Things tay another day o do in Catania Sicily

My two cents. We did the RS tour in 2019. We found Catania to be the least interesting of the stops, just convenient due to the airport. If I was doing it again with extra days, I'd consider circling back to Palermo and flying home from there, stopping, say in Cefalu for the extra time. But If you must stay in Catania, I think I'd head back to some of the villages on Mt Etna (which you will also visit on the tour. Thankfully distances are not the great in Sicily.

How much time do you have? Car or train/bus?
The southeastern corner of Sicily is what calls to me the most (Modica, Noto, Ragusa, etc.).

After having done the Sicily tour this past April, if we had stayed longer we would have gone back to Taormina. That place was magical.

There are so many choices in that part of Sicily, it's hard to go wrong. While on the gritty and noisy side, we enjoyed Catania. We didn’t feel any crime threat that is sometimes mentioned in comments on Catania. The subway, while limited in its scope, was cheap, clean, at the times we were on it, uncrowded. It was easy to cover the compact highlights of the Duomo, the fish market, as well as other stops on the walking tour. Try the most unusual concoction they call a brioche and granita. (But, other than in shape, the brioche bears no resemblance to the French brioche, as cornetti there resemble croissants in shape, but not texture or flavor.) It's a little weird at first, but it grows on you. The bread kills the brain freeze effect of the granita. I posted a couple of restaurant reviews in Catania last September if you're interested.

We enjoyed Ragusa quite a bit and it's only about 1 1/2 hours from Catania. It's outlined pretty well in the RS book. We found it a relaxing place to spend a few days. If you go, be sure to plan a visit (ahead, by reservation), to Cinabro Carriettieri, one of the few enterprises still making the traditional Sicilian horse/donkey powered carts. The private tour, which lasted well over an hour was something like 10 Euro and definitely one of the highlights of our month in Sicily. We were the only ones in the shop. You can google it for more information. Lots of people like Noto and Modica, but I think they are overrated. Noto is basically one street, albeit a pretty one. In September, it was a circus with crowds and getting a bite to eat at lunchtime required an hour wait. Modica is good for an unusual chocolate they produce, but not particularly scenic. I was happy with enough with the one-hour the surgical strike we made.

I'd be seriously tempted to return to Siracusa for a few days. A day and a half just doesn't do it justice. If it's not included on the tour, I'd recommend a private tour of the puppet museum and backstage as well as a performance if it's not included in the tour. It was fun and educational. A member of the company showed us around the museum, and we had a chance to talk with the performers and try out the puppets for ourselves after the performance. The theatre is small, so if it's a priority for you, book ahead. You might want to avoid the first 2 rows, as they are filled with squirmy, noisy kids. The day we were there, several of them cried for 20 minutes before the parents gave up and left. Not the best way for everyone else to enjoy the performance. The archeology museum is worth a few hours and it's roughly across the street from the Basilica Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime, which I think is in the book. The easiest way to get there is one of the several mini-bus companies that circle the city for a flat daily fee.

I would stay in Ortigia. We were there for a week and did not want to leave! Easy bus ride from Catania.

We did a tour of Southern Italy that ended in Sicily. We spent a couple of nights in Taormina and did a day trip to Mt. Etna and a winery. After the tour ended we spent another 5 nights in Ortigia (our favorite city). We hired a driver through our B & B owner who took us to Noto, Ragusa and Modica with sights along the way. We went to Catania to spend our night before our departure. Our plan was to return to Sicily (independent trip) and spend a month in 2020. Unfortunately it was canceled due to the Pandemic. Enjoy your planning to wonderful Sicily!

We just spent two extra nights in Catania after our tour ended December 2nd. We stayed at the same hotel/room as on the Rick Steve tour. Hotel is just lovely and the staff wonderful but Catania not so much. If I had to do it again we would fly out of Catania the day the tour ended. Don’t want to sound critical of Catania because it was interesting but just not my favorite place to spend more time.

The WWII museum in Catania is said to be good. Alas, I missed it.

Another possibility in that area is the town of Acireale, on the coast just north of Catania (on the way to Taormina). It was recommended to me by a Sicilian I met in Monreale. Unfortunately, I missed Acireale, too, but online photos look nice.

I don't believe the tour goes to Ragusa, which I think is a shame.