6 best day trips from Palermo

Day trips compared

The day trips

70 km · About 1 hour by train

1.Cefalù

A seaside town below a huge limestone crag, Cefalù has a Norman cathedral with a golden Christ Pantocrator mosaic, part of the same UNESCO listing as Palermo, a medieval washhouse fed by a spring and a sandy town beach. Hike up the Rocca for views over the rooftops.

Getting there

Regional train from Palermo Centrale

Best for

Beach, Culture, Families, Couples

75 km · About 1 hour by car or bus

2.Segesta

In open hill country, an unfinished 5th-century BC Doric temple stands almost intact, and a shuttle bus climbs Monte Barbaro to a Greek theatre with views towards the sea. It combines well with Erice or the Scopello coast.

Getting there

Car, tour or bus

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

100 km · About 1.5–2 hours by car, or bus and cable car

3.Erice

A medieval hilltop town about 750 metres above Trapani, with cobbled lanes, Norman castle walls and almond pastries made from old convent recipes; views stretch over the salt pans to the Egadi Islands.

Getting there

Car, or bus to Trapani and cable car up

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Culture

70 km · About 1–1.5 hours by car

4.Scopello and the Zingaro reserve

Scopello's old tuna fishery and sea stacks lie at the southern entrance to the Zingaro Nature Reserve, Sicily's first, where a coastal path of about 7 km links coves of clear water reachable only on foot or by boat.

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

Beach, Couples, Quiet stays

130 km · About 2 hours by train or bus

5.Agrigento's Valley of the Temples

The Valley of the Temples holds some of the best-preserved Greek temples outside Greece, including the Temple of Concordia, spread along a ridge facing the sea. It is a long day from Palermo, so start early.

Getting there

Regional train or bus

Best for

Culture, First-timers

15 km · About 15–20 minutes by train

6.Bagheria

A town of 18th-century aristocratic villas east of Palermo, best known for Villa Palagonia and its garden wall lined with grotesque stone monsters that fascinated Goethe. Villa Cattolica houses a museum of the painter Renato Guttuso, who was born here.

Getting there

Regional train from Palermo Centrale

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buy tickets before boarding at tobacconists or newsstands, and allow extra time at rush hour.
• Palermo Centrale has regional trains along the coast to Bagheria and Cefalù, and a rail link also serves the airport.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask