Palermo in 3 days
Kalsa and the cathedral on day one, the Palatine Chapel and the opera on day two, the market and the oratory on day three — and Tuesday does not go with the Royal Apartments.
- Palatine Chapel
- Mon–Sat 8.15–17.40 (last entry 17.00)
- Teatro Massimo
- daily 9.30–19 (last tour 18.20)
- Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri
- daily 9–19 (Mar–Oct), 9–17 (Nov–Feb)
Three days in Palermo are arranged around the doors that close, not around districts. The Royal Apartments are shut on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Oratorio di Santa Cita on Tuesdays, and the Palatine Chapel stops at midday on Sundays. So the weekdays are fixed first, and the order inside each day second.
Steri, Quattro Canti, the cathedral
Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri in the Kalsa, where the Inquisition courts once sat. Hours: daily 9–19 (Mar–Oct), 9–17 (Nov–Feb). Entry €8, and the guided visit included in the price takes 40 min (guided visit included).
Quattro Canti, the crossing of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, then Piazza Pretoria with its fountain. Entry is free, so the stop works as a rest between two tickets.
Pani ca meusa, the spleen sandwich, costs €2.50–3, and an arancina €2.20.
The cathedral. The nave is open, and the Monumental Area with the tombs is a separate ticket: free (nave); €10 Monumental Area (treasury, crypt, royal tombs, roofs).
The Castellammare district around the old Vucciria market, where the places stay open late into the evening.
The Palatine Chapel in the morning, Teatro Massimo in the afternoon
The Palatine Chapel in the Palazzo dei Normanni. Entry €19, hours Mon–Sat 8.15–17.40 (last entry 17.00); Sun & holidays 8.15–13.00 (last entry 12.15). Closed: none (chapel); Royal Apartments closed Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Sundays it stops at midday, so it goes first.
Panelle, the chickpea-fritter sandwich, costs €2 (sandwich).
Teatro Massimo: the guided tour takes 40 min, a ticket is €14, booking is recommended.
The Capuchin Catacombs. Hours: daily 9–17.30 (last entry 17.10), entry €5.
Ballarò in the morning, Santa Cita and the botanical garden after
Ballarò market in the Albergheria. Entry is free, and food and goods are paid for separately. The market is the first stop of the day, before the tickets that keep hours.
The Oratorio di Santa Cita: hours daily except Tuesday, 10–18 (last entry 17.30), entry €4 (Santa Cita only); €6 combined with Oratorio San Domenico. Closed: Tuesday.
The Palermo Botanical Garden, entry €5. Closed only: 1 January and 25 December.
If there is a fourth and fifth day
The fourth day goes to one of three day trips. Monreale is half a day by bus, Cefalù a full day by train, and Mondello half a day on the beach.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How many days does Palermo need?
Two to three for the city itself, and four to five with Monreale, Cefalù and Mondello. Three days hold the Kalsa, Norman Palermo and a market.
Which day of the week is worst for Palermo?
Tuesday. The Royal Apartments and the Oratorio di Santa Cita are shut then. On Sundays the Palatine Chapel is open only until midday: Mon–Sat 8.15–17.40 (last entry 17.00); Sun & holidays 8.15–13.00 (last entry 12.15).
How long is the Teatro Massimo tour?
The guided tour takes 40 min and a ticket is €14. Booking is recommended.
Ready for Palermo?
Where to next
Day trips from Palermo
→Mondello for the sea, Monreale for the mosaics, Cefalù for a whole day — and all three are reached by public…
Catania · 165 km
→Black Baroque built from lava stone, a fish market behind the cathedral and a volcano at the end of the main street.
How well does Palermo suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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