Sicily: The Best of... (Self-Launched Edition)
7 days · Sicily
Carrani Tours charges £1,540
No-markup version: ~£465 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A do-it-yourself version of Carrani Tours' 7-day Palermo-to-Taormina Sicily circuit, covering the same highlights — Monreale's golden mosaics, Palermo's old town, Erice and Marsala, the Valley of Temples, Baroque Ragusa and Noto, Ortygia in Syracuse, Mount Etna and Taormina. Instead of a coach group and 4-star hotels, you'll move between cities by Sicily's surprisingly good (and cheap) train and bus network — Trenitalia, Interbus and SAIS — staying in hostels, guesthouses and budget B&Bs. Costs are approximate backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude flights; book intercity buses a few days ahead in summer, and note Sicily's trains are slower south of Palermo, so overnight in Ragusa and use buses for the south-east leg.
Day-by-day
Arrival in Palermo
Palermo
Fly into Palermo Falcone-Borsellino (PMO) and take the Prestia e Comandè bus to the city centre (~£6, 50 mins) or the Trinacria Express train to Palermo Centrale (~£6). Check into a hostel or budget guesthouse in the historic centre — the Ballarò/Vucciria area is lively and cheap. Spend the evening wandering Via Maqueda and the Quattro Canti, then eat street food: sfincione, panelle and a pane ca' meusa from a Ballarò stall (£6-9).
🚌Airport bus Prestia e Comandè or Trinacria Express train from PMO to Palermo centre (~£6)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel dorm in Palermo historic centre (e.g. Ballarò/Albergheria area)
- →Evening walk along Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti
- →Street food dinner at Ballarò market
Monreale and Palermo Old Town
Palermo / Monreale
Take AMAT bus 389 or the shuttle to Monreale (about 30-40 mins, ~£2 each way) and visit the Cathedral of Monreale — the Norman mosaics are the best in Sicily and entry is around £4 (some parts free). Have a cheap lunch in Monreale, then return to Palermo for a self-guided walk of the old town: Palermo Cathedral (rooftop ~£8, interior free), the Capuchin Catacombs (~£3), and the Palazzo dei Normanni and Capella Palatina (~£16, book online to skip queues). Pick up local delicatessen supplies in Monreale or at the Vucciria market.
🚌AMAT city bus Palermo–Monreale (~£2 each way); walk or local bus in Palermo
🛏Same Palermo guesthouse/hostel
- →Monreale Cathedral and cloister
- →Palermo Cathedral rooftop
- →Capuchin Catacombs
- →Capella Palatina (Palazzo dei Normanni)
Erice, Marsala and the Valley of Temples
Erice / Marsala / Agrigento
This is the tour's big day, and it's the trickiest to replicate. An early bus/train from Palermo to Trapani (~2 hrs, £7-9), then the cable car or bus up to Erice's medieval hilltop village (£4-6 return) for a wander and a coffee. Descend to Trapani and take the regional bus to Marsala (~45 mins, ~£3) for a short winery tasting — Marsala cellars like Florio offer tastings from ~£10 with local snacks. Then catch an afternoon/early-evening bus or train from Marsala or Trapani down to Agrigento via Salemi/Castelvetrano (~2.5-3 hrs, ~£9) — check the SAIS and Autolinee Sal schedules the day before and be prepared for a long day. Alternative: skip Marsala and go straight to Agrigento for a quieter pace.
🚌Palermo–Trapani bus/train (~£8), local bus to Erice (~£2), Trapani–Marsala bus (~£3), Marsala–Agrigento bus (~£9)
🛏Budget B&B or guesthouse near Agrigento's Valley of Temples or town centre
- →Erice medieval hilltop village and castle views
- →Marsala winery tasting
- →Evening walk in Agrigento old town
Valley of Temples, then Ragusa
Agrigento / Ragusa
Get to the Valley of Temples early to beat the heat and crowds — the combined ticket including the Temple of Concord, Temple of Hercules, Temple of Jupiter and the archaeological museum is around £13.50 (book online; under-25s half price). Bring water and lunch from a nearby supermarket. Mid-afternoon, take the SAIS bus or train south-east to Ragusa (~2.5 hrs, ~£7 via Gela/Modica). In the evening, explore Ragusa Ibla on foot: the Cathedral of San Giorgio, Church of San Giuseppe, the Cosentini Palace and the belvedere views from Giardini Iblei — all free to walk around.
