Palermo
what to whilst visiting
Chaotic, beautiful, noisy, historic and full of life.
Palermo is one of those cities you have to experience rather than simply see. It can feel a little overwhelming when you first arrive, but give it some time and there is so much to discover.
If you’re turning the wedding into a longer trip — which we absolutely recommend — we wanted to share some of the places we’ve loved, along with a few tips we’ve picked up along the way.
This is by no means a definitive guide to Sicily. Just our favourites.
Beaches
Mondello
If you want a beach day without travelling too far from Palermo, go to Mondello.
You can get there by bus or taxi from the city, so you don't necessarily need a hire car. There a lot of free parking a short 5 minutes away, roughly a 25 minute drive from Palermo.
It gets very busy during summer, particularly in the middle of the day, but the water is beautifully clear and there are plenty of little beach bars and food spots where you can grab something to eat, get a cold beer and spend the afternoon by the sea.
Head towards the old port and village end of Mondello, where there are lovely restaurants around the waterfront. As the daytime crowds start disappearing, it becomes much calmer and is a gorgeous place for dinner or an evening walk.
Definitely worth a visit.
Cefalù
If you’re staying in Palermo and fancy an easy day trip, Cefalù is one of our favourites.
Cefalù is a beautiful medieval seaside town on Sicily’s northern coast, around an hour from Palermo by train. Trains run regularly from Palermo Centrale and, once you arrive, it’s only around a 10-minute walk from the station into the historic centre and beach.
It’s one of those places that gives you a little bit of everything — a long sandy beach with incredibly clear water, colourful old fishermen’s houses, winding cobbled streets, little cafés and restaurants, and the enormous 12th-century Norman Cathedral sitting right in the centre of town beneath La Rocca.
If you’ve watched The White Lotus Season 2, you’ll probably recognise it.
We’d recommend getting the train from Palermo in the morning or driving, wandering through the old town, visiting the cathedral and then spending the afternoon on the beach before staying for something to eat, alternatively stay the night.
Scopello
If you’re staying in Palermo and have a car, we’d really recommend taking a trip to Scopello, around an hour to an hour and a half away depending on traffic.
It’s a tiny hilltop village on the north-west coast of Sicily, surrounded by mountains and some of the clearest water we’ve seen on the island. The village itself is small but beautiful, with a central piazza, little restaurants, cafés and a much slower pace than Palermo.
Scopello is also a really special place for us personally, because it’s where we got engaged — so it will always be one of our favourite places in Sicily.
If you have a bit more time, we’d actually consider staying the night rather than treating it as a quick day trip. Once the daytime crowds start to disappear, the village becomes much calmer and it’s lovely for a slow dinner, a drink in the piazza and a more relaxed evening.
Whilst making the visit you can also add on visiting Grotta Delle Colombe & Terrasini.
Grotta delle Colombe & Terrasini
If you fancy something a little more adventurous, Grotta delle Colombe near Terrasini is absolutely beautiful — but this one requires a little more effort than the usual tourist spots.
If you’re driving, we recommend heading towards Blue Sky Beach in Terrasini, parking nearby and continuing on foot towards the coastline.
The route can be rocky and uneven, so wear proper footwear rather than sandals or flip-flops. There are also steep drops and exposed cliff edges, so if you’re uncomfortable with heights, we’d probably give this one a miss.
Favignana & the Egadi Islands
If there is one day trip we would tell everyone to do in Sicily, it’s this one.
From Palermo, you can book organised excursions — including through GetYourGuide — which take you across to Trapani, where you’ll board a boat to explore the Egadi Islands.
The highlight is Favignana.
Honestly, it’s difficult to explain how beautiful it is until you see it. Think impossibly clear turquoise water, little coves, rocky coastlines and swimming spots that look almost unreal.
Most boat trips take you around several of the islands and stop throughout the day so you can swim straight from the boat. If you have an extra day in Palermo and the weather is good, make this the day trip you book. It’s one of our favourite experiences in Sicily and somewhere we’d go back to again and again.
