Rainy day · Palermo · Italy
8 things to do in Palermo when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Lucarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel, Palermo Cathedral and Teatro Massimo. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 9–10 hours across 7 areas; all charge for entry. December is usually the wettest month, with about 10 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 9–10 hours
- Areas
- Albergheria and Ballarò, Il Capo and the Cathedral and Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti
Palermo on a rainy day
Palace · Albergheria and Ballarò
1.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.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Religious site · Il Capo and the Cathedral
2.Palermo Cathedral
Walk the roof terraces late in the afternoon for views over the domes towards Monte Pellegrino.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Architecture · Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti
3.Teatro Massimo
Take the guided tour if you cannot catch a performance; the steps outside are a classic evening meeting point.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Art
- Iconic
- Rainy day
- After dark
Religious site · Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti
4.La Martorana and San Cataldo
Visit San Cataldo first; its bare stone interior makes the Martorana's gold all the more striking.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Historic site · Cappuccini
5.Capuchin Catacombs
It is macabre and not suitable for young children or the squeamish; photography is not allowed.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Gallery · Kalsa
6.Palazzo Abatellis (Galleria Regionale della Sicilia)
Combine it with a walk through the Kalsa to Piazza Magione and the Foro Italico seafront.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- History
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Olivella
7.Antonio Salinas Archaeological Museum
Head to the Selinunte rooms first; the metopes are the highlight of the collection.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Palace · Zisa
8.Castello della Zisa
Take a bus or taxi from the centre, about 2 km away, and pair it with the Capuchin Catacombs nearby.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Albergheria and Ballarò | Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel | 2 hours |
| Il Capo and the Cathedral | Palermo Cathedral | 1–1.5 hours |
| Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti | Teatro Massimo and La Martorana and San Cataldo | 45 minutes + 45 minutes |
| Cappuccini | Capuchin Catacombs | 45 minutes |
| Kalsa | Palazzo Abatellis (Galleria Regionale della Sicilia) | 1.5 hours |
| Olivella | Antonio Salinas Archaeological Museum | 1.5 hours |
| Zisa | Castello della Zisa | 1 hour |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 7 low cost, 1 mid-priced. Book ahead for Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel. The longest visit is Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel: Queues can be long in high season; buy a timed ticket online before you go.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Albergheria and Ballarò, Il Capo and the Cathedral and Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti): Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel → Palermo Cathedral → Teatro Massimo, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti, Cappuccini, Kalsa and Olivella): La Martorana and San Cataldo → Capuchin Catacombs → Palazzo Abatellis (Galleria Regionale della Sicilia) → Antonio Salinas Archaeological Museum, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Zisa): Castello della Zisa, at least 1 hour.
The wettest months
- December: highs of 16°C (61°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild for December, with nativity scenes, Christmas lights and arancine eaten all day on Santa Lucia.
- January: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 9 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and often sunny between storms; a good month for museums and markets without crowds.
- February: highs of 15°C (59°F), about 8 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still mild, with almond blossom in the countryside and low prices.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Kalsa — Waterfront quarter of palazzi, bars and galleries near the old harbour
- Albergheria and Ballarò — The oldest market district, between the Norman Palace and the station
- Il Capo and the Cathedral — Market lanes around the Capo market behind the cathedral
- Via Maqueda and Quattro Canti — The pedestrian spine of the old town, from the Quattro Canti to the Teatro Massimo
- Politeama and Via Libertà — Elegant 19th-century city of boulevards, theatres and shopping streets
More of Palermo
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Palermo?
Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel. The Norman kings' palace, today the seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly, holds the Cappella Palatina, consecrated in 1140, where gold Byzantine mosaics cover the walls and a wooden muqarnas ceiling made by Arab craftsmen is painted with scenes of court life.