Discovering Palermo
The complete guide to the city
Since the pedestrianisation of much of the city centre during the pandemic, Palermo has become one of the great Italian cities to visit. And arguably, there are vestiges of more interlacing cultures in Palermo than in any other city in Italy. But to properly appreciate this marvellous jewel of a city takes time, and on our Discovering Palermo tour, we have a whole week to do so! The tour will be personally guided by Damian Croft, a licensed tour guide with the Regione Siciliana.
Book this tourIf you are interested in this tour, you might also be interested in our Armchair Traveller lecture series in January in which we explore the history of Palermo.
Tour Features
- Small group travel: maximum group size is 12 guests.
- Fixed departure dates
- Locally licensed tour guide throughout the tour
- Tour cost includes entrance fees to main sites/museums
- Tour cost includes all hotel city taxes
- The Norman Palace
- Monreale cathedral
- The Abatellis art gallery
- Martorana church
- Oratorio of Santa Cita
- Ballarò market
- 7 nights in Palermo (classic room)
- all breakfasts and lunches are included
- 5 evening meals are included
- 2 evening meals are not included
- Arrival/Departure airport for this tour: Palermo airport
- Transfers and pick-ups/drop-offs from/to the main airport of arrival on the day of arrival/departure of the tour are included
- Medium: as much of the exploration of the city is on foot, you should be comfortable spending most of the day walking.
Full itinerary
Day 1
Arrival in Palermo
Transfer from the airport to our hotel in Palermo.
Overnight in Palermo
Day 2
Walking tour of the city centre
We begin with an orientation walk along the Cassaro in the city centre, taking in Piazza Pretoria with its the so-called “Fountain of Shame”, the Quattro Canti and the Cathedral. This gives us an opportunity to talk about the origins of Palermo and its development into a medieval city.
In the afternoon, we have the opportunity to visit Piazza Marina, and the ancient Phoenician harbour of the Cala, the old city walls (Mura delle Cattive), the Foro Italico and also Villa Giulia and the Botanic gardens.
Evening meal and overnight in Palermo.
Day 3
The Norman Palace and Monreale Cathedral
We drive the short distance to the Cathedral of Monreale (30 mins) – one of the greatest extant examples of Norman architecture in the world.
According to legend, in 1174, the Madonna appeared before the young Norman King William II and led him to a spot where his father had buried a considerable treasure. She instructed him to put it to good use and hence William founded this startling religious monument, high above the fertile Conca d’Oro. It was finished in less than ten years and a bustling medieval village soon sprang up around it.
After visiting the cathedral of Monreale, we descend into the city of Palermo.
We visit the Norman Palace and the Palatine Chapel – surely one of the wonders of Norman architecture anywhere in the world – with its incredible juxtaposition of Byzantine mosaics and beautiful arab paintings in the ceiling.
In the late afternoon we also visit the Zisa – the palace built by William 1.
Evening meal in a local restauarant and overnight in the historical centre of Palermo.
Day 4
Santa Caterina, the Martorana and Palazzo Abatellis
In the morning we revisit the area around Palazzo Pretoria, but allowing ourselves some more time to visit some of the remarkable churches that surround it – Santa Caterina, the Martorana church and San Cataldo.
In the afternoon, we visit the Palazzo Abatellis – the foremost Art Gallery in Palermo with paintings such as the great medieval Triumph of Death and the Annunziata by Antonello da Messina.
For those who wish, there is an opportunity to visit the ceramic tile museum, Stanze al Genio, in the late
Free evening (no meal provided) and overnight in Palermo.
Day 5
The Serpotta Oratorios
Giacomo Serpotta was a humanist sculptor living at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth centuries who produced some quite extraordinary stucco work. It is believed he never travelled outside the city and thus his work is only to be found in the churches and oratorios of Palermo.
This morning we go on a trail to discover his work: the Oratorio of Santa Cita, San Lorenzo and Santa Caterina, San Domenico.
In the late morning we visit the Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri, which was the seat of the inquisition in Palermo.
We have left the afternoon free for you to visit somewhere of your choice: perhaps the Archaeological Museum, or maybe one of the many other churches in Palermo.
Evening meal and overnight in Palermo.
Day 6
The Markets of Palermo and Teatro Massimo
This morning we have a late stat and begin by diving into one of the raucous street markets in Palermo – the Ballarò. We can spend much of the morning here and end up having our lunch here – tasting some of Palermo’s famous street food.
We have a free afternoon.
Programme permitting, we will attend a concert in the Teatro Massimo – the grand opera house of Palermo. (We may alter the day of this visit in order to suit the programme).
Evening meal and overnight Palermo.
Day 7
Liberty Palermo
The flowering of Palermo was undoubtedly at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, when the likes of Richard Wagner were frequent visitors to the city (indeed he even finished his opera Parsifal here). This was also the time of the Florios, the Whitakers and the Inghams and on our itinerary is a visit to the Palazzo Malfitano – once the home of the Whitaker family. We spend the whole day reminding ourselves of this extraordinary story.
Evening meal and overnight in Palermo.
Day 8
Departure
Transfer to the airport and departure
See photo gallery of this tour
