The capital of Sicily, Palermo, is a must-visit city during your stay on this Italian island. This eclectic city boasts multiple influences (Arab, Norman, Byzantine, French, and Spanish) due to the numerous periods of occupation the island has endured from the 8th century until today. Palermo is therefore full of character and rich in history. Here, we’ll share our thoughts on the city and its unmissable sights! Let’s dive in!
Palermo is the largest city in Sicily. If you don’t have much time to spend on the island, prioritize the capital. It will give you a great overview of the region without having to travel far.
We loved the mix of influences that pervades the city, especially in its architecture. It’s a vibrant city, both day and night, and you can taste all the island’s specialties and indulge yourself.
We only spent one day in Palermo during our tour of Europe, but I think you could easily spend a (long) weekend there without getting bored.
During your visit, don’t miss out on:
The Duomo di Palermo is truly a magnificent cathedral. Its exterior architecture is absolutely stunning and really eye-catching! However, we must admit we were quite disappointed by the interior, which wasn’t particularly impressive...
Well, we later learned that the cathedral had been hit by an earthquake in 1693, and after that, the interior was rebuilt in a rather simple style. Hence our disappointment. Everything makes sense now.
Know that you can still enter the church for free (which we did), but if you want to see more and visit the rooftops, royal tombs, treasures, crypt, dungeons, and underground areas of the cathedral, you’ll need to pay between €1 and €15, depending on the option you choose.
Palermo Cathedral Website: cattedrale.palermo.it
Online ticket booking: ticket-shop-cattedraledipalermo.it
You can also opt for a guided tour of the city:
The Norman Palace is another iconic spot in Palermo. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to visit it because we miscalculated and arrived on a Sunday at 3 pm, while the palace only stays open until 12:30 pm that day (and until 4:30 pm the rest of the week). A shame for us, because this emblem of Palermo is apparently worth a visit.
For €19 at full price (€17 for those under 25), you can visit: the Palatine Chapel, the royal apartments, King Roger’s room, the neo-Gothic chapel, the Pisan tower, the royal gardens, the walls, and exhibitions.
From what I’ve read here and there: the price is quite high, and the palace itself can be a bit disappointing as there aren’t many rooms to see… but the chapel is definitely worth it and is absolutely stunning!
Norman Palace Website: federicosecondo.org
Online Ticket Booking: federicosecondo.tm.bestunion.com
Villa Bonanno Park
Right next to the Norman Palace and Palermo Cathedral, you’ll come across the Villa Bonanno and its garden. With its walkways lined with tall palm and date trees, sculptures, and a fountain, it’s pleasant to stroll through this park on your way to or from the palace.
Garibaldi Garden
In the Kalsa district (an authentic part of the city), you’ll find Garibaldi Garden. It’s a lovely green space housing large tropical trees, including one of the oldest trees in Europe: a ficus, which is very impressive.
What’s nice here is that around the garden, Sundays are usually lively with an antique market. We even saw a beautifully decorated and colorful cart. We’re not sure if it was there for a special occasion or if it stays there year-round… Let us know in the comments if you saw it during your visit too!
Quattro Canti Square
The famous Quattro Canti square (meaning “Four Corners”), located in the heart of Palermo, is truly surprising! We loved discovering this unique spot for its architecture. The square, intersected by Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, is octagonal in shape and has four stunning concave facades. You might think the facades are identical, but that’s not the case; the architects didn’t make it easy. Although very similar, representing an ascent from earth to heaven, each facade is unique, adorned with beautiful statues and fountains. When you stand at the center of this square, you become aware of the theatrical layout and the beauty of this place.
Pretoria Square
In the Kalsa district, Piazza Pretoria is known for its beautiful and imposing Baroque buildings. Here, you can admire Palermo’s City Hall, the beautiful Church of Santa Caterina (which is worth a look inside), and its massive Baroque fountain, Pretoria, which takes up almost the entire square. Adorned with numerous statues, this fountain was called by the nuns of the nearby convent the "Fontana della vergogna," or the "Fountain of Shame," because of the male statues displaying their “attributes.” Shocking, right? 😂
Bellini Square
Also located in the Kalsa district and close to Piazza Pretoria, Piazza Bellini is one of the most beautiful squares in Palermo. It hosts several magnificent churches and buildings of different styles. Among them is La Martorana, also known as the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio, an Orthodox church whose interior is adorned with Byzantine mosaics. You can also see the Church of San Cataldo, easily recognizable by its red domes. There’s also the Baroque Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria (San Caterina), the Bellini Theater, and the back of the Pretorio Palace. This square will definitely leave you in awe.
