Best Things to Do in Palermo

Palermo is one of the Italian capitals of architecture and artistic heritage. With its clash of styles, which crosses Romanesque with Baroque, Byzantine with Arabic, and neoclassical with art nouveau, it is able to amaze visitors and it is enough just to walk through the streets of the historic center to discover the jewels of the city.

Among the best things to see and do in Palermo are visiting the Cathedral, one of the most representative buildings of the city, visiting the Mondello beach, visiting the Vucciria Market, which is one of the epicenters of Palermo's nightlife, visiting the gloomy Catacombs of the Capuchins and enjoying the Sicilian gastronomy.

Palermo is known as one of the cities that gave birth to the mafia and organized crime in Italy and if you are a fan of stories of this kind you can't miss one of the mafia-themed tours offered by the Sicilian capital or, at least, tour the main sites of the Cosa Nostra on your own.

Following in the footsteps of the mafia in Palermo, you can visit the Mercado del Capo, which is surrounded by subway passages in which, according to urban legend, a medieval lodge used to move, Piazza Magione, which was the meeting place of Judge Giovanni Falcone, who was murdered by the heads of the Cosa Nostra, and the Teatro Massimo, one of the largest in Europe and the site where the final scene of the Godfather trilogy was filmed.

If you opt for a guided tour you can take an interactive excursion while getting to know the main sites of Palermo, as most of the attractions related to the Cosa Nostra are located within the historic center of the city, making it even an ideal excuse to get to know the Sicilian capital in an alternative way.

The Palazzo dei Normanni is one of the most important historical buildings in Palermo, since with its combination of Byzantine, Arabic and Norman styles it reflects the architectural witness of the city and the influences of its conquerors. This palace was the residence of the Norman sovereigns and is now one of the best museums in Palermo.

You can tour the Norman Palace with a guided tour or on your own, although in both cases you will surely be struck by the royal gardens, the huge internal courtyards, the collection of mosaics and the wooden ceiling crowned by marble inlays.

The main jewel of the palatial residence, however, is the Palatine Chapel, which is located on the first floor of the building. This chapel, which is included in the Unesco World Heritage List, stands out for its decoration with mosaics and works of art, for the shrine dedicated to St. Peter, for the dome of the basilica and for the classical columns, typical of Byzantine architecture.

The palace was the seat of the Parliament of Sicily and currently houses the Sicilian Regional Assembly, so please note that during the days of official events, access to the public will be closed. The same goes for public holidays, so if you decide to visit Palermo at Christmas or New Year's you will not be able to visit the inside of the building either.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the palace has an initial cost of approximately 8.5 euros per person.
• Location... Piazza del Parlamento 1, Palermo.
• Hours... Every day from 8.30 am to 4 pm.

The Villa Bonanno Park is one of the most famous green lungs of Palermo and also the ideal space to rest or relax during your tour of the city. Located on the edge of the old town and close to the Cathedral, the New Gate, the Norman Palace and the Church of St. John of the Eremites, it is a must for all those who walk through the city.

Villa Bonanno, which is over 100 years old, is striking for its palm grove, the number of benches and the shade that surrounds the perimeter, a rare commodity in a city characterized by dry squares. In addition, inside the park you can find archaeological excavations that include mosaics and fountains from Roman times.

Villa Bonanno is also a reference because at one of its main entrances is located one of the stops of Palermo's hop-on-hop-off tourist bus and for the giant pond, in the shape of a five-point star, which governs the center of the park. If you plan to take a walk around the city, Villa Bonanno will be your best ally when it comes to rest and shade.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the park is free.
• Location... Piazza della Vittoria, Palermo.
• Hours.... Open 24 hours.

Mondello beach is located 10 kilometers from the center of Palermo, on the outskirts of the city. It is located on a small gulf and stands out for its white sand, the pedal boats available for rent and the number of services that surround it. If you are planning to visit Palermo in summer you cannot miss this beach, although you can also visit it in winter.

Mondello is not very long, so you can easily make a complete walk through all the resorts, and if the weather is not ideal for a swim you can walk along the shore and enjoy the breeze of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In any case, Mondello is an alternative to the Byzantine buildings of the town and the dry squares of the historic center.

The beach is easily accessible and you can reach it by public transport on bus lines 101 and 107 or on some of the tourist buses that include stops in the Mondello area. Private transfer services are also available.

Details of interest

• Price... Mondello is a public beach, entrance is free.
• Location... Mondello, Palermo.

The Cathedral of Palermo is not only the most important temple of Catholic worship in the city, but it is also an architectural treasure that combines the oriental style of the Byzantine conquest with the Aragonese influences of the later reforms, resulting in one of the most beautiful buildings in Sicily, so you can't miss it during your trip.

Inside the Cathedral, which is built on a Latin cross plan, you can find the Sacrament, which is decorated with precious stones, and the chapel of Santa Rosalia, who is the patron saint of the city. The ostentatious character of the building is based on the fact that it was built by order of the archbishop of Palermo to compete with the Cathedral of Monreale in the 12th century.

The visit to the Cathedral is free and if you visit Palermo in September you can attend the patron saint festivities of Santa Rosalia, which is one of the most representative celebrations of the city.

Interesting details

• Price... The entrance to the Cathedral is free.
• Location... Via Vittorio Emanuele, Palermo.
• Hours.... Every day from 7.00 am to 7.00 pm.

