Things to do in Sicily
Day Trips from Palermo Sicily10 optionsBoat Trips Taormina Sicily42 optionsSicily Wine Tour10 optionsSicily Hiking Tour26 optionsSicily Sailing Tour8 optionsSicily Snorkeling Tour12 optionsNoto Walking Tour7 optionsFood Tour Sicily30 optionsMount Etna Hiking Tour5 optionsMuseums6 optionsSicily Walking Tour47 optionsSicily Airport Transfer10 options
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Mount Etna & Alcantara: Wine Tasting, Cave Trek & LunchYou’ll hike Mount Etna’s lava fields with a local guide from Catania, explore a volcanic cave with helmet and torch, enjoy rustic Sicilian lunch with wine at a winery, then wander the cool basalt gorges of Alcantara River—each stop feeling more alive than the last.
Messina: Street Food Tour & Local Beer TastingYou walk Messina's historic center with a food expert, tasting five or more local specialties—arancini, cannoli, granite, focaccia—at authentic street food shops and bars. You'll see the Bell Tower's noon mechanism, the Cathedral, and the Church of the Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani while eating. Local craft beer is included. The tour is on foot, takes a few hours, and includes professional guidance and liability insurance.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat what locals actually eat in Messina without arranging your own stops and translations—the guide handles the route, the tastings, and the stories that make the food make sense.
Catania Street Food Walking Tour: Markets, Arancini & PastriesYou’ll wind through Catania’s buzzing markets with a local guide, tasting fresh arancini, crispy fried fish at la pescheria, and classic pastries like cannoli or granita depending on the season. Expect laughter over mispronounced names and little moments—like church bells or powdered sugar everywhere—that stay with you long after.
Palermo Historic Center Walking Tour & Royal PalaceYou walk Palermo's UNESCO-listed historic center with a licensed local guide who customizes the route in real time. The tour includes guided entry to the Royal Palace and Cappella Palatina, the Cathedral, and passes through Capo Market, Teatro Massimo, and seven other major sites. You move on foot at your own pace, with no group waiting, and the itinerary shifts if you want to linger or skip a stop.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Palermo's main UNESCO sites and markets without navigating them alone or joining a large group — the private format and customizable route mean you move at your own pace and skip or extend stops as you go.
Palermo Boat Tour: Snorkeling, Sicilian Food & CannoliYou’ll join a small group led by a local captain, stopping to swim and snorkel off Palermo’s coast, snack on Sicilian street food at Mondello Beach, share laughs over baked pasta at Capogallo, and finish with fresh cannoli filled right on board. It’s relaxed, salty-aired fun—expect both good food and real Sicilian warmth.
Catania Walking Tour with Licensed Guide: Baroque Streets & Lava StoneYou’ll start at Catania’s lively Piazza Duomo with your licensed guide, wander through the noisy fish market sampling local flavors, and stroll down Via Crociferi beneath dramatic baroque facades. Expect laughter, unexpected tastes, and a real sense of what makes this city tick — not just its history but its heartbeat.
Mount Etna sunset trek from Catania: Lava cave and cratersA five-hour guided trek from Catania hotels to Mount Etna's summit ridge, including a lava cave visit with helmet and torch, soft trekking through ancient and recent craters at 2000 meters, and sunset views from Europe's highest active volcano. The guide speaks English, Italian or French and covers the volcano's geology, flora and fauna. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for selected Catania accommodations.Is it for me?Book this trek if you want to move through the volcano itself—the lava cave and the high-altitude craters are what set this apart from a viewpoint tour. The five-hour commitment and the 2000-meter altitude mean you need moderate fitness, but the soft trekking and the guide's pace make it manageable for anyone who can sustain a steady walk uphill.
Snorkeling in Syracuse: Sea caves and island of OrtigiaA boat excursion from Syracuse that takes you snorkeling in sea caves with clear water, then to the island of Ortigia, with a live English-speaking guide. The trip runs between one and two hours from the departure point on Via Eritrea. Children are welcome from age 10 when accompanied by an adult.Is it for me?You board and snorkel yourself rather than watch from the boat, which is what makes the sea caves and clear water the center of the day instead of a backdrop. The shared boat and fixed route suit travelers who want the guide and the stops arranged, without the cost or the logistics of a private charter.
Agrigento Valley of the Temples & Villa Romana Day Trip PalermoYou’ll walk among ancient Greek temples in Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples with a local guide, then explore Villa Romana del Casale’s mosaics at your own pace. Expect stories from real Sicilians, air-conditioned comfort between sites, and plenty of quiet moments to let Sicily sink in.
Taormina & Castelmola Day Trip from Messina with PickupYou’ll wander Taormina’s lively main street with time to explore on your own, then climb up to Castelmola for almond wine and sweeping views of Mount Etna. A local guide shares stories along the way before dropping you back at your hotel or cruise ship. Expect small surprises — and maybe a new favorite Sicilian snack.
Taormina: Sicilian Street Food & Wine Tour with TastingsYou’ll taste your way through Taormina’s winding streets with a local guide—sampling arancini by the Greek Theatre, sipping Sicilian wine near Piazza del Duomo, tearing into focaccia at Villa Comunale, and finishing with fresh cannoli or granita by Corvaja Palace. Expect laughter, imperfect Italian, and a real sense of Sicilian warmth along the way.
