Location: Palermo
Top Things to do in Palermo
Countries
10 Things to do for Honeymoon in Palermo That You Shouldn't Miss
Palermo is an urban melting pot characterized by history and culture so diverse that it often feels conflicted. Discover an intriguing range of architectural styles, from Arabian domes to baroque buildings, and enjoy delicious cuisine that spans a variety of origins. Be sure to visit the Palace of the Normans, the Palatine Chapel and the church of St. John of the Hermits. Art and music lovers won’t want to miss the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (the “GAM”), the Salinas or an opera or ballet at the Teatro Massimo.
Restaurants in Palermo
1. Ncc Taxi Privato - Pizzuto Rosario
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 318 reviews
Our company is pleased to meet your needs through a seriously approach , friendliness and punctuality . Choosing us , you can reach without any problems areas of Sicily in a car with five seats and visit the city of Palermo.
2. Palermo a Piedi - Walking Tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 270 reviews
Tour in the historic center. Art, history and street food. Every day guided tour, on foot, in the historic center of Palermo to get to know the most representative churches and palaces. You will cross the historical markets and taste the delicacies of street food. FREE PICKET OFFERS THE ENTRY OF THE PORT FOR PASSENGERS OF CRUISE SHIPS
3. Museum of tiles Stanze al Genio
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 581 reviews
Reservations required!! The museum is open year round for a visit but you must book your visit by email or phone. For reservations just call a few hours before the appointment and agree to the tour. The visits are carried out only in Italian / english.
Reviewed By 344lindag - Province of Arezzo, Italy
I'm not sure how a museum can be so unassuming from the outside yet is a real gem inside. There is only a small name on the buzzer to enter but what lies inside is wall to wall ceramic tiles and also displays of vintage pieces and furniture. Entrance fee included a personal guided tour in english or italian. A wonderful experience.
4. Parapendio in Tandem
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 432 reviews
Paragliding Tandem Flights with our professional pilots all over Sicily ( SAN VITO LO CAPO, CASTELLAMMARE DEL GOLFO, CEFALU', POLLINA, CAPO CALAVA', TAORMINA );pick up service where available (contact us to check if your area is included in the service). More than 20 years experience to let your holiday an unforgettable dream !!
5. Palazzo Conte Federico
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 787 reviews
The palazzo is in the center of the old city only a few steps away from the Norman Palace. the Cathedral and the Market Ballarò. The oldest part of the palace is an Arab-Norman Tower of the 12th century. You can observe verious architectural styles, high painted ceilings of the 15th century, baroque ceiling frescoes by Vito D'Anna and Gaspare Serenario, various collections and original furniture. Since Count Federico's family, which can be followed back to the Hohenstaufen Emperor Friedrich II, has lived in this palace for centuries, the personal atmosphere makes a visit to this historical building a unique experience.
Reviewed By debm224
Small group tours with a member of the Federico family, who have lived in this fascinating historic building for many generations. A Norman tower from the original Palermo city wall is incorporated into the palazzo, and the history of the city is demonstrated with examples from renovations and additions. This is also a family home, with the cat’s climbing frame, portable heaters etc sitting alongside old treasures. We were welcomed by one of the sons, who was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic to share the family history - it was a highlight of our visit to Palermo.
6. Streaty - street food tour of Palermo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 847 reviews
Streaty runs walking tours around the markets and backstreets of Palermo city center to taste the most authentic street food specialties. All participants will be granted their personal Food Passport! NOT ONLY FOOD! Streaty tour has been designed to give travelers a complete overview of local history and culture of Palermo. Stay hungry Stay Streaty!
7. Nobile e Monumentale Chiesa dell'Immacolata Concezione al Capo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 272 reviews
Reviewed By patriciamP6718EZ
I agree with the reviewers who found the baroque beautiful and overwhelming. One feature that I found stunning was the use of Pietra Dure on four side altars. The guides said this was not Florentine artistry, but native Palermitans who executed it, making it all the more remarkable. Realizing it was built in 1622 it is a wonder that it was built directly across the street from the more ancient church of Sant Ippolito, which was the parish seat from 1309. So, don't miss that church if it's opened when you visit.
8. Walking Tour Palermo
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 379 reviews
Domenico Aronica is a professional Photographer and licensed Tour Guide. He invites you to join his original Walking Tour, exploring Palermo’s real heart, monuments, hidden gems, Unesco sites, alleys, food market and street food tastings. His tour is not just a food tour, but he always tries to combine history, culture, monuments and food. -THE GROUP WALKING TOUR in Palermo starts at 9.30 am –Duration: 3 hours –Distance: 5 km (about 3 miles). Price for the Group Tour: 35 euro per person – Street food tastings (it’s like a lunch! no fish) and entrances fees are included
9. Quattro Canti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,725 reviews
The traditional center of Palermo called "Quattro Canti" (Four Corners) is located at the intersection of Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda, making it the heart of this city's old historic district.
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This central square was a really good starting point for exploring Palermo. We started our day here at the crossroads of Palermo’s two main roads, Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. It is a striking and unusual square. On each corner there are 4 matching concave Baroque buildings, all facing inwards towards the centre. If you stand in the middle and tilt your head right back to look up, they create a circular frame for a blue sky and almost seem to be curving in on you. It’s quite a strange effect. The facades are highly ornate, with curves and flourishes, columns, cherubs and fountains. There is a heavy dose of Baroque theatricality. Why have one cherub, when you can have 20 or more? Each facade has corresponding symbolic features that form a theme. Starting at the ground level, each one has a fountain. Together these represent Palermo's 4 rivers. Above that, is a figure representing one of the 4 seasons. Higher again on the second tier, is one of the Spanish kings. Finally, if you cast your eyes to the top level, each façade has one of Palermo's 4 patron saints (Sant'Oliva, Sant'Agata, Santa Christina, and Santa Ninfa). Read together, the symbolic meaning is to do with hierachy and power. The kings have power over nature but the divine power of God and the saints is the most powerful of all. There are all sorts of interesting detail if you look closely. After a while, we noticed that Spring is a young woman with a bouquet of flowers, whilst winter is an elderly person, nearing the end of their life and carrying an urn. Later in the day, when we came back this way, the square looked different again. The sun had shifted so that it was shining on a different facade giving quite a different effect. Grime and soot from traffic have blackened the buildings over time but it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to consider how stunning they would have looked when new and the stone was gleaming . NEARBY: From the Quattro Canti, we walked 2 minutes around to Pretoria Square, Santa Caterina church and the wonderfully named ‘fountain of shame’.
10. Norman Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6,972 reviews
Reviewed By Sunshine631869
I didn't bother with the full visit. Just focused on the Capella Palatina which is enough, to be honest, because every inch is covered in lavish Byzantine mosaics illustrating biblical scenes. There's also plenty of Arabic influence, particularly in the geometric patterning of floor and wall tiles. You could study it for hours and you wouldn't begin to take it all in. Absolutely glorious! There's also an exhibition about the history of the Kingdom of Sicily and the Norman Palace on the ground floor. It's a bit haphazard and the English translations on the interpretation boards are absolutely shocking. It's almost impossible to follow them. You'd think they'd get native speakers to approve them but no, they just print up nonsense. Get what you can out of it but go for the mosaics. They are the real deal.
TAGS
