Five cities, one island, and twenty-four salons you can actually book: real reviews, visible prices and instant online slots. Here is the beauty side of a Sicily trip, handled before you start packing your suitcase.
Why this guide exists
Sicily is really several places at once: Palermo, all noise and gold and markets; the polished coast around Taormina; Catania under its volcano; Siracusa out on the island of Ortigia; and the honey-coloured baroque towns of the deep south. Some visitors take them all in on one long loop. Plenty more settle into a single base and venture out from there. Both are the right way to do it. (And both deserve great hair.)
However you are doing Sicily, the full loop or a week in one spot, this guide has somewhere worth booking. One thing holds either way: you are often somewhere new, and often only briefly, so the usual “best salon in town” list (half of it years out of date) is little help. Better to have somewhere good lined up before you arrive than to hopelessly wander in between the temples and the granita.
Twenty-four salons across the five cities you are most likely to find yourself in, chosen for reviews that hold up and work that lasts past day two. Every one is bookable on Treatwell, with the price in front of you before you commit. They are set out in a natural geographic order, but dip in wherever your trip actually takes you.
A note on what you’ll find here (and what you won’t)
Search “hair salon Palermo” from your sofa and you get a phone number, a map pin, and a list that stops dead at the city limits. Nothing follows you down the coast. The guides that do rank tend to run out of road somewhere around Taormina, as if the rest of Sicily collectively agreed to skip their haircuts.
This is the other thing. Every salon here has real reviews from real customers, a price you can see before you book, and a slot you can reserve online in a minute. No ringing ahead, no guessing at opening hours, no turning up hopeful on a Saturday. Pick it, book it, move on. There’s more important things to worry about, like what flavour of gelato you’re going for.
What to book, and what it costs
Sicily is kind on the wallet, often noticeably cheaper than Rome or Milan for the same work. Great news for both you and your holiday budget. Rough starting prices:
- Gel or semi-permanent manicure (from around €20). The holiday workhorse, good for a week of sea and granita.
- Wash, cut and blow-dry (from around €30). A reset after a few days of sun and salt.
- Men’s cut and beard (from around €15). Quick, sharp, and very good value here.
- Hydrating facial (from around €40). The no-downtime option when your skin has had enough sun.
- Sixty-minute massage (from around €35). For the day the cobbles and the coastal paths catch up with you.
- Waxing (from around €8 for smaller areas). Easy to slot in before a beach day.
Exact prices are always visible on each salon profile before you book. No holiday mathematics required.
Palermo does nothing by halves
What you’re doing here: markets that shout, the Quattro Canti and Ballarò, Teatro Massimo, granita for breakfast, and the beach at Mondello when the city gets too much.
Palermo’s sightseeing lives in the tangled historic centre, and its beach lives out at Mondello, but its best-reviewed salons cluster slightly uptown, around Via della Libertà and the Politeama. It is a short taxi or a pleasant walk, and it is where the city quietly gets itself sorted. This is the deepest pool in the guide, with serious options in every category. Think of it as Palermo's best-kept beauty secret.
The hair name everyone knows: Equipe Della Bellezza di Pantano Tiziana
Via Ludovico Ariosto, 28, 90144 Palermo
One of the most reviewed hair salons in the city, with the reputation (and the waiting list) to match. Colour, cuts and blow-dries done properly, by people who clearly do a lot of them. Book: a colour refresh and blow-dry before a night out near the Teatro Massimo.
The cut and shave for him: Nik Salon Hair Lab
Via Francesco Laurana, 61, 90143 Palermo
A men’s hair lab with hundreds of five-star reviews and a sure hand with fades, beards and the full works. The sort of barbers you'll wish you could bring back to your hometown with you. Book: a cut and beard tidy the day you land, before the city gets a look at you.
The big-name beauty stop: Perfetta UrbanBeauty
Via Umberto Giordano, 124, 90144 Palermo
The single most reviewed beauty address in this whole guide, and a local fixture for waxing and skin. Busy for good reason, and the reviews have already done most of the convincing. Book: a wax and a quick facial before a day down at Mondello.
The nail bar everyone books: Giulia Nails Bar
Via Gaetano Daita, 23, 90139 Palermo
By some distance the most booked nail bar on the island, sitting handily by the Politeama. If a Sicilian told you where to get your nails done, this is the name. Safe to say you're in good hands. Book: a gel manicure that will survive a week of sea salt and sticky brioche.
