The Palermo Travel Guide
If you are planning a trip to Sicily, this Palermo travel guide covers everything. From what to see, where to eat, how to get around, and where to stay. I have actually been to Palermo twice now while travelling around Sicily. I have got a lot of details to share. So hopefully you enjoy this Palermo travel guide and get some useful tips out of it.
I went there around the end of September, and it was buzzing. I do not even want to imagine how busy it is in July. We spent about 3 days in Palermo, and the city itself is huge in history and also in architecture. It was actually founded in 734 BC. Today, it is the capital of Sicily and has over 1,200,000 people. That is about 25% of Sicily.
Why read our Palermo travel guide?
Well, first of all, we have been to Palermo a couple of times now while travelling around Sicily. It is a very easy city to get to from mainland Italy. Also, all over the world, because it has an international airport, Palermo airport.
We also have family in Italy, so we have been able to pick up some great recommendations. We can also speak Italian, so that really helps when speaking to some of the locals. Apart from that, we visited friends in Palermo, so they gave us their opinions as well.
The top things that Palermo is known for are
Historical sites in Palermo
Palermo is very well known for its history and is actually included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site. I have a whole list of things to do in Palermo guide. To keep it brief, some things to do include visiting the Palace of Palermo, and the Cappella Palatina. Also, the San Giovanni degli Eremiti chapel. Quick tip: There is actually a bar right next to it. I was taking a picture from a rooftop bar, which was a great experience.
Food in Palermo
Palermo is huge and has a lot of influence, with a lot of people who travel over there. So you get all kinds of food. You can go Michelin star dining, but they also have lots and lots of traditional restaurants. I love Sicily because it is known for its seafood, so there are lots of restaurants in Palermo to explore. You can check out the best restaurants in Palermo in our full guide.
Beaches near Palermo
Palermo has a very famous beach just north of the city called Mondello Beach. It is actually one of the best beaches in Sicily. What I like about it is it is a long stretch of white sand with really nice turquoise waters. So if you are a family, perfect, or if you are by yourself, perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
When I went there, they had heaps of chairs and lounges so you can just pop over and rent a chair. There are also other beaches like the Spiaggia Vergine Maria and Sferracavallo Beach. These are on the outskirts of Palermo.
Shopping in Palermo
Because Palermo is so big, you can just stroll the streets for ages and be able to find designer stores such as Louis Vuitton but also local stores. I went into a lot of local stores in Palermo. You also have historic markets such as the Ballaro, which is over 1,000 years old.
There are also other markets, such as the Vucciria market, and the Mercado del Capo street market. This is where you can find traditional products, but also a lot of street food.
Languages spoken in Palermo
When it comes to languages in Sicily, they all have a slight dialect, but Palermo has its own Sicilian dialect called Palermitano. That said, a lot of people speak English as there are a lot of tourists. I would not worry too much.
However, if you go a little bit further outside of Palermo, maybe brush up on some phrases, so download Duolingo and learn some Italian before you go.
How to get to and around Palermo
This is one of the reasons I actually remember Palermo so well. This is a travel guide Palermo visitors really need to read carefully before arriving, because getting around has its own quirks.
Driving in Palermo
I drove by car, and Palermo can be a very difficult city. When we went there, it was 2 lanes and somehow they made 4 lanes. So it was very confusing to drive. However, it was probably the most economical in terms of price because I was travelling around Sicily.
If you go from Palermo airport, it only takes about 30 minutes to reach the city centre. If you are driving from mainland Italy, it takes you a few hours to get to Palermo, and then you have to take a ferry from Messina, and then it is about 2.5 hours to reach Palermo. Also worth noting: you do drive on the right hand side and most of the cars are manual, so you probably want to be a confident driver.
Trains in Palermo
My friends took the train to Palermo and it is a very convenient way to get around Sicily because Palermo is a main station. The trains are very quick, and they run from 5 am to 12 am, last time I checked, from the airport over to the city centre. You can also get trains from mainland Italy, such as Rome, to Palermo, that does take about 10 to 11 hours.
Trams in Palermo
You also have trams in Palermo and this is actually fairly new, it was launched in 2015. There are about 4 lines so far and the trams run every 5 to 10 minutes, so easy to get around if you want to visit some local sites in Palermo.
