Things to Do in Sicily, Italy: City Guides

Sicily is the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean, and one of the most historically layered places in southern Italy. From Greek temples and Norman architecture to Mount Etna, Baroque towns and Mediterranean coastlines, there are many things to do in Sicily. Neywo has free audio guides for 18 cities in Sicily, with 735 narrated places in total, so you can explore the island’s stories as you walk.

What to see and do in Sicily

Discover Sicily’s ancient history

Sicily’s human history reaches back around 16,000 years. In classical times, the island was home to the Sicani, Elymians and Sicels—the people whose name became Sicilia. Greek and Phoenician colonies later appeared along the coasts, making Sicily one of the centres of Magna Graecia.

The island became a battleground for Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans before becoming a Roman province. Later rulers included the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines and the Emirate of Sicily. The Norman conquest brought the County of Sicily and then the Kingdom of Sicily. After the Sicilian Vespers, Sicily came under the Crown of Aragon and later the Spanish monarchy. In 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand captured the island during Italian unification.

This succession of peoples and governments explains why Sicily contains such varied historical layers, from archaeological sites and Greek temples to Arab-Norman buildings and later Baroque streets.

Explore Palermo and its Arab-Norman heritage

Palermo is Sicily’s capital and one of the richest places on the island for history and architecture. The city’s sights include the Martorana, Chiesa di San Cataldo, Palazzo dei Normanni and Palermo Cathedral. The city is also home to the Teatro Massimo, Italy’s largest opera house and the third largest in Europe.

Palermo’s architecture reflects the island’s long cultural history. Its Arab and Norman influences sit alongside Sicilian Baroque buildings and religious sites. Religious life remains important across Sicily, and towns and cities continue to mark the feast days of their patron saints with colourful street processions.

See the Greek heritage of Agrigento and Syracuse

Agrigento is one of the key destinations for ancient history in Sicily. Its most important places include the Valle dei Templi, Agrigento Cathedral and the Ekklesiasterion of Agrigento, as well as the Temple of Concordia.

Syracuse offers another major concentration of historic sites. The Cathedral of Syracuse and Cathedral Square stand alongside Castello Maniace and Chiesa di San Filippo Apostolo. Together, these places show how ancient, medieval and later religious history overlap in Sicilian cities.

Visit Taormina and Mount Etna

Taormina is among the best towns to visit in Sicily for its combination of historic buildings and a famous ancient site. Its narrated places include the Ancient theatre of Taormina, Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano, Castello di Monte Tauro and Corvaja Palace.

Mount Etna is Sicily’s most prominent natural landmark. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the world’s most active volcanoes. The island’s volcanic ground has also contributed to fertile soils, linking Sicily’s landscapes with its long agricultural tradition.

Wander through Sicily’s Baroque towns

Sicily’s cultural identity includes a distinctive Baroque style, particularly visible in its towns and cities. Noto features Noto Cathedral and Palazzo Di Lorenzo Castelluccio, while its wider area includes Torre di Vendicari and Helorus.

Ragusa is another important stop, with the Duomo of San Giorgio, Ragusa Cathedral, Santa Maria dell’Itria and Chiesa del Purgatorio. In Scicli, places such as Castellaccio and Palazzo Beneventano add to the town’s architectural character.

Find hill towns and coastal landscapes

The island’s geography changes quickly between coast, mountain and volcanic terrain. The Nebrodi, Madonie and Peloritani ranges rise inland, while rivers cross central Sicily before reaching the sea. The Salso flows toward Licata.

Erice brings together hill-town history and panoramic landscapes, with the Convent of San Domenico, Cordici Museum, Museo Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac and Castle of Venus among its narrated places. Cefalù combines a historic centre with sights including Cefalù Cathedral, Immacolatella, Osterio Magno and the Abbey of Thelema.

On the coast, Castellammare del Golfo includes the Castello Arabo Normanno, Museo del Mare and Ex Chiesa di Maria Santissima degli Agonizzanti. Trapani offers Trapani Cathedral, Casa del Mutilato and Casina Nasi, while Terrasini is home to the Museo Regionale di Storia Naturale e mostra permanente del carretto siciliano.

Explore the smaller islands and inland towns

The Aeolian Islands are represented on Neywo through Lipari, where the Museo Archeologico Regionale Eoliano and the islands of Alicudi and Panarea are among the narrated places.

Inland, Piazza Armerina is known for the Villa Romana del Casale, alongside the Museo della civiltà mineraria, Museo Diocesano di Piazza Armerina and Piazza Armerina Cathedral. Other towns add different perspectives on Sicily: Catania includes Castello Ursino and Catania Cathedral; Messina includes Messina Cathedral, Forte Gonzaga and Forte Castellaccio; and Randazzo includes Castello Svevo and Santa Maria Assunta.

Experience Sicilian culture and food

Sicilian culture has been shaped by the many peoples who settled, ruled or passed through the island. Most people speak both Italian and Sicilian, while Arabic influence remains in some Sicilian words. Ceramics have deep roots in Sicily, reaching back to the island’s ancient peoples, and traditional baglio living structures are especially associated with western Sicily.

The island’s cuisine is part of the same cultural inheritance. Agriculture remains important, supported by fertile ground and a generally pleasant climate. Sicilian culture also includes music, literature, architecture and religious traditions, including the regional flag first adopted in 1282 after the Sicilian Vespers in Palermo.

Explore Sicily with Neywo’s free audio guides

Neywo covers 18 Sicilian cities with 43 walking tours and 735 narrated places in total. The app’s narration is available in 11 languages. Each story plays as you reach the place, at your own pace: there is no group and no schedule.

Use Neywo to explore cities such as Palermo, Catania, Messina, Syracuse, Taormina, Agrigento and the island’s other destinations while the app tells the story of each place at the moment you arrive. Download Neywo and discover Sicily through its streets, monuments and landscapes.