Sicily Naples Amalfi. Taking hints and must dos.

You don’t need to fly to Naples from Rome
Fast train is so much easier, takes about an hour and is city center to center eliminating transit time and cost to/from airports and all the security/check in stuff.

If Paestum is of interest you can take train from Rome to Salerno then work your way around the coast ending in Naples before your departure flight.
Or if your flight is later in day you could probably stay the last night in Sorrento

Overall looks like a great trip and one I’d like to take some day.

I would take one night off Palermo and give that to Taormina. You are already seeing the temples at Segesta and Agrigento. Instead of Paestum, have you considered seeing Ravello and Capri which both have stunning views of the Mediterranean?

That’s a good tip, Christine about the train. We just added the Rome piece ( we were thinking Malta originally, but we love Rome so much we couldn’t resist.). and hadn’t quite thought that one through.
What would you do with another day in Trapani?
Mary, hmmm. You’ve got a point about ruins….

Thank you both for the advice. Just what I was hoping for.

We are going to Sicily this spring for about 3.5 weeks. My itinerary is set and actually quite similar to yours except we are staying one night in Taormina and then spending 2 nights in Randazzo (Etna wine country).

I am now down to the specifics of planning my days with activities and restaurants, etc. I have 3 nights planned in Palermo and wish that I had 4 like you do. There are a lot of sites I would like to see there and it is hard to fit them in especially since they are a little more spread out and Monreale is really a day trip.

We are also photography types and make a lot of stops, as well, so I'll be watching this post to see the suggestions you get. A few places you may want to research a bit, they sound really interesting to us are Mazara, Scala dei Turchi (Turkish Steps), San Vito Lo Capo, Scopello, Castellammare and Reserva della Zingaro.

EDITED TO ADD:

We are moving the opposite way around the island. We are seeing the Villa Romano and Caltigirone when we leave Ragusa and are on our way to Agrigento, instead of doing them as day trips. You might consider seeing the villa and Caltigirone when you leave Agrigento and are on the way to Ragusa. Also, if you look in the RS guide, there is a stop at an agritourismo between Villa Romana and Caltigirone for views and wine tasting, if that might be of interest.

Ah , not Trapani but Taormina. YES!
And unfortunately the last I heard Scala dei Turchi (Turkish Steps) are closed…due to a slide perhaps??

EllaBella, I heard spray paint, yes. I've been trying to determine if it is open. We are at least going to be watchful along the highway to look for possible overlooks.

Two nights is enough for Taormina. The rest of your itinerary looks excellent. However, two good meals there: Nettuno and Nero d’Avola.
Siracusa- stay on Ortigia Island, add a day here. We spent a week on Ortigia and could have stayed longer.
Restaurants/ Ortigia: Locanda del Collegio, Regina Lucia, Sicilia en Tavolino. Do NOT dine at a place with “Don” in it’s name, horrid in every category!
Noto- you must dine at Manna!
Agrigento- stay at Colleverde Park Hotel, wonderful staff! Near temples, views of them. . We had dinners there too, excellent.
Do not stay up above in town center, sketchy area.
Maybe add a night to Naples.

4N in Palermo sounds like one too many for me. Monreale is easy to reach by bus and with Palermo traffic, a private tour won't be faster. I don't know that a guide will help you enjoy the church more. My favorite part was the cloisters. Don't miss the Cappella Palatina in Palermo - the bus back from Monreale stops there.

I visited Segesta, Agrigento and Selinunte temple sites, Selinunte was by far my favorite. Segesta only needs an hour or two. Be sure to go up to the theatre as well, and walk back down. I took the bus and was sorry - the views were lovely. After Sicily, Paestum might be a letdown. If you go, the best time is late afternoon to early evening, watch the sunset behind the temples and then see them floodlit as evening descends. I believe the bus is better than the train from Salerno (I drove).

Spend a night in Piazza Armerina, in/near the historic center. It's worth a couple hours' wandering. It's too far to day trip from Ragusa to see Villa Romana (and with crowds it could take quite a while to enjoy it all).

Ortigia is the best place to stay in Siracusa.

