Drive from Savoca’s hills to the Baroque Val di Noto, continue through Menfi’s wine country and finish by the beach at Mondello. Four stays leave time for Sicilian food, ancient sights and swimming, with Palermo’s markets and palaces to explore before you leave.
Begin with four nights near Savoca, followed by four in the Val di Noto countryside and five among Menfi’s vineyards. Three final nights at Mondello bring beach time and visits to Palermo. Along the way, mix town walks and archaeological sites with pool afternoons and long lunches.
Based on two people sharing characterful accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, with car hire and selected private guiding included.
The final price will depend on your travel dates, room choices and availability.
Explore Taormina and Etna from the east, discover Noto and the neighbouring Baroque towns, then enjoy Menfi’s wine and coast. A hire car opens up the countryside and smaller places between them.
Curious, independent travellers who enjoy history, architecture, food, wine and coastal scenery, but prefer the route and logistics to be carefully planned before departure.
Four or five nights at each of the first three hotels allow time for days out and days at home. Finish with three nights beside the sea at Mondello.
A hire car gives you freedom in hill villages, wine country and along the coast. We provide arrival and parking advice for the hotels and help you plan visits to the historic towns.
Enjoy eastern Sicily’s hills, the architecture of the Val di Noto, vineyards around Menfi and the sandy shore at Mondello, with a private walk to introduce Palermo.
Start with personal hosting and a pool at Lemon House, then settle into Masseria della Volpe’s countryside. Planeta Foresteria brings wine and estate dining before three nights at Unico, close to Mondello’s beach and restaurants.
At Lemon House near Savoca, spend your first days between the pool, the hill villages and the Ionian coast. Your hosts’ local knowledge helps you choose outings to Taormina and Mount Etna, with a quiet place to return to afterwards.
Masseria della Volpe moves the journey into the Baroque south-east. Its countryside setting gives you convenient access to Noto, Siracusa, Modica, Ragusa and the coast, with space to slow down after a day of exploring.
Five nights at Planeta Foresteria give you time to enjoy the wines, estate dining and views towards the sea. Visit Selinunte’s temples or Sciacca, spend a day on the coast and leave an afternoon free for the hotel.
Stay close to Mondello’s beach and restaurants at Unico Boutique Hotel d’Arte. Visit Palermo for markets, monuments and your private city walk, then return to the pool and rooftop views by the coast.
These guides provide useful background for the four main areas of the route, from the volcanic landscapes of eastern Sicily to the vineyards of Menfi and Palermo’s cultural layers.
Understand the different ways to experience Etna, from crater scenery and mountain villages to vineyards, local food and quieter drives across its slopes.
Discover guide →A practical introduction to Noto, Modica, Ragusa and the surrounding landscape, with ideas for combining architecture, local food and time near the sea.
Discover guide →Discover a quieter part of western Sicily where vineyards, sandy coastline, relaxed restaurants and important ancient sites can be explored at an unhurried pace.
Discover guide →Plan your time around Palermo’s markets, churches, food culture and Arab-Norman heritage, with practical ideas for making the most of the final stage.
Discover guide →Sicily can be shaped in several ways. These alternative journeys offer a more concentrated eastern route, a completely car-free island experience, or a slower exploration of the west.
A more concentrated alternative for travellers who want to spend their time around Etna, the Baroque south-east and the Siracusa coast rather than drive across the island.
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Choose this journey for a slower island chapter on Salina, with Palermo and Taormina connected by private transfers and hydrofoils rather than a hire car.
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A western-focused route with fewer bases, combining Palermo’s cultural energy, the vineyards around Menfi and a longer seaside finish at San Vito Lo Capo.
View this holiday →The route crosses Sicily in four stages: the hills near the Ionian coast, the Val di Noto, Menfi’s wine country and Mondello. We suggest worthwhile stops on the longer drives and provide directions for each arrival.
The map shows the main accommodation bases. ExpertoItaly will refine the driving plan, arrival arrangements and suggested stops around your dates and interests.
We can adapt the nights, hotels and experiences around your dates and interests. Enquiring early gives you the best choice at these small hotels, particularly if you would like a specific room or a popular spring or summer week.
Tell us what you have in mindWe can change the balance between culture, countryside and coast, extend a favourite area, suggest alternative hotels or create a shorter route focused on one part of Sicily.
Your likely dates, preferred duration, departure airport, interests, accommodation style and approximate budget will help us shape a useful first proposal.
We will talk through your ideas, choose suitable hotels and arrange the car hire and private walks as one land-only holiday. Flights are booked separately.
Share the outline of what you have in mind. We will use it to begin shaping the route, accommodation and practical arrangements around you.
Tailor-made Italy holidays, thoughtfully planned by ExpertoItaly.
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.
About ExpertoItalyTell us where you would like to go, when you can travel and what matters to you.
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At weekends, please send an enquiry.
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ExpertoItaly Ltd · Company registration no. 12035194 · TTA membership Q8055
Package holidays are sold by ExpertoItaly Ltd. Registered office: 33 Miles Close, London, SE28 0NJ.
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