This tailor-made Sicily tour takes you across the whole island in 12 days as a private trip: the markets and mosaics of Palermo, the Greek temples of Agrigento, the baroque towns of the Val di Noto, Siracusa, Mount Etna and Taormina. I arrange all of it for you.
No group and no fixed dates: you travel as a couple, a family or friends. You drive a rental car, which works very well in Sicily, or travel with a private driver. Airport pickup, hotels and car parks outside the ZTL zones are all booked before you leave.
At a glance
- Type of trip: fully arranged, tailor-made private trip, just for you (couple, family or friends)
- Recommended length: 12 days; shorter or longer is possible (8 to 16 days)
- Start: any day you like
- Transport: self-drive with a rental car, or a private driver
- Three levels: Budget, Comfort and Premium
- Price: from €1,640 pp excluding flight (indicative price), based on 2 travellers; flight approx. €200–350 pp, not included, depending on the month
- Best months (advice): April, May, June, September, October
- Always included: airport pickup, hotels with breakfast, a personal intake meeting, a WhatsApp line with the founder and a personal 24/7 number
All prices are indicative desk-research estimates; you receive a tailor-made quote.
What does a tailor-made Sicily tour cost?
Price per person, based on 2 travellers, excluding the international flight (estimates):
| Level | Self-drive | Private driver |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €1,640 | €2,740 |
| Comfort | €1,880 | €2,980 |
| Premium | €2,390 | €3,480 |
With four travellers you pay about 17% less per person, because you share the vehicle. Travelling solo, allow for a supplement of about 65%. In Sicily self-drive is by far the better value: private drivers are paid per transfer or per day, which explains the gap of about €1,100 per person. When self-driving you pay fuel, tolls and parking locally (indicative ± €260 per car for the whole route). A middle way: self-drive, with a driver on the Etna day.
Best time to travel
You can start any day, but spring and autumn are the best seasons for a round trip in Sicily. In July and August temperatures often reach 35 to 40 °C or more, wildfires are a risk, and hotels and rental cars are at their most expensive. In April and May the countryside is green and the light is soft; in September and October the sea is still warm.
My recommended route and why it runs this way
The route runs west to east: you fly into Palermo and home from Catania, so you never drive the same road twice.
A private driver meets you at Palermo airport. For the first two days you need no car: Palermo is best on foot, with the Cappella Palatina and the street food of Ballarò market. On day 3 you collect your rental car, or your driver is ready, for Monreale and Cefalù. Then west to Segesta, Erice and the salt pans of Trapani, and along the south coast to Agrigento for a sunset walk through the Valley of the Temples.
Via the Roman mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale you reach Ragusa, with a day for Ragusa Ibla and a chocolate workshop in Modica. After Noto come two nights in Siracusa, with the archaeological park and Ortigia. On day 10 you head onto Etna (above approx. 2,500 m only with a licensed volcanological guide, which is compulsory and included), with my tip of a winery for lunch, and you finish with two nights in Taormina before the drive to Catania airport.
See the full day-by-day itinerary
Self-drive or private driver?
Self-drive. Sicily is made for a road trip: short distances, good motorways and the freedom to stop wherever you like. Your licence and insurance are valid as at home. You collect your rental car (full insurance with zero excess) in Palermo on day 3 and return it at Catania airport on day 12; the one-way fee is included. Fuel, tolls and parking are paid locally (indicative ± €260 per car for the whole route). The only things to watch are the ZTL zones in the historic centres (cameras and fines), assertive traffic in Palermo and Catania and narrow streets: that is why your roadbook gives a parking space or car park outside the ZTL for every hotel, and why you have no car during the first two days in Palermo.
Private driver. A licensed private driver (NCC) takes you in a comfortable vehicle on all travel and excursion days: Monreale and Cefalù, the drive via Segesta and Erice, to Agrigento, via Piazza Armerina to Ragusa, Modica, Noto, Etna and the airport. He drops you at the edge of the ZTL, waits during visits and knows the way. On the walking days in Palermo, Siracusa and Taormina you do not need a car. In Sicily this is the more expensive option, because drivers are paid per transfer or per day, but you never have to park and can join the wine tasting.
