots or perhaps driving to a hotel in a city center, if you reserved one here, it is important to research if that city has a ZTL zone. If you are staying in a city center, ask your hotel for advice for driving in the city and where to park. Some hotels can submit your license plate number to the city to make you exempt for the ZTL fines.

Rental Car Size

Rent the smallest size vehicle you can, to accommodate the number of people in your group and your luggage.

Theft from cars is unfortunately a fairly common occurrence (from what we have read but did not directly experience) so we made sure our vehicle had a large enough trunk to fit all of our suitcases. If you leave luggage or bags on the seat of the car, it could make you a target for theft.

Navigation and Driving Directions

We used Google Maps to get around Sicily and it worked great.

Tolls

There are tolls on some highways in Sicily. We paid the tolls using our credit card at the toll booth. When picking up your rental car, you can inquire about getting a toll transponder for your vehicle, to see if this is an option.

For more tips about renting a car and driving, don’t miss our article ↓

Renting a Car

15 Things You Should Know about Renting a Car in Europe

Hidden fees, ZTL zones, choosing a rental car company and more.

Designing Your Own Sicily Itinerary

This Sicily itinerary is a great starting point for creating your own custom itinerary. If you have any questions about how to modify this itinerary, let us know in the comment section below and we would be happy to help!

For more tips to help you plan the perfect trip, we recommend reading:

7 Things to Know When Planning Your First Trip to Europe

To see all of our guides about Sicily and Italy, take a look at our Italy Travel Guide. It also has a few detailed itineraries for Italy, visiting Rome, Florence, Venice, the Dolomites, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia and southern Italy, and more.

For more great itineraries in Europe and around the world, visit our Travel Itineraries page.

If you have any questions about how to spend two weeks in Sicily or this Sicily itinerary, let us know in the comment section below.

More Sicily & Italy Travel Guides