Palermo Itinerary: Top Things To Do And See In 2 Days In Palermo

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What makes Palermo so interesting is its long, fascinating history. Due to it, it represents a crossroad between Europe and Africa, mixture of two religions and traditions. You can see it in architecture and especially in rich cuisine.

This two day Palermo itinerary will provide you with a taste of Palermo and an excellent overview of what makes this city special. If you plan to go on a road trip through Sicily, Palermo is a good place to start your Sicily itinerary. 

2 Days Palermo Itinerary

This Palermo guide will help you plan the best experience and show you all the amazing places to see, beautiful buildings to visit and day trips to take.

If you only have a few days, Palermo is must city on your Sicily itinerary. It’s one of the best places to visit in Sicily.

2 Days Palermo itinerary Overview

How To Spend 2 Days In Palermo?

There are several great starting points to dive into Palermo, depending on where you are situated: Teatro Massimo, Cathedral Palermo or Quatro Cinti. All the main attractions are close to each other. You can pretty much explore the historical centre and its immediate surrounding on foot.

Our Palermo itinerary can be reversed and adapt based on where you are situated. 

Palermo Itinerary: Day 1

The best way to start your Palermo experience is to head towards the historical centre. Due to our apartment in Eastern Palermo, we started the tour with Teatro Massimo.

Teatro Massimo

A beautiful building on Piazza Verdi represents the largest opera house in Italy and the third-largest in all Europe after Opéra National in Paris and the Staatsoper of Vienna. The renaissance style theatre was built in 1897 and features a grand staircase, part of the third Godfather movie. The Godfather Michael Corleone goes to Palermo to attend his son’s debut in Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana.

If you are into opera, attending one of the numerous shows would definitely be a highlight of your 2 days Palermo itinerary. The other way to see the inside of the theatre is by booking a guided tour. They take place daily in English and Italian language.

From here, continue down the main street Via Ruggero Settimo to arrive at the main square or follow the route below. 

Teatro Politeama Garibaldi

Following the street Via Ruggero Setimmo, you will arrive at the same called square, Piazza Ruggero Settimo, dominated by neoclassical theatre. It was designed by the architect Guiseppe Damiani Almejda concurrently with its brother Massimo theatre. The elegant circular structure, series of Ionic and Doric style columns characterise its exterior. The most beautiful part is the large entrance in the shape of a triumphal arch. Today the Teatro Politeama Garibaldi represents a seat of the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra. 

Palermo Palazzos

Among the wonders of Palermo, the beauty of palaces is among the things attracting visitors’ attention. Palermo is known for its richness of monuments and churches, but it’s also rich in ancient noble palaces with one-of-a-kind interior. They tell the history of families living in Sicily for centuries and the history of the city itself. Some of the buildings are private residences, while others have been transformed into museums. They offer an impressive collection of architectural styles over different periods. 

Here is a list of palaces we visited in Palermo:

• Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri: The building used to be a seat of the court of the Holy Office, and later the seat of judicial offices is today the seat of the university rectorate. 
• Museo Palazzo Mirto: A great insight into the lifestyle of the nobility of the time as it was the home of one of the oldest aristocratic families in Sicily. 
• Palazzo Valguarnera Gangi: The interior design and the layout of the palace are the best representation of the late Baroque in Palermo. 

Making your way alongside the palaces and narrow streets, you will arrive at the Piazza Bellini surrounded by churches of different styles. 

Santa Maria dell Ammiraglio

The 12th-century church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its architectural importance. It’s known for the Norman bell tower and the dome representing Arab influence. Inside the church, you can see an inscription in the Arabic language representing the Islamic influence. Once you step into the church, you will be blown away by detailed and colorful mosaics that cover every surface.

Chiesa San Cataldo

Just next to Santa Maria dell Ammiraglio you can admire an Arab church from 1154. What makes it unique are the Moroccan style of windows and the three red domes that have become one of Palermo’s main symbols. With its parallelepiped shape, Chiesa San Cataldo is the most peculiar example of Arab-Norman architecture.

Chiesa di Santa Caterina

The Renaissance-style church is recognizable by two stairways leading to two main entrances. Build-in 1311, it became one of Palermo’s most important and prestigious cloistered monasteries by hosting the nuns from the riches Palermo families. Once inside the church, you can admire the opulence of Baroque mares and frescoes and visit the monsters with beautiful garden and staircase leading to its rooftop. There is no better place to enjoy magnificent panoramic views of Palermo. Next to the garden, you can find a traditional shop with various traditional food and drinks.

Piazza Pretoria

A few minutes walk from Piazza Bellini you can reach the most significant landmark of Palermo, Piazza Pretoria, with iconic Fontana Pretoria also known through history as Piazza Della Vergogna – “Piazza of Shame”. The name comes from the nudity of 13 statues of gods of Olympus. The fountain was not built in the city but bought by Palermo from a Florence nobleman in 1574. 

If you have to pick only a few landmarks, Piazza Pretoria is a must-visit place in Palermo. The fourth side of Piazza Pretoria, with a staircase leading to Via Maqueda, where you can find the next symbol of Palermo, Quattro Canti.

Quattro Canti

Once you exit one of the biggest fountains in Palermo by staircase, you will arrive at the famous postcard intersection of two main streets – Via Maqueda and the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. The octagonal square represents four baroque buildings that divided the old city into four neighbourhoods of Palermo: Loggia, Capo, Kalsa and Albergheria.

