The ultimate itinerary for one week in Sicily without a car

Day 3: Taormina

On day 3 of the ultimate itinerary for one week in Sicily without a car, head to Taormina for a day trip. It’s a beautiful small town in the coast, to the north of Catania. And it has some amazing views, especially from the amphitheatre there. 

Bus or train to Taormina?

There are frequent buses from Catania to Taormina. This means it’s easy to do as a day trip by yourself, and you don’t need to book a guided day tour. 

The buses leave every half an hour from Catania in the morning. It’s best to get there well head of the time bus you want to get, especially if you’re visiting in the peak tourist season. I visited in mid October and it was still very busy. I arrived about 10.10am but the 10.30am bus was already full, so we booked onto the 11am bus. Make sure you buy your tickets in advance and get on the timed bus that your ticket says. 

The journey takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and is a pleasant ride. The bus goes along the motorway so it isn’t too windy and feels quick and efficient. The bus drops you off near the town centre. 

You can also get the train from Taormina to Catania, but the train station in Taormina is at the bottom of the cliff, so you’ll then need a bus to take you up to the town. I found the bus to be quick and easy as it drops you in the town. 

Taormina – Teatro Greco

Taormina is a really pretty place. I’d recommend first heading to the Teatro Greco. This is the most famous sight in Taormina. It costs 10 euros entrance, and you’re rewarded with some fantastic views. 

I just loved the views over the amphitheatre towards the sea and Mt Etna. 

The theatre is impressive as well, and I loved walking around and thinking about what it would have been like to live here all those years ago. 

Lunch and Taormina town

After enjoying the views, head back down and into the town for lunch. There are many places to choose from for lunch, but I’d recommend walking slightly further away from the main street. The main street restaurants are very expensive and touristy, with not the best food. A quieter side street is much more likely to have better food.

I had some amazing bruschetta in Taormina. There were many flavours to try. My favourite was the pistachio pesto. But the aubergine was also good, and also the olives and anchovies. The flavours were just amazing. 

In the afternoon, wander around the streets of Taormina. The streets are so pretty. 

There are also churches you can see and go inside as well. The Cathedral of Taormina, or duomo, had a lovely interior as well as exterior. 

There are also stunning views out to sea from many places in Taormina. 

It really is a beautiful place to visit. I was sad to get the bus back to Catania that evening! 

Evening in Catania

We were back in Catania in the evening, ready to do a little more sightseeing on the way to dinner. The Duomo in Catania is open until 7pm most days, so I enjoyed looking inside there. And the Piazza del Duomo and elephant statue looked just as lovely as ever.

And the umbrella streets looked great at night as well. 

For dinner, I’d recommend another restaurant in Catania. You can get some amazing pasta dishes for under 10 euros. I had one with fried zucchini/courgette, ricotta cheese and olive oil. It was just amazing, especially with a glass of Sicilian red wine. A lovely ending to another lovely day.