Passing through Sicily’s capital Palermo? Here is your simple guide and suggested itinerary if you’ve only one day in Palermo, Sicily’s largest city.
Sicily is the southernmost island of Italy and connects the Tyrrhenian and Mediterranean seas. Arguably, the food gets better the further south you travel in Italy and Sicily is no exception. Among other delicacies, it is the birthplace of cannoli and caponata. Although it is a part of Italy, Sicilians even have their own specific language- but don’t worry, Italian is still widely used. Sicily is home to three volcanoes, a treasure trove of Greek ruins, and beautiful beaches.
If you find yourself traveling through Sicily, you will either fly into Palermo on the northern coast or Catania on the eastern coast.
I’m sorry to say, but I think it is easy to dislike Palermo. Palermo is busy and chaotic with a overcrowded downtown scene and an absurd amount of scooters littering the ground in every neighborhood. And you know what? Palermo doesn’t care if it offends your delicate tourist sensibilities. When approached without any expectations, Palermo’s gritty streets and boisterous spirit is a bit intoxicating. Whether positive or negative, a visit to Palermo will surely leave you with a strong opinion of Sicily’s capital city. That being said, I recommend Palermo as more of a base to explore the surrounding area rather than traveling solely to Palermo to experience Palermo. In this one day itinerary, I include a day trip to Cefalu, a nearby beach town.
Morning- Breakfast
Start your day with a little breakfast and sightseeing in the historical center. A typical and unique Sicilian breakfast is brioche and gelato or granita. When done right, it is a delicious and superior interpretation of an ice cream sandwich. Be wary of crowded tourist traps that on the surface appear to be popular places loved by locals, even supported by internet reviews.
If you have to wait an excessive amount of time for a table, just move on. Service will not be good and will only sour your morning. Click here and here for cafe recommendations by a real Palermo local. If I return to Palermo, I will be sure to try Casa Stagnitta, located in the historical center. Don’t be like me relying on Googlemap reviews of what’s nearby and consequently wasting an hour only to taste the worst soupy “granita” possible complete with insulting service. For where to avoid, send me a message!
Now if it’s cannoli you’re after, I highly recommend SpremiAmO. This little juice bar, located off the main pedestrian street in the center (Via Maqueda), offers freshly squeezed juices and a selection of pastries. Sometimes when traveling, you need a shot of vitamins to cut through all the rich food. The fresh juices here really hit the spot especially on a hot summer day. The cannoli are fresh and made to order by the kindest people who seem to truly care and stand by their products. The ricotta filling is light without being cloyingly sweet. Choose from mini or large cannoli.
The prices were cheap despite the high quality of ingredients. Juices cost two euros and a small cannolo will set you back just one euro. There is limited outdoor seating but this place is more of an in and out takeaway joint.
Morning- Sightseeing in the Historical Center of Palermo
Wander down the main pedestrian street Via Maqueda. Many churches and piazzas can easily be found just off this main route. In high season, be sure to keep your hands over your wallet or purse and keep a lookout for reckless electric scooters crashing into you.
Places of interest:
Piazza Vigliena or “Quattro Chianti”- an intersection of two main streets Via Maqueda and Via Corso Vittorio Emanuele dominated by “four corners” of the square which represent the four kings of Sicily and the four seasons. It’s considered to be the center of Palermo.
Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele- Opened in 1897, it is Italy’s largest opera house. Though beautiful and elegant, is is in dire need of proper restoration. Tours are offered but keep in mind that many find the English one a bit lacking and underwhelming. Check showtimes here to fully experience the theater.
Teatro Politeama Garibaldi- Opened in 1874, the second most important theater of Palermo is a stunner with it’s triumphal arc of Apollo and Euterpe overlooking the Piazza Ruggero Settimo.
Catedrale di Palermo- Constructed in 1184, it began as a Christian church then changed to a Mosque and now it is a church again, resulting in a mix of different architectural styles. Explore the church for free, or pay 7 euros for exclusive access to the tombs and crypts.
Piazza Pretoria or Piazza della Vergogna- Translated to “square of shame”, this square hosts a strange yet beautiful scene of 16 statues of humans and supernatural creatures, alluding to the corruption of the government in the 1800s.
