6 Things to Do in Palermo, Sicily: an Essential Travel Guide for First Timers

Palermo is the capital of Sicily with a rich history embedded throughout. It can be often seen as a quick stopover for onward travel in Sicily, including to Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples. However, Palermo has its charms that make it a worthwhile stay, especially if you’re into street food! Don’t forgo Palermo just because it doesn’t have the dramatic cliffs of Taormina or the sandy beaches of Cefalu. Here are 6 things to do in Palermo for your 2-day stay.

Palermo Street Food 

Sicilian food isn’t what you typically think of when you picture Italian food. So forget about your pasta carbonara or margarita pizzas you had in Rome and Naples. Every region in Italy is unique, but the differences we experienced in Sicily were dramatic. A food tour was a great way to dip our toes into the local food scene and discover some tucked-away places, while also learning a bit about the city’s history and culture. Sometimes when you step into a food market, everything is all new and you just stand there paralyzed debating on which items to choose.

Our food tour guide first took us to Ballaro Market, where we tried Caponata and a handful of other dishes. We then moved on to get Arancini (that certainly didn’t skimp on the filling), and then two desserts! The first was a cannoli made by nuns, followed by granita…which was much welcomed with the afternoon heat.

If you don’t want to pay for a food tour, there are plenty of markets you can visit yourself. Ballaro Market is the most well-known, filled with both tourists and locals buying household staples. If you’re looking for items like pistachios and spices, we recommend waiting until you get to the middle of the market. There, you will be able to bargain and get a better deal!

Cathedral of Palermo

There is no better embodiment of Sicily’s continuous history than the Cathedral of Palermo. Under Arab rule, it was used as a mosque and its architecture remains unchanged on the east side of the building. Once the Normans took over, it was re-converted to a Christian church. We suggest visiting here in the late afternoon once the tours have finished so the church isn’t as crowded. If you manage to visit near sunset, the view from the top will have a softness enveloping Palermo. Just watch your head as you climb the stone spiral staircase. You can buy tickets inside the Cathedral.

Another church recommendation is Chiesa Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio. The entrance fee is €2 and is worth it to see the gold mosaics inside. The church is also near the Praetorian Fountain. Unfortunately, the fountains in Palermo were not running when we were there in 2024 due to the drought. But still a beauty to look at.

Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo 

The Catacombs in Palermo are not just a burial ground. Historically, they were also a place to display your wealth and status, with many remnants dressed in the finest attire. The easiest way to get here is by Taxi. We originally thought that we could take the bus and walk to the Catacombs from the city center, but after an hour of waiting our bus never came.

Tip: If you still decide to take the bus, you can go to any Tabaccheria to buy bus tickets. They were €1.40 each and are valid for 2 hours of rides after scanning them on the bus.

Anti-Mafia Tour

The mafia is still very present in Sicily, especially in Palermo. However, there’s been a growing movement to resist the mafia and its extortion payment requests. This movement is led by Addiopizzo and they have a 3-hour tour to learn more about Palermo’s mafia history and how the movement is working to make a difference. We didn’t get a chance to take the tour as it was sold out during our stay.

Enjoy an Aperitivo!

After a hot day walking around the city, nothing sounds more appetizing in the afternoon than an Aperol Spritz with a slice of pizza from BIGA. We stopped by BIGA both days because we loved the airy crust so much…plus the toppings were good too. Despite the chaos of the streets, this was a good way to relax after a long day.

Cefalu Day Trip

Missing the beach? You can take a day trip to Cefalu from Palermo by either car or train. Driving in Sicily can be stressful for the uninitiated, so we recommend the train. Both options take about an hour. The Cefalu train station is about a ~10-minute walk down to the beach. If you do end up driving, the train station is also a cheap place to park. We found most of the beaches in Sicily to be very rocky so the fine sand was a much-welcomed change. Cefalu is one of the few places in Sicily where you will find lifeguards. So due to the high winds at the time we visited, we were not allowed to go swimming. This was disappointing, so hopefully, it will be a bit calmer when you visit.

Where to Stay in Palermo

We stayed at Addimora Boutique Hotel near the Historical Center which proved to be a great location as we were ~10 minute walk from the main street (which they closed off to traffic). If it was too hot for us during the day, we could easily walk back to our hotel to get some relief from the heat. We loved our room and the breakfast in the morning was exceptional. 

We also chose this hotel because it wasn’t far from the port. We took an overnight ferry to Palermo from Naples and didn’t want to have to spend too much time or money hauling our luggage from the port to our hotel. This was the perfect spot that hit all our needs.

Tip: If you’re flying in/out of the airport, we recommend the airport shuttle bus, Prestia e Comande. It runs every 30 minutes and you can either book your tickets online ahead of time or buy it at the stop. If you buy the tickets online, you get priority boarding which can be helpful if you’re traveling at peak hours.