The massage for tired legs: Le Massologie
Via dei Cantieri, 2n , Palermo
A dedicated massage studio, which is exactly what Palermo’s cobbles will have you wanting by about day three. Calm, focused, properly trained hands. Book: a deep tissue hour once the sightseeing starts taking a toll on your calves.
The skin studio uptown: Atelier Beauty & The Lab
Via di Blasi Francesco Paolo, 16, 90144 Palermo
A polished beauty lab a short stroll from the shops on Via Libertà, and an easy one to slip into between a little shopping and an espresso. Skin is their strongest suit. Book: a hydrating facial the day before a wedding or a big dinner.
The Palermo verdict
The capital is where this guide goes deepest: hair, men’s grooming, nails, skin and a proper massage, all heavily reviewed and all within a short hop of each other uptown. Sightsee in the centre, swim at Mondello, and come up around Via Libertà to actually get ready. If you only have time to book in one city, make it this one. Palermo doesn't believe in doing things by halves, and neither should your beauty plans.
Taormina knows how beautiful it is
What you’re doing here: clifftop terraces, the ancient Greek theatre, the evening passeggiata along Corso Umberto, and beach days down at Giardini Naxos and Letojanni. In other words: plenty of opportunities to accidentally become the best-dressed person in your camera roll.
Taormina is compact and resort-polished, and its beauty scene is built around people getting ready for dinner with a view (and the view isn’t the only thing getting compliments). The bigger menus sit just down the hill at Giardini Naxos and Letojanni, a few minutes by cable car or taxi.
The do-it-all beauty stop: Vanità Centro Estetico
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 221, 98037 Letojanni
A well-reviewed beauty centre down the coast at Letojanni, covering nails, skin and the rest under one roof. Worth the short trip if you are staying near the water. Book: a manicure and brow tidy before a long lunch by the sea that somehow turns into sunset.
The hairdresser by the sea: EG Giulia Ferrara
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 366, 98035 Giardini Naxos
A local favourite for hair down at Giardini Naxos, handy if your hotel is on the beach rather than up the cliff. Book: a wash and blow-dry before the cable car up to Taormina and your holiday photos will thank you later.
The Taormina facial: Bellezza & Benessere
Viale S. Pancrazio, 56, 98039 Taormina
Right in town, strong on facials and waxing, and the sort of quiet room you want in the middle of a busy trip. Book: a hydrating facial after a few days of sun and salt to bring your skin back to life.
The clifftop blow-dry: Francesco & Luca Hairdesigner
Corso Umberto, 99, 98039 Taormina
A central, reliable hair option for when you just need a good blow-dry before the evening. No fuss, just good hair. Book: a blow-dry the afternoon of a dinner on Corso Umberto.
The Taormina verdict
Small, smart, and firmly focused on looking the part for dinner. Hair and beauty are well covered in and around town, with the fuller menus a short hop down at Letojanni and Giardini Naxos. Come for the views, stay a little longer for a cheeky blow-dry.
Catania lives under the volcano
What you’re doing here: the black-and-white baroque centre around Piazza Duomo, the roaring fish market, Etna day trips, and a young, loud, late-night energy. Catania doesn't really do “quiet holiday”.
Catania is deep and good value, with salons spread between the centro and the lively Borgo and Picanello districts. Etna sits over everything, so if you're heading up the volcano, save the blow-dry for afterwards.
The pharmacy beauty room: Beauty Room Farmacia La Corte
Via Leucatia, 70a, 95125 Catania
A beauty room attached to a pharmacy, with a loyal five-star following and a clinical, careful approach to skin. Book: a hydrating facial mid-trip, with no downtime before an Etna sunrise.
The central hair fix: Luxury Style
Via Francesco Crispi, 192, 95131 Catania
A high-volume hair salon right in the centre, ideal when you are based near Piazza Duomo. Cuts, colour and blow-dries, done quickly and efficiently. Book: a cut and blow-dry before an evening in the old town.
The full beauty menu: Venus Al Plaza
Viale Ruggero di Lauria, 45, Catania
The most reviewed beauty address in the city, with body, nails and massage all under one roof. A good one-stop if you want to bundle a few things and tick your beauty to-do list off in one go. Book: a manicure and a massage on a slower afternoon off the mountain.
