How long should you spend in Palermo?
You are planning a trip to Sicily and you are not really sure whether you should visit Palermo or if you do how long you should visit it for? You have come to the right place, as I have spent substantial amount of time in Palermo to give you some directions!
To begin with, Sicily is, not only, the largest island in Italy, but it’s also, a culturally exquisite land, where different traditions and ethnicities mingle together.
Sicily is UNESCO patrimony of the world and it is famous for its beautiful beaches, clear blue waters and cultural contrast. Palermo, being the capital of Sicily is particularly rich in this aspect.
The vibrant Arabic style street markets, the Norman architectonic fashion of the churches and traditional coffee tavernas, are just a little glimpse of the exceptional pleasure that this Sicilian city has to offer.
This historical heritage is a multilayer of cultures piling up from when Sicily belonged to Greece, then it became Rome, to then fall for the Arabic influence a couple of centuries later. In the 11th century, the Normands arrived to enchant the city with the remaining of what Sicily is today. Palermo is actually a nice valley shaped-like city, surrounded by mountains that hovers a noisy, busy, and vivid metropolis.
Whether you are travelling only to Palermo or whether you plan on a trip through Sicily, Palermo is definitely a great port to start/ finish your Sicilian adventure.
Whilst some visitors prefer focusing on the art that Palermo offers, some other, prefer to point their attention towards the food delicacies. Nevertheless, I would recommend a nice daily stroll through the lively streets to enjoy, not only, the architecture, but also, the people and tasting the most beautiful foods.
As you have probably heard, the city has always had an unfair association with the mafia, but this is far from reality, as the city of Palermo as resurged in recent years and it is definitely a place to visit.
It is a city of contrasts between, incredible churches and buildings heritage, mixed with dirt and noise all throughout Palermo, as reminiscent habits from their past.
How long you need to visit Palermo to get done everything that there is in this city in your limited amount of holiday time, is the real challenge.
5 days is the ideal and optimal amount of time that you should spend in Palermo. This is so that you have time to visit the historical center in your first two days, including, Il Quattro Canti and the Palermo Cathedral. In your third day, you will enjoy a play or a visit around the Teatro Massimo to move on to your fourth day spending in Cefalu, a small and unique town by the sea near Palermo. On your 5 day, you will thoroughly enjoy the street markets and street food organised by a company or by yourself, to leave some room for improvisation.
Keep reading below to walk you through why 5 days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Palermo so that you don’t miss anything!
What is Palermo known and famous for?
Palermo is really one of the most historical cities in Sicily, known for being the most conquered city in history! It has one of the biggest old towns or historical centers in the whole Europe.
Given this aspect, it is also, one of the cities with the biggest UNESCO world’s heritage sites in the world. The food has made Sicily and Palermo, particularly, famous for its culinary culture, such as, cannoli and gelato, known worldwide!
Lastly, you can find the most incredible clear blue water beaches and calas in Europe, making Palermo, one of the most travelled places in the world during the summer time.
What to visit in 5 days in Palermo? 5 days Palermo Itinerary.
There are many things to do and to visit in Palermo, for which, planning your days is crucial. Whilst, leaving some room for improvisation can be fulfilling, having an itinerary prepared to visit this city, will prevent you from having an undesirable experience. This is because, as I mentioned above, Palermo is a crowded, busy city, where the english level can be challenging and the public transport can also be difficult, if you don’t have the schedules nailed down.
Some buses and trains do go every hour o half an hour or even daily. When visiting Palermo, you will experience the most conquered city in the world and below, I am going to explain to you what to see when travelling to Palermo in 5 days.
1- IL QUATTRO CANTI.
After arriving into Palermo on your day 1, (ideally, your flight is early in the morning, so that, you can take advantage of your full day ahead, I like catching the 5-6 am flights), you will enjoy your first day walking from your accomodation to what is called, Il Quattro Canti or The four corners. This squared shaped area is also named Piazza Vigilena, where two of the main streets in Palermo cross together, Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This Piazza is an iconic point of interest in Palermo, located right in the middle of the historical center of Palermo.
When you are in Il Quattro Canti, you will quickly observe that it has an orthogonal shape, where four of the corners will conform the streets in between the four sculptures of Baroque style. The genuine and authentic aspect of Il Quattro Canti is that, the facades of these buildings contain engraved fountains that represent the different yearly seasons, the Spanish kings of Sicily and the patronesses of Palermo.
