19 nights sicily may 2025

Hi. We were hoping to take an arranged Etna tour from Catania. We'd do that from Ortigia.

I was wondering if a week in Ortigia would be too much. It looks so beautiful but without a car we are limited.

I was also wondering if I'd need an extra day or two in Palermo but it seems to be a love it/hate it place. Are you thinking Erice as a day trip from palermo?

I could also do a day trip to Aregnento from Palermo and it would be much easier to get to Ortigia or I could do Milazzo and Lipari after and then head to Ortigia...

Hi Pam, I did a 22 day trip around Sicily a few years back and relied mostly on busses and trains but I did use two different private drivers as well for specific daytrips. Like you, we wanted to get from Agrigento to Siracusa/Ortygia (but with a stop to tour the Villa Romana del Casale) by private driver. We used Roberto Sapone who was recommended to me here on this forum for that trip. Sapone websiteHe picked us up early in Agrigento, drove us to Piazza Armerina and to the nearby Villa Romana del Casale. There he waited for us as we toured the Villa. Then we drove on to Caltagirone where we stopped for a late lunch and a brief visit and then from there we went to our drop off point in Ortygia.

I would add your extra day to Palermo and I would suggest going to Segesta and/or Erice as a daytrip. Both are lovely places and worthy of your time. Segesta is harder to get to on public transportation. There should be daytrip small group tours that you can join for that or I can recommend Rosario Pizzuto. We hired him for a daytrip to take us to Segesta and Erice and Marsala. Rosario - NCC private driver in Palermo.

thanks so much for your response. would it be worth it to stay overnight in either erice or segesta or is it just easier to do this from palermo?

so I have seen some tours to etna-let me read the review and see i really am interested.  i think it was your trip report that I read that I found so helpful. did you stay 1 or 2 nights in agregento? worth it?

any idea when ferry schedule is posted for may 2025? it is a long ferrry back to palermo but it woudl be so much easier...

Pam, Segesta is in an isolated rural area so I do not recommend staying there, and again I think that without a car, that trip is not so easy on public transportation. I have been there twice and each time was with a private car. Erice is a very small, pretty, medieval mountaintop village with gorgeous panoramic views of the coastline below on a clear day. I am sure there are places to stay there but I don't think it is necessary. I would do them both as a daytrip from Palermo or alternatively visit them both from a base in Trapani. Sorry, but I have no knowledge of the ferry schedules for your Lipari trip and have never been there. But you can post your question on the Lipari or Palermo forum over on Tripadvisor if you don't get an answer here. There are several vey knowledgeable Sicilians that participate in those forums who may be able to help you.

You can get by train to Ragusa and I would consider spending a couple of your nights now scheduled in Ortigia there. You can reach Palermo by bus from there.

I stayed in Trapani and visited Erice from there. I believe there are other day-trip possibilities from Trapani.

I agree that you could use an extra day or two in Palermo.

so if I base myself in trapani and visit erice, do i stll need more time in palermo?

I say "yes". Four Nights is only three full days. Palermo is your first stop, so you may still be somewhat jetlagged on your first full day. Then you're going to Cefalu, where you could spend a lot of time, and Monreale, which could be close to a half day. All of that leaves precious little time for Palermo itself.

Do you have Rick's guide to Sicily? The first edition was released after my trip to Sicily, but I'm sure he does a good job of highlighting the island's key sights. For starters, Palermo has a good archaeological museum (so does Siracusa, and you probably don't need to see both of them), two interesting markets, dozens of churches and chapels and lots of street food to try.

Pamela,

Milazzo 1 night
Lipari (4 nights) I would love to get ferry directly back to Palermo but can't find any May 2025 ferry schedules.
1 extra night assuming 2 in Agricento. Would be in either Palermo or Catania for flight back to Milan.

When I visited Sicily, back in 2018, my itinerary was similar to what you’re planning.
I visited Segesta and Erice while staying in Trapani.

I flew from Milan to Palermo, then back to Milan from Catania.
If this is what you’re considering, then you can take the ferry back to Milazzo and then take the train to Catania, or stay in Acireale for 1-2 nights before flying (back to Milan) from Catania.

I did not visit Etna but chose to visit Taormina instead (as a day trip from Acireale) as I was intrigued by what I’d read in guidebooks and websites about Sicily.

Here’s my trip report if you’re interested:
My trip to Sicily— In Zoe’s memory…

Enjoy your time in beautiful Sicily!

Edited to add…

Here’s the website for ferries to Lipari:
Liberty Lines.it.
My visit to Lipari was in May and there were several morning ferries from Milazzo.