Each facade has a fountain with statues representing four seasons, four kings of Sicily and four protectresses of Palermo: Christina, Ninfa, Olivia and Saint Agata. Primarily known as Quattro Canti (four corners), the original name of the landmark is the Piazza Vigliena, known as the best part of Palermo for drinks, eating and shopping. 

If you are short on time, start exploring Palermo by heading to the Quatro Canti in the morning and wander around. Due to the proximity of all the main sights in Palermo, you will be able to take in the Italian vibes and see typical Palermo life in action.

San Giuseppe dei Teatini

There is no way you can miss the beautiful neoclassical cupola from the 17th century. It’s not only the blue and yellow majolica of the dome that makes the impression, but also the interior decoration. Entirely frescoed ceilings, marble walls and side chapels, elegant altars and Baroque style of wooden furniture.

Chiesa del Gesù

Supposedly one of the prettiest churches, the Church of Gesu, also known as the Palermitans as Casa Professa, was decorated by the most famous artists and marble workers of the 17th and 18th centuries. The church represents a magnificent example of Sicilian Baroque art in Palermo and Sicily. Due to this, it’s an unmissable thing to see in Palermo. The simple facade represents typical Jesuit Baroque churches with the statue of Madonna Della Grotta with Jesus above the entrance.

Cattedrale di Palermo

End the first day by visiting the sensational main attraction of Palermo. The origin of the Palermo cathedral goes back to the 12th century, with changes added to its architecture throughout the 18th century. Thus, you can observe the many architectural styles cathedral has nowadays. Despite this, it has managed to maintain its beauty. 

Inside of cathedral, you can admire numerous paintings and trinkets, tombs of kings of Sicily and a crypt. There is also a possibility to go on the roof for the view over the city. However, for us, the exterior was more impressive. You can find a shade from palm trees to relax and take it all in. It should definitely be on your list of things to see in Palermo.

The Travel Momento tip: To visit the interior of the cathedral, you need to cover your shoulders. In case you forget, you can purchase a cover-up for a small fee. 

Palermo Itinerary: Day 2

Start the second morning by revisiting the Cattedrali di Palermo with early light and less tourists. After breakfast, take a shortcut through the Park villa to reach the Palazzo dei Normanni.

Palazzo dei Normanni

Another fantastic Arab-Norman site you should include on your Palermo itinerary is the Norman Palace with the famous chapel. From 1130 to 1816, the Normans ruled Sicily. During this period, the palace was home to Norman kings. Before they conquer Sicily, the land was occupied by the Arab Muslim, which is why you can see the interviewed architectural styles. The well-preserved interior will take you back in time.

Have a walk through royal apartments, beautiful furniture, frescoes and a grand courtyard. Today, the building is a seat of the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Due to magnificent interior and historical importance it must be part of your Palermo itinerary. 

Capella Palatina

Inside the Norman Palace, you will find La Cappella Palatina or Palatine Chapel. A glorious 360° room of mosaics will leave you speechless. It’s one of the best examples of Arab, Byzantine and Norman styles that influenced Palermo over the centuries.

Once you finish the palace tour, pass the Porta Nuevo to the main bus station to take a 25-minute long drive to Monreale. Even if you don’t speak Italian, you cannot go off the bus at the wrong station. The cathedral is the final bus station, and you will see everyone descending off the bus. You can also reach the city by car or guided tour. The small town is charming and offers incredible views over the countryside towards the sea.

Cattedrale di Monreale

The legend says the Norman King William II saw Our Lady in his dream telling him about a great treasure hidden beneath him. If he would found it, he would have to use it to build a large church. When he woke up, he found it and created what you can admire today. 

The cathedral built in 1178 is today on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most of the space inside the church is covered with gorgeous Byzantine mosaics, which tell stories of the Old and New Testament. Above the altar, you can admire the golden mosaic of Jesus Christ. You will also find two tombs containing the remains of Norman king William I and his son William II.

Following the stairs, you can reach the top of the church with the pedestrian circular path offering great views of the Benedictine abbey, the town and the surrounding. Make sure to hike up and enjoy it. It’s truly splendid. 

The Travel Momento tip: To visit the interior of the cathedral, you need to cover your shoulders.

Afternoon option 1: Monte Pellegrino

The last stop on your 2 days Palermo itinerary is the visit of Monte Pellegrino. Drive up 606 meters high mountain for some stunning views of Palermo and the coastline. From Politeama bus nr 812 will take you on a 30-minute drive through curving roads. The last station is the 17th-century Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. The cave church is the burial place of Santa Rosalia, who died here in the 12th century.

Afternoon option 2: Mondello beach

You have for sure heard about the white sandy beach and turquoise waters of Mondello. You can reach it by car in 15 minutes or take bus number 806 (1,40€, 20 to 60 min depending on the traffic). But due to the proximity to Palermo, this beach can get really crowded. We visited Mondello beach in the middle of October, and for late autumn, it was relatively packed with locals. 

If you prefer secluded beaches with more personal space, this beach isn’t for you. 

Palermo Day trips

Due to Palermo location in the middle of the Northern coastline, there are several options for day trips if you would like to stay in Palermo for 3 or more days. 

• Castello della Zisa
• Segesta
• Trapani
• Cefalu

You can check our 2 week Sicily itinerary to help you plan for longer stay. 

What was your favourite part of Palermo?

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