Ferry to Palermo
The port of Palermo was established over 2,700 years ago. You can take the ferry to Tunisia, Naples, Livorno, and even Cagliari. It is a great way to travel by ferry to Palermo. I would probably say the most popular route is from Palermo and Naples, and that takes about 10 hours. The only thing to note is that it does have very limited schedules, so make sure to look in advance before choosing to take the ferry.
Flying to Palermo
The airport is the most convenient way to get to Palermo. I drove, and I started in Catania and then went to Palermo. However, depending on where you are coming from, you can fly directly to Palermo from the UK in just under 3 hours. You can also go from New York to Palermo, and that takes about 11 hours. Not too bad to get straight into Sicily and start your Italian trip.
Taxi in Palermo
A taxi is probably the most convenient way to get around Palermo and also from the airport. Sometimes you just do not want to wait for a rental car, train, or bus, so you can just take a taxi to Palermo. Also, Palermo is quite large, so if you do not want to walk around or you are in a rush, I would probably take a taxi.
A good company in the centre of Palermo is Taxi Palermo. Prices go up every year, but the taxi from Palermo airport should cost about €50 and takes about 40 minutes. They also have taxi sharing companies in Palermo such as Coop Radio Taxi, so you can ride with someone and split the cost. For more travel essentials for Europe, check out our dedicated guide.
Buses in Palermo
Buses are another good way to get around, and that is how you get to Mondello Beach. That is run by AMAT, which is the bus company in Palermo. Obviously, buses can take a long time and can sometimes be delayed or cancelled, and can be quite difficult, especially if you are from another country, so bear that in mind.
Parking in Palermo
So I said I was going to talk about parking in Palermo. Parking in Palermo can be quite difficult. Like I said, they make up lanes in Palermo sometimes, so you just have to be aware of everything. First thing I would say is make sure you bring cash but also card.
Generally, white lines on the road mean free parking, but sometimes they might have a sign on top saying resident parking, meaning you cannot park there. Blue lines are paid parking. From there, just pick up a ticket from a local tobacco shop, or what I did was download an app called EasyPark app. What it does, instead of having to find a local tobacco store, you can just download the app and it recognises exactly where you are and you can pay for the parking that way. That is the most convenient way to pay for parking, I would say.
ZTL in Palermo
What you should also bear in mind is that Palermo has a ZTL, which is basically a restricted area in Palermo where non-residents cannot drive their cars. If they do, they get a fine. I remember looking for parking and the ZTL was in force quite a lot. It basically meant I could not get to my hotel, which was in the city.
Last time I checked, the ZTL in Palermo was in operation Monday to Friday, 8 am - 8 pm. Friday night, 11 pm-12 am. On the weekend, Saturday was 12 am-6 am and then 11 pm-12 am. Sunday, the ztl in Palermo was 12 am-6 am, so a bit better to park in the city. You can check out the Palermo ZTL map here, it's quite large, so check it out before booking a hotel in Palermo.
What I ended up doing was looking for a Parcheggio in Palermo. These are usually outside the city centre and are private parking garages. This was the best way to park in Palermo. Hotels also have parking you can use, but if your hotel is inside the ZTL, that might be a little bit difficult. Also check the pricing, because sometimes hotels do charge a lot for parking when a Parcheggio would be a little bit cheaper.
Some places to stay in Palermo
I have a whole guide on where to stay in Palermo, but just a quick snapshot. I also have a full Palermo hotels guide if you want more details.
- Grand Hotel et Des Palmes is a 5-star hotel. What I like are the beds, they have got memory foam beds which I had never been in before, Egyptian cotton sheets which are just lovely. Everything is 5-star, designer toiletries, rainforest showers. They also have a lot of amenities such as a gym, a library, and even a spa facility. It has a lovely Art Nouveau design.
- Grand Hotel Wagner. This is where I stayed the first time. Again, this is a 5 star hotel but a little bit less expensive. It is very historic, you have got a lot of greens and reds, you get that classic Sicilian look to it. Great service, and the decor, such as the gold leaf mouldings and the antique furnishings, made it a beautiful place to stay.
