23 Fabulous Things to Do in Palermo, Italy, Sicily’s Sizzling Capital

There are so many cool things to do in Palermo Italy! Palermo is the largest city in the autonomous region of Sicily, with a population of about 650,000. It sits in the sunshine, surrounded by beaches and nestled in by tall cliffs.

And what a city it is. Palermo is filled with loud and passionate people, gorgeous and unusual religious architecture, some questionable driving, and absolutely fantastic (and often unusual) food.

I recently spent a week in Palermo — much longer than most visitors spend here. And let me tell you, this time was very well spent!

There are many misconceptions about Palermo — especially concerning safety. Despite the fact that travelers often associate Palermo with mafia dangers, Palermo is a safe city to visit, about as safe as any major European city. (You can read more on Palermo safety below.)

I also expected Palermo to be just as brash and loud as Naples — but it wasn’t that way at all. Palermo actually felt fairly low-key as far as Italian cities go — not nearly as wild as Naples or Rome. Go figure!

Palermo is also extremely good value for money. I live in Prague, which has a reputation of a cheap city (though it’s gotten much pricier in recent years). Palermo is significantly cheaper than Prague, especially when it comes to food and accommodation. Big arancine for a euro? That’s lunch!

Palermo may not be as famous as Florence or Rome — but this underrated city is well worth a visit.

This post was published in February 2023.



Table of Contents

Things to Do in Palermo Italy Go on a Palermo Street Food Tour with Streaty Palermo Markets Palatine Chapel Take in the View from Quattro Canti Have Cocktails on Top of La Rinascente Teatro Massimo Visit the Palermo Cathedral Fontana Pretoria Have Pastries in a Monastery Visit Mondello Beach Oratorio del SS Rosario in Santa Cita Porta Nuova See a Sicilian Puppet Show Visit San Cataldo and La Martorana Enjoy Nightlife in La Vucciria San Giovanni degli Eremiti Visit the Capuchin Monastery Catacombs Monte Pellegrino Visit Monreale and Its Cathedral Eat All the Sicilian Pastries Day Trips from Palermo Cefalù Erice Segesta Is Palermo Safe? How to Get to Palermo, Italy Best Time to Visit Palermo, Italy Where to Stay in Palermo, Italy Top-Rated Hotels in Palermo (all in Politeama) Travel Insurance for Italy Is Palermo Worth It?




Things to Do in Palermo Italy

You’ll notice on my list of things to do in Palermo has a lot of churches and a lot of food. Honestly, that’s what Palermo does best!

The Arab-Norman architecture has earned UNESCO World Heritage Designation for a number of churches in the city — all worth visiting.

And the food! From hearty pastas and wild street foods to delectable pastries, Palermo is one of the most delicious cities I’ve ever visited.


What are the best things to do in Palermo?
Easily, the best things to do with Palermo are to take a food tour with Streaty , take in the golden Palatine Chapel , and explore the street markets .


What are good things to do in Palermo with kids?
Kids visiting Palermo will love all the pastry shops and playing in the sand at Mondello Beach .


What are the best day trips from Palermo Italy?
My top recommendations for day trips from Palermo are the beach town of Cefalù , the romantic hill town of Erice , and the Greek ruins of Segesta .


Is Palermo safe?
Palermo is much safer than people often think — it’s about as safe as any major European city. You don’t need to worry about the mafia here.




Life-changing panzerotti kick off your Palermo food tour!

Go on a Palermo Street Food Tour with Streaty

If there’s anything you should do on your FIRST day in Palermo, it’s go on a food tour. While I recommend doing that everywhere, it’s especially important to do so in Sicily and ESPECIALLY ESPECIALLY so in Palermo because there are so many unique foods here that you won’t know to order!

Streaty is a Sicilian-owned company that offers a few different food tours in Palermo. On these tours you’ll have a fun, friendly guide introducing you to some of the better-known Sicilian specialties (like cannoli and pasta con le sarde) and some more wild stuff (insalata musso and donkey mortadella!).

I went on the Classic Sicilian Food & Wine Tour and had SUCH a good time! This tour is generous with both the food and wine (OMG so much wine) and you visit a lot of cool restaurants and get to sit down, which doesn’t always happen on a walking tour.

After this tour, you’ll have several restaurants and spots you’ll want to visit again!

Bollaro Market in Palermo Italy

Palermo Markets

Visiting the street markets is a great way to get to know Italian cities on a local level — and that’s especially true for Palermo. Palermo is very much a market city, and there are three worth visiting: Ballaro, Capo, and Vucciria, all located fairly close to each other.

