With its mix of beaches, history and tasty treats, Sicily is a fun option for a family holiday. But working out how many towns to fit in and where to actually base yourself takes a bit of planning. Here’s exactly what we did, plus what we’d change next time.
I visited at the end of June, right at the end of the first trimester of my pregnancy with R. No obvious bump to yet, but plenty of tiredness and waves of nausea to manage around all the heat. I’d like to think it gave me a good feel for how manageable it would be with a little one to lug around!
Sicily is a big place, and ever the fan of a road trip, we split the trip across four bases: Riposto, Agrigento, Noto and Ortigia, which gave us a proper mix of coastline, ancient ruins, food towns and boat days, without too much time lost to driving.
In this guide:
Our route at a glance Taormina Agrigento Noto Syracuse and Ortigia Palermo or Catania instead? Getting there Practical tips Destination score
Our route at a glance
- Riposto – 3 nights, holiday rental (day trip to Taormina)
- Agrigento – 3 nights, holiday rental
- Noto – 3 nights, Borgo di Luce
- Syracuse / Ortigia – 2 nights
What we’d change next time
Noto and Ortigia only ended up as separate bases because we had a wedding to attend near Noto, which meant we needed a couple of extra nights there. If we went back without that reason, we’d combine Noto and Syracuse/Ortigia into one stay, since they’re only about 30 minutes apart. That would free up a few nights to add a base on the north coast, somewhere like Cefalu, which is beautiful and offers more family-friendly beach options.
Riposto and Taormina
We based ourselves in this building of holiday rental in Riposto, a working fishing port a little further down the coast, and drove in to Taormina for the day rather than staying there. Taormina is where most people start their Sicilian holiday, but honestly, we found it a bit overrated. It’s nice for a walk around and lunch, with beautiful views over the coast, reminding us a little of Capri: fancy restaurants, designer shops, and a polish that felt slightly at odds with the rest of our trip. It’s clearly been blown up since being featured on The White Lotus, and it shows in the crowds.
Mount Etna is an easy stop on the drive between Riposto and Catania, so if you’re picking up a hire car this is a natural add-on rather than a separate day trip. While in Taormina we visited the Teatro Antico, the ancient amphitheatre perched above the town, which has stunning views out over the coast and Mount Etna and is well worth the entry fee. For dinner, Corso Umberto I is Taormina’s main pedestrian street and where you’ll find most of the restaurants. If you’d rather stay in a hotel than a rental, well-reviewed family-friendly options in Taormina include Panoramic Hotel Taormina, Villa Angela and Hotel Il Piccolo Giardino. If you’d rather stay closer to Riposto itself, browse hotels in Riposto here.
Agrigento
A few nights here gave us time to properly explore the Valley of the Temples without rushing, and it was one of our favourite stops of the whole trip. It’s excellent value for what you get: some of the best preserved ancient ruins we’ve seen anywhere – in contrast to Taormina, this is relatively underrated! We stayed in this rental in Agrigento.
Agrigento itself has plenty of holiday rental options, and narrow streets to wander and find some of Sicily’s famous dishes to enjoy.
The drive from Riposto to Agrigento is around 2 hours 15 mins, so we broke it up with a stop at the Sicilia Outlet Village near Agira. It sits right on the A19 motorway, and works well as a halfway stop for lunch and a stretch of the legs, with plenty of designer outlet stores if shopping is your thing. For dinner in Agrigento itself, Via Atenea is the main street and best spot for restaurants and an evening stroll. If you’d rather book a rental than a hotel, browse Vrbo options in Agrigento here.
Noto
Noto is a beautiful baroque town, lovely to wander with stunning buildings at every turn, and a great spot for lunch or gelato. The cathedral is worth seeing too. We’d suggest timing your visit around lunch or dinner, as there are lovely restaurants with outdoor seating right on the main street.
If you’re just passing through, half a day is enough to see Noto itself. The hills around Noto are gorgeous though, and make a lovely spot for a countryside retreat if you want a slower few days. We stayed at Dolce Siracusa I Monasteri Golf & Spa (or Borgo di Luce as it was called back then), just outside town, which I’d recommend – spacious, nice pool area, and family-friendly.