Monte Pellegrino & Santa Rosalia
For some of the best views over Palermo, head up Monte Pellegrino, the huge mountain that sits between the city and Mondello.
You can drive up, or take the 812 bus from Palermo, or, if you're feeling energetic, walk the old pilgrimage route up the mountain. The traditional walking route takes around an hour.
At the top you’ll find the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, Palermo’s patron saint.
It’s much more unusual than a traditional church because the sanctuary has actually been built into the side of the mountain and leads directly into the natural cave where Santa Rosalia is said to have lived and where her remains were discovered in 1624.
You can go inside the sanctuary and into the cave, and it’s definitely worth doing even if you're not particularly religious — it’s atmospheric, completely different from the churches in the city and an important part of Palermo’s history.
The Markets
If you want to experience Palermo at its finest, head to one of the historic street markets.
Ballarò is probably the one we’d recommend experiencing at least once. Expect fruit, vegetables, fish, street food, locals shouting across stalls, scooters squeezing through tiny gaps and lots of people.
It is loud, busy and unapologetically Palermo — so if crowds and noise aren’t your thing, this might be one to admire from a distance!
Churches, Cathedrals & Architecture
Palermo is absolutely full of churches, chapels and historic buildings — you could spend days visiting them!
Drinks With a View
Palermo looks completely different from above, and a rooftop drink is one of our favourite ways to end the day.
B&B Hotel Palermo Quattro Canti has a rooftop overlooking the historic centre and is brilliantly located if you're already exploring the old city.
SEVEN Restaurant Rooftop is another great bar for drinks, dinner and views across Palermo.
For SEVEN, we strongly recommend booking in advance, particularly if you want to be there around sunset.
Around the time of the wedding, sunset is roughly 8:15 PM, so aim for around 7:30 PM, order something cold and watch the city change as the sun goes down.
Palermo After Dark
Palermo is brilliant for drinks because you don’t necessarily need to have a plan — some of our favourite evenings have just involved wandering through the little backstreets and seeing where we end up.
Around Mercato Ballarò and the historic centre, you’ll find lots of small bars tucked into side streets and squares. It can get very lively at night, so if you love somewhere busy, atmospheric and full of locals, this is a great area to explore.
A Hidden Bar
One of the coolest places we found is MINIMARKET CLUB – Speakeasy Cocktail Bar Palermo.
From the outside it has the feel of a little minimarket, but hidden inside is a vinyl listening bar and speakeasy, with cocktails, music and live performances.
It’s exactly the kind of place you could easily walk past without realising what’s inside — which is part of the fun.
Cocktails & Jazz
If you love jazz and live music, try MAK Mixology.
It’s a cocktail bar tucked away in central Palermo, with regular jazz musicians and live performances alongside a really good cocktail menu.
One thing worth knowing is that Palermo’s nightlife tends to finish earlier than you might expect, with many bars winding down around midnight to 1:00 AM. It’s much more about busy evenings, aperitivo, cocktails and live music than staying out until the early hours.
Something a Little Different...
For the Antique Lovers
One of our favourite things about Palermo is finding little antique and vintage stalls.
If you love rummaging for old prints, jewellery, ceramics, books and random Sicilian treasures, head to Mercato delle Pulci.
Our advice: go earlier in the day. The markets are outdoors and Sicily in July and August is hot — wandering around antique stalls at midday suddenly becomes a lot less romantic!
The Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo
If you love history — and aren't easily spooked — this is one of the most unusual places we've visited in Palermo.
Beneath the Capuchin monastery are corridors containing thousands of preserved remains, including mummified bodies dating back hundreds of years.
It is fascinating, slightly eerie and definitely not your standard tourist attraction.
Entry is around €5, and because the catacombs are indoors, it can also be a good option if you want a break from the Sicilian sun for an hour.