If you only have time to visit one market, make it Ballaro. This is the largest market in Palermo and wandering around it feels SO Sicilian — vendors shouting to you to try their cheeses, meats, fresh juices, and various fried foods cooked on the spot, like arancine (not arancini — Western Sicily spells it differently than Eastern Sicily ). It’s wild and welcoming and a full sensory experience!

Capo is another good market, located close to Teatro Massimo. There are lots of great produce stalls here and quite a bit of street food options here, from sfincione pizza to freshly fried panelle chickpea fritters.

Vucciria has long been one of the top markets in Palermo, but these days the market stalls are dwindling and it’s turning more into an aperitivo or nightlife destination. ( More on that below. ) It’s still worth visiting, and you can find street vendors turning out only-in-Palermo eats like stigghiola , veal or lamb intestines wrapped around a spring onion and barbecued.



Palatine Chapel

As I write this piece, I’m aware that a city like Palermo can give you major church/UNESCO fatigue. But I visited the Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina) and it was so outstanding, it filled me with joy.

This chapel is located on the second floor of the Norman Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni, or Palazzo Reale/Royal Palace). The building seems nice, but nothing too exciting.

And then you get to the chapel. Prepare to be blown away. Gold rains down from every angle. Like the other UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palermo, it’s all about the blending of religions and cultures, and it feels more like a Byzantine religious monument with Islamic influences in the geometric tile patterns.

The mosaics here are particularly impressive, and I was surprised at how many of the patterns looked like classic American quilt patterns I associate with Americana. What a surprise to see them in Sicily.

Admission to visit the chapel, the palace, and the outdoor gardens is 11 EUR ($12 USD).



Take in the View from Quattro Canti

Palermo’s most famous intersection, named after its four corners, is located at Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda. This area was built in the Baroque style between 1608 and 1620, at a time when Palermo was under Spanish rule.

Here the intricate four corners divide four traditional Palermo neighborhoods — La Loggia to the northeast, Kalsa to the southeast, Albergheria to the southwest, and Seralcadio/Capo to the northwest.

Additionally, each corner has artwork devoted to one of the Spanish Kings of Sicily, as well as its patron saint and fountain depicting one of the four seasons.

This intersection is a great spot for photography and capturing some truly Palermitan street scenes!



Have Cocktails on Top of La Rinascente

La Rinascente is an upscale department store in downtown Palermo, located right on Piazza San Domenico. It’s worth a pop in to see what’s for sale — I ended up buying a coat and got a 20% discount just for signing up for their email list — but the real attraction is the roof.

There is a rooftop restaurant with a wonderful view over the piazza below, and catches all the sunshine. We asked for coffee and they only serve coffee downstairs — so we asked for espresso martinis. What a perfect loophole!

I can’t speak to the restaurant, but it makes a great place to go for a break from tourist attractions where you can enjoy a beautiful view.

And if you’re looking for cocktail bars at night, there are lots in Palermo’s city center. We particularly loved one called Terzo Tempo.



Teatro Massimo

Palermo’s most famous theater, Teatro Massimo, is the largest opera house in Italy and a major landmark in pop culture. Have you seen The Godfather: Part III ? A certain very famous and tragic scene was shot on the steps of the opera house. (No, I will not spoil a 30+ year-old film.)

It’s an incredibly grand building, and a guided tour of the theater is one of the most popular things to do in Palermo. Would you rather see an opera? Wonderful. You can get opera tickets in Palermo for much less than what you’d pay in Florence or Milan.

(While a scene took place inside Teatro Massimo in HBO’s The White Lotus , it was actually filmed in the theater in Catania. Don’t expect it to look the same!)



Visit the Palermo Cathedral

Every Italian city has its own Duomo, or central cathedral, and in many ways it often represents the city’s personality. The Cattedrale di Palermo certainly does, with its wild mishmash of architectural styles, representing its centuries of being conquered and reconquered.

The cathedral, original constructed in the 12th century, is one of Palermo’s many UNESCO World Heritage Sites described as Arab-Norman Palermo. In this cathedral you have influences from Muslim, Byzantine, Jewish, Latin, Lombard, and French cultures.

Interestingly, the cathedral of Palermo has a zodiac on its floor — rare in Italian cathedrals! And the spectacular architecture of the outside features everything from three-tiered porticoes to Baroque cupolas.



Fontana Pretoria

Close to Quattro Canti is the Fontana Pretoria, the most impressive fountain in a city of impressive fountains. This fountain was actually originally constructed in Florence and brought to Palermo’s Piazza Pretoria in 1574 — a painstaking process that involved 644 pieces.

The fountain features the Twelve Olympians — the Greek gods who dwelled on Mount Olympus, including Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Poseidon (who looks a ton like Florence’s infamous Neptune, doesn’t he?).

The square was once referred to as the Square of Shame ( Piazza della Vergogna ) due to the many nude bodies on the fountain.



