The 14 top things to do in Palermo, Sicily

The Mezzogiorno, as locals like to call Southern Italy, is blessed with an abundance of riches, from baroque churches to cultured museums and some of the most spectacular ancient ruins in the Mediterranean. Oh, and did we mention the food and wine?

You'll find all of these treasures and more in the streets of Palermo on the island of Sicily, where the culture, cuisine and architecture have been shaped by myriad influences, from ancient Greeks and Romans to Arab, Norman, Byzantine and Spanish conquerors. 

You'll sense the tides of history flowing through the streets of Sicily’s capital. Sometimes elegant and opulent, sometimes pockmarked and creaking, this is a city of manic markets, labyrinthine alleys and sun-scorched squares, where all of Sicily's complex flavors come to the fore. 

Get more from your trip with this guide to the top things to do in Palermo, Sicily. 

1. Soak up the vibe of Albergheria and Ballarò

A melting pot of UNESCO-listed historic monuments and unfettered street life, the districts of Albergheria and Ballarò instantly grip the imagination. You can swoon over Byzantine and Sicilian Baroque masterpieces or sample city life infused with influences (and languages) from across the Mediterranean, before finishing up with a spritz beside the city marina.

Start at the epicenter of the old city, the Quattro Canti at the intersection of Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda – also known as the Teatro del Sole (Sun Theater) because of the light show created by the sun on its perfect circle of curving facades. Return to this people-packed crossroads at different times of day to see the sun lighting up a different corner of the junction.

The four symmetrical 17th-century facades are the work of royal architect Giulio Lasso. Statues adorn each tier, representing the seasons, Spanish sovereigns and female Palermitan saints. Snack carts, horse-drawn carriages and vintage Piaggio Ape city taxis blaring music on portable loudspeakers only add to the spectacle.

Planning tip: Pause to recharge with some panelle (salted chickpea fritters) and grab a Sicilian craft beer at ringside Bisso Bistrot while you people-watch.

2. Graze the stalls at Mercato di Ballarò

You'll lose all sense of time and direction in Palermo’s oldest street market, a noisy, hypnotic jumble of outdoor stalls and open shopfronts in the Ballarò neighborhood. Stalls are piled high with fruit, veg, fish, olives and dried spices, chirping caged birds, plastic buckets, knock-off underwear, footballs and more. Join the locals shuffling beneath the market's tunnel of parasols, tarps and corrugated-iron sunshades and you'll feel its energy.

For refreshments, follow Piazza del Carmine to the intersection of Via Giovanni Grasso and Via Giovanni Naso, where market stalls and vintage pushcarts hawk hand-shaved granita (flavored shaved ice), grilled offal and oil-soaked chunks of sfincione (focaccia with tomato sauce, anchovies, oregano and caciocavallo cheese). 

Along Via Ballarò, pause to admire the eye-catching cupola of Chiesa del Carmine Maggiore, with its stucco details and multicolored majolica tiling; climb the church’s 19th-century bell tower on a guided tour for lovely views. A 5-minute walk away on Via del Ponticello, the 17th-century Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa blends baroque extravagance with Pietro Novelli frescoes.

Planning tip: Palermo’s other must-see market is the souk-like Mercato del Capo, where Arab traders, pirates and slave merchants peddled goods in the 9th century. Today, this sun-scorched web of alleys hides museums, churches and the Mercato delle Pulci, the city’s busy flea market, with real treasure lurking amid the vintage tat. 

3. Enjoy sunset drinks at the Fontana Pretoria

So scandalized were Sicilian churchgoers by the flagrant nudity of the nymphs, tritons and frolicking river gods sculpted in marble on Piazza Pretoria’s monumental fountain that they dubbed it Fontana della Vergogna (Fountain of Shame). This risqué monument was designed by Florentine sculptor Francesco Camilliani in the 1550s for a villa in Tuscany, but it was relocated to Palermo to outshine a rival fountain in the city of Messina.

Planning tip: The play of light on the nudes posing in the fountain’s tiered basins is theatrical any time of day – and never the same twice. Visit more than once to appreciate the piazza's changing mood.

4. Find art and sweet treats at Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria

Feast on pastry treats, baroque masterpieces and a 360-degree panorama of ancient Palermo at the early 14th-century hospice-turned-convent, Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria. Its swoon-inducing roof terraces are best visited in the late afternoon, when the sun casts a golden glow over the dome-threaded skyline and fountain-clad Piazza Pretoria below.

Allow a few hours to explore the elaborate, richly decorated interiors. Look up at the fresco-adorned dome to see Vito D’Anna’s Triumph of the Holy Dominicans from 1751, and admire the majolica-tiled cloister and the sumptuous main altar, with its tabernacle encrusted in amethyst and lapis lazuli gemstones. Dotted around the side chapels are artworks by Vincenzo Marchese and Giacomo Lo Verdo – students of baroque master Pietro Novelli.

