One day in Palermo

Day by day

1. Day 1: Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel and Ballarò market

   Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel, Ballarò market, San Giovanni degli Eremiti and Palermo Cathedral, then Quattro Canti in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel

      Arrive early, cover shoulders and knees for the chapel, and check which days the royal apartments are included. Allow 2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Ballarò market

      Go mid-morning, keep bags zipped and eat as you go: a paper cone of panelle or a grilled octopus tentacle costs a few euros. Allow 1–2 hours.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Arancine

      Bars, rosticcerie and street stalls everywhere; ask for 'accarne' or 'abburro'.

   4. Afternoon

      San Giovanni degli Eremiti

      Visit straight after the Norman Palace; it is a few minutes' walk away and rarely crowded. Allow 30–45 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      Palermo Cathedral

      Walk the roof terraces late in the afternoon for views over the domes towards Monte Pellegrino. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   6. Evening

      Quattro Canti

      Pass by early in the morning and again after dark, when the facades are lit and the traffic eases.

Before you go

• Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel: Queues can be long in high season; buy a timed ticket online before you go.

If it rains

• Swap in La Martorana and San Cataldo (Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti): Visit San Cataldo first; its bare stone interior makes the Martorana's gold all the more striking.
• Swap in Teatro Massimo (Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti): Take the guided tour if you cannot catch a performance; the steps outside are a classic evening meeting point.
• Swap in Capuchin Catacombs (Cappuccini): It is macabre and not suitable for young children or the squeamish; photography is not allowed.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–7 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Most sights, from the Norman Palace to the Kalsa, are within a 20–30-minute walk of the Quattro Canti along pedestrian Via Maqueda and Via Vittorio Emanuele.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Palermo
• 3 days in Palermo
• 5 days in Palermo

Questions travellers ask