In Palermo there are four large markets, one in each of the four historic districts of the city, but the Vucciria stands out from the rest because it is not only a market of fruits, vegetables and food, but is considered a flea market, because there are offered all kinds of items and has always been an informal barter market.

In Vucciria you can also discover the nightlife of Palermo, because when the sun goes down the bars and street restaurants join the market to liven up the night and turn the streets of the city into an open-air disco, with music, artists and shows of all kinds.

Vucciria is also often included as a destination in the best gastronomic tours of Palermo and is the ideal place to have lunch or take a break during your tour of the city. Nearby you can continue your tour at the picturesque octagonal Quattro Canti square, at Palazzo Riso or at the Teatro Massimo, which is one of the largest in Europe.

Interesting details

• Price... Entrance to the market is free.
• Location... Piazza Caracciolo, Palermo.
• Hours... Every day from 7.00 am to 8.00 pm.

The Catacombs of the Capuchins houses one of the largest subway cemeteries in the world, but also one of the most fascinating and gloomy attractions in Europe, since inside it has more than 8000 mummies of friars, priests, bishops and important personalities of the ecclesiastical nobility who decided to be buried there.

If you enjoy alternative tourism and curious excursions, in the Catacombs of the Capuchins you can combine both options and walk through the corridors whose walls are covered with mummified bodies from the sixteenth century to the twentieth century.

This spooky attraction is one of the most visited in Palermo and has some of the most famous tombs in the world, such as that of the girl Rosalia Lombardo. Please note that this visit is not recommended for children, so if you plan to travel with family or minors you will need to be organized.

Details of interest

• Price... Entrance to the catacombs has an initial cost of approximately 15 euros per person.
• Location... Piazza Cappuccini 1, Palermo.
• Hours... Every day from 9.00 am to 12.30 pm and from 3.00 pm to 5.30 pm.

Palermo is a city built facing the sea and Porta Felice is a monumental gate, the most important of the Sicilian capital, which marks the entrance from the Tyrrhenian Sea to Via Cassaro, the main and oldest artery of the city. The gate combines Renaissance and Baroque styles and works of art at the base of its columns.

Porta Felice, for its historical importance and also for its excellent state of preservation, is one of the main attractions of the city and of the Castellammare district, which also includes the port area, one of the most important in southern Italy for yachting.

The port area is often the starting point for some of the best tours of Palermo that also include a visit to one of the Tyrrhenian islands.

If you plan to visit Palermo in August or during the summer months you can book a boat excursion to tour the Tyrrhenian Sea or to do activities along the coast of the Sicilian capital.

Interesting details

• Price... The visit to the gate is free of charge.
• Location... Castellammare, Palermo.

You won't have definitely known Palermo until you've been seduced by Sicilian gastronomy, so I recommend that whatever the length of your visit you take some time to enjoy the typical dishes of southern Italy. If you are a pasta lover you will be the big winner of the gastronomic tour, but there are also other worthwhile options.

Among the pastas some of the traditional Palermitan dishes are maccheroni alla norma, which include fresh tomato, ricotta and basil, or busciate with pesto. You can also try cous cous alla trapanese, caponata, arancina, scacciata and cannolo siciliano, which is the sweet par excellence of the local gastronomy.

To enjoy the food of Palermo you can choose to take one of the best gastronomic tours of Palermo, visit the typical street markets or stalls or visit the restaurants in the historic center. If you choose the latter option I recommend you visit Florio or Pescheria Marcello, which specializes in another of the local delicacies, fish and seafood.

If you are a foodie you can also choose an excursion that includes a restaurant experience, where you can cook your own dish and then eat it on a terrace with an open view of the main points of the city.

Palermo is located very close to other famous attractions in Italy so if you have enough time in the city I recommend you to take a full day tour to visit other nearby destinations such as Agrigento and Turkish Steps, Monreale, Cefalù and Castelbuono, Corleone and Portella della Ginestra, Segesta, Erice and Trapani or Etna and Taormina.

Any of the destinations you choose to travel from Palermo will surprise you with their differences and also with their particular characteristics. You will be able to discover mountains, volcanoes, archaeological ruins and medieval castles and live a much more comprehensive experience beyond the architectural styles of the Sicilian capital.

Please note that all tours to nearby destinations in Palermo are full-day excursions, so they may not be very convenient if you are planning a short stay in the city.

The Sicilian capital offers as many plans as the type of tourists it receives. Not only in summer, which is the high season and also the hottest, there are activities to do in Palermo, but also a getaway in winter or even in January or February to the city without so many tourists can be a great idea.

However, if there is a special date to choose this destination is Christmas, when the whole city is wrapped in that Christmas spirit that you will love. In addition, the sight of the snow-capped Mount Etna at this time of the year will remain forever in your memory.

To see the city and its surroundings you need about three or four days, but this is always relative since it depends on your way of traveling. Some people prefer to condense everything in one or two days and then continue enjoying other destinations within the country. For this reason, in Hellotickets we have created these guides to help you plan your trip according to the number of days you will be there:

• Palermo in 1 Day: all you need to know
• Palermo in 2 Days: everything you need to know
• Palermo in 3 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit
• Palermo in 4 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

As a last tip, I recommend you to take a look at the transfers between the airport and Palermo so that once you land you can comfortably reach the city center and start your adventure.