Highlights of Sicily — Self-Launched

Land at Palermo Falcone-Borsellino (PMO) and take the Prestia & Comandè bus or the Trinacria Express train into the centre (~£5-6, 50 mins) rather than a taxi. Check into a guesthouse in the Kalsa or Vucciria quarter. Spend the late afternoon wandering Quattro Canti, the Fontana Pretoria and the cathedral, then eat street food for dinner — sfincione, panelle and a pane con la milza from a stall near Porta Carbone (around £8).

🚌Airport bus or train to Palermo Centrale, then walking

🛏Guesthouse or hostel private twin in central Palermo (~£30-40/night for a private room, dorm beds £18-25)

• →Orientation wander of the historic centre
• →Street food dinner

Start early with the Mercato di Ballarò or Vucciria (free to walk, budget £5 for breakfast snacks), then take bus 389 or the AMAT shuttle up to Monreale to see the Norman cathedral and its gold mosaics (cathedral free, cloister ~£6). In the afternoon take a regional train from Palermo Centrale to Cefalù (roughly 45-60 mins, £5-6). Check into a small B&B near the old town and walk the cobbled lanes to the beach cove for sunset.

🚌Local bus to Monreale; Trenitalia regional train Palermo–Cefalù ~£5-6

🛏Family-run B&B in Cefalù old town (~£35-45/night private room)

• →Ballarò market
• →Monreale Cathedral and cloister
• →Cefalù old town and beach

Climb La Rocca for the view over the rooftops (~£4, 45 mins up), or do the Salita Saraceni walk and visit the Norman Duomo. Midday, take the train or bus to Milazzo (train Cefalù–Palermo–Milazzo takes about 2h45; alternatively buses via Messina), then the fast hydrofoil from Milazzo to Lipari (~50 mins to 1h15, £12-16 each way) with Liberty Lines or Siremar. Arrive on Lipari, the largest Aeolian island, settle into a guesthouse in Marina Corta and have dinner by the harbour.

🚌Regional train/bus to Milazzo ~£10-12; hydrofoil Milazzo–Lipari ~£12-16

🛏Guesthouse or small hotel in Lipari Marina Corta (~£35-45/night)

• →La Rocca hike and Cefalù Duomo
• →Ferry crossing to the Aeolians

Spend the morning at Spiaggia di Canneto or take a short hydrofoil hop to Vulcano to walk up the crater rim (~£10 return + crater entry). In the afternoon join a bookable Panarea & Stromboli boat excursion — these run daily in season from Lipari and cost around £45-60 through GetYourGuide or direct with the local operators at the port. Swim at Cala Junco, wander Panarea's whitewashed village, then cruise to Stromboli for the sunset and the Sciara del Fuoco eruptions from the water. Boats return to Lipari late evening.

🚌Hydrofoil hops within the archipelago ~£10; excursion boat included in the day trip

🛏Guesthouse in Lipari (~£35-45/night)

• →Panarea & Stromboli boat excursion with sunset viewing
• →Optional Vulcano crater walk

Take the morning hydrofoil back to Milazzo, then train to Taormina-Giardini (~1h, £5-7) and the local bus or cable car up to Taormina. Walk Corso Umberto, then pay the ~£12 entry to the Teatro Greco with Etna framed behind it. Late afternoon, take the regional train down the coast to Catania (~45 mins, £4-5) and check into a place near Piazza del Duomo.

🚌Hydrofoil to Milazzo ~£12-16; train Milazzo–Taormina ~£5-7; train Taormina–Catania ~£4-5

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in central Catania (~£30-40/night)

• →Taormina orientation walk
• →Teatro Greco Taormina

Do a self-guided loop of Catania: the fish market La Pescheria in the morning (loudest and best before 10am), Piazza del Duomo with the elephant obelisk, Via Etnea, the Roman theatre and the Monastero dei Benedettini. Lunch on pasta alla Norma (£7-9). In the afternoon, ride the Circumetnea narrow-gauge train partway round Etna's foothills for cheap volcano views (~£5), or just sit out the heat in Villa Bellini.

🚌Walking; optional Circumetnea train ~£5

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Catania (~£30-40/night)

• →La Pescheria fish market
• →Piazza del Duomo and Via Etnea
• →Optional Circumetnea railway

Book a small-group Etna excursion through GetYourGuide or Klook (~£45-70 including transport, guide and often wine tasting), or do it yourself: AST bus from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza (~£5-7 each way, seasonal) plus the cable car and 4x4 up to 2,900m (~£50) or a guided crater walk at 2,000m (~£25). Wrap up warm — it is cold and windy up there even in summer. Back in Catania, eat granita and brioche and a big seafood dinner.