You will notice that some areas of these buildings might look a bit deteriorated due to the World War II, but the town-hall of Palermo is investing some money into renovations of this emblematic area.
Enchanting palace indeed, this area contains the main streets that will lead you to churches, palaces, cathedrals and awesome Palermitan eateries. I would recommend to go in the morning time on your first day, as this way, it will be less crowded and it will also give you a good idea of Palermo’s vibe.
After taking your time to explore it, ensure you take a photo from the middle point, where the streets intersect, as a proof of your trip and forever memories!
2- Cattedrale di Palermo. (Palermo Cathedral)
Continue your day 1, by visiting The Palermo Cathedral. The Cathedral is a majestic architectural gift from the twelfth century. It was built on the site of a Roman temple and the Byzantine basilica was later converted into a mosque during the Arabic period of influence. It has, since then, transitioned through all the conquering periods, until what it is today, a masterpiece.
Precisely, due to its architectural mix from the Byzantine, islamic and western touches, the Cathedral of Palermo, belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the inner part of the Cathedral, you will be able to book a tour, that will walk you through the history of the Cathedral and Palermo. You will be able to visit the Royal Tombs, the royal garden and also, the cupule and rooftop of the building for an absolute stunning, panoramic view of Palermo.
3- TEATRO MASSIMO. (MASSIMO THEATRE)
On your day 2 of your trip to Palermo, go ahead and visit The Teatro Massimo. It is actually, one of the biggest theatres in Europe and it is located in Piazza Verdi, receiving its name from the first king of Italy Victor Emmanuel II.
The Massimo Theatre is known worldwide, not only, due to its architectural style and complex proportions, but also, due to its unique acoustics that make the selected Opera house for innovative plays all over the world.
The creator of this exquisite piece of architecture was Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, who designed the theatre in a neoclassical style with Greek influences, very popular at that time in Sicily. He designed the main auditorium in a way that it could host up to 3000 guests with a shape of a horseshoe, very much under the influence of the late Renaissance period.
As mentioned above, The Teatro Massimo houses dramatic operas, exquisite ballets, jazz concerts and musicals. The tickets can be purchased online, ahead of time, in case you also want to fit this in your 5 days trip to Palermo, for which, I would allocate a full day just for this.
Interestingly, the famous movie "The Godfather 3” was filmed there and sitting in this theatre is one in a lifetime opportunity, to absorb the pleasure of the decoration, the entire ceiling structure, paintings and carves.
4- Monreale Cathedral
On your day 3, I would recommend, heading to the Cathedral of Monreale. This is one of those golden gems, that beautifully fuses the Romanesque Byzantine and Arab periods that results in one of the most exquisite masterpieces of the Norman art of Sicily.
The cathedral was built by William II in 1172 and due to its beauty and intricate thread of mosaics in the interior, is now part of UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with the Palermo Cathedral and the Royal Palace.
Taking a walk inside the cathedral is like transporting yourself to the Norman period, as every angle you look around, you will see the walls with an array of detailed mosaics describing the stories of the Old and New Testaments, as well as Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.
This is one of the highlights of this trip in my opinion, as you can, not only, enjoy the authentic Norman art, but also, you can do so in the tranquillity that the cathedral offers with the most spectacular views, after a busy day in a noisy city like Palermo.
Day-trip to Cefalù.
On day 4, after exploring Palermo for those three first days, you might be in the need of some Italian summer and fresh sea breeze.
There is a gorgeous small town, located towards the east of Palermo, that is well worth visiting. On your 4 day, you should definitely take a day trip to Cefalù. It is known that the city of Cefalù was originated with the name of Cephalaedium founded by Greeks and later by Romans, Byzantines, Saracens and lately by Normans, before it became part of the kingdom of Italy.
It is thought to appear for the first time in 395 BC, approximately. There are tons of things to see and visit in Cefalu, from indulging with the local delicious foods, to enjoying the water activities and strolling around the historical center.
How to get to Cefalù?
Well, there are many ways to get there, by car, motorbike and train. Definitely, the easiest way to get there, especially, if you are on a day-trip, is to go by train. Catching a train from Central Station in Palermo is the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to do it. There are trains going every hour, pretty much, and only taking around 40 to 45 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend driving from Palermo, as renting a car is expensive and driving in Sicily is absolutely crazy!
