10 of the best cultural experiences in Palermo, Sicily
Spend a few days in Palermo, the island of Sicily's capital, and you'll soon understand why it was Italy's most recent City of Culture as of 2025.
The country's fifth biggest city is home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, breathtaking museums, dozens of ornate little churches, grand palaces and piazzas, and a vibrant food scene epitomised by its lively markets.
It harnesses a cosmopolitan feel that reflects the fact that over the centuries it's been home to Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Goths, Arabs, Normans, the Spanish, and since 1861 has been part of Italy.
It's not the country's prettiest city. Although you'll find glitzy shops and names like Prada and Swarovski on the main streets and squares, delve into the maze of narrow streets in the Old Town, and you'll also happen across streets that specialise in, say, hat shops or bicycle repairs, giving it the feel of an Arabic souk.
Here's our pick of the not-to-be-missed highlights of this fascinating city, about which writer and traveller Norman Lewis said: 'Of the city of Palermo it would be fair to say that it is a place of limitless excitements.' Too true.
Getting there: sail into Palermo's port with Marella Cruises*, which offers a variety of fascinating, affordable itineraries across the Mediterranean*.
The cathedral
Palermo's cathedral is vast, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the cathedrals in nearby Monreale (see below) and Cefalu. A mix of styles from its beginnings in the 12th century through to the 18th, the interior is a light and spacious delight, with mosaics and marble statues, chapels and royal tombs.
The markets
It's hard to wander through any area of Palermo* without stumbling on a local market. The most famous is Ballaro, which dates back to the 14th century and is mainly one long winding street filled with yelling vendors.
Expect the smells of fish and sizzling street food, and stalls piled high with pomegranates, olives, nuts, octopus and squid. Other outstanding markets include Capo, Borgo Vecchio and Vucciria.
The Norman Palace
The Norman Palace is another of the city's big draws. You can see parts of the old city walls, the royal apartments (Friday to Monday only), and there's a pleasant Mediterranean garden and café out back, but the highlight is the Palatine Chapel.
This dates from the 12th century and is a tiny sanctuary whose every inch is covered in intricate mosaics telling Biblical stories and swathed in gold.
Archaeological Museum
Palermo has several impressive museums, but given Sicily's wealth of ancient sites, it's not surprising that the Archaeological Museum stands out. It's a thoroughly modern museum based in a religious complex that dates from the late 16th century.
Visits begin in the cloisters, shaded by banana trees and with two fountains. Each cell around the cloister is given over to one topic, with marble statues standing out against the white backgrounds. In the main buildings, room after room of glorious treasures open up, with videos and virtual reality tours on offer.
Modern Art Gallery
Another of Palermo's first-class museums, the Modern Art Gallery Sant'Anna is also worth visiting for the building that houses it as well as the wonders inside.
Its home is a 15th-century former palazzo turned 17th-century Franciscan convent, which is now as modern as tomorrow, displaying Sicilian art from the 19th and 20th centuries, with visiting exhibitions.
The Old Bakery at Santa Caterina
It's impossible to single out one church to see in Palermo, from the dozens of contenders, but Santa Caterina should certainly not be missed.
The church dates back to 1310 and was enlarged in the 16th century; be sure to buy the full ticket, which also gives you access to the neighbouring monastery and to the roof, for its views over the city.
Free to visit is the Old Bakery, where there's always a queue to buy cakes and pastries made to the nuns' original (and naturally secret) recipes. Indulge yourself with the best cannoli in Palermo, always freshly-made and which you can enjoy sitting around a fountain in the cloisters.
The opera house
It's perhaps surprising to find the largest opera house in Italy, and the third-largest in Europe after Paris and Vienna, in Palermo, a city closer to The Sopranos than sopranos.
The Teatro Massimo dominates the square on which it stands and was designed in the late 19th century by Giovan Battista Filippo Basile, an architect who had previously worked on cathedrals, palaces and gardens.
A multi-lingual backstage tour allows you to appreciate (and test!) the perfect acoustics, and takes you into the auditorium, the royal box, and various gilded reception rooms.
A puppet show
If you can't afford the real opera, then a puppet opera will delight. It's a Sicilian tradition and two or three families still keep it up in tiny back-street theatres. The shows make Punch and Judy look tame, with beheadings and knights being cut in two.
It's all in Italian, but it doesn't matter, and if you want to know more, then pay a visit to the International Marionette Museum, where puppets from around the world are on display and where they also offer puppet shows.
Quattro Canti
The Quattro Canti, or Four Corners, is where the four quarters of the Old Town meet, in a square that is small and always congested but adorned with elaborately decorated buildings on all sides.
Day trip to Monreale
For a mini-adventure, take the local 389 bus from Piazza Indipendenza for the 40-minute ride to the town and cathedral of Monreale. Work on the cathedral began in 1174 and it's regarded as one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in the world, leading to UNESCO listing it as a World Heritage Site.
The mosaics here rival those in Palermo; there's a huge cloister with 216 columns all decorated differently, and it's said to be the most impressive cloister in all of Europe. Don't miss the chance to climb up to the roof, which is a bit scary but worth it for the views back down to Palermo and the Mediterranean beyond.
Climate in Palermo
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  13 |
13 |
 15 |
 18 |
21 |
 25 |
 28 |
28 |
 26 |
 22 |
18 |
14 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  11 |
10 |
10 |
 9 |
 5 |
 3 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
12 |
| Sea temperature °C |  15 |
14 |
14 |
15 |
 18 |
 22 |
 26 |
27 |
 25 |
23 |
 20 |
 17 |
The above guide shows the climate in Palermo. Find out more about conditions across the island in our complete guide to the climate in Sicily.
Ready to book your Mediterranean cruise? Don't miss the latest online offers on itineraries with Marella Cruises.
More about Palermo
- Best time to visit
- Weather by month
- 5-day weather forecast
- Destinations
- Travel guide
- Deals & discounts
Palermo by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Explore holiday destinations
- Beach holidays
- City breaks
- Family holidays
- Half term holidays
- Spring holidays
- Summer holidays
- Autumn holidays
- Winter sun holidays
- Honeymoons
- Coolcations
- Compare places
- Ski resorts
Save with latest deals & discounts
- Holiday offers
- Top travel brands
- Airlines & flights
- Discount hotels
- TUI
- Jet2holidays
- Neilson
- Marella Cruises
- Pierre & Vacances
- Caledonian Travel
- Club Med
- Boxing Day sales
Airport parking
- Manchester Airport
- Stansted Airport
- Bristol Airport
- Luton Airport
- Birmingham Airport
- Edinburgh Airport
- Gatwick Airport
- Glasgow Airport
- Newcastle Airport
Airport lounges
- Manchester Airport
- Birmingham Airport
- Bristol Airport
- Edinburgh Airport
- Glasgow Airport
- Heathrow Airport
- Newcastle Airport
- Stansted Airport
- Gatwick Airport
Be inspired
Get your weekly fix of holiday inspiration from some of the world's best travel writers plus save on your next trip with the latest exclusive offers
We promise not to share your details
