- January 7, 2021
- in Historic, Italy, Romantic, Southern Europe
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Overview
When
The best time to visit Palermo (and Sicily) is between May and June or September and October. The late spring and early fall months offer balmy temperatures in the mid 70s, ideal for city visits, as well as being the best time to score bargain flights and hotel deals.
If you plan on visiting Palermo in July or August, you’ll find lots of crowds and queues for the top Palermo attractions, higher prices and the hottest temperatures of the year, which can be unpleasant in the city.
Winter sees temperatures in the low 60s, but you’ll find greatly reduced hotel rates and a lot fewer people, although flip-flops and shorts are firmly off the packing list.
Are you traveling to Italy for the first time?
Get the low-down on visiting Italy, with tips about packing, travel, money, staying safe and lots of great city itineraries for your trip.
Travel
Sicily has two main airports - Palermo and Catania. The latter is a great option if you plan on a Sicilian road trip with Palermo as a delightful stop on route, and is the largest airport on the island.
Falcone Borsellino Airport, or simply Palermo airport, is based 35km from Palermo and has excellent European and international routes.
You have several options to get into Palermo city center from the airport;
- Transfer – the quickest and most convenient option, you can book in advance with Intui Travel.
- Taxi – grab a cab, which will cost you around €50 and take around 20 minutes. Taxi fares in Palermo are expensive - agree the fare before getting in the cab, not on the way, as Sicilian taxi drivers are known to overcharge if they can.
- Bus – The Prestia e Comande operates a service every 30 minutes between the airport and downtown Palermo, with several stops close to our recommended hotels. Tickets cost €6 for the 50 minute journey.
- Train - Trenitalia operate the Trinacria Express from Punta Raisi (the name of the station at the airport) and the main railway station twice an hour. Tickets cost €5.90 for the 60 minute journey.
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Stay
Just 500m from Palermo Cathedral in the Monte di Pietà district at the heart of the old town is Casa Nostra Boutique Hotel. Housed in the historic Palazzo Bulè, which was renovated in 2019, the decor is stylish yet local, and evokes a sense of rural Sicily. With a jacuzzi, outdoor pool and charming terrace, this is the perfect spot to lay your head after a day spent exploring Palermo.
Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel is in the historically rich Albergaria district of the old town. Intimate and elegant with luxurious rooms and an excellent home-made Sicilian breakfast, this is great place to stay for your Palermo one day trip.
See & Do
But if you don’t have a month and want to visit Palermo in one day, a mere 24 hours in the city will do to get a good taste.
Morning
Wander Quattro Canti
Top Tip
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Literally on the corner of Quatti Canti and Via Vittorio Emanuele is the beautifully frescoed Sicilian Baroque Catholic Church of Saint Joseph of the Theatine Fathers or Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Padri Teatini. We preferred it to the cathedral (and it’s free to enter).
See Fontana Pretoria
In the 18th century, o
Step Inside Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio
the Arab and North African influence
Top Tip
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Church of San Cataldo
Also on the stunning square of Piazza Bellini is the Arabian-Norma church of San Cataldo which was constructed in 1154 but not fully completed. Today, it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and you can walk through its atmospheric halls and chapels.
Join the Locals at a Public Market
Mercato del Capo and Mercato Vucciria are also well known markets in the city, but will take longer to walk to than Mercato Ballaro, which is an easy stop between churches!
San Giovanni degli Eremiti
Afternoon
Palace of the Normans and Cappella Palatina
Cathedral of Palermo
Top Tip
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To enter the cathedral, you will need to cover your shoulders and legs above the knee. Make sure you carry a light scarf for your shoulders and don’t wear short shorts or hot pants if you want to enter. You should follow this rule for all the churches in Palermo (and Italy for that matter!)
Teatro Massimo
kiosks outside.
Top Tip
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A few minutes walk from the theatre is the Regional Archaeological Museum Antonio Salinas, which houses a large collection of Ancient Greek art and artefacts from Sicilian history and is well worth a visit if you have time to squeeze it in.
Evening
End the Day a Local Wine Bar
Explore the Street Food Scene
Other Italian City Guides
Eat
Antico Caffe Spinnato
Top Tip
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For self-service, order from the cashier and pay, and then give your ticket to the guys behind the counter.
Trattoria Ai Normanni
Ke Palle
The lively Via Maqueda is perfect for an evening passagiato and little tacky souvenir shopping (“yes” to postcards shaped like Sicily!). One of the most approachable of Palermo’s street food classics is the arancini. These deep fried balls of rice coated in breadcrumbs and stuffed with a number of fillings so resemble the orange for which they’re named. At Ke Palle, you can try a great variety of flavours, until you’re too full to eat any more!
Top Five Palermo Tips
- Traffic in Palermo is crazy. If you’re in a hire car, make sure you have parking reserved and a sat nav to get you there. If you’re a pedestrian, be mindful when crossing roads. Sicilian drivers like to stray and seem to appear from any direction, so look both ways!
Do you have just a little longer to spend in Palermo?
If you can stretch to 36 hours in Palermo or have another day to spare, add these must see In Palermo places to your itinerary;
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