Season guide · Palermo · Italy
Palermo in spring
March–May: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Mild to warm days, Easter processions and wildflowers; the sea stays cool until late May. Expect highs up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 16 rainy days across March–May. April–May are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- March–May
- Temperatures
- 10°C (50°F) to 24°C (75°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 16
- Sea
- 15°C (59°F) to 19°C (66°F)
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in spring
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March | 17°C (63°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 7 | 11.8 h | 3/5 |
| April | 20°C (68°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 6 | 13.1 h | 4/5 |
| May | 24°C (75°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 3 | 14.2 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 20°C (68°F) against a yearly 23°C (73°F), and 16 of the year's roughly 65 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in spring
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- April: Holy Week processions in Palermo and Monreale (March or April)
Make the most of the weather
Religious site · Il Capo and the Cathedral
Palermo Cathedral
Palermo's cathedral is a patchwork of styles: Norman walls, a Gothic porch, Catalan details and a neoclassical dome added in the 18th century.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Religious site · Monreale
Monreale Cathedral and Cloister
Allow half a day including the bus ride from Piazza Indipendenza, and buy the tickets for the cloister and the roof as well as the nave.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Views
Beach · Mondello
Mondello beach
Palermo's city beach is a long crescent of pale sand and shallow, turquoise water between the headlands of Monte Pellegrino and Monte Gallo.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Free
- Iconic
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Nature · Monte Pellegrino
Monte Pellegrino and the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia
Take a bus or taxi up and walk down the old pilgrim path for changing views over the city.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Free
- Active
- History
Garden · Kalsa
Orto Botanico
Founded in the late 18th century and still run by the university, Palermo's botanical garden has a neoclassical entrance building, tropical and subtropical plants from around the world and a giant Moreton Bay fig whose aerial roots spread like a small forest.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
Day trips in spring
- Cefalù (About 1 hour by train) — 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.
- Segesta (About 1 hour by car or bus) — 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.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is spring a good time to visit Palermo?
Yes: April–May are among the best months. Mild to warm days, Easter processions and wildflowers; the sea stays cool until late May.
+What is the weather like in Palermo in spring?
Highs of up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 10°C (50°F), with about 16 rainy days over the season.