Sicily - Best time to go...

May to June or September to October are best. Do not go there in the summertime.

Cheaper RS tour dates seem to be in Feb-March and November. Various reasons for the cheaper rate - potential for not so great weather/rain; it gets darker earlier in the day; less crowds which could mean cheaper hotel rates.

Sicily has a mild climate, hot in summer (mid June to mid September) but not unbearably hot near the coast, somewhat rainy from October through March (especially Oct-Dec), but never too cold.

It depends on what you want to do. If you are interested in beaches, then you should go in summer, if you are into touring museums, churches and archeological sites, then it is better to go there with cooler weather. A museum or a cathedral is just as enjoyable even with rainy weather, although visiting outdoor archeological sites like the Valley of the Temples is probably not fun with rain.

Hello,

Some of the pros and cons for off-season travel are listed in our Trip Report here:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-february-march-in-italy

I would definitely recommend the off-season, but I liked that we were there when it wasn't super short days. I think that is an important consideration. Way cheaper flights for us, but fewer choices during the off season. For example, some airlines fly fewer flights during winter. So you need to play around with dates. Maybe fly on a Wednesday instead of Thursday, that sort of thing.

The lack of crowds more than made up for having a few less choices for restaurants. We still ate REALLY well! :)

Hope that helps. Enjoy!

We were there on the RS tour in February 2019. It was 50s during the day, and low 40s at night, and with a wind it was jacket weather. Locals were wearing long down coats, hats and gloves. But it was green and beautiful. My thought at the time was that early April might be the best time. People live there, so restaurants and shops are not an issue.

I hit Sicily during the summer of 2015. Bad time of year.

I went to Rome/Naples/Salerno between mid-February and mid-March in 2023. It wasn't bitterly cold, but it rarely got up to 40F before noon. I need daylight, even at home, lest I feel lethargic, so I found the short days in February to be a problem. It was much better by mid-March. I think April in Sicily would be even better.

Great info! Thanks everyone!