Have Pastries in a Monastery

Palermo is brimming with fantastic bakeries and sweets shops. But you can’t top the atmosphere of I Segreti del Chiostro , a bakery located within Santa Caterina d’Alessandria Monastery, located very close to Fontana Pretoria and Quattro Canti.

Walk in and head upstairs. It will likely be busy with a line, and you’ll be given a number. (You might want to look up the translation of your number in Italian because they will be reading it out loud.) When they call your number, you place your order and they’ll give you your pastries and a receipt to pay at the cash register.

This bakery is filled with delicious, sumptuous pastries. Intricately decorated cassata, giant cannoli the size of your forearm, and dozens more baked goods you’ve never heard of. They’re all labeled with their name and ingredients in both Italian and English, a huge novelty in Sicily.

Once you’ve bought your pastry and perhaps an espresso or macchiato, head out to the courtyard to sit by the fountain and enjoy your afternoon treat. You can also tour the monastery if you’d like.

Mondello Beach on a windy winter day

Visit Mondello Beach

Mondello Beach — Spiaggia Mondello — is a beautiful white sand beach with unbelievably clear water, located within Palermo’s city limits. It’s about a 35-minute ride from central Palermo on the 806 bus.

The water here is so turquoise in summer, you won’t believe this is in the middle of a busy city! In between your swimming and sunbathing, grab a granita or fritto misto at one of the nearby restaurants, and take a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the beautiful villas.

Palermitans love the beach, so expect Mondello to be super crowded in the summer months. That being said, Sicilians tend to visit the beach during “proper” summer — from mid-June through mid-September, even though it’s still swimming weather well into October. Shoulder season beach visits can be great here.

In the winter months, it will be just you, the dog-walkers, and the kitesurfers.



Oratorio del SS Rosario in Santa Cita

In addition to its many Baroque churches, Palermo is filled with small oratories that have their own works of art. One definitely worth checking out is Oratorio del SS Rosario, which is uniquely carved from white stucco.

Palermitan Giacomo Serpotta sculpted this room, and the results truly take your breath away. Angels and cherubs fly on high; the condemned and war-stricken suffer below. There are walls devoted to the Joyful Mysteries, Sorrowful Mysteries, and Glorious Mysteries.

This place was featured on the BBC’s series Sicily Unpacked , but I don’t often see it mentioned in Palermo travel guides. It’s a shame; it’s a really cool place that deserves more visits.

Another nearby oratorio worth visiting is Oratorio del SS Rosario in San Domenico, just down the street and behind the cathedral of San Domenico.



Porta Nuova

You’ll see the Porta Nuova right around the corner from the Royal Palace, a short distance from the Duomo. This was the original city gate leading to Cassaro, the oldest street in Palermo, and was built in the 16th century.

You can’t go up the gate, but it’s a lovely spot to grab a quick photo when visiting the UNESCO-listed churches of Palermo.



See a Sicilian Puppet Show

Puppet shows have long been a cultural tradition in Sicily in general and Palermo in particular. Palermo’s Opera dei Pupi, a traditional puppet theater, was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2001.

These puppet shows began in the late 19th century, depicting medieval chivalric romances and Renaissance poems. Today they’re still happening, though the shows are often simplified for a more foreign audience.

Take a look at the Opera dei Pupi site to see what shows are on during your visit. And if you’d rather just get a quick glimpse of the puppets, take a stroll down Via Bara All’Olivella, close to Teatro Massimo, to see the puppet-makers in action.



Visit San Cataldo and La Martorana

In Palermo’s city center, you’ll find two unique churches side by side: the Church of San Cataldo and La Martorana (also known as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio). Both are worth visiting.

La Martorana is another visual stunner with sensational Byzantine mosaics on the walls and an intricate Baroque marble altar.

San Cataldo is topped with red domes, a remnant of the Arab influence here. The inside feels more ancient by comparison — plain stone walls, though a mosaic on the floor.



Enjoy Nightlife in La Vucciria

La Vucciria was once one of the most famous markets in Palermo, immortalized in the La Vucciria painting by Renata Guttuso. Over time, the market stalls have become fewer and fewer, but that’s okay — the market has reinvented itself.

These days, La Vucciria has become more of a destination for nightlife. When aperitivo hour hits, head to Via Maccherronai, the narrow street connecting La Vucciria and Piazza San Domenico, and choose one of the establishments for some drinks and food.

Here you can grab a table outside, order a super-strong spritz, and order a plate or two of fried Sicilian specialties — pannele , crocche , maybe some fried or grilled squid. This isn’t going to be your full dinner — but it’s the perfect place to get your evening started in Palermo!