🚌Local bus to Valley of Temples (~£1.50); Agrigento–Ragusa bus/train (~£7)
🛏Budget B&B in Ragusa Superiore or Ibla
- →Valley of Temples and archaeological museum
- →Ragusa Ibla self-guided walk: San Giorgio, San Giuseppe, Cosentini Palace, Giardini Iblei
Noto, Syracuse's Ortygia, then on to Taormina
Noto / Syracuse / Taormina
Catch an early bus from Ragusa to Noto (~1 hr, ~£3) and walk the Baroque town centre — the Cathedral of San Nicolò and the honey-coloured Corso Vittorio Emanuele are free to see; a granita and brioche is a must (£3). Continue by bus or train to Syracuse (~45 mins, ~£3) and cross to Ortygia island to see the Temple of Apollo and the cathedral square. In the late afternoon take the Interbus/Sais bus from Syracuse up to Taormina (~2 hrs, ~£10, or train to Taormina-Giardini plus a shuttle bus up the hill ~£2). Check into a guesthouse and have a cheap dinner in Taormina.
🚌Ragusa–Noto bus (~£3), Noto–Syracuse bus/train (~£3), Syracuse–Taormina Interbus (~£10)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Taormina (or cheaper Giardini Naxos just below)
- →Noto Cathedral of San Nicolò and Baroque centre
- →Granita and brioche tasting
- →Ortygia island walk in Syracuse
- →Evening in Taormina's Corso Umberto
Mount Etna and Taormina
Mount Etna / Taormina
Book a guided Etna minivan tour from Taormina via GetYourGuide or arrange your own transfer: either a public AST bus to Rifugio Sapienza (~£5-7 each way) followed by the cable car and 4x4/guide up to ~2,900 m (~£50-65), or the cheaper half-day group trip to the 1,800-2,000 m craters with a volcanologist guide (~£45-60 including pickup). Weather permitting you'll walk over lava fields and peer into craters. Return in the afternoon for the Ancient Theatre of Taormina (~£12, views over the sea, book ahead), then relax on Isola Bella beach (free; bus from town ~£1.50).
🚌AST bus to Rifugio Sapienza (~£6 each way) or GetYourGuide pickup included in Etna tour
🛏Same Taormina guesthouse
- →Guided Mount Etna excursion (cable car and 4x4 or crater walk)
- →Ancient Theatre of Taormina
- →Isola Bella beach
Departure from Taormina
Taormina / Catania
Final breakfast, then a last swim or stroll through Taormina's gardens (Villa Comunale, free). Take the shuttle/bus down to Taormina-Giardini station and a train to Catania (~£4, 40 mins) or direct Interbus to Catania Airport (~£6-8, 1 hr 20) for your flight out. If you have a late flight, drop bags and see Catania's fish market and baroque piazza for a few pounds' worth of extra time.
🚌Taormina–Giardini shuttle (~£2) plus train to Catania (~£4) or Interbus to Catania Airport (~£7)
- →Villa Comunale gardens
- →Optional Catania old town stop en route
Self-launched vs. Carrani Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Carrani Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£465 | £1,540 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,075 per person (70%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Carrani Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£465
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Sicily: The Best of... (Self-Launched Edition) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £465 per person for 7 days in Sicily. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Carrani Tours?+
Yes — Carrani Tours charges around £1,540 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £465 — a saving of roughly £1,075 (70%) per person.
How long is the Sicily trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Sicily.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, foodie, budget trip through Sicily, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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