The luxury nails and spa: Sebastiani Simona Nails Luxury Spa
Via Oliveto Scammacca, 25, 95127 Catania
A nails-and-spa heavyweight with one of the biggest followings in Catania, and a properly polished finish. Book: a semi-permanent manicure and pedicure before a beach day.
The wax and glow: Coquette Wellness & Beauty
Via Vittorio Emanuele Orlando, 144, 95127 Catania
A busy wellness and beauty spot, quick and reliable on waxing and the small glow treatments that set you up for a night out. Book: a wax and brow shape the day before a boat trip so all you’ll have to think about is remembering the SPF.
The Catania verdict
Deep, good value, and easy to slot in around Etna and the market. Hair, nails and beauty are all well covered, and the centro pick is walkable while the rest are a short taxi. Proof that you never have to choose between climbing a volcano and having great hair.
Siracusa keeps its best on Ortigia
What you’re doing here: the little island of Ortigia and its Duomo, sea swims off the rocks, the Greek theatre, and long golden evenings on the water.
Siracusa’s beauty leans towards skin, nails and hair, most of it an easy walk from the bridges onto Ortigia. It is a gentler pace than Palermo or Catania, and the salons match. No rushing, no fuss, just appointments that fit neatly between swims and spritzes.
The beauty and nails local: Estetikefollie di Annamaria Tiralongo
Via Nazionale, 80, 96100 Cassibile
A well-loved beauty and nails address with a strong, steady local following. The kind of place locals quietly keep coming back to and the undisputed all-rounder of the zone. Book: a manicure and facial before a long dinner on Ortigia.
The facial near the water: Beauty Room di Romina Bongiovanni
Viale Scala Greca, 5, Siracusa
A calm beauty room for skin and waxing, easy to fit in mid-trip when the sun has done its work. Book: a hydrating facial after a long morning in the light to give your skin a well-earned reset.
The Ortigia nail stop: Gioconda Nails & Beauty
Via Foscari 2, Melilli
A dependable nails and waxing spot close to the action, good for a quick freshen-up without straying too far from your next aperitivo. Book: a gel manicure that will hold up to all that swimming off the rocks.
The hairdresser for Ortigia: Hair Salon di Zito Luigi
Viale Teocrito, 131, 96100 Siracusa
A straightforward, well-reviewed hair option for when you need a cut or a blow-dry near the old town. Book: a wash and blow-dry before an evening passeggiata on the island, because holiday hair deserves its own evening out too.
The Siracusa verdict
Skin, nails and hair are all well covered, and all within an easy walk of Ortigia, at the gentle pace the city is loved for. Book a little something, wander around, and let the rest of the day unfold from there.
The Val di Noto does baroque, slowly
What you’re doing here: golden baroque towns inland, Noto’s grand Corso, the rooftops of Ragusa Ibla, Modica’s chocolate, and unhurried lunches in between. It's Sicily at its slowest, and arguably its most photogenic.
This is the slow, golden-stone south, and its salons are hair-led, with the strongest options in Ragusa and Noto. The towns sit close together and combine easily, so book wherever your day lands you. One less thing to overthink on holiday.
The Ragusa hair institution: Bieffe I Parrucchieri di Burrafato Franco
Via degli Abeti, 69, 97100 Ragusa
One of the most reviewed hair salons in the entire guide, and a proper Ragusa institution. The safe pair of hands of the south. Book: a cut and colour on a slow morning before exploring Ragusa Ibla one very scenic staircase at a time.
The Ragusa name to know: Alberto Ragusa
Viale delle Americhe, 123, 97100 Ragusa
Another heavily reviewed Ragusa hairdresser with a devoted local following, and an easy second option in town. Book: a blow-dry before dinner among the baroque palazzi.
The Noto hairdresser: Cory Art Parrucchieri
Via Napoli, 42, 96017 Noto
The standout hair address in Noto, busy and well rated, and right where you want it for an evening out. Book: a wash and style before a stroll down the Corso at golden hour when everyone seems to magically look their best.
The Noto beauty and nails: Theà Estetica
Via Bari, 31, 96017 Noto
Noto’s go-to for beauty and nails, covering the hands and skin the hair salons leave alone. Book: a manicure and facial on a rest day between towns because sightseeing counts as hard work too.