What I arrange for you
- Airport: On arrival at Palermo airport a private driver waits with a name sign and takes you to your hotel in the centre. On the last day you are dropped at Catania airport (or return your rental car there).
- Activities: the chocolate workshop in Modica, the boat trip around Ortigia and the Etna excursion. You travel without a guide, except where it is required: on Etna above approx. 2,500 m a licensed volcanological guide is compulsory and included. Prefer a guide? I can add a local guide to any activity.
- Personal follow-up: an intake meeting at your home or by video, a WhatsApp line with me before and during the trip, a personal 24/7 number and a follow-up call once you are home.
- Your route, your way: shorter (8 days): eastern Sicily only (Catania – Siracusa – Val di Noto – Etna – Taormina) or the west only (Palermo – Trapani – Agrigento); longer: 3 nights on the Aeolian Islands (Lipari, Stromboli) from Milazzo, or the Egadi Islands from Trapani; beach: extra nights in Cefalù or San Vito Lo Capo; wine and food: a night at a winery near Marsala or on Etna, a cooking class in Palermo.
Practical tips
- Documents (Belgian travellers): no visa needed; Sicily is in the EU and Schengen. A valid Belgian identity card (eID) or passport is enough.
- Health: no vaccinations required. Bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). For Etna, pack sturdy walking shoes and a windproof jacket. For general advice, see wanda.be.
- Money: euro. Cards are widely accepted; carry some cash for small bars, markets and parking machines.
- Driving: your Belgian licence is enough. Watch the ZTL zones in historic centres (cameras and fines); your roadbook gives a car park outside the ZTL for every hotel. Tolls apply only on the A20 and A18.
- Flights and time: about 2h45 direct to Palermo or Catania. No time difference.
- Fitness: lots of walking on cobbles and steps, and a moderate walk on Etna.
- Meals: breakfast is included. For the other meals you get my restaurant recommendations, but you are completely free to choose where and when you eat: I never steer you to expensive restaurants in return for a commission.
Travel advice
The Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs has no specific regional warnings for Sicily. The usual precautions apply against pickpocketing in Palermo and Catania and against car break-ins: never leave luggage visible in a parked car. Etna is an active volcano: summit access depends on daily activity, and ash can close Catania airport for hours or days. In that case I rebook you via Palermo. Check the latest advice for Italy on diplomatie.belgium.be.
Frequently asked questions
Is driving in Sicily difficult?
Not outside Palermo and Catania, where traffic is busy and assertive. That is why you have no car for the first two days in Palermo and a car park outside the ZTL for every hotel.
Do I need a passport for Sicily?
No. A valid Belgian identity card is enough, as Sicily is part of Italy and the Schengen area.
Can we climb to the top of Etna?
With the compulsory volcanological guide you go up to about 2,900 m when the volcano allows it. The summit craters are a separate, demanding day trek that I can add on request.
What happens if Etna closes Catania airport?
It happens a few times a year, usually for hours. I then rebook your flight or arrange a transfer to Palermo.
Plan your trip
I am not selling trips yet: first I take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Want to be the first to know when you can book, or to talk your route through already? Email info@steennot-travels.be or plan an intake meeting via the interest list, at your home or by video. Prices remain indicative estimates until then.
Sources
- https://diplomatie.belgium.be/nl/landen/italie/reizen-naar-italie-reisadvies
- https://guidevulcanologicheetna.it/en/access-to-the-summit-craters-of-etna-rules-to-follow/
- https://www.parcovalledeitempli.it/
- https://www.villaromanadelcasale.it/
- https://www.brusselsairlines.com/
Last updated: 20 October 2026. Prices and dates are indicative estimates and may change.
