Palermo is a city for Norman-era mosaics, street markets and Baroque churches, packed into an old center you can cross on foot in half an hour. Two full days cover the first eight entries on this list, and a third day adds Monreale or the beach at Mondello.
At a glance
- Time needed: two days for numbers 1 to 8, three or four days for the full list.
- Book ahead: nothing here sells out weeks in advance. Buy Palazzo Reale and Teatro Massimo online in high season.
- Closed days: several regional museums close on Monday.
- Background: the Palermo guide and is Palermo worth visiting.
Prices and hours come from each place's official site where it publishes them, otherwise from the City of Palermo tourist office lists of November 2025 and April 2026. Each entry says which. Hours change often here, so confirm the day before.
Palermo tours & tickets
Compare guided walks, street food tours and entry tickets for the Palatine Chapel and Monreale.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The 16 best things to do in Palermo, in order
Seven of the nine monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage property "Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale" are inside the city. They date from the Norman kingdom of Sicily, 1130 to 1194. The history is in the guide to Norman Sicily.
1. Palazzo Reale and the Cappella Palatina
The royal palace of the Norman kings holds the Palatine Chapel, commissioned by Roger II in 1132. Its walls are covered in gold-ground mosaics and its nave has a carved wooden muqarnas ceiling, the earliest surviving one in wood. Allow 90 minutes. The complex is open Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 16:30 (last entry) and on Sundays and holidays from 8:30 to 12:30. The official site lists the full ticket at €19 from Friday to Monday, when the Royal Apartments are included, and €15.50 from Tuesday to Thursday, when they are not. The chapel can close during Sunday services. See the guides to the Cappella Palatina and the Palazzo dei Normanni.
2. The cathedral and its roofs
Palermo Cathedral was founded in 1185 and reworked for six centuries, which explains the mix of Norman apses, a Catalan Gothic porch and a neoclassical dome. Entry to the church is free. A ticket is needed for the monumental area: the royal tombs, among them Roger II and Emperor Frederick II, the treasury, the crypt and the walk across the roofs. The city tourist office lists that ticket from €1 to €18 depending on the combination. Allow 30 minutes, or 90 with the roofs. The cathedral's pages show more than one timetable for the monumental area, so check the ticket shop on the day.
3. Quattro Canti and Piazza Pretoria
Quattro Canti is the crossing of Via Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, framed by four curved facades built between 1608 and 1620. Each has a fountain for a season, a Spanish king and a patron saint, stacked from bottom to top. Piazza Pretoria and its large marble fountain are one minute away. Both are free, always open and need 20 minutes. Come early, before the tour groups.
4. La Martorana and San Cataldo
These two Norman churches share a terrace on Piazza Bellini, behind Piazza Pretoria. The Martorana, founded by George of Antioch, admiral of Roger II, with a charter of 1143, has a mosaic of Christ crowning the king. Mass is still said here in the Byzantine rite. San Cataldo next door is bare stone inside. The city tourist office lists the Martorana at €2, open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00, and San Cataldo at €2.50, open daily with a short lunch break. Allow 45 minutes for both and go in the morning.
5. Ballarò and Capo markets
Palermo shops for fish, vegetables and fried food in its street markets. Ballarò is the largest, south of Quattro Canti. Capo starts behind Teatro Massimo. Go in the morning and give one market an hour. Vucciria, the third historic market, is now mostly a place to drink in the evening. See the Ballarò market guide, the Palermo markets overview and the food markets compared.
6. Monreale cathedral and cloister
Monreale is a hill town above Palermo. Its cathedral, founded by William II in the 1170s, has about 6,500 square meters of glass mosaics. The cloister beside it has 216 columns arranged in pairs. Allow half a day with travel. The city tourist office lists cathedral entry as free, with a midday closure from Monday to Saturday and afternoon-only visits on Sundays. The cloister is a separate regional site at €8. The cathedral's own site was offline when this page was checked, so prices for its terraces are not given here. Read the Monreale cathedral guide and what to look for in the mosaics, then how to get from Palermo to Monreale. In April 2026 the Sicilian Region authorised the extension of AMAT city line 389 into Monreale.
