You step off the train at Palermo Centrale and within a few minutes you are walking up Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the old decumanus of the Phoenician and Roman city, with the honey-coloured mass of Palermo Cathedral closing the view ahead. Turn off into the side streets and the city keeps unfolding: domes, mosaics, a fountain of nude statues in a square the locals renamed for shame, and markets that have been trading in the same quarters for centuries.
Palermo suits travellers who are happy to move between eras in a single afternoon, from Arab-Norman churches to Baroque marble to a modern art gallery, and who treat food and street life as part of the sightseeing rather than a break from it. It rewards walking, and it rewards a little planning, because the best-known monuments sit close together while a few others need a tram ride or a short trip out of town.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth building a day around, with practical notes on timing, tickets and what to pair with what.
Top things to do in Palermo
1. Palatine Chapel (Cappella Palatina)
The chapel inside the Palazzo dei Normanni is the single strongest reason to give Palermo your time: magnificent mosaics and Arabian-style decoration, among the most beautiful in the world. It is the best surviving example of the Arab-Norman style in Sicily.
Opening hours are limited and split across the day, so check them before you go: Monday to Friday 09:00-11:45 and 15:00-16:45, Saturday 09:00-11:45, Sunday 09:00-09:45 and 12:00-12:45. Admission is included in the Palazzo dei Normanni ticket, so see the two together.
2. Palazzo dei Normanni (Palace of the Normans)
The oldest royal residence in Europe, this was the home of the rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily and the imperial seat of Emperor Frederick II. It now houses the Sicilian Parliament, and it contains the Cappella Palatina.
It sits on Piazza del Parlamento. Tickets are €15.50, and because the chapel is inside, one ticket covers both. Allow enough time for the palace rooms as well as the chapel.
3. Palermo Cathedral
Honey-coloured and Catalan influenced, the cathedral stands on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and anchors the old centre. Frederick II, grandson of Barbarossa, died in 1250 and is buried here, in a sarcophagus of porphyry dyed with imperial purple.
Because it is on the main axis of the historic centre, it works well as the start or the end of a walking route through the surrounding streets. The tourist office number is +39 091 334373 if you need to confirm details.
4. Quattro Canti and La Martorana
Quattro Canti is the symbolic crossroads at the old centre of the city, the natural pivot for any walk through the historic quarters. A short distance away is the small but pretty La Martorana church, with Byzantine mosaics inside.
Pair the two: the crossroads takes minutes, the church rewards a slower look. Both sit within the same central wandering as Piazza Pretoria and the cathedral.
5. Piazza Pretoria and the Fontana Pretoria
In 1573 the Senate of Palermo bought a fountain intended for the Palace of San Clemente in Florence and placed it in this square. The large central fountain is the focal point for sixteen nude statues of nymphs, humans, mermaids and satyrs.
In 1860 the fountain came to be read as a representation of corrupt municipalities, and Palermo nicknamed the square the Square of Shame. It is a short walk from Quattro Canti, so fold it into the same stretch of your day.
6. Praetorian Palace or Palace of the Eagles (Palazzo Pretorio or Palazzo delle Aquile)
On Piazza Pretoria, this building has an important role in the political life of the city, housing the mayor and the offices of the municipality of Palermo. Construction began in 1463.
It is open for visits to see the sumptuous meeting rooms: the Sala Rossa, seat of the mayor; the Sala Gialla, seat of the municipal government; the Sala delle Lapidi, seat of the city council; and the Sala Garibaldi. Since you are already at the fountain, check whether it is open while you are there.
7. Church of the Gesù
The Gesù is one of the most architecturally important churches in Palermo. Constructed between 1564 and 1633, its late completion resulted in an abundant use of polychrome marbles on both floors and walls, a mark of the beginning of the Sicilian Baroque period.
Its facade is modest and it sits in a back street in central Palermo, so unlike the cathedral you have to look for it. That is part of the experience: it is a deliberate detour rather than a landmark you stumble across.
8. Catacombe dei Cappuccini
The catacombs of the Capuchin convent contain over 8,000 mummified ex-residents from Palermo and its surrounding villages, some merely clothed skeletons, others remarkably well-preserved and lifelike. It is interesting, if slightly morbid, and worth the visit.
They are on Piazza Cappuccini, just west of the city centre, reachable by tram plus a 10- to 15-minute walk. Opening hours are 09:00-12:30 and 15:00-17:30, admission is €3, photography is not allowed, and a visit will not take longer than one hour. Children may find it either exciting or terrifying, so think carefully before taking them.
9. San Giovanni degli Eremiti
This church is notable for its brilliant red domes, which show the persistence of Arab influences in the 12th century in the typical Arab-Norman style. It is on Via dei Bernadetti and open Monday to Saturday 09:00-19:00.
The €6 admission keeps the lovely garden quiet and peaceful, which makes it a good pause between the busier central sights. The number is +39 091 651 5019.
10. Monreale Cathedral (Duomo)
Monreale is a village 8 km west of Palermo, sitting on a hill with a great view back towards the city and the sea. Its cathedral is one of the greatest extant examples of Norman architecture, begun in 1174 by William II and completed four years later.
The church is a national monument of Italy and one of the most important attractions of Sicily. Look for the cloister, which has 228 small columns, each with different decorations influenced by Provençal, Burgundian, Arab and Salerno medieval art. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Arab-Norman monuments of Palermo.
11. The Zisa and the Cuba
These are Arabic-Norman royal palaces. The Zisa is in Piazza Zisa; the Cuba is in Corso Calatafimi. Both belong to the same Arab-Norman world as the Palatine Chapel and San Giovanni degli Eremiti.
They sit away from the tight central cluster, so treat them as a separate half-day rather than something to squeeze between the cathedral and Quattro Canti.
12. Palermo Botanical Garden
Historical city botanical gardens on Via Lincoln, 2, featuring many collections of plants, trees and aquaculture. The garden is associated with the neighbouring university and contains a number of experimental gardens testing the acclimation of plant species to Sicily.
It opens at 09:00 and closes at different times depending on the season, for example 17:00 in winter and 20:00 in summer. Admission is €6. Go earlier in the day if you want cooler walking.
13. Museo delle Maioliche (Museum of Maiolica Tile)
A beautiful private museum of historical tiles produced both locally and in Naples, on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 11. Guided tours in English or Italian take you through the techniques and historical considerations of tile making and its importance across Italy.
Visits are by appointment only, and admission is €9, so arrange your slot before you plan the rest of that day around it.
14. Museo internazionale delle marionette Antonio Pasqualino
This museum is devoted to the puppet tradition, a distinctive part of Sicilian performance culture. It is one of the city's specialist collections rather than a general museum.
Because it is a focused, single-subject visit, it pairs well with a morning or afternoon in the central streets rather than as the centrepiece of a day.
15. Galleria d'arte moderna "Empedocle Restivo"
A modern art gallery, and the natural counterweight to the churches and palaces that fill most of a Palermo itinerary. It gives you a different register of the city's art in the same trip.
Keep it for a slot when you want to be indoors, or when you have had enough of marble and mosaics for one day.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at Palermo Cathedral on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, then walk to Quattro Canti and the nearby La Martorana church. Continue to Piazza Pretoria to see the Fontana Pretoria, and check whether the Praetorian Palace or Palace of the Eagles is open for visits while you are in the square.
Afternoon. Go to Piazza del Parlamento for the Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel inside it, using the €15.50 ticket for both. If time allows afterwards, walk to San Giovanni degli Eremiti for the red domes and the quiet garden, or take the tram west to the Catacombe dei Cappuccini, remembering that they close for the middle of the day and reopen at 15:00.
Evening. Return to the centre and finish at the Church of the Gesù, which you have to look for in its back street, then spend the evening around the Vucciria area, where Piazza Garraffello has bars right next to the square and, on Friday nights in good weather, an open-air DJ and a large crowd dancing.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the Palatine Chapel?
Its hours are split and short, so plan around them: Monday to Friday 09:00-11:45 and 15:00-16:45, Saturday 09:00-11:45, Sunday 09:00-09:45 and 12:00-12:45. Admission is included in the Palazzo dei Normanni ticket.
Can I visit the Catacombe dei Cappuccini with children?
Children may either find it exciting or terrifying, and it is the responsibility of parents to think carefully before taking them. The visit takes no longer than one hour, photography is not allowed, and admission is €3.
Do I need to book the Museo delle Maioliche in advance?
Yes. It is appointment only, with guided tours available in English or Italian, and admission is €9.
Is Monreale part of the same World Heritage Site as the monuments in Palermo?
Yes. The Cathedral of Monreale, the Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel, the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, the Church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, the Church of San Cataldo, the Palermo Cathedral, the Zisa Palace and the Admiral's Bridge together with the cathedral in Cefalù make up the world heritage site "Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale".
Decide which of these you want most, check the hours that constrain your day, and start mapping your route through the centre.