Whether you go to Sorrento or Salerno depends on what you want to focus on. Sorrento is well-positioned to visit the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum and to ferry to Capri. Salerno is better if you want to spend your time on the Amalfi Coast. The most scenic part of the AC is closer to Salerno and the ferries and buses are easy walking from the historic center.

3 extra days. Wow. I'm not sure what you're expecting from the AC. I was as underwhelmed by the villages themselves as I was overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the coast. You might consider adding 1-2N here and staying in one of the villages so you'd have more time to hike. Or consider a couple nights on Ischia (from Naples). Or Orvieto from Rome. Aah, Italy. So many choices.

Half an hour's drive east of Cefalu is a ceramics town called Santo Stefano di Camastra. On our first trip to Sicily 21 years ago, we were excited to find that many of the ceramics there were painted in colors we have never seen elsewhere: orange, bright red, and teal. We had planned to return to Sicily in the spring of 2020 and one of the reasons was to buy more of these plates, bowls, and coffee cups. Here's a photo of a platter in this style: http://www.ilvecchiotarlo.it/ceramiche_santo_stefano_camastra_sicilia.htm

That's what I meant to add to my post. If you're into ceramics, you can visit Vietri Sul Mare, very near Salerno on the AC. The ferries don't stop there but the Amalfi-Salerno bus does.

What a great trip you have planned!

While in Agrigento, consider short drive south to San Leone. Beautiful small seaside town and port, great options for photography (lots of huge rocks), great seafood, wonderful friendly people, statue of Padre Pio on promenade.

In Palermo, I enjoyed Parco Piersanti Mattarella (English Garden). It is located on Via della Liberta, north of Teatro Politiana (less than 1 mile walk). It's a beautiful garden with fountains, benches and many locals. Across the street is another garden (less lush) with statutes etc. You can Goggle to see if this would interest you.

I found the Marsala salt farms more interesting than the Trapani ones. They are only about 30 minutes from each, on extremely rural roads.

@jules M - there is an overlook between Scala de Turchi and Lido Rossello that provides a good view of the rocks. The link is to my photo of Scala de Turchi from the overlook.

Thank you ALL for the fantastic suggestions. Having a "team" adds to the interest and fun and depth of a trip and I am so glad to have you on mine.
Each one of them is a perfect addition. It helps to have some experienced insight when making decisions - especially regarding where NOT to stay and go. And I especially love the art and ceramic suggestions. We will be in Sicily in July- not my favorite month to travel but we are meeting our son who lives in Europe and that's his time off....

Here are a few additional Sicily comment/ideas: Like Chani, I thought the cloisters at the cathedral of Monreale were gorgeous and a photographer's delight. And again, like Chani, I enjoyed Selinunte more than Agrigento. Here is why - Agrigento was absolutely packed with tourists, all vying for that perfect picture and of course, with so many people all around, difficult to get. I don't know what time of the year you will be there. I was there in September. Selinunte was expansive and relatively empty with lots of temples, right next to the sea. Very picturesque and photogenic. I found it to be much more peaceful. I liked Agrigento Valley of the Temples but if I had to return and choose one, I would choose Selinunte to go again. Very close to Selinunte was another gem of a town that I often recommend here as it impressed me so much. Look at the town of Mazara del Vallo. It is has a very strong mixture of Catholic, Jewish and Tunisian influence. There is a casbah of narrow alleyways in the center of town. You said you liked murals and many of the alleyways have ceramic murals that depict the town's history. The historical town center is not very big and if you have a few hours it is very much worth seeing. Do go into the small museum to see the Satiro Danzante that was pulled from the sea. I stayed there two nights and enjoyed it very much.

Since you mentioned your interest in photographing nature and scenic vistas you might consider Tindari. It is on your route from Taormina to Cefalu. There is a sanctuary of the Black Madonna of Tindari on a hill overlooking the most beautiful view of a finger of beach way down below. I don't know how great your interest in churches are but the views to the sea and beaches below from the church piazza are spectacular and the story of how this statue of the Madonna and Child were found is interesting. You can actually hike up or down to the beach from the sanctuary or vice versa or drive up to the parking lot and walk up the hill to the sanctuary. There is also a set of Greek ruins and a Greek ampitheater right there as well, again all overlooking the beautiful blue green sea below. I had seen photos of Tindari on Instagram and it caught my interest so on my last trip to Sicily I made it a point to go there. We actually stayed in a BnB in Oliveri and the owner drove us over to the sanctuary the next day.