The icing on the cake? A sinfully good cannolo (cream-filled pastry) from the monastery’s old-school bakery, I Segreti del Chiostro – best devoured on a bench beneath a perfumed orange tree.

Planning tip: The convent bakery has a long history of making special treats for religious feast days. Look out for marzipan lambs at Easter and marzipan fruits on All Saint's Day in November.

5. People-watch and church hop on Piazza Bellini

To tune into Palermo's timeless rhythms, watch the world go by from a bench or the cafe terrace of the early 18th-century Teatro Bellini on harmonious Piazza Bellini, hemmed in by three strikingly different churches in glorious hues of pink, peach and gold. 

Take a wander to admire the churches’ lavish architecture. Across from the baroque Chiesa e Monastero di Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, the luminously beautiful 12th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio – aka La Martorana – was originally planned as a mosque before being remodeled as a Norman church. 

The Benedictine order ripped down the Norman apse and replaced the original Greek mosaics with new baroque ornamentation, but a few patches of mosaic remain, including the only surviving portrait of Roger II, Count of Sicily.

With its squat, square form, dusky-pink domes and delicate tracery of Arab-Norman detailing, the Chiesa Capitolare di San Cataldo is also utterly enchanting. 

Planning tip: Take a moment for a spritz or coffee on Piazza Bellini. Veteran coffee-house Casa Stagnitta serves superlative coffee, milkshakes, granita and parfaits, while Italian craft beer and killer cocktails lure locals to Altrove Bar and unpretentious St’orto on Via Discesa dei Giudici.

6. Escape into the garden of the Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti

If the tourist bustle of downtown Palermo overwhelms, escape to a stone bench in the enchanting walled garden of Chiesa di San Giovanni degli Eremiti. This 12th-century Arab-Norman church is named after the Sicilian hermit-monk and miraculous wolf tamer St William of Montervergine. Modern-day hermits will fall in love with this shady retreat, and its olive, fig, pomegranate and citrus trees and bewitching cloister ruins.

Planning tip: For another green escape, grab some gelato from Cappadonia Gelati on Via Vittorio Emanuele and wander the palm-lined paths of the Villa Bonnano and Giardini di Piazza Indipendenza gardens by Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale). Or, for something grander, head south of the center to the Orto Botanico di Palermo, where birding trails, tropical trees and intriguing botanical beds await.

7. Discover Palermo’s grand Palazzo di Normanni

Norman Sicily’s compelling cultural complexity is beautifully evoked inside the Cappella Palatina, tucked away inside the imposing but outwardly austere Palazzo dei Normanni (Palazzo Reale). Built by conquering Arabs in the 9th century, this defensive fortress became a pleasure palace under the rule of the Norman King of Sicily, Roger II.

See how the royals lived in the Sala dei Vicere and Sala dei Mosaici, then have your breath stolen away by the Cappella Palentina, decorated by Byzantine craftsmen in 1130. Mosaics explore the life of Christ and the saints, prophets and evangelists in the presbytery, while images of angels grace the apse and dome and scenes from the Old Testament adorn the central nave. To finish, cool down with a granita in the cafe in the palace’s Royal Gardens. 

Detour: A short walk northeast along Via Vittorio Emanuele, Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca hides treasures behind its crumbling facade. Guided tours of the interior raise the curtain on the lavish lifestyle of Sicilian nobles in the 18th and 19th centuries. Giuseppe Garibaldi no doubt appreciated the elegant craftsmanship when he rested here during the Siege of Palermo in 1860. 

8. Join the passeggiata on pedestrian Via Maqueda

Directly north of the Albergheria quarter, the historic neighborhood of Il Capo was once a raucous den of iniquity where pirates and schiavoni (slave traders) haggled out an unsavory living under 9th-century Arab rule. Today, it’s a busy hub of city life and a great place to join in the ritual of passeggiata – a posh name for a relaxing, snack-fueled afternoon stroll. 

No pastime exposes Palermitans’ passion for eating quite like an afternoon wander along this busy pedestrian strip. Come to snack and absorb the hypnotic whirlwind of shops, screeching street hawkers and pushcarts selling cheap jewelry, tourist trinkets and beakers of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. 

Parading south from Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, you can stop in for pizza topped with Madonie pork, smoked cheese and sweet onions at next-gen pizzeria Biga. Alternatively, snack on arancini (fried rice balls) with meaty, veg and vegan fillings at Ke Palle, or sample ricotta-filled cannoli, cakes and shaved ice at Cannoli & Co. 

9. Marvel at the scale of the Cattedrale di Palermo 

Palermo’s 13th-century cathedral is a larger-than-life example of Sicily’s unique Arab-Norman architectural style. Fronted by lush, beautifully landscaped gardens and crowned by the city’s most spectacular rooftop lookout, it’s a favorite summertime hangout as well as a sacred site. On the cathedral’s southern porch, look for a column inscribed with a passage from the Koran – all that remains of the 9th-century mosque that was absorbed into the cathedral in 1184.