The Vittoria beauty room: Centro Estetico Gessica Lo Vento
Via Goito 60, Vittoria
A well-reviewed beauty room in the working town of Vittoria, a useful backstop if you are basing yourself nearer the south coast. Book: a facial and brow shape before heading to the beach so all your beauty admin is done before sand starts sticking to everything.
The Val di Noto verdict
Hair-led, golden and unhurried, with Ragusa and Noto doing the heavy lifting. Book a little ahead, and let the south be about good hair and slow lunches. Exactly as Sicily intended.
For expats, remote workers and digital nomads in Sicily
Not everyone reading this is here for a fortnight. If Sicily is home now, or home for a few months of the year, the calculation changes: you are not after a one-off rescue, you are after a go-to beauty rotation that just gets you. A few that reward going back:
- Equipe Della Bellezza di Pantano Tiziana (Palermo) for serious, ongoing hair from a salon that clearly knows its returning clients.
- Venus Al Plaza (Catania) for a full beauty menu close to home, so nails, skin and a massage live under one roof (very much “everything sorted in one stop” energy).
- Bieffe I Parrucchieri di Burrafato Franco (Ragusa) if the baroque south is your patch and you want hair you can rely on week after week without overthinking it.
Book once on the app, and every appointment after that takes thirty seconds.
Booking around Sicily’s festivals and wedding season
Sicily’s calendar is busy, and the big dates fill salons fast. The vibe here is simple – if you know you’ll be going out, your beauty slot should already be in the diary. Plan around these key events:
- Festa di Sant’Agata, Catania (3 to 5 February). One of the largest religious festivals in the world, drawing over a million people and booking the city out months ahead. If you are in Catania then, reserve beauty two to three weeks in advance (or even earlier if you like peace of mind over panic booking).
- Infiorata di Noto (15 to 19 May). Noto’s flower-carpet weekend pulls big crowds into a small town. Book Noto and Ragusa salons a couple of weeks out so you’re not competing with the entire crowd the week of.
- Wedding season (May to September). The whole island, and Taormina and the Val di Noto especially, is filled with weddings. For a Saturday slot, give it two to three weeks. Or risk the “everything is fully booked” spiral
- Festa di Santa Rosalia, Palermo (10 to 15 July). “U Fistinu”, with huge processions and fireworks on the 14th, brings the centre to a standstill. Book a few days ahead if you are in town.
- Greek theatre season, Siracusa (May to July). Classical performances at the Teatro Greco fill Ortigia on show nights, so book daytime appointments before an evening at the theatre so you can go straight from glow-up to curtain call.
- Ferragosto (15 August). Much of Italy half-closes around the 15th, and some salons take their own holidays. Check hours and book well ahead.
How to actually book on Treatwell
The whole point of doing this on Treatwell is that you settle it before you go, from the sofa. Search by city or by treatment, read real reviews from real customers rather than a stranger’s blog from 2018, see the exact price before you commit, and reserve the slot online without any guesswork or awkward back-and-forth. There is no phone call to fumble through in Italian, no squinting at opening hours, and no turning up hopeful and getting turned away. Because we absolutely cannot be wasting a moment of precious holiday time.
Download the app, search the city you are headed to, filter by the treatment you want, and book. Your confirmation then sits in your pocket, right next to your boarding pass.
Passport, tickets, Treatwell. Your pre-trip trio, locked and loaded.
FAQs
Yes. You book online: choose the treatment, choose a time, and confirm on the app. The prices and reviews are all there in writing, so there is no phone call in Italian to get through.
For ordinary days, a few days ahead is plenty. Around festivals, weddings or Ferragosto, give it two to three weeks, especially in the smaller towns where there are fewer chairs to go round.
Blow-dries and gel manicures lead the way, the quick and holiday-proof things, followed by facials and the odd pre-dinner barber visit.
Yes, easily. If your trip takes in several cities, line up a salon in each before you go and simply turn up at each one. If you are based in a single spot, you have still got every option for that area in one place.
Many are, but February’s Sant’Agata in Catania and the Ferragosto break in mid-August both shift hours and availability across the island, so check the profile and book ahead.
Generally, yes. A cut, colour or manicure often costs noticeably less than in Rome or Milan, with no drop in care.