You will enjoy Erice. Very medieval and picturesque. I was there on a foggy rainy day so we didn't get to see the great panoramic views but it made for an eerie atmosphere very befitting the place. In Palermo check out the interiors of the churches - quite a range of styles. If you want to see Baroque in overdrive go to the Chiesa del Gesù. I do not think 4 nights in Palermo is too much. Lots to see and do there and nearby. When you go to the Palermo cathedral, take time to walk to see the exterior facade on the far right side of the building as you face the main entrance, right off of Piazza Sett'Angeli. That facade is very pretty and caught my eye. Another interesting place, very revered, is the Sanctuary of St. Rosalie, the patron saint of Palermo, in a cave on Mt Pellegrino outside the city. Not very big, but there are very panoramic views up that way.

As you drive from Siracusa to Taormina make a stop in Aci Trezza or Aci Castello to see the Rocks of the Cyclops. The gem in Taormina is the ampitheater but there are also some pretty views from the Taormina communal gardens.

One small town on my radar that I have not yet been to but I intend to visit on my next visit because it looks very pretty is Scicli, south of Ragusa. Your trip sounds wonderful. The hard part is having to narrow down so many great places to fit into your time frame and match your interests. have a great trip!

Pat, your response is fabulous! Thank you for all the really great and useful advice. I am copy and pasting it into my notes. Thank you so much for the depth and breadth. We are getting close to nailing down the nightly stays and then on to the don’t miss details. Fun!!!

It's been a while since I was last in Sicily (too long!). Most of the things I would have added have been said by others - I'll agree with others who said Selinunte as an alternative to Segesta or Agrigento (i preferred it, although I enjoyed all three).

If you can, try to see a traditional Sicilian puppet show. There are theatres in Palermo, Catania and Ortigia as well as a few other places. There is little dialog and you certainly will not need to understand Italian to enjoy it, but it is one of the funniest things I have ever seen.

One of the unexpected things I really enjoyed was driving around the Parco delle Maddonie south of Cefalú - quite wild in parts, and the roads are twisting and not always in great repair - but the scenery is great and some of the views wonderful.

You don’t really need a guide for the cathedral at Monreale. The mosaics depict biblibal scenes. It’s fun and easy to see how many you can identify. Adam and Eve? Noah’s ark? Not too difficult, even for the unreligious. The cloister is gorgeous. Each pillar has a different, abstract design.

Man, what an itinerary! Lots of tremendous detailed advice here already, but I’ll throw my two cents in. I’m with Chani that 4 nights in Palermo (actually 5 counting your last night) is one better spent elsewhere, maybe Taormina or Cefalu for a breather! I think Palermo could be the most underrated city in Europe, but that’s still a lot considering. Food wise, Palermo is the capital of street food adventures and yes the spleen sandwich is actually pretty darn good.

I feel like it’s worth noting that the driving in the central/southeast region in Sicily (around Enna and the hill towns) can be a bit challenging. It’s mountainous country, pine forest, curves and switchbacks. I’d recommend a night stop in Piazza Armerina if you’re visiting Villa Romana, rather than day tripping. If you do, based on your keen interest in ancient sites you might like Morgantina. The site itself is overgrown in places and bereft of useful signage and information, but I found it incredibly evocative, with wonderful views of Mt. Etna and the countryside. There was not another tourist in sight.

I’ve heard great things about Selinute, but I think Valley of the Temples is kind of impossible to pass up (but skip the museum.) The Paulo di Orsi museum in Siracusa was terrific and covers sites from all over Sicily.

I would absolutely stay ON the Amalfi Coast versus Sorrento/Salerno. It’s out of this world beautiful. When you stay on the coast you get to enjoy the place in the morning/evening without all the day-trippers. You have a packed itinerary, and will deserve a few days just enjoying the views.