Etna: Morning or Sunset Trek & Lava Tunnel with GearYou’ll hike across Etna’s black sand slopes with a local guide, explore ancient craters from past eruptions, and slip into a Roman-era lava tunnel with helmet and torch provided. Private pickup from Catania keeps things simple—and you’ll probably end up dustier than expected but with stories you’ll want to tell later.
Taormina Sailing Tour: Snorkeling & Wine Aperitif from Giardini NaxosYou sail from Giardini Naxos past Isola Bella and Grotta Azzurra with time to snorkel independently at two stops. A skipper explains the basics of sailing while you're underway. You get snorkeling gear, a Sicilian aperitif with local white wine, and views of Mount Etna and Taormina from the water. The whole outing runs three hours, in a small group, with the option to swap the aperitif for a light lunch if you choose the midday slot.Is it for me?Right for travelers who want to snorkel and taste the coast without arranging a boat or worrying about timing — the skipper handles the sailing and the stops are built around the swimming. Plan for three hours on the water and a short taxi ride to the pier beforehand; that's what keeps the group small and the pace relaxed.
Sicily Wine Tasting Tour from Taormina & Etna WineryYou get picked up from Taormina, driven up to Gambino Winery on Etna's volcanic slopes, and guided through four Sicilian wines with regional snacks and cheese. The afternoon format means no early wake-up, and the guide covers the production story while you taste. Plan for steady walking on the winery grounds, and you'll be back in Taormina by evening.Is it for me?Right for wine drinkers who want to understand Sicilian production without a full-day commitment. The afternoon timing and 800-meter elevation mean you're tasting wines shaped by volcanic soil and learning the story behind them, not just sampling.
Palermo Ballarò Market & Street Food Tour with TastingsYou walk through Ballarò Market with a local guide, stopping at eight carefully chosen spots over roughly three hours. You taste six street foods — arancine, sfincione, panelle, crocchè, cannoli, and more — plus four drinks including espresso from a century-old roastery. The guide handles the timing and the stories; you just show up hungry and follow.Is it for me?Book this if you want to eat like a local without figuring out which market stalls are worth your time or what order to visit them in — the guide and the fixed stops take that work off your hands, and you land in the best places in three hours instead of wandering for half a day.
Taormina: Sicilian Cannoli Cooking Class with TastingYou’ll roll out dough by hand, fry golden cannoli shells, and fill them with fresh ricotta alongside local cooks in Taormina. Taste your creations over coffee or soda while swapping stories at the table. It’s hands-on, messy fun—and you’ll carry home both recipes and memories long after you’ve left Sicily.
Palermo Boat Tour: Coastal Swim & Sicilian Aperitif, Max 7 GuestsYou board a seven-person boat at Cala port in central Palermo and sail the coastline past Villa Igiea and Casa Florio, stopping twice for swimming in clear water. The tour ends at Grotta della Regina, where you float near a sea cave and drink Prosecco with local Sicilian appetizers. Water and Prosecco are included; the small group size means no crowding and actual time to breathe.Is it for me?This works if you want to swim in Palermo's clearest water without the noise of a large group, and if you'd rather not spend the afternoon figuring out which beach to visit or what to eat — the boat handles both, and the Prosecco at the grotto is the kind of detail that makes a regular afternoon feel deliberate.
Syracuse boat tour with lunch: Ortigia and PlemmirioA half-day boat tour along the Syracuse coast with a skipper guide, covering Ortigia island, the Plemmirio marine protected area and the Porto Grande. The tour includes a four-course Sicilian lunch prepared in the boat's kitchen, fresh drinks and seasonal fruit throughout, plus swimming stops in the protected area. The itinerary may shift with weather, and food allergies must be noted at booking.Is it for me?You're on a shared boat with other travelers, so the pace and stops are set by the group and the skipper—good if you want the coast and the lunch without building the day yourself, and the swimming stops mean you're not just watching from the deck. If you prefer to control the route or swim on your own schedule, a private rental boat would give you that freedom instead.
Erice & Segesta Day Trip from Palermo with Flexible RouteYou’ll step into medieval Erice with its winding alleys and sweet-smelling bakeries, then explore the unfinished temple at Segesta surrounded by rolling Sicilian hills. With flexible stops like Trapani’s saltpans if time allows, plus a friendly local guide handling all transport from Palermo, you get a real taste of western Sicily’s pace—and maybe a few surprises along the way.
Sunset Boat Tour Giardini Naxos: Dolphins & Isola BellaA 2.5-hour boat tour departing from Giardini Naxos that follows the Taormina coastline to Isola Bella and the Cave of Love, includes a swim stop with prosecco and Sicilian arancini, and sails into deeper water where dolphins often appear. The guide provides commentary in English, Italian or Romanian as the boat returns to port with views of Mount Etna at sunset. Dolphin sightings are not guaranteed, as the animals move freely in their habitat.Is it for me?The guide speaks English, Italian or Romanian, so choose the language that works for your group. The tour moves at a relaxed pace with one swim stop and time on deck watching the coast and sky, making it comfortable for mixed fitness levels and families with small children.
