In Two Weeks

On this tour we can hit not only the two major goals, Palermo and Taormina, but also the majestic Greek and Roman ruins at Syracuse, Agrigento, and Selinunte. This tour also allows us to see the Greek temple of Segesta (one of the best preserved in the world) and to take in such west-coast destinations as the medieval hill town of Erice and the wine-producing town of Marsala.

Days 1 & 2: Palermo: Gateway to Sicily

In 2 busy days you can see the highlights of the Sicilian capital. To do that, you can follow the agenda as outlined in Days 1 and 2 in "In One Week."

Day 3: A Side Trip to Cefalù

The ancient small city of Cefalù lies 81km (50 miles) east of Palermo and can be visited as a day trip, with a return to Palermo that night. If you don't want to make the drive back, you can overnight in one of the little hotels of Cefalù. Follow the same itinerary as outlined in Day 3 in "In One Week," cutting out the final lap of that trip into Messina for the night.

Day 4: Segesta to Erice

From either Cafalù or Palermo, whichever you selected for your base for the third night, leave in the morning for the small village of Segesta, lying 75km (47 miles) southwest of Palermo. Take the autostrada (A29) running between Palermo and Trapani, turning off at the clearly marked exit to Segesta. When Segesta was the mysterious and ancient city of Elymi, the Tempio of Segesta, one of the world's most perfectly preserved temples handed down from antiquity, could be seen.You can also enjoy one of the most panoramic views of Sicily from this vantage point.

After a visit, get back on the express highway (A29) and continue west to Erice for the night, a distance of only 96km (60 miles) southwest of Palermo. Check into a hotel for the night and set about to wander through the medieval town, the most perfectly preserved in Sicily, with panoramic views in all directions. Cover as many of the attractions as you can, but know that it is the town itself that is the main sightseeing target.

Day 5: Trapani to Marsala

On the morning of Day 5, leave Erice, heading south to the west coast city of Trapani, a distance of 14km (8 3/4 miles). There are two unmarked but signposted winding roads that take you southwest of Erice into Trapani. You can spend the rest of the morning exploring the centro storico, or medieval core, of Trapani, having lunch there.

In the afternoon, head south from Trapani along Route 115 into Marsala, a distance of 31km (19 miles). Overnight in Marsala. This is the home of the world-famous port wine, and you can take tours of the wineries such as Cantine Florio. With the remaining time, you can visit some of the sights of the town.

Day 6: The Ruins of Selinunte

On the morning of Day 6, leave Marsala and drive east along the N115 to the little town of Castelvetrano where you can follow an offshoot road south to the sea and Selinunte (it's signposted). Here you can spend 2 hours wandering through the Selinunte ruins. For a late lunch that day, you can find food in the neighboring village of Marinella. Since lodgings are few, we suggest you continue east to Agrigento for the night, a distance of 113km (70 miles). At night spend an hour or so driving through the floodlit ruins of the Valley of the Temples, one of the greatest and most evocative temple attractions of Sicily or southern Italy.

Day 7: Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples

To explore during the day, we suggest that you extend your hotel stay in Agrigento for Day 7. That way, you can follow the itinerary outlined for Day 6 in "In One Week."

Day 8: Piazza Armerina & Ragusa

On the morning of Day 8, leave Agrigento and drive to Piazza Armerina, a distance of 124km (77 miles). To reach it, drive east from Agrigento (N115) to the city of Gela. At this point, head north on N1176 to Piazza Armerina. Once here you can visit one of the great attractions of Sicily, Villa Romana del Casale, lying 6km (3 3/4 miles) from town. This is one of the greatest and best preserved of all the villas to have survived from the days of Imperial Rome. It is celebrated for its mosaics. After lunch, head south and backtrack along N1176 to the coastal city of Gela. Once in Gela continue east along N115/E45 to the city of Ragusa, where you can overnight. Except for the side trip to Piazza Armerina, the driving distance between your launch in Agrigento and your final stopover in Ragusa is 138km (86 miles). Chances are, you'll arrive in Ragusa in time to take the long stairway to its historic core, Ragusa Ibla, which is the main reason to visit.

Days 9 & 10: Noto to Syracuse

On the morning of Day 9, leave Ragusa, driving for 55km (34 miles) east to the ancient city of Noto for a morning visit. Follow N115 east until you come to the city limits of Sicily's grandest baroque town. After lunch in Noto, continue on N115 for another 31km (19 miles) to Syracuse, where you can check into a hotel for 2 nights, since there is so much to see. In the afternoon, head for the ancient and historic island of Ortygia. For Day 10 in Syracuse, follow the guidelines for Day 5 in "In One Week,".

Day 11: Catania : Sicily's "Second City"

On the morning of Day 11, head north of Syracuse to Catania, a distance of 87km (54 miles), following E45/N115/N114 all the way. Take our walking tour of "Historic Catania" and follow it up with lunch. In the afternoon, explore the southern slopes of Mount Etna. The northern slopes of the active volcanic mountain can also be explored from a base in Taormina . Overnight in Catania.

Day 12: Taormina: Sicily's Greatest Resort

On the morning of Day 12, drive north along the express highway, A18, arriving in the hilltop resort of Taormina after going 53km (33 miles). Plan to overnight here. If you haven't toured Mount Etna, you can visit the northern rim of a base in Taormina. But we suggest that you tour Etna during your Catania stopover, leaving you free for the most fun along the trip -- a day of R&R in Taormina with some time for its beaches that front the sea down below. You may have seen enough ruins already, but there is one more three-star attraction to explore: Teatro Greco, the Greek amphitheater, one of the major attractions of Sicily. After that, we suggest you head for the best beach in the area, Lido Mazzarò.

Day 13 & 14: Vulcano & Lipari

Decisions, decisions on Day 13 in your driving tour. The average visitor, pressed for time, might want to end the tour in Taormina, perhaps heading for Messina north of Taormina, a distance of 53km (33 miles), reached along the express highway, A18. At Messina, transportation can be arranged back to the Italian mainland.

But with 2 days to spare, you can explore the best of the Aeolian Islands: Vulcano (our first choice) or Lipari (a runner-up). (Stromboli, more difficult to reach, would require almost an additional 2 days for those who can afford the time.)

Most visitors will settle for Vulcano, which is closer to the port city of Milazzo, where boat transportation to the Aeolians can be arranged. To reach the embarkation point at Milazzo, continue from Taormina to Messina . Instead of stopping here, drive west on the autostrada (A20) until you arrive at Milazzo, a distance of 32km (20 miles) from Messina, in the east.

If you're traveling to the Aeolians in summer, make sure you've made reservations well in advance. The trip across the sea to Vulcano takes 55km (34 miles). After checking in, set about exploring Vulcano, its chief attraction being the Gran Cratere, a trip that will eat up 3 hours or more of your time. Better have lunch in town before setting out on this arduous journey with some of the greatest panoramic views in the Aeolians.

On the morning of Day 14, leave Vulcano sailing to Lipari which is only 18km (11 miles) away. Once on Lipari, check into a hotel for the night and begin your exploration of the island. The single most important sight is the Museo Archeologico Eoliano, one of Southern Italy's greatest treasure troves of the ancient world. The following morning, head back to the mainland. Depending on your transportation arrangements, you can return to Palermo in the west for flights or else take one of the seagoing vessels from the port at Messina.