Things to do in Palermo, splurging
Teatro Massimo, the Palatine Chapel and Monreale's mosaics, with dinner at Gagini.
This is Palermo for people who eat seriously, sleep well and want the city's best rooms, restaurants and bottles within arm's reach. The first two days work through the historic centre at a pace that leaves room for a proper lunch and a considered dinner, and the third starts with Monreale's gold mosaics, slows down by the sea at Mondello, and ends at Gagini.
Day 1: Teatro Massimo and the Baroque core
A morning of opera house grandeur and Quattro Canti, a seafood lunch at Ciurma and dinner in the Kalsa.
- 9:30 AM
Pasticceria Costa
Via Maqueda pastry shop by Quattro Canti; a cannolo filled to order and an espresso at the counter.
Map - 10:15 AM
Teatro Massimo
Guided tour of Italy's grandest opera house, auditorium, royal box and rooftop views, utterly worth it.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ciurma, Officina del Pesce
Modern seafood on Via Maqueda; octopus burger, raw red prawns and a glass of Etna white.
Map - 2:30 PM
Quattro Canti
Stroll the Baroque heart of Palermo, the octagonal crossroads where all four historic quarters meet, great street photography.
Map - 7:30 PM
Seven Restaurant Palermo
Sicilian fish and pasta in the Kalsa with a good island wine list; book ahead.
Map
Day 2: Norman palaces and the Capuchin catacombs
Byzantine mosaics at dawn, pasta con le sarde at a family table and 8,000 mummified Palermitans in between: a day that earns its acclaimed dinner.
- 9:30 AM
Caffetteria del Corso
Outstanding granita and brioche, the classic Sicilian morning ritual at one of Palermo's most-loved caffetterie.
Map - 10:15 AM
Palazzo dei Normanni
Book the first entry slot: go straight to the Cappella Palatina for its jaw-dropping Byzantine mosaics before the crowds arrive.
Map - 12:30 PM
Trattoria Ai Cascinari
Family-run local favourite, order the pasta con le sarde and caponata, exactly what visiting Palermitans are taken to eat.
Map - 3:00 PM
Capuchin Catacombs
8,000 mummified Palermitans arranged by profession since the 1590s, one of the world's most extraordinary and eerie sights.
Map - 7:30 PM
CR21
Contemporary Sicilian tasting menu; local fish, citrus and wild herbs, with Sicilian wines to match.
Map
Day 3: Monreale gold, Mondello sea
Monreale Cathedral and its diocesan museum in the morning, a seafood lunch at Trattoria da Calogero, an afternoon on Mondello beach and dinner at Gagini.
- 9:30 AM
Monreale Cathedral
Gold mosaics over every wall of the 12th-century nave; pay extra for the cloister and the roof walk.
Map - 10:45 AM
Museo Diocesano di Monreale
Church silver and paintings beside the cathedral, with a terrace over the Conca d'Oro.
Map - 1:00 PM
Trattoria da Calogero
Pick your fish from the iced display at this Mondello seafood trattoria; a taxi from Monreale, closed Wednesdays.
Map - 3:00 PM
Mondello Beach
Walk the pale sand between Monte Pellegrino and Monte Gallo, past the old Liberty bathing pavilion.
Map - 8:00 PM
Gagini
Creative Sicilian tasting menu in a 16th-century sculptor's workshop by the Vucciria; closed Mondays.
Map
Where to stay
Grand Hotel et des Palmes
A grand belle-époque address right on the Via Roma spine, close to every day-one and day-two stop and with the bar pedigree to match a splurge itinerary.
Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel
A design-forward boutique palazzo in the heart of the centro storico, steps from Gagini and Quattro Canti, with rooms that justify the rate.
Make Palermo your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Cappella Palatina: a few days ahead
- Palazzo dei Normanni: a few days ahead
- Streaty Original Street Food Tour: a few days ahead
- Teatro Massimo: weeks ahead
- No Mafia Walking Tour: a few days ahead
- Sicilian Cooking Class in Palermo: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Tourist menu restaurants with touts near Quattro Canti on Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
- Mondello beach in August and on summer Sundays, when the free beach is a sliver and lidos charge peak prices.
- The hop on hop off bus for the centre, and horse carriages or tuk tuks without a full price agreed in writing.
- Catania or Etna as a day trip from Palermo, both deserve their own stay.
The full Palermo travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around