Sicily Itinerary Help

With only 3 nights in Palermo, I’d cut Cefalu. 3 nights is 2 full days. A half day for Monreale - easy bus or cab ride. Then a day and a half for the attractions in core Palermo. That is ok, but if you add Cefalu you won’t have any time for Palermo itself.

Everything else seems ok. In an ideal world you’d fly into Catania early, head straight for Siracusa that day, do your trip in reverse, and end in Palermo. This would give you an extra night because you don’t need to spend a night staying/ driving to the airport. What you have marked as “Catania day 4” would instead just be your last Palermo day.

Thanks very much for this. I had considered doing this in reverse as you mentioned. But I couldnt make the flights work so we went with in via Palermo and out via Catania.

I am fine to skip Cefalu and I agree, it would make it very tough to see that and Monreale and Palermo proper.

Driving from Palermo to Agrigento, stop to visit the beautiful oceanside antiquities site of Selinunte. There are golf carts you can get on to tour this expansive and beautiful site. Drop Cefalu from your itinerary.
Agrigento- tour the old city? Are you referring to the city at the top of the hill? We have lived in major cities in US, NY and Chicago, and are comfortable in them. We were very uncomfortable in that city, constantly looking over our shoulders. At one point we were the only ones walking on a street, and turned around and left. We saw a lot of homeless men in the city. A bit dicey to say the least. The west of Sicily has more run down small towns and cities than the east coast. Add your extra day planned in Agrigento to Ortigia.

Thank you very much. Yes, I was referring to the centro storico of Agrigento, linked here https://goo.gl/maps/A22sCL36Ny9CEQ8j7. It looked quaint and interesting. The RS book calls it a Kasbah and says it has a nice Arabesque feel, which sounded intriguing. But I am fine to pass it up. Just not sure what to do with the second day in Agrigento. I also would prefer not to stay in Agrigento for the temples for just one night. I generally like to avoid staying anywhere for just one night. Perhaps I can book a stay at one of the Agrigento hotels that are near the temples and have a resort atmosphere and just take it slow for the extra day. I'd also be happy to add that one night to Ortigia as you mentioned, but again, just want to avoid staying in Agrigento for one night only.

We loved the city of Agrigento. It was quiet, but we had our best meal in Sicily in a restaurant there. We stayed in the Terrazze di Montelusa b&b, which had a huge rooftop deck with spectacular views.

However, since you’re driving, you might consider staying in a little seaside town near Agrigento. We had looked at San Leone, which is just a few kilometers from the valley of the temples. There may be others as well. Your child might enjoy a little beach time!

My reaction when I first read the itinerary was that 3 nights was too short for Palermo and 2 nights might be unnecessary in Agrigento (where I have never been). Since you don't want to spend just one night in Agrigento, I'd recommend planning a fairly late-in-the-day departure from Palermo. That will give you some extra time in that city and less time in Agrigento while avoiding a one-night stay. I'm tempted to recommend doing the Monreale visit on that day, en route to Agrigento, but given the risks involved in parking a car with luggage in it (even if not visible), that's probably not a good idea.

On the way to Agrigento, as others have mentioned you might stop at Selinunte. I would also suggest stopping at Segesta on the way down. You could make most of a day with those two sights, and arrive later in the day in Agrigento, giving your second day to visiting the temples there and walking the city. There's not a lot to see in the old town itself, but I didn't find it to be run down or seedy, but that was my experience.

On the way from Ragusa to Siracusa, I'd highly recommend making a stop in Noto, which is perfect for a half-day and very charming. In Palermo, I didn't find as much to do as others on here, so three nights with a trip to Monreale would probably be perfect for me.

Thanks to all for these helpful suggestions. I feel better about the planned itinerary and I think we will make a later exit in the day from Palermo to add some time there as needed. First time posting here for me, long time Rick Steves devotee. Glad I posted today!

Driving from Ortigia (Syracuse) and Ragussa , we stopped in MODICA and NOTO. great churches, sights, easy to park and as RS says, the chocolate in Modica is amazing.