Visiting Sicily with kids is totally doable and a fantastic place to experience Italian culture, delicious food, and jaw-dropping sites. I’ll walk you through our trip so you can plan one for you and your family.

Avola, Free municipal consortium of Syracuse, Italy

Modica, Free municipal consortium of Ragusa, Italy

Mt Etna, Adrano, Metropolitan city of Catania, Italy

Catania, Italy

Sicily, Italy

Siracusa, Italy

4 Days in Sicily with Kids

1. Italians eat late compared to Americans. In fact, most restaurants, won’t even open until 7-8 PM. If you’re visiting Sicily with kids, plan according with a late lunch, making dinner in your Airbnb, or triple checking the place is open early.

2. Italy basically shuts down in the middle of the day for something called “riposo”, or rest time. everything from shops, restaurants and even gas stations were literally closed down for a couple of hours every day.

3. Sundays are also big rest days for Italians; many things will—including grocery stores and gas stations—may be closed on a Sunday.

4. You may have to pee in a hole. Yup, I said it. You may be very surprised to go to a restroom and find a hole in the ground instead of a toilet. Pro tip: pack some toilet paper with you; you never know when you may need it. 

A family holiday to Sicily in March, April, May, or September/October may be the sweet spot. Personally, I'd avoid August since Italians typically go on holiday to flee from the heat, so keep that in mind.

While you could spend months in Sicily and still not see it all, a full four days lets you experience at least one side of the island. This itinerary hits the mark for culture, good eats, and relaxation, and there are ideas for places to go and things to see if you decide to expand your trip. 

After you've explored Etna, it's time for some wine-tasting at Gambino Vini back in Linguaglossa. 

Fly into Catania airport—the earlier the better—and pick up your rental car so you can start your trip right away.

Wake up early, ready to hit the ground running or climbing! It’s time to go on an active volcano! But first, grab some croissants and coffee for the road—it's a windy one to the top!

This is probably one of the coolest things to do in Sicily! The fact that she could literally erupt at any given moment will have your adrenaline soaring the entire time you are on the volcano. 

Drive south of Avola, Italy. This will be your home base for the next three nights.

Start your day with fresh orange juice— citrus is super popular in Sicily and you’ll see lemon and orange groves everywhere, then head over to your first stop of the day.

Make sure to visit to Antica Dolceria Bonajuto; the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily.

Drive to Modica, Italy, in the morning. It’s about an hour away from Avola, and the scenery along the way is very pretty. Once you’re in town, find a place to park and wander around.

For lunch, Pica street food is great. It is a simple  place with fast, friendly service and a gigantic menu with lots of pizza options. Truly, it was fantastic!

Make your way to Ragusa. The city is built on a hill, and walking around is like stepping back in time. 

If you’re walking around check out Duomo di San Giorgio and Chiesa di San Giuseppe. 

Continue wandering east until you reach Giardino Ibleo, a fairly large open garden area with a large great playground fountains and great views over the hills. It’s a great place to get some wiggles out.

A delightful pizzeria I could recommend is Ristorante Pizzeria L’Ulivo Garofalo Paolo. Their pizza was probably my favorite the whole trip we were there.

Jonesing for some history start your morning at Archaeological Park of Neapolis? Walk around old Greek and Roman theaters, and see ancient quarries with caves and tunnels.

For your last full day in Sicily, drive to Syracusa, to spend most of the day.

Not far from Neapolis is Ortigia Island, which is still part of Syracuse, just a different section of it. 

 I highly encourage you to enjoy lunch at Caseificio Borderi. It’s the perfect lunch spot in Sicily with kids because it’s all outdoors and there’s a little something for everyone.

 After lunch, make your way over to see the Temple of Apollo— just a quick stop since you can actually go in and see the ruins. It’s fenced off.

Continue walking to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Archimede Siracusa.

Keep meandering around to see the Cathedral of Syracuse; a church from the 7th century. It’s currently a Catholic church, but was once a Greek temple. 

Make sure to visit a little secret rocky area called Asparano. During high tide is a beautiful time to watch the waves crashing into the rocks, but the sand is pretty amazing during low tide. 

Where to go if you have more time in Sicily

Personally, I think you need a good solid week in Sicily to really see just one side of the island. So, if you end up having more time yoy can easily add on day trips to other cities, or just relax and hang out at the beach. Top places you should check if you have more time:

 I hope this detailed itinerary helps you plan your trip to Sicily with kids! If I missed something, if you have questions, or if this post helped you, feel free to leave a comment letting me know.

Explore Taormina and spend the afternoon on the beach.

After your wine tasting, stop by Nica and Nuci for some sweet treats and coffee for the road. Don't forget to wander around the town; it's adorable. 

Everything you need to know about going up Mount Etna is in this post:

On your way out of Modica, make a stop for a stunning photo here:

The cathedrals in Modica are worth checking out. Here are two popular ones:

Get there before noon so you can experience the daily market (open Mon-Sat from 7/8am-1pm at Vicolo Bagnara).

The inside is small and simple compared to other cathedrals, but it’s cool to see the Greek columns still standing.

Grab some afternoon gelato and/or a cannoli!

Taormina

Nica Nuci

Heading to Sicily? This post will help you figure out how to visit Mount Etna on your own, without a tour or a guide.

4 Days in Sicily with Kids

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