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and Via Maqueda are the two main shopping streets in Palermo.
Corso Vittorio Emanuele stretches from Porta Nuova in the West to Porta Felice in the East, towards the port, while Via Maqueda runs from Teatro Massimo in the North (the largest opera house in Italy and the third-largest in Europe) to the train station district in the South. These two streets intersect at the center at Quattro Canti square.
Though often crowded as they’re very touristy, these streets have a vibrant atmosphere, lined with old Baroque palaces (unfortunately not well-preserved), colorful facades, wrought iron balconies, and more. Naturally, there are also many shops of all kinds: bars, cafés, hotels, restaurants, granita vendors, ice cream sellers, souvenir shops, and so on.
It’s on Via Maqueda, at Cannoli&Co, where we tasted the best cannoli in the city! An absolute delight (though very sweet)! They also sell ice cream and the typical brioche con il gelato. But let’s save the Sicilian specialties for later. In fact, we listed them at the end of this article: Itinerary for a One-Week Road Trip in Sicily.
Address of Cannoli&Co: Via Maqueda, 266, 90133 Palermo
Website of Cannoli&Co: cannolieco.it
The Kalsa District
I already mentioned a few places to see in the Kalsa district, like Garibaldi Garden, Piazza Bellini, and Piazza Pretoria, but this district has other treasures. Just strolling through the streets of this authentic seaside neighborhood will reveal old palaces, beautiful squares, and charming churches.
The Capo District and Market
By the end of the day, after walking around Palermo, we were a bit tired, so we didn’t make it to the Capo district… But I think it would have been worth it. From what I understand, the entire district is like a massive open-air market where you can find everything (food, clothes, decorations…), much like a souk in Marrakech. It’s an amazing and likely very lively atmosphere to discover in the heart of Palermo (North of Corso Vittorio Emanuele).
In Palermo, we didn’t want to leave our van on the street, so we opted for a monitored 24/7 parking lot.
We first found the Via Quarto dei Mille parking, which costs €2 per hour or €30 for 24 hours. It's a bit expensive, but this parking lot, located 20-minutes walk from the historic center, offers showers (€1), Wi-Fi, and even electricity. A great spot for motorhomes, but it was full when we arrived...
So, we ended up at Parking Pier Saint Lucia, also a 20-minute walk from the historic center. For cars, the rate is €2 for the first hour, then €1.50 for subsequent hours, while for motorhomes, it’s €5 for the first hour and €3 for additional hours. There’s also a daily rate of €15 for 24 hours.
GPS coordinates of the parking lots:
If you’re thinking of renting a car while in Palermo, we recommend using DiscoverCars. This platform compares numerous offers to give you the best options!
The displayed price is the final one you'll pay, so no surprises there, and the rental terms and included guarantees are excellent: unlimited mileage, partial coverage, and theft protection.
And that’s it, we’ve reached the end of this article. We’ve introduced you to the must-see places in Palermo. We hope it was informative and will help you plan your stay here.
If this article has made you want to visit Palermo, you can book your tickets right here:
Feel free to share your experiences and tips in the comments for other travelers.
1. If you have some extra time in Palermo, we highly recommend taking a trip to the town of Monreale, just a few kilometers from the capital. This town is famous for its stunning Santa Maria Nuova Cathedral, as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. So, if you enjoyed Palermo’s Cathedral but want to see even more, head to Monreale. We talk about it in detail in the article: Discover Monreale and its Cathedral*.
2. In Sicily, as in the rest of Italy, there are ZTL (Limited Traffic Zones) in city centers. So, be mindful of where you drive and park because only certain license plates are allowed in these zones, which are monitored by cameras. Unless you want to get a €200 fine, we strongly advise against entering these areas and recommend parking a bit farther from the historic center, even if it means walking more.
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