🚌AST bus or organised minibus to Etna; return to Catania

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse in Catania (~£30-40/night)

• →Mount Etna crater walk or cable car ascent
• →Optional Etna wine tasting

Take the regional train Catania–Siracusa (~1h15, £5-6) and check in on the island of Ortigia. Book a small-group arancini cooking class direct with a local cookery school or via GetYourGuide/Airbnb Experiences (~£45-60, includes lunch — this replaces the operator's included class and lunch). Afternoon: walk the duomo piazza, the Fountain of Arethusa and the medieval lanes of Ortigia, then eat at a trattoria on Via Cavour.

🚌Trenitalia regional train ~£5-6

🛏Guesthouse or hostel private room on Ortigia (~£35-45/night)

• →Arancini cooking class
• →Ortigia orientation walk

Spend the morning in the Parco Archeologico della Neapolis — the Greek theatre, the Ear of Dionysius and the Roman amphitheatre (~£12 entry). In the afternoon take the Interbus or train to Noto (~40 mins, £3-4), the UNESCO-listed baroque town built in golden limestone; climb the campanile for the view. Alternatively stay put and swim off the rocks at Ortigia's Solarium. Back in Syracuse for dinner.

🚌Local bus or train to Noto ~£3-4 return

🛏Guesthouse on Ortigia (~£35-45/night)

• →Parco Archeologico della Neapolis
• →Noto day trip

An early bus to Ragusa Ibla via Interbus (~2h, £6-8) for a quick wander of the baroque lanes and the Duomo di San Giorgio. Continue by bus to Piazza Armerina (~1h30, £5-6) and walk or taxi up to the Villa Romana del Casale, home to the world's finest in-situ Roman mosaics (~£10 entry, allow 1.5h). Late afternoon bus to Agrigento (~2h, £7-8) and check into a B&B in the modern town near the Valley of the Temples.

🚌Interbus/SAIS regional buses Syracuse–Ragusa–Piazza Armerina–Agrigento ~£20 total

🛏B&B in Agrigento near the Valley of the Temples (~£30-40/night)

• →Ragusa Ibla
• →Villa Romana del Casale mosaics

Be at the Valley of the Temples when it opens (~£13 entry, £15 with audio guide — book a licensed local guide on site or via GetYourGuide if you want the history explained). Walk the ridge of the seven temples in the morning light. Then take the bus or train towards Trapani, breaking the journey at Marsala to see the Saline di Mozia salt flats and windmills (free to walk; a boat to Mozia island is ~£8 if you have time). Continue to Trapani (~40 mins) and check in.

🚌Regional bus/train Agrigento–Marsala–Trapani ~£10-12

🛏Guesthouse in Trapani old town (~£30-40/night)

• →Valley of the Temples
• →Marsala salt flats

Pick your day: ride the funicular up to the walled medieval town of Erice (~£8 return, plus the castle and gardens), take the hydrofoil to Favignana in the Egadi Islands for swimming and cycling (~£15-20 return plus bike hire ~£8), or take the bus to the Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro for coastal hiking along the cliffs. Evenings in Trapani: the old town is lovely at golden hour, and the fish couscous is the local speciality (£12-15).

🚌Funicular to Erice ~£8 return; or hydrofoil to Favignana ~£15-20 return

🛏Guesthouse in Trapani old town (~£30-40/night)

• →Erice by funicular
• →Optional Egadi Islands day trip
• →Optional Zingaro nature reserve hike

A slow morning in Trapani — the fish market, the Ligny tower and the beach at San Giuliano. Take the afternoon bus or train back to Palermo (~2h, £8-9) and check into your final night's accommodation. Final dinner in the Vucciria or Kalsa with a bottle of Sicilian Nero d'Avola, or splash out on a Palermo street-food tour if you want the local food history explained (~£55-75 via GetYourGuide or a local operator).

🚌Bus or regional train Trapani–Palermo ~£8-9

🛏Guesthouse in central Palermo (~£30-40/night)

• →Trapani market and seafront
• →Optional Palermo food tour

Last breakfast, a final espresso and a wander through the Ballarò market or a quick visit to the Palazzo dei Normanni before heading to Falcone-Borsellino airport by bus or train (~£5-6, 50 mins).

🚌Airport bus or train ~£5-6

🛏None — departure day

• →Palermo morning wander