No trip to Sicily is complete without a few days in the fascinating capital city of Palermo. The history of the island was layered with a wave of invaders from the Greeks to the Romans, from Arabs and Normans, to the French, and Spanish. Each one has left its mark and influenced the architecture, culture, landscape, customs, and culinary traditions of the island. The gorgeous golden light that hits the fountain in Piazza Pretoria, the boisterous outdoor food markets, beautiful churches, lively nightlife, and local food/wine will keep guests captivated from the first visit. With only a few days to explore, we’ve put together a curated itinerary to make the most of a weekend in Palermo—get a taste of Sicily’s complex history, gorgeous city sites, and traditional cuisine. (map) 

DAY 1

Afternoon

Sightseeing – Take a stroll down Via Maqueda towards the “Quattro Canti” four corners cross street at Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The nearly-identical Baroque facades represent the four seasons, four patron saints of Palermo, and the Spanish Kings of Sicily. Walk down the pedestrian street toward the UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Roman Catholic Cattedrale di Palermo. A simple entrance fee to the royal tombs will cost €1,50, but for €10, you can see it all, including the underground rooms, the crypt, treasury, royal tombs, and especially the rooftop from which you get one of the best views of the whole city. 

Evening

Dinner – Put your name down on the list for a dinner at Bisso Bistrot near the Quattro Canti and enjoy an Aperol spritz or a typical glass of Grillo white wine outside while you wait. Bisso is a casual yet lively restaurant with typical Sicilian dishes and affordable prices. 

Dessert – Stop by Cappadonia Gelati before 10PM for a taste of the city’s best gelato, featuring pistachios from Bronte or Sicilian almonds, and seasonal fruit sorbets like lemon, pomegranate, or watermelon. 

Later

Nightlife – If you’re ready to take the city by storm, the nightlife in Palermo has a lot to offer, from small casual bars to chic cocktail spots and, of course, lots of delicious street food for a late night bite. Check out Botteghe Colletti for a Negroni or stay out all night with the locals in the vivacious La Vucciria behind Piazza San Domenico.

DAY 2

Morning

Breakfast (but not your typical one) – Don’t splurge on breakfast, because the city’s outdoor markets have plenty of food to offer! Book a market tour or street food tasting experience with a local guide or check out the markets on your own, starting with Mercato del Capo behind Teatro Massimo and ending in Ballarò with a fried plate of panelle chickpea fritters or a pani câ meusa (spleen sandwich) for the adventurous foodies. Don’t miss the small carts selling sfincione, a fluffy Palermitan pizza, or other market specialties like swordfish meatballs, arancine rice balls, or a charcuterie platter with ricotta al forno, pecorino, and sliced Sicilian salami.

Afternoon

Sightseeing – Chiesa di San Giuseppe dei Teatini is worth a look and is located in one of the corners of Quattro Canti (you’ll most likely pass this intersection over and over again). Chiesa del Gesù is at the end of the Ballarò market and features some of the most beautiful Baroque marble and painted ceilings in Palermo. The Chiesa di San Cataldo is the one with the three red domes in Piazza Bellini, and if you want more of an in-depth visit, head out to the Palazzo dei Normanni for an afternoon exploring the 12th-century Arab-Norman-Byzantine architecture of Cappella Palatina. Santa Maria dello Spasimo is also a hidden gem in the Kalsa neighborhood. This unfinished Catholic Church is an example of late Gothic style architecture and is now currently used as an open-air space for theater and jazz performances. And, if you have the time and energy, head to the Orto Botanico, the University of Palermo’s 200-year-old lush botanical garden with an important collection of citrus trees, tropical plants, a herbarium, and glass greenhouses.

Evening 

Aperitivo – Meet up at wine bar Enoteca Picone just a few blocks away from the main high-end shopping area of Via della Libertà. 

Dinner – Sit outside for an hour or two before enjoying a local seafood dinner at the chic Corona Trattoria. Here, the Corona family prepares daily dishes featuring local seafood and traditional Sicilian specialties like pasta with squid ink and bottarga, sweet-and-sour caponata, a plate of raw local gamberi rossi, or fried calamaretti. The extensive wine list curated by Orazio Corona features hard-to-find natural and traditional wines from all around Sicily. Make sure you have a reservation because this small trattoria books up quickly. 

Later

Nightlife – Keep the Saturday night party going with drinks at St’Orto or BoCum, two great places for cocktails in Palermo’s downtown. 

DAY 3 

Morning 

Breakfast – One more not-to-miss stop is I Segreti del Chiostro, a secret pastry shop in the Chiesa di Santa Caterina church, close to the famous tiered fountain between Piazza Pretoria and Piazza Bellini. Look for a small sign and an attendant outside who will direct you upstairs to a small indoor garden where long-lost Sicilian pastries are still made. Pack up a few almond biscotti, frutta di martorana (marzipan fruits), or a pack of cannoli to take home with you–if you can resist gobbling all of them up in one go. 

Sightseeing – If you’re in Palermo on a Sunday, don’t miss the antique flea market in Piazza Marina, and check out Giardino Garibaldi, the piazza’s small park, to see the famous ficus macrophylla tree—it’s the largest in all of Europe!

Bonus: A Few More Segreti Outside City Center 

If you are just starting your Sicilian adventures, a few days in Palermo is the perfect way to begin your exploration of the island, but you also can’t miss the city’s surroundings–stunning churches, sparkling seas, and farm-to-table restaurants are just a hop, skip, and a jump away. After completing our expert itinerary in Palermo, head out of town to some of our other favorite Sicilian spots:

Mondello – Take a 20-minute bus ride out to the beach in Mondello. Enjoy a gelato on the beach at Baretto, relax under an umbrella at Lido Sirenetta, or dine out with a multi-course tasting menu at Bye Bye Blues restaurant.

Santa Rosalia – This best time to visit this sanctuary is during the saint’s annual July 14th celebration, but it’s still worth a visit any time of year. Pay respect to Palermo’s patron saint at this sacred cave at the top of Monte Pellegrino, where visitors can pray and catch a vibe of her famed witchiness. She lived here as a recluse, before magically appearing nearly 500 years later during the plague of 1624.

Camporeale – For great wine, drive through the rolling hills of the Val di Mazara to the small town of Camporeale. In this Monreale DOC winemaking region, take a vineyard tour at Sallier de la Tour winery and enjoy some local seasonal bites paired with your tasting of top-quality Syrah, Grillo, Inzolia, and Nero d’Avola wines. 

Cattedrale di Monreale – One of Sicily’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the duomo is a complex depiction of Sicily’s layered history, by mixing Roman Catholic and Orthodox layouts with the stunning Middle Eastern-style triple-apsed choir. The geometric marble flooring, Baroque chapels, Byzantine stained glass, intricate woodworked rooftops, and gold mosaics will take your breath away.

Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School – The two-ish hour drive is worth it for these hands-on, farm-to-table cooking lessons with Sicilian culinary expert Fabrizia Lanza.

Linda Sarris is a food/wine travel consultant and private chef based in Palermo. From her sun-lit studio kitchen above the 1,000-year-old Ballarò market, she works as a freelance writer and culinary communications consultant; while still traveling regularly for private chef work with clients in the fashion/music industries. Known best as The Cheeky Chef, Linda curates a series of culinary retreats, personalized travel itineraries, and chef-led market tours/tastings in Palermo. Her newest project SNACKsicily is an ingredient-focused mini ‘zine guide to eating + drinking your way through Sicily like a local. www.snacksicily.com