Historic Palermo Markets- There are four old markets: Bellarò, Capo, Vucciria and Borgo Vecchio. Of the four, Bellarò and Capo will give you the best sense of typical market life and showcase Arab influence in Sicily. These markets aren’t for the faint of heart as your senses will be assaulted by an array of enticing and off-putting smells, noisy vendors, and colorful displays of fresh produce and meats. If you’re into experiencing local markets and not afraid of seeing questionable hygiene practices, visit Bellarò or Capo but be sure to secure anything valuable on you.
Afternoon- Train from Palermo to Cefalu
It doesn’t take long to get a feel for Palermo, so even if you only have a day I recommend getting out of the city and exploring the surrounding area. If you have a car, try visiting Erice and the Trapani salt flats or the beach town San Vito lo Capo. If you are restricted to public transportation, take the train for about an hour to neighboring beach town, Cefalu.
The Palermo train station (Palermo Centrale) is just a 10 minute walk from the historic center through the Bellarò district, Palermo’s largely immigrant neighborhood. Buying a ticket is relatively simple. Use one of the ticket machines or speak to an agent at the main desk. A one-way ticket to Cefalu should cost 7.50 more or less depending on availability. Once you have your ticket, be sure to stamp it at the ticket validation box on the platform before jumping on the train or risk getting fined if your train’s agent isn’t feeling kind that day. The trains are clean and modern, a welcome contrast to much of Palermo’s downtown.
An hour later, you will be in charming Cefalu, one of the most popular vacation spots in Italy. You can walk through a historic downtown area along cobbled alleys lined with shops, bars and restaurants.
There is a large Norman cathedral, an archaeological museum and of course sandy beaches. The whole old town can be walked in 15 minutes. After a little walking tour, enjoy a seafood lunch either in town or at one of the many seafront restaurants before heading to the beach.
The beach in Cefalu is not as nice as the further beaches of Castellammare del Golfo or San Vito lo Copo, but if you’re looking for a beach escape that’s not too far away from Palermo and easily accessible by public transport then Cefalu is the best choice. That being said, it is not a bad beach by any means. It’s fairly clean with gentle waves and soft sand. In the high season it will be packed but that only lends to the fun atmosphere of the many beachfront cocktail bars.
After a post-lunch siesta on the spiagga have a drink or two at one of the beach bars before heading back to the train station. Once back in Palermo, shower and freshen up and head back into town.
Evening- Streetfood in Palermo
If you’ve read anything about food in Palermo, you’ve probably come across Palermo’s reputation for having an exciting and thriving street food scene. Traditional street food in Palermo includes:
Arancine- fried balls of risotto with different fillings in the center (think ragu, swordfish, gooey mozzarella, caponata)
Pane e Panelle Crocchè- a carb-loaded sandwich of fried chickpea flour and fried mashed potato balls (croquettes)
Pani Ca Meusa- a spleen sandwich of Jewish origin, served with caciocavallo cheese and a few slices of lemon
Sfincione- known as “street food pizza”, it consists of a spongey bread base topped with a sauce of tomatoes, onion, anchovies, and capers
During the day, street food can be found in the historic markets. At night, street food is served at vendors on pedestrian streets in the historic center as well as in restaurants. Depending on your food preference, you should decide whether you want to hop around trying street food from different vendors or head to a sit-down restaurant where you will have a more elevated experience. My travel group decided to do the progressive dinner route to try as many different things as we could, but honestly it would have been better if we settled on a restaurant. While fun and buzzing, the Palermo night atmosphere was just a bit much. It gets very crowded and you’ll likely find yourself just settling for average food simply because there is a free table open.
No matter your choice, carve out time to go to KePalle Arancine d’Autore on Via Maqueda. After trying several different arancine across Italy, I thought I didn’t like arancine. I’m so glad I tried the arancine at KePalle- full of flavor, perfectly cooked risotto, crispy yet not greasy. It’s a busy little place with very limited outdoor seating. I saw many people ordering a large box of arancine to take home. They have a large variety of different flavors so I recommend you get a handful to sample. Each arancine is the size of a tennis ball so if you want to try a few then split them with your travel companions. KePalle also serves beer for you to enjoy with the fried risotto balls.
Arancine or arancini? Fun Fact: the gender of this delicious snack has been the topic of hot debate for decades. In general, the western part of Sicily uses the feminine form “arancine/arancina” and the eastern part uses the masculine “arancini/arancino”. Want to learn more? Click here.
After dinner, head out to one of the many bars in Palermo to cap off your evening.
Have you been to Palermo? How did you find it? I’d love to hear about your experience in Palermo in the comments!