The best things to do in Modica
Modica is a town for walking. Most of what is worth seeing sits within a few minutes of the two main churches, but the lanes between the upper town (Alta) and the lower town (Bassa) are steep and full of steps. The list below starts with the churches, moves through the streets and the chocolate, and ends with two day trips.
The ten entries are suggestions, not a ranking. Opening hours of churches and small museums change often, so each entry says what is confirmed and what you should check on the day. For routes and buses, see getting to Modica.
Churches and old streets
The centre of Modica: two churches, a shopping street and the stairways of the upper town.
1. San Giorgio
A baroque church on Corso San Giorgio. Inside you find five aisles, a transept, a dome and a sundial set into the floor. The church stands at the top of a long flight of steps, so allow time and breath. Entry has been reported as free, with a morning and a late-afternoon opening, but times change, so check at the door. An accessible entrance is reported on Via Guarrazzi; ask locally before you rely on it.
2. San Pietro
The landmark of the lower town. Twelve apostle statues line the entrance stairway, and the interior has three aisles. Opening hours and any ticket price for visitors are not published reliably, so check at the church.
3. Corso Umberto I
The main street of Modica Bassa, lined with shops, cafes and restaurants. Use it as your base for the evening walk. Shop hours vary, and not every shop offers free chocolate samples. For tastings, see Modica chocolate.
4. Alta and its stairway lanes
Climb into the upper town on foot. The streets are narrow, stepped and quiet in places, with views back over the roofs. Do not count on a step-free route. Good shoes matter more than a map. If you want to sleep here, read where to stay in Modica.
Our picks: things to do
A brewery visit, a cooking class and a chocolate workshop.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Make your own chocolate bar from the bean
Three hours of roasting, grinding and refining, with equipment, ingredients and guided tastings. You leave with your own packaged bar.
Check availability →
Cooking class and dinner on a farm
Hands-on cooking in a traditional masseria, with ingredients, a three-course dinner of what you prepared and local wine.
Check availability →
Craft brewery tour with three beers
About 40 minutes with the brewmaster and three beers. You also get 10 percent off dinner at the brewery's restaurant.
Check availability →Modica tours and tastings
Chocolate tastings, guided walks through Alta and Bassa and baroque day trips, with live prices and availability.
Chocolate, a poet and a view
A museum, a tasting, a poet's house and a viewpoint over the town.
5. Museo del Cioccolato
The chocolate museum is in the Palazzo della Cultura. It shows documents about chocolate consumption in the town from 1746, packaging, chocolate sculptures and a reconstructed historic workshop. The consortium says tastings are part of the concept. Sources disagree on opening hours and no current ticket price is published, so confirm both before you go.
Modica chocolate →6. A booked chocolate tasting
Bonajuto offers a visit to its workshop with a tasting. It lasts about 30 minutes, takes up to 25 people and runs in Italian or English, by appointment only. Children up to and including five years are free. Ask for the adult price and any booking fee when you reserve.
7. Casa Quasimodo
The birthplace museum of the poet Salvatore Quasimodo is at Via Posterla 84. Hours change by season. From 6 April 2026 it opened daily from 10 am to 1 pm and from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. In August 2026 the hours were Monday to Saturday 10 am to 1 pm and 4:30 to 7:30 pm, and Sunday 10 am to 1 pm. Check the current hours, as no ticket price is published.
8. The view from Via Sant'Andrea
The regional tourism portal lists Via Sant'Andrea as a viewpoint over Modica. Expect steps on the way, as in most of the town. Go in the late afternoon and check the sunset time for your date.
Two day trips
Both towns belong to the same UNESCO listing as Modica.
9. Ragusa Ibla
Ragusa Ibla is the old quarter of Ragusa. Its cathedral of San Giorgio was designed by Rosario Gagliardi in 1738 and completed in 1775. Do not confuse it with San Giorgio in Modica. The Giardino Ibleo, the public garden, is generally free and open daily. Check hours at the cathedral and its museum, which are separate sites.
Ragusa Ibla guide →10. Scicli
The Via Francesco Mormino Penna runs past baroque palaces and churches. The town hall served as the Commissariato di Vigata in the Montalbano TV series. Inside, the Commissariato costs €5 for adults (€3 reduced on the tariff page), and the Stanza del Questore, the commissioner's room, and Palazzo Spadaro cost €4 each. Online tickets add €1.50.
Scicli guide →
How to combine them
A day in Modica fits the two big churches, Corso Umberto I and one tasting. Take Ragusa Ibla on a second day and Scicli on a third. If you also want Noto, which has its own page in the Sicily guide, plan another day. For the airport and the road south, read Catania Airport.
Buses and trains between the three towns changed in 2026. Check the travel page before you plan the day.
Things to do in Modica: frequently asked questions
What is the best thing to do in Modica?
Walk from San Pietro up through the lanes to San Giorgio, then taste chocolate. Start in the late afternoon if the day is hot.
Do I need to book anything in advance?
Only the workshop tasting at Bonajuto, which is by appointment. For the churches and the museum, check the day's hours.
Is Modica good for people who find stairs hard?
Parts of it are difficult. San Giorgio sits at the top of a long flight of steps, and the lanes of Alta are stepped. An accessible entrance to San Giorgio is reported on Via Guarrazzi.
Is Modica chocolate free to taste?
Some shops offer samples, but not all do. A museum visit and a booked workshop tasting are separate offers with their own ticket or booking terms.
Can I see Modica, Ragusa Ibla and Scicli in one day?
You can pass through all three, but you will not see much. One town per day is more realistic.