San Giovanni degli Eremiti

Another of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Arab Norman Palermo sites is San Giovanni degli Eremiti (St. John of the Hermits), a wonderful spot to visit a stone’s throw from the Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel. You’ll notice the red domes topping this monastic church before you walk in.

This place feels like a secret garden in the middle of the city, from the moment you walk in and are surrounded by lush greenery. Head upstairs to see the chapel and the courtyard. There is also an Arab cistern on site.

The courtyard, in my opinion, is the highlight of this place, surrounded by columns and feeling as it it’s stuck in time.

The creepy, incredibly well preserved Capuchin Catacombs, via Shutterstock.

Visit the Capuchin Monastery Catacombs

You might have heard of Rome’s catacombs, but how about Palermo’s? The Capuchin Catacombs are home to more than 8,000 bodies and it’s easily one of the most macabre things to do in Palermo.

You might think of catacombs as being a place for the poor, but this final resting place was actually something limited to Palermo’s most privileged from the 16th to 19th centuries. The mummification process was groundbreaking at the time, and to this day you can see the human-ness of these bodies in their expressions.

Please know that there are mummified children on display in these catacombs. If seeing that would upset you, don’t go. I chose not to go because I was devastated by the child mummies of Guanajuato, Mexico . Additionally, photos are not permitted here.

The view atop Mount Pellegrino, via Shutterstock.

Monte Pellegrino

Looking for an easy escape into nature? Head to Monte Pellegrino. This mountain (really, more of a large hill) overlooks Mondello Beach and the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s covered with hiking trails and fantastic scenic overlooks. Not bad for still being within the city of Palermo!

On the mountain is Sanctuaria di Santa Rosalia, a church built directly into the rocky mountainside, complete with a cave-like chapel.

You can take the 812 bus from Politeama to the top of Monte Pellegrino, or book a bike tour with a local triathlete .



Visit Monreale and Its Cathedral

Monreale is a town located up in the hills south of Palermo. (You can expect it to be a few degrees cooler here, so it’s a great place to visit on a hot day!)

The Cathedral of Monreale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for showcasing the convergence between Norman and Byzantine architecture. The ceiling and walls are studded with stunning mosaics with so much gold.

The golden interior evokes the Byzantine chapels of Central and Eastern Europe, while the cloister looks like something straight out of Andalusia or North Africa. That’s Sicily for you!

To get to Monreale, take the 389P bus from Piazza Independienza. It’s the last stop. Be sure to look at Google Maps closely — many “alternative” bus routes they offer include a “12 minute cycling” addition to the itinerary.

The pastry case at Antica Caffe Biondo. Get the green thing — cassata!

Eat All the Sicilian Pastries

I’ve been to all 20 regions of Italy, and I think that Sicily has the best pastries and desserts in the entire country. That’s not a small claim.

Sure, you’ve heard of cannoli before (singular: cannolo ), and you’ll find them all over Sicily. Those gorgeous fried pastry shells filled with ricotta cream and chocolate chips, topped with candied fruit — they are fantastic! (And addicting.)

But don’t stop at cannoli. Two other desserts you should try are cassata (a Sicilian cake with bright green marzipan wrapping around layers of sponge cake and cream) and torta setteveli (a seven-layer cake popular in Palermo that layers chocolate and hazelnuts and was featured as a technical challenge on The Great British Bake-Off ).

Beyond that? Try anything that looks good! One night I ended up with a molten lemon cake that was nothing short of transcendent.

One nice thing is that many bakeries have mini pastries along with regular-sized ones — perfect for just having a little bit of something sweet, or trying lots of different goodies.

Two of the more high-end bakeries in Palermo that I especially enjoyed are Antico Caffe Biondo (they had the BEST cassata!) and Antico Caffe Spinnato.



Day Trips from Palermo

My top advice is to be realistic about what you can see with a day trip from Palermo. No, you can’t day trip to Catania or Siracusa or the Aeolian Islands ; it’s too far. Stick to the surrounding area — which is all Western Sicily. And stick to a 2.5-hour drive.

That being said, there are so many cool day trips from Palermo that you can make with a reasonable journey from the city, whether you want a beach resort, hill towns, Greek ruins, or a beautiful place to hike.

Here are some of the best places to visit on a day trip from Palermo.

Recognize this view from The White Lotus ? Via Shutterstock.

Cefalù

Cefalù is arguably the most famous seaside village in Sicily. And you may have seen it already — while The White Lotus ‘s Sicilian resort was located in Taormina, all of the beach scenes were actually shot in Cefalù!

You can do a little here — lie on the beach and go for a swim — or do a bit more. The old town is an exceedingly photogenic place to wander; you can also hike up La Rocca for views over the landscape.

Cefalù, like most Sicilian resor