Also, parking in Cefalù is complicated, as it is a highly visited town and everything you will do when over there is by foot, so really there is not much point in driving there.
What to see and visit in Cefalù?
Cefalù Cathedral. Duomo Basilica Cattedrale
The Cefalù Cathedral of this small charming town is a well preserved medieval cathedral, which was completed in 1240 based on Norman style architecture by Normans. They were, originally, from Scandinavia, occupying the island through the 13th and 14th century. The beautiful story behind why this church was built is, that Roger the II king of the Normans, had seen himself involved in a storm when travelling in his ship and ended up casted away in Cefalu beach. He then, ordered this church to be built.
Although this church was renovated around the 16th century, the facades and four towers of which this cathedral is standing with, are really well preserved. It perfectly combines islamic influences from the byzantine period displaying a unique architecture style and decoration.
Lungomare Beach
The beach of Cefalù is a crowded and lively sandy beach, that allows for families and individuals to enjoy calm swims in the shallow and clear waters.
The water temperature can be chilli at times but it is a refreshment to cope with the hard Italian sun. This beach is very conveniently located, being very close to the old town and the harbour, which also, provides with fun. The promenade has facilities where you can change after or before your swim and go to the toilet, as well, as some snack stores for a cold drink.
Cefalù old town
One of the most incredible things about the North of Italy is the food. Cefalù is an incredible place to thrive on the rich and exquisite local delicacies, such as, seafood and homemade pasta. There is a wide range of local places for all budgets, in case, you want to treat yourself with the most upscale sardines and seafood or whether you are after a more discrete, yet, delicious traditional pasta place.
Alternatively, there are loads of spots to enjoy a picnic by the sea or for a glass of local wine to enjoy on the beach at sunset time.
Speaking of sunsets, one of the best panorama views is up in Bastione di Capo Marchiafava, which used to be a fortress back in the 17th century. Not only, you will be blessed with spectacular sunsets, but also, you will have a blissful time swimming in the many spots and even jumping from rocks into the water!
Lastly, as you are exploring the old town, make sure to stop to see the Lavatoio Medievale, which used to be a washhouse, that gets fresh water from the River Cefalino and it is one of the oldest remainders of the Roman times.
After al this fun, you are ready to come back to Palermo for your last day where you will be enjoying the local shopping experience and goodies at the traditional Ballaro Market.
5- Shopping at Ballaro Market
As for your day 5, your last day in Palermo, you should, definitely, experience the craziness of shopping in the most famous local street market of Palermo. The Ballaro Market. I, totally, recommend it, because it is such a genuine experience, rarely seen in any other place. The hustle, noise and lively atmosphere, makes this shopping and food tasting experience such an enjoyable experience.
They have daily fresh produce for sell, dairy products freshly made, which are ridiculously delicious, seafood and fresh veggies and fruits. The Ballaro Market is a must!
In essence, the historical center and medieval narrow streets of Palermo is rather an easy place to visit by foot and it invites to many things on the way. Remember that, Via Maqueda is one of the main streets that connect the north and south of the city and the one that essentially drives you thorough the historical centre to visit all the important and ancient sculptures and architectural pieces.
Alternatives to some of the advised activities for your 5 days itinerary described in this post, would include, a relaxing walk through Mondello beach, where you will enjoy some sea side with blue water ideal to swim and cool down.
Also, a fabulous way to really get the taste for Palermo is to join a street food tour, whether, this tour is an organised one or one done by yourself picking the highest rated places in the city.
Snacking your way out, trying out pizza places, trattorias, gelato, street food stores even hidden gems located in the narrow streets, is a phenomenal plan when visiting Palermo.
If you are a coffee lover, Palermo is the place for you, make sure to try out all the bakeries, coffee stores and food stalls to really taste Sicily. The truth is that with a full belly, exploring a city is much more fun!
There you go! Now you know the ideal amount of days to properly visit the northwestern city of Sicily, Palermo. In this this 5 days tour of Palermo, you will experience the famous street food made with local ingredients, as well as, you will take infinite strolls through the historical center to admire the baroque art and architecture of the Palermo. You will also travel to a charming town nearby, chasing the sunshine and romantic vibe, the town of Cefalù. Lastly, you will take your last day in a relaxing fashion shopping in the local street markets of Ballaro or joining a street food tour.