Date of Visit: Mid-May 2025
Catania offers lively streets, deep history, dramatic scenery and unforgettable Sicilian flavours, making it an ideal place to explore for a few days. During our five day Catania Sicily Itinerary, we experienced the best of the city from its markets and architecture to its coastline and took a day trip to Taormina, and this guide brings everything together to help you plan your visit.
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Why Catania?
Sitting at the foot of Mount Etna, Catania offers a brilliant blend of history, food and coastal charm. Mid-May turned out to be the perfect time to visit with 25°C days, blue skies and no summer crowds.
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Catania Hotel Options
If you are flying early, arriving late, or connecting through Catania Airport, staying nearby keeps things simple. If you are heading into the city, Central Catania is best for sightseeing. If you’re looking for a beach holiday, then the picturesque town of Taormina is worth checking out. See below for excellent hotel deals on Booking.com, filtered based on our top picks.
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Getting to Catania
Getting to Catania was straightforward thanks to affordable flights and easy public transport. Our Wizzair flight from London Gatwick took off at 5:30 AM on a Friday, landing us in Sicily by 9:30 AM. The return fare came to just £55 each which was a steal for a late spring getaway.
From the airport, the Alibus shuttle (€4 each way) was easy to use and departs every 15 minutes right outside the terminal. It’s a short 20-minute ride to the city centre. We got off at Catania Central Train Station.
Where We Stayed: Catania Sicily Itinerary
We based ourselves at Terre di Sicilia B&B, a modest but comfortable stay near Catania Centrale station. It wasn’t a great B&B, as it was next to a main road, the bathroom was dirty and was still a 20+ minute walk into the old town. However, for £112.50 each for 4 nights, it helped us keep our costs down. We find B & Bs on Agoda.com as they often have excellent deals on city accommodation. You can find these and book these deals here.
Day 1 Catania Sicily Itinerary: First Impressions of Catania
Exploring the best of Catania means enjoying local spots like Frequenza Café for authentic, inexpensive coffee. Just €1 for an espresso reminded us of Italy’s unrivalled coffee culture.
We then spent the afternoon exploring the city on foot, visiting sites such as Piazza del Duomo with its striking Elephant Fountain and The Fish Market (La Pescheria), an energetic and very local slice of Catania life. We also strolled through the Villa Bellini Gardens, which was a lovely central park.
Tired from the 3 AM start, we grabbed a takeaway pizza and collapsed into bed by 8 PM.
Day 2 Catania Sicily Itinerary: Taormina Day Trip
We started early with a €1.50 double espresso and a €2 croissant from the station café. We then boarded the train to Taormina (€11 return, 45 minutes). A €4 shuttle took us from the station to the hilltop town (don’t attempt the walk as it’s basically vertical)!
Taormina is picture-perfect, like a mini-Sorrento with stunning sea views and beautiful old, cobbled streets. We wandered these charming streets, stopping at ‘Nino and Friends’, a chocolate shop with free samples and a mesmerising chocolate fountain. Lunch was at L’Orologio, tucked away from the main street. A €15 Carbonara with panoramic views of the coastline makes this one an easy recommendation.
After lunch, we toured the Ancient Greek Theatre (€14 entry) with breathtaking views of the sea and Etna. However, there was a 20 minute queue to get tickets and we went for an unguided tour. If you were going in peak summer period it might be sensible to get a skip the queue ticket with a guided tour. You can find ancient theatre guides that might suit you here.
Later, we stopped at L’Oblò Café for a picture-perfect coffee overlooking Isola Bella. We then hiked down to visit the iconic pebble beach before heading back to Catania. Dinner that night was at Tantikkia, a relaxed seafood spot where we paid just €52 for two.
Day 3 Catania Sicily Itinerary: Enjoying Catania Street Food on a Budget
If you want to experience the best of Catania through its famous street food, try arancini balls and gelato at local vendors. We stopped at places such as Spinella for an arancini ball (€2.50), Friggitoria Popolare for a heartier, meatier arancini (€3) and then Don Peppinu for possibly the best gelato in Sicily priced at €5 for a triple scooper! If you would like a more structured food tour, then a guided tour costs around €50+ and can be found on GetYourGuide here. If you choose to book through this link, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We really appreciate your support as it helps us keep sharing travel guides like this one.
For dinner we went off the tourist trail at Portale Cantinaccia, where the pizzas were €10 and the bill came to €15 each. A real local gem!
Day 4 Catania Sicily Itinerary: Mount Etna Adventure
A Catania Sicily Itinerary would not be complete without a Mount Etna full-day tour (€60 per person). We used the GetYourGuide website to book our Etna tour. The Mount Etna excursions can be found here. By clicking this link it does help us earn a small commission so if you would like to do this tour then helping us out would be really appreciated! The trip included tastings of local honey, wine and olive oil plus a visit to a volcanic cave and scenic Etna viewpoints. We also got to walk up to the edge of some of the craters which was such a cool experience. That evening we dined at La Pentolaccia, a charming courtyard restaurant with quality seafood for €20 each excluding wine. A peaceful and atmospheric end to a jam-packed day.
Looking for a hotel? You can find excellent hotel deals through my link here at Hotels.com
Day 5: Last Day in Catania
We squeezed in a last bit of Catania before our evening flight and had Aperol Spritz for just €3 at a bar called ‘Amarone and Gin’. We then rounded things off with panoramic views of Mount Etna from the Etnea Rooftop Bar. This was on the 7th floor of the Palace Catania Hotel. An Aperol Spritz cost a much pricier €13. By 5 PM, we were en route to the airport for our 10:30 PM flight back to London. We visited the Angelo D’Arrigo lounge on the way home. You can read the full airport lounge review here.
Final Budget Breakdown for Catania
Flights: £55
Accommodation: £112.50 each
Airport Shuttle (Alibus): £8
Mount Etna: £52.50
Food and Drink: £100
Total Cost Per Person: £328
Final Thoughts
Catania is a brilliant base for exploring eastern Sicily, with great transport links, affordable food and a strong dose of Mediterranean sun. While it’s grittier than Taormina or Palermo, it’s all the more authentic for it. For anyone considering a Mediterranean trip, Catania offers an unbeatable mix of culture, food, and sunshine.
Top Tip: Visit in May, September or October for warm days and fewer crowds.
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