Explore Palermo’s markets and palaces, spend a week swimming and discovering Salina, then enjoy Taormina’s theatre, terraces and sea views. Private transfers and hydrofoils connect the three stays.
This 14-night journey begins with Palermo’s markets, architecture and layered history, slows down with a full week on Salina, and finishes among Taormina’s sea views and elegant historic streets. Private transfers and hydrofoil crossings are arranged throughout, allowing the route to remain varied without becoming complicated.
A guide price for this sample land-only holiday, based on 14 nights in the featured hotels, daily breakfast and the transport and touring arrangements listed alongside.
The final price will depend on your travel dates, room categories, hotel availability and any changes made to the route.
Enjoy Palermo on foot with time for food and art, then settle into a full week on Salina. Boat outings, villages and wine tastings can alternate with pool days before three nights in Taormina.
Well suited to couples and cultured travellers who want history, food, island scenery and characterful hotels, with the practical arrangements handled for them.
Four nights in Palermo leave room for a guided walk and your own discoveries. A week on Salina gives you time to get to know the island, followed by three nights for Taormina’s theatre, town and coastal views.
Travel between airports, hotels and ports with private drivers, and cross to Salina by hydrofoil. We arrange the connections around the sailing timetable for your dates.
Palermo brings markets and layered history, Salina adds volcanic landscapes and a slower pace, and Taormina closes the journey with sea views, culture and easy access to eastern Sicily.
Return from Palermo’s streets to a garden and pool, enjoy a week looking over the Aeolian Sea from Salina, then finish with Villa Carlotta’s terraces and rooftop dining in Taormina.
Bastione Spasimo places you in Palermo’s historic Kalsa district, giving the journey a strong cultural beginning. Markets, churches, restaurants and the waterfront are within easy reach, while the garden and pool provide a quieter setting after a day in the city.
At Principe di Salina, a full week leaves time for boat trips, Malfa’s village life and the island’s vineyards. Spend other days by the infinity pool, reading and looking across the sea, with the hotel’s personal welcome to come back to each evening.
Walk from Villa Carlotta into Taormina for the ancient theatre, gardens and streets around Corso Umberto. Back at the hotel, the terraces and rooftop dining invite you to linger over the sea views.
These guides provide practical context for the three stages of the journey, from planning your time in Palermo and Salina to understanding the wider Aeolian Islands and making the most of Taormina.
An introduction to Palermo’s markets, Arab-Norman heritage, churches, neighbourhoods and food culture, with useful ideas for making good use of the four-night stay.
Discover guide →Discover Salina’s villages, wine country, coastal scenery and relaxed island rhythm, with suggestions for balancing gentle exploration with time at the hotel.
Discover guide →Explore further articles about the Aeolian Islands, including their volcanic landscapes, island character, boat journeys and possible day trips from Salina.
Discover guide →A practical look at Taormina’s historic centre, ancient theatre, sea views, beaches and nearby possibilities, helping you decide how active or relaxed to make the final stage.
Discover guide →Palermo, Salina and Taormina suit travellers who want a car-free journey with a substantial island stay. These alternative routes offer different balances of independence, scenery and length.
Choose this route for greater independence and a concentrated exploration of western Sicily, replacing the Aeolian island stay with vineyards, archaeology and a relaxed coastal finish.
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A broader road journey for travellers who want to connect eastern and western Sicily, with greater access to countryside, Baroque towns, wine country and places that are easier to explore by car.
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A shorter car-free alternative focusing entirely on eastern Sicily, combining Taormina’s elevated coastal setting with Siracusa’s archaeology, Baroque streets and waterfront atmosphere.
View this holiday →The journey moves from Sicily’s north-western capital to the Aeolian Islands, before returning to Sicily for the final stay on the eastern coast. Private transfers connect the overland stages, while hydrofoils provide the sea crossings to and from Salina.
The map shows the overall sequence rather than every transfer point. Hydrofoil schedules and transfer timings are arranged around your confirmed travel dates.
We can adapt the nights, rooms and guided experiences to suit you. Enquire early for the best choice at these small hotels, particularly if you have a favourite room or fixed summer dates.
Add nights in Palermo or Taormina, choose a different room category, adjust the length of the Salina stay or include further private touring.
Your preferred dates, number of travellers, approximate budget, room requirements and the balance you would like between culture, exploring and slower days are particularly helpful.
We will review the journey as a whole, consider suitable availability and suggest a clear itinerary with accommodation, transport and experiences planned together.
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and what you would love to enjoy in Sicily. We arrange the hotels, transfers, hydrofoils and experiences; flights are booked separately.
Tailor-made Italy holidays, designed personally by Antonio Cresce.
Characterful places to stay, thoughtful routes and well-planned travel between them — across one region or several.
We arrange your accommodation, transport and experiences in Italy. Flights are booked separately.
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