Palermo in One Day Itinerary: How to Spend 24h in Palermo

Palermo is Sicily’s capital and largest city which for some reason people usually love or hate. I personally loved my visit to Palermo because it’s the best example of Sicily’s rich history that was shaped by Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Spaniards and Italians. So, you may be wondering if it’s doable to visit Palermo in one day, and the short answer is yes. While I did base myself in the Palermo area, I spent only 24h in Palermo, which was definitely enough to sightsee the main highlights and experience the city.

In this one day Palermo itinerary we will focus on its main cultural and historical sites, as well as some food experiences you can have in the city.

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📖 Read my 12 Best Things to do in Palermo, Sicily: From History to Food blog post.

How to Get to Palermo

To reach Palermo the best and easiest is to fly into Palermo airport.

Once there I recommend renting a car because it’s the easiest way to explore Sicily (unless you’re taking a short city break to Palermo, then it is not necessary).

You can also take the bus from the airport into the city or book a private transfer.

✅ Check the flight prices here.

How to Get around Palermo

Everything we will mention in this itinerary is within a walking distance, so you don’t need any public transportation, especially if you’re staying in the city centre.

If not, then you can use city buses or rent a car. If you’re renting a car, beware that Palermo has no traffic zone in the city centre, so you’ll need to park your car before you hit that zone and then walk towards the historic centre.

📖 Read my Sicily 10 Days Road Trip: Ultimate Sicily Itinerary blog post.

Where to Stay in Palermo

The best is to stay in or near the city centre, so that everything is within a walking distance.

📖 Read my 11 Best Hotels in Palermo City Centre Ideal for Sightseeing for more.

When to Visit Palermo

Palermo is generally great to visit the whole year, but winters do tend to get cold and the heating inside the hotels/apartments is not often great. But, if you’re visiting Sicily for Christmas, Palermo is definitely a great choice to experience traditional festivals.

However, personally I like it most in summer because you can combine sightseeing with relaxing on beaches, and there are quite a few beautiful ones near Palermo.

Though, if you’re not a fan of high temperatures, but you’d still love to experience sunshine and warm weather, then in that case the best is to visit in late spring or early autumn.

📖 Check my Sicily During Christmas: A Complete Travel Guide blog post.

How Many Days in Palermo is Ideal

Good news is that if you have time to visit Palermo in one day, you can absolutely cover the main sites in its historic centre.

I personally based myself in the Palermo area for 3 days, but I spent only one day in Palermo historic centre and the rest was for taking day trips on the west side of Sicily to visit its beaches and cute little towns nearby.

📖 Read my 8 Best Beaches in Sicily You Have to Visit blog post.

Palermo in One Day Itinerary

Okay, let’s head into my one day Palermo itinerary.

✅ While you can do all the sightseeing I will mention below on your own, you can also consider taking this UNESCO World Heritage Sites Guided Walking Tour to learn more from a local guide.

Norman Palace & Palatine Chapel

If you ask me, you can’t come to Palermo and not visit the Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel, especially the latter.

The Norman Palace was built in 1072 after Normans conquered Sicily. It is built in the Byzantine-Norman-Arab style. The palace is the oldest royal residence in Europe and was the private residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily and the imperial seat of Frederick II and Conrad IV.

While I did find the palace interesting, the main reason I personally visited the complex was so that I could see the Palatine Chapel. And it didn’t disappoint. If there’s one church you have to see in Palermo, let it be this one. Even though it’s the only church you need to pay the entrance for (it’s a combo ticket with the palace), but trust me, it’s totally worth it.

The Palatine Chapel is not only designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site but is also listed among the most beautiful churches in the world.

Inside you can really see how all these 3 styles influenced the chapel, which is why you will notice Byzantine, Norman and Arab elements.

✅ Even though you can explore this on your own, if you’d love to learn more from a local guide, then I recommend this Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel Tour.

Palermo Cathedral

Palermo Cathedral was also initially built by the Byzantines, then conquered by Arabs in the 9th century who turned it into a mosque. After Normans took it back in 1184, they re-converted it into a church again and built on top of the initial church.

While it looks nice and interesting from the outside, I was quite disappointed with the interior.

Apparently the Palermo Cathedral was built to surpass the beauty of Monreale Cathedral. While the exterior is surely more beautiful, it does not have mosaics like the Monreale one. Which is why I preferred Monreale Cathedral over Palermo Cathedral.

However, it is free to visit (unless you want to check the tombs and rooftop), so I recommend checking it out regardless. Culturally the cathedral is surely an interesting and important site in Palermo.

📖 Read my Best Farm Stays in Sicily Perfect for Agritourism blog post.

Quattro Canti Square

Quattro Canti is a Baroque Square and the heart of Palermo. The site is the intersection of two major streets in Palermo, the Via Maqueda and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

On each corner there’s a 4-storey building, totalling 4 buildings. Each floor represents something: district, season represented by the fountain, king of Spain and patron saint.

Because of the way it’s structured, the sun will always be on one of the buildings during the day, so cool!

Fontana Pretoria

Fontana Pretoria is a beautiful 16th century baroque fountain, initially built for Florence, but then sold and transferred to Palermo.

For some reason the fountain was closed by gates during our time in Palermo, but we could still admire it.

Santa Caterina Church & Church of the Gesu

Besides Palatine Chapel, I was blown away by two more churches in Palermo: Santa Caterina Church & Church of the Gesu.

They are a short walk from one another, so it’s easy to combine to see both. I think I’ve never spent so much time just sitting in a church and admiring the interior. Out of all of Sicily, Palermo surely had the most beautiful churches.

Both churches are free to visit.

Ballaro Street Market

Ballaro Street Market is the best and most popular in Palermo, and the heartbeat of the city.

I don’t know about you, but I love visiting local markets on my travels because they’re the best glimpse into the local life and food.

At Ballaro Street Market you will find fresh food, street food vendors, souvenirs and clothes. so it’s a great shopping place too.

✅ I recommend joining this highest rated Street Food Tour of Palermo.

Is Palermo worth Visiting

As I mentioned in my intro, Palermo is a very polarised city, so people either love it or hate it. I am definitely in the team of those who loved it.

While Palermo is not the most beautiful Sicilian town to me (that’s Ragusa), it is the best representation of the history and cultures that shaped it through centuries.

And as someone who loves Middle Eastern countries, Palermo is a perfect mix of Italy and the Middle East. It definitely has a completely different vibe than places in the north, such as Lake Como.

I think you should definitely visit Palermo even if you don’t end up liking it.

✅ If you’re looking for a custom travel plan, find out more about my personalised itinerary service here.

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