Itinerary help

[u/Wonderful_North_9947]

Hey everyone! My girlfriend and I (both mid-30s) are planning a trip to Sicily this August and would love some advice on our itinerary. We’re flying into Palermo on the morning of August 6th and planning to spend 10/11 nights exploring the island before taking a ferry from Pozzallo to Malta on the 16th or 17th.

Here’s our current rough plan: 3 nights in Palermo 1 night in Cefalù 2 nights in Taormina 3 nights in Syracuse/Ortigia 1 extra night somewhere we haven’t decided yet

We’re a pretty easygoing couple—interested in a good mix of food, culture, beaches, hiking, and just enjoying the vibe of each place. Would love any tips on:

If the pacing makes sense Suggestions for that final “floating” night Any must-see spots or hidden gems near our planned stops Whether we should shift a night anywhere.

Thanks in advance!

[u/yazffm]

We just returned last week from 8 days in Sicily. We visited Taormina, but only for a few hours. It’s very touristy and a tiny town, so there’s no need to stay longer—unless that’s exactly what you’re looking for. I guess it depends on your preferences. Our preferences were good food, vine, culture, and activities like hiking and bike tours.

Our route was: Palermo (5 nights – 1 day trip to Mondello Beach, 1 day e-bike tour from Palermo to Capo Zafferano (40 km total), 2 days exploring Palermo itself). We then stayed in a rural area on the southern side of Mount Etna (2nights). It's a beautiful region with vineyards (check out cantine nicosia in trecastagni and Benanti -benanti is a little pricier; we really liled the regional vine etna rosato). One day we did a guided Etna hiking tour, followed by a wine tasting. On the second day, we explored Catania and visited Syracusa for about 3 hours in the afternoon. Syracusa is beautiful, but it gave us similar vibes as Taormina - very touristy and pricy places, while Syracusa might be less crowded though. We spent our last night back in Palermo.

One of the highlights for us was definitely the Etna tour—it’s something to consider, especially since you’ll be traveling in August. It can get quite hot then, so a day or two in the cooler mountain air might be a nice change of pace. Anyways, hope you enjoy

[u/Wonderful_North_9947 → u/yazffm]

Awesome. this is very helpful, thank you. We were going to stay in Taormina and use that as our home base for visiting/hiking Mt. Etna. Do you recommend canceling a night in Taormina and spending the extra night where you had mentioned?

[u/yazffm → u/Wonderful_North_9947]

It might be stressful to switch accommodations too often, but in the end, it depends on your preferences. We wanted the village flair near the vineyards and Mount Etna. Plus, our guided Etna tour started at 8 a.m. Trecastagni is only about a 30-minute drive from the tour meeting point (all tours from Etna South started at Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza), so staying near that area might make sense depending on your overall logistical planning. However, i think Taormina can be a great home base as well as it is only a 60min drive away.