Ostentatious tombs mark the final resting places of two of Sicily’s greatest rulers – Roger II and Frederick II of Hohenstaufen – and silver reliquaries preserve a tooth and ashes of the city’s beloved patron saint, Santa Rosalia, in the treasury. End a visit by spiraling up 110 steep stone steps to the cathedral’s expansive roof terrace for an unmatched city panorama. 

Planning tip: For more fine views over downtown Palermo, climb the dome of Chiesa del Santissimo Salvatore or the 13th-century Torre di San Nicolò di Bari all'Albergheria.

10. Discover Palermo’s Mafia story

You will never truly understand what makes Palermo tick until you’ve confronted its Mafia past. At the No Mafia Memorial, the terrible impact of Sicily’s Cosa Nostra crime gangs is laid bare through photos, newspaper clippings and first-person accounts from those affected. 

This compelling multimedia space spills across a palazzo on Via Vittorio Emanuele. Displays explore everything from tragic modern-day murders to the roots of the Mafia in the 15th century, when feudal lords hired bravos (bandits) to steal livestock and work the city markets for pizzo (extortion money).

Detour: Another moving Mafia memorial stands in Il Capo’s Piazza degli Aragonesi – the Muro della Legalità, honoring 26 Sicilians killed in the fight against organized crime. 

11. Embrace the arts in Il Capo 

Built in 1784, the neoclassical Palazzo Riso on Via Vittorio Emanuele is now home to the Museo Regionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea della Sicilia, a striking stage for thought-provoking permanent installations and temporary exhibitions. It’s worth coming just for the museum shop, an homage to Sicilian designers and brands. 

Even if you miss the September–June opera season, you can take a guided tour to revel in the opulence of Ernesto Basile’s art nouveau Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy. Before ducking backstage, admire the pale-green cupola from Via Maqueda and stand on the steps where scenes from Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather trilogy were shot. 

Detour: For more artistic delights, head over to La Kalsa, once the Arab quarter, where the Galleria d’Arte Moderna hosts an impressive collection of modern art from the late 1800s to the 20th century. Afterward, amble to Piazza Aragona, Palermo’s self-styled “Artisans’ Square,” where you’ll find artists’ workshops, cool boutiques and public artworks. 

12. Soak up La Kalsa’s cultural treats

Every Palermo church tells a tale; at the 16th-century Oratorio di San Lorenzo, you’ll learn the life story of San Lorenzo (St Lawrence) and San Francesco (St Francis) through intricate stucco tableaux sculpted by Palermo-born genius Giacomo Serpotta (1656–1732), in a space alive with playful cherubs.

More treats wait in the surrounding streets. A treasury of hand-painted majolica tiles can be viewed on a tour (or overnight stay) at Stanze al Genio, set in a 16th-century palazzo on Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. Swing by the Galleria Regionale Palazzo Abatellis to view a lavish collection of artworks and murals in the former home of Palermo’s 15th-century harbormaster. 

Detour: As dusk approaches, head to Piazza San Francesco d’Assisi, a sublime spot for a romantic spot of alfresco dining. Take dinner on the parasol-shaded terrace of Antica Focacceria San Francesco, founded in 1834; it serves delights such as pane panelle e cazzilli (chickpea fritters and potato croquettes in a bun) to appreciative diners till late. 

13. Uncover ancient treasures at Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas

Once a Renaissance monastery, Sicily’s oldest public museum features a cloister courtyard dotted with Phoenician sarcophagi from the 5th century BCE, and some of the island’s most valuable Greek and Roman artifacts on display inside its walls.

Exhibition spaces are arranged around three beautiful courtyards, and displays cover everything from a reconstructed temple pediment from Selinunte to Etruscan mirrors and ancient anchors. Look out for the striking Bronze Ram of Syracuse, one of a pair that once graced Ortygia's Castello Maniace.

14. Be dazzled by Sicily’s Temple of Gold

Set aside half a day to take in the splendor of the Cattedrale di Monreale, 8km west of Palermo, famed for its 12th-century, Byzantine-style mosaics. Scan the golden interior of the cathedral for depictions of Noah’s ark, Rebecca giving water to camels, Christ healing a leper, the murder of Abel, and the story of Adam and Eve. 

End on the cathedral’s rooftop terrace, with celestial views of the grounds, the cathedral’s majolica rooftops and urban Palermo lounging on the seashore in the distance. It’s worth paying extra to access the peaceful cloister garden behind the cathedral. 

Detour: On your way back to Palermo, drop by the macabre Catacombe dei Cappuccini. This underground cemetery houses skeletons and mummified bodies of some 2000 Palermo citizens from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Monks arranged the dead according to status, gender, religion and professional rank, with special sections set aside for children, families and even virgins.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Sicily, and Southern Italy guidebooks, published in May 2025.