From Noto it’s a short drive to Marzamemi, a gorgeous little beach town with a small square full of restaurants and bars. Worth an afternoon or an evening if you have the time. If you’d rather stay in a hotel than a countryside rental, Gagliardi Boutique Hotel has a suite with a sofa bed that works well for families, right on the main street. Otherwise the place we stayed above is a solid pick, or head to Syracuse for lower-cost options.
Syracuse and Ortigia
For our final base we stayed just outside Ortigia in this Syracuse rental, which had a lovely roof terrace. It gave us a lot more space for the money than staying in Ortigia itself, and it was only a short walk in. It worked really well as a base: easy to get out and about by car during the day, then walk into Ortigia in the evenings for dinner.
Ortigia has a lively market most mornings selling fish, produce and local snacks, and the Fountain of Arethusa is a pretty, free spot to stop by on a walk around the edge of the island. We hired a self-drive boat with Cala Elte, and it was a lovely way to see the coastline from the water and stop for a swim. For dinner, head to the streets around Piazza Duomo and Via Cavour, where you’ll find plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating. If you’d rather stay in a hotel than a rental, Algila Ortigia Charme Hotel has suites with a sofa bed, and Grand Hotel Ortigia has triple rooms, both within walking distance of the sights. If you’d rather book a rental, browse Vrbo options here – it’s worth widening your search to Syracuse town too if you’re happy to walk into Ortigia, as it usually works out cheaper.
Should you visit Palermo or Catania instead?
Some of the family travel advice we see online suggests basing in Palermo or Catania rather than Agrigento or Noto. We chose our route because it kept driving times down and gave us more time in smaller, walkable towns rather than cities. If you want a bigger city base with more shopping and nightlife, Palermo is the one to add, but it will mean more time in the car.
Getting to Sicily from the UK
There are two airports you can fly into Sicily from the UK: Catania and Palermo. We flew into Catania, which made sense for this route as it’s the closest to Riposto, around 45 minutes to an hour’s drive depending on traffic. None of the drives were more than a couple of hours.
A car is essential for this route given the driving between bases. We’d recommend comparing rates with Auto Europe, which searches all the major rental companies.
Practical tips
- Best time to visit: spring and early summer, or September and October, are more comfortable than the height of summer, when temperatures regularly climb past 30°C and the heat makes sightseeing hard going with kids
- Like much of Italy, shops and some restaurants close for a few hours in the early afternoon, and dinner doesn’t really get going until 8pm or later, so plan your day around a longer lunch rather than expecting an early dinner
Our Sicily family destination score
1. Getting there: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Direct flights to Catania and Palermo from most UK airports, and it’s a straightforward drive from there to almost anywhere. A hire car is essential once you’re there, so search with Auto Europe for the best rates.
2. Pramability: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plenty of cobbles in the old towns, but you’ll be driving between places a lot too, which balances it out.
3. Adult fun factor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A great mix of culture, history and beach across the four bases, from the ruins at Agrigento to boat days off Ortigia.
4. Cost: ⭐️⭐️
Pricier than the Italy average, particularly in Taormina.
Sicily with kids: FAQs
We spent around 9-10 nights across four bases: Riposto, Agrigento, Noto and Ortigia. If we went back, we’d combine Noto and Ortigia into one stay (they’re only about 30 minutes apart) and use the extra nights to add a base on the north coast, like Cefalu. Three towns over 9 days works well if you keep driving distances realistic.
We chose smaller, walkable towns like Agrigento and Noto over the cities to keep driving times down. Palermo is worth adding if you want more shopping and nightlife, but it means more time in the car given how far it sits from the south east.
Worth a stop for a night or a lunch, but we found it a bit overrated and busier than the rest of Sicily since it featured on The White Lotus. Agrigento and Ortigia were our favourites of the four bases.
Yes, a car is essential for a route like ours given the driving between bases. Search with Auto Europe to compare rates.
Got questions about visiting Sicily with a baby or toddler? Drop them in the comments or find me on Instagram @LittleBritsAbroad.
Allie, Jack & R x
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