7. Teatro Massimo
Teatro Massimo opened in 1897 and is the largest theater in Italy. The final scenes of The Godfather Part III were filmed here. Guided tours run every day from 9:30 to 19:00, with the last one at 18:20. They last about 40 minutes and run in five languages, English included. Since 1 July 2026 the tour costs €14, or €7 for under 26s, and children under 6 enter free. A performance is the better way to see the hall if the calendar matches your dates. See the Teatro Massimo guide.
8. Santa Caterina: church, monastery and pastry shop
Santa Caterina d'Alessandria faces Piazza Bellini and Piazza Pretoria. The church is Baroque, and the former convent behind it has a cloister, a terrace and a dolceria selling pastries made from the nuns' recipes. The official site gives opening hours of 10:00 to 18:00 daily, with last entry at 17:15. The city tourist office lists the church at €3. It noted restoration closures during 2025, so check what is open. Allow 45 minutes.
9. Palazzo Abatellis
The regional gallery occupies a 15th-century Catalan Gothic palace. Carlo Scarpa designed the display, which opened in 1954. Three works justify the visit: the Virgin Annunciate by Antonello da Messina, the Triumph of Death fresco and the Bust of a Gentlewoman by Francesco Laurana. Allow an hour. The city tourist office lists it at €10, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sundays until 13:30, closed on Mondays, free on the first Sunday of the month. More in the Palazzo Abatellis guide.
10. Capuchin catacombs
Under the Capuchin friary, about 8,000 bodies line the corridors, standing or lying in their own clothes. Burials began in 1599 and the last was in 1939. It is a burial place, and not every visitor is comfortable there. The official site gives continuous hours from 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:30, and a ticket of €5, reduced €3, sold only at the ticket office. The site is outside the old center, so allow 90 minutes with travel. See the Capuchin catacombs guide.
11. Museo Salinas
The regional archaeological museum holds the metopes from the temples of Selinunte and Phoenician, Etruscan and Roman material. Allow an hour. The ticketing operator gives hours of 9:00 to 18:00 from Tuesday to Saturday and 9:00 to 13:30 on Sundays, closed on Mondays. The city tourist office lists the ticket at €8. It is a useful first stop if you plan to visit Segesta or the other archaeological sites of Sicily.
12. San Giovanni degli Eremiti
A small Norman church with a cloister garden, five minutes from Palazzo Reale and part of the UNESCO listing. The interior is empty. Allow 30 minutes. The city tourist office lists it at €8, open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 19:00 and Sundays until 13:30. For the price it is the weakest of the Norman sites.
13. Oratorio di Santa Cita
A plain door near the port leads to a prayer hall whose walls are covered in white stucco figures by Giacomo Serpotta. It takes 20 minutes. The city tourist office lists it at €6, on a combined ticket with the Oratorio del Rosario in San Domenico, closed on Tuesdays.
14. Mondello beach
Mondello is the city's beach district, on a bay about 1.5 km long between Monte Pellegrino and Monte Gallo, lined with Art Nouveau villas. Give it half a day between May and October. AMAT city buses run from the center, but lines and summer shuttles change from year to year. The Palermo public transport guide explains tickets. For other options see the best beaches in western Sicily.
15. La Zisa
A Norman summer palace begun around 1165 under William I and finished under William II. The name comes from the Arabic al-Aziza, "the splendid one". It stands west of the old center, away from the other sights, which is why it ranks this low. Allow 45 minutes on site. The city tourist office lists it at €8, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:30 and Sundays until 13:00, closed on Mondays.
16. Opera dei Pupi at the Museo delle Marionette
Sicilian puppet theater stages tales of knights with large hand-built marionettes. UNESCO added it to its list of intangible heritage in 2008. The Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino shows the puppets and hosts performances on the dates in its calendar. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Sundays and Mondays from 10:00 to 14:00. The city tourist office lists entry at €5, or €10 with a show. Read the guide to Sicilian puppets first.
What to skip if you are short on time
- With one day: do numbers 1 to 5 and nothing else. The one-day Palermo itinerary puts them in walking order. Cruise passengers have a plan for one day from the port.