- The Rocco Forte Villa Igiea. If you are looking for something a little bit more contemporary, you have got this 5 star hotel. It is set in a 19th century palace and has become one of the historic hotels of the world. Amenities are just packed, such as a pool, a tennis court, gym, and a spa. So if you want to stay in luxury, this is the place to be.
- Palazzo Natoli Boutique Hotel. If you want to stay in something a little bit more boutique, this is a 4-star hotel but feels like a 5 star. It has only 12 rooms, is very boutique, and the architecture dates back to 1765, so a lot of historical heritage. The owner personally oversees the upkeep of the palace.
- Hotel Politeama. This is a really nice 4 star historic hotel. It has been renovated and has a beautiful view of the Politeama Square. You also have a lot of amenities.
How much should you budget for a trip in Palermo?
Now, just getting on to how much you should budget when going to Palermo. I went there, and this is roughly how much I was spending. Breakfast, if it is not included in your hotel, that is about €20. I would save about €30 for lunch, including a drink.
Dinner is about €50. For tourist activities, I was spending about €30 a day. Going out, just aperitivos and so on, that is about €30, and accommodation was actually pretty reasonable at about €100. So I would say you probably need to budget about €260 per person per day. If you want more tips on how to save money on a trip, check out our guide.
| Activity | Cost |
|---|---|
| Breakfast (sometimes included in accommodation) | €20 |
| Lunch | €30 |
| Dinner | €50 |
| Tourist Activities | €30 |
| Going out | €30 |
| Accommodation | €100 |
| Total cost per day | €260 |
Best travel card to use on holiday
Talking about money, there are quite a few travel cards out there but I have been using the Wise card for many years now. You can pay for your hotel in Palermo in advance using this card, and they have really, really low transaction fees compared to other ones I have used or friends have used in the past.
If you are in a rush you can use a digital card, or you can get the physical card which you might need at some hotels.
How long should you stay in Palermo?
In terms of how long you should stay in Palermo, I stayed there for 3 days and it really depends on your interests, activities, and how long you have. This travel guide Palermo section should help you plan your itinerary.
If you are thinking about what to see in Palermo in one day, I would probably go to the Ballaro market, visit the cathedral, and check out the restaurants. You could probably do all of that in one day.
If you are thinking about what to do in Palermo in 3 days, I would go more into depth. I went to the Catacombs, I went to the Teatro Massimo, and I went to the Orto Botanico di Palermo.
And then if you have a little bit longer, this is where I would recommend going to Mondello Beach or even taking guided tours around the town. You can do walking tours as well.
Final thoughts on this palermo travel guide
I hope you enjoyed my palermo travel guide, and this is written by me having actually visited Palermo twice so far. But if you have done anything else and want to add something to my palermo travel guide, leave a comment in the comment box below. I would love to add it so our readers can get more value out of this blog. Enjoy Palermo.
Palermo travel guide FAQ's
Day trips from Palermo
You can also do day trips from Palermo. One option is to go to Mondello Beach, and another great one is Cefalu. My friends did that day trip from Palermo, they used Palermo as a base and went to the beach in Cefalu, which is one of the best beaches in Sicily. You can find more in our Cefalu travel guide and our guide to the best restaurants in Cefalu if you fancy a meal out while you are there.
What is a palermo travel guide itinerary for 3 days?
I spent 3 days in Palermo and on day one I would visit the Ballaro market, the cathedral, and the local restaurants. On day two I would go to the Catacombs of the Capuchins, the Teatro Massimo, and the Orto Botanico di Palermo. On day three I would head out to Mondello Beach or take a guided walking tour of the city.
What to see in Palermo in one day?
If you only have one day, I would head to the Ballaro market, visit the Cathedral, and make sure to check out the local restaurants. You can see a lot of Palermo in just one day if you plan it well.
What are the best day trips from Palermo?
Two great day trips from Palermo are Mondello Beach just north of the city, and Cefalu, which my friends used Palermo as a base to visit. Cefalu has one of the best beaches in Sicily and is well worth the trip. You can also read our things to do in Cefalu guide for inspiration.