Both are southern Italy at its best. They suit different travellers.
Quick answerChoose Sicily for big history and drama: Greek temples, Arab-Norman Palermo, baroque towns and Mount Etna. Choose Puglia for a slower, more rural trip: white towns, trulli, masserie and long coastlines, plus Matera just over the border. With two weeks you can see both.
By the Thrill of Italy team · Updated October 2026
| Sicily | Puglia | |
|---|---|---|
| Highlights | Palermo, Agrigento, Siracusa, Noto, Taormina, Etna | Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Ostuni, Lecce, Matera nearby |
| Pace | Varied, with longer drives | Slow and rural |
| Landscape | Volcano, mountains and coast | Olive groves, flat plains and coast |
| Main airports | Palermo, Catania | Bari, Brindisi |
| Ideal length | About a week for the classic loop | About a week |
Sicily is the Mediterranean’s largest island, layered with Greek, Roman, Arab and Norman history, with the active volcano Etna in the east. Puglia, the heel of Italy, is gentler: olive groves, whitewashed hill towns and the cone-roofed trulli of Alberobello.
Sicily, for sheer range: the Valley of the Temples at Agrigento, the mosaics of Monreale, ancient Syracuse and the baroque towns of the south-east. Puglia counters with baroque Lecce and, just across the border in Basilicata, the cave city of Matera.
Puglia. Distances are shorter and the countryside invites slow days in a masseria. Sicily rewards a well-planned route because distances on the island take longer than the map suggests.
Yes. Our 14-day Southern Thrills travels from Puglia through Calabria to Taormina, Etna and Palermo. Explore more in our Sicily tours and Puglia and Calabria tours.
Both have long coastlines. Puglia has the Adriatic coast and the Salento peninsula at the very tip of the heel; Sicily has a coastline on three seas and nearby islands. Either works for a summer trip; tell us the kind of beach you like.
Fly into Palermo or Catania for Sicily, and Bari or Brindisi for Puglia. From Rome, both are a short domestic flight away, and we arrange the private transfer on arrival.
Tell us your dates and what you love. A member of the team replies personally.
8 days · Palermo, Siracusa, Taormina
Palermo street food, Cefalù and Monreale, Ortigia and Noto, then Taormina, Etna wineries and the Godfather villages.
9 days · Palermo, Catania, Agrigento
Palermo & Monreale, Syracuse & Noto, Marsala & Wine Tasting.
14 days · Puglia, Calabria, Sicily
Polignano a Mare, Alberobello, Lecce, Matera, Tropea and Mount Etna.
Something else on your mind? A member of the team replies personally.
Both are outstanding. Sicily is known for street food, seafood and pastries; Puglia for olive oil, burrata and orecchiette.
Public transport between small towns is limited in both, so a private driver is the easiest way to explore.
Spring and autumn for touring; summer for the beaches.
Tell us your dates and what you love. Your trip designer will reply with ideas and a first proposal.
12-Day Best of Italy