- Do not worry about missing the Royal Apartments from Tuesday to Thursday. The chapel is the reason to go.
- Skip San Giovanni degli Eremiti and La Zisa unless Norman architecture is your main interest.
- Skip Mondello in winter and the catacombs with small children.
How to group the sights by day
- Day 1: Palazzo Reale at opening time, the cathedral and its roofs, Ballarò for lunch, then Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria and Santa Caterina.
- Day 2: the Martorana and San Cataldo in the morning, Palazzo Abatellis, the Oratorio di Santa Cita, Museo Salinas, the Capo market and a late tour of Teatro Massimo.
- Day 3: Monreale in the morning, then the catacombs, La Zisa or Mondello.
Avoid Monday for day 2, because Palazzo Abatellis and Museo Salinas are closed. Avoid Sunday for day 1, because the palace closes at 12:30. The three-day Palermo itinerary gives timings, and the Palermo and western Sicily route shows how to continue toward Trapani. For meals, see what to order from the street food stalls and the Palermo food guide.
What to book ahead and what not to
Worth buying before the day
- Palazzo Reale and Cappella Palatina: an online ticket saves the queue at the desk from April to October. Restoration work in the chapel can change the hours.
- Teatro Massimo: tours are sold online and at the box office. Buy opera seats as soon as you know your dates.
- La Zisa on the first Sunday of the month: the free entry needs a reservation.
- A street food walk, if you want one: see how a Palermo street food tour works and the food tours compared.
Decide on the day
- The cathedral, the churches, the oratories and the regional museums sell tickets at the door.
- The catacombs sell tickets only at their own ticket office.
The city tourist office lists a seven-day Palermo Culture Pass at €25.60, covering Palazzo Steri, Museo Salinas, the Orto Botanico and Palazzo Riso. Regional sites such as Palazzo Abatellis, Museo Salinas, San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the Monreale cloister are free on the first Sunday of the month.
For arrival, see how to get from Palermo airport to the center. For a base, see where to stay in Palermo.
Questions travelers ask
How many days do you need to see Palermo?
Two full days cover Palazzo Reale with the Cappella Palatina, the cathedral, Quattro Canti, the churches on Piazza Bellini, a market and Teatro Massimo. A third day adds Monreale, which takes half a day with travel.
Is Palermo Cathedral free to enter?
Yes, the church itself is free. A ticket is needed for the monumental area, which includes the royal tombs, the treasury, the crypt and the roofs. The city tourist office lists that ticket from €1 to €18 depending on which parts you choose.
Which Palermo sights are closed on Monday?
Palazzo Abatellis, Museo Salinas and La Zisa are closed on Mondays according to the city tourist office list. Palazzo Reale, the cathedral, Teatro Massimo and the catacombs are open.
Can you buy tickets for the Capuchin catacombs online?
No. The official site states that tickets are paid only at the ticket office and that online sellers are not authorised. The full ticket costs €5 and the reduced one €3.
Is Monreale worth the trip from Palermo?
Yes, if you have a third day. The cathedral has about 6,500 square meters of mosaics, and the cloister has 216 paired columns. The cloister ticket is listed at €8.
Keep planning: Best day trips from Palermo · Where to stay in Palermo.
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalù and Monreale
- Fondazione Federico II: opening hours and tickets of the Royal Palace complex
- Cattedrale di Palermo: hours and visiting rules
- Cattedrale di Palermo: official ticket shop for the monumental area
- Teatro Massimo: guided tours
- Catacombe dei Frati Cappuccini: hours and prices
- Monastero di Santa Caterina d'Alessandria: visitor information
- CoopCulture: Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonino Salinas
- Museo Internazionale delle Marionette Antonio Pasqualino
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage: Opera dei Pupi
- Comune di Palermo, tourist office: opening hours of the main places of interest (November 2025)
- Comune di Palermo, tourist office: sites open on Easter Monday 2026, with prices
- Regione Siciliana: extension of AMAT line 389 to Monreale (April 2026)
- Wikipedia: Palermo Cathedral (history and royal tombs)