What to see in Palermo in 2 days: itinerary through markets, mosaics and street food

Why visit Palermo in 2 days

Palermo is a city that overwhelms the senses: the smell of fried panelle in the markets, the golden light of Byzantine mosaics, the vital chaos of alleyways where centuries of different rulers coexist. Arab, Norman, Spanish, Bourbon: every layer has left a visible mark. Two days are enough to fall in love with the Sicilian capital, as long as you let instinct and hunger guide you.

Day 1: the Arab-Norman heart

Morning (3-4 hours)

Begin at the Norman Palace, Europe's oldest royal residence, and the Palatine Chapel inside. The Byzantine mosaics on gold backgrounds are among the most beautiful in the world: allow at least 45 minutes to admire them. Book online to skip the queues.

A few steps away, visit the Church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti with its red domes that seem straight out of a tale from the Arabian Nights. The cloister with its citrus garden is an oasis of peace.

Then reach the Cathedral, a building whose facade summarises every soul of Palermo: Arab arches, Norman towers, neoclassical dome. The royal tombs in the crypt and the treasury are worth a stop.

• Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel: 1.5 hours
• San Giovanni degli Eremiti: 30 minutes
• Cathedral and royal tombs: 45 minutes

Afternoon (3 hours)

Plunge into Ballaro market, the oldest and most authentic in Palermo. Stalls of fish, spices, fruit and street food stretch for hundreds of metres amid vendors' cries and intoxicating aromas. Here try panelle, pane con la milza and arancine (in Palermo the word is feminine).

From Ballaro continue to Piazza Pretoria, the "square of shame" named for the nude statues of the 16th-century fountain. Beside it, the Martorana Church holds 12th-century Byzantine mosaics of heartbreaking beauty.

Hidden gem: the Oratory of San Lorenzo, where Serpotta created a triumph of Baroque stucco. Here hung the Caravaggio stolen in 1969, now replaced by a digital reproduction.

Evening

Dinner at the Vucciria, the night market where the line between street and restaurant disappears. Makeshift tables, grilled stigghiole, craft beer and live music: this is the truest Palermo.

Day 2: sea, Liberty style and art on the outskirts

Morning (3 hours)

Start from the Foro Italico, the regenerated seafront overlooking the gulf. From here enter the Kalsa, the oldest Arab quarter, now reborn with art galleries and creative workshops. Visit Palazzo Abatellis and the Regional Gallery: the Triumph of Death (15th-century fresco) and Antonello da Messina's Annunciation will leave you speechless.

Continue to the Botanical Garden, founded in 1789: 10 hectares of tropical plants with a giant ficus macrophylla, among the largest in Europe.

• Foro Italico walk and Kalsa: 45 minutes
• Palazzo Abatellis: 1 hour
• Botanical Garden: 45 minutes

Afternoon (3 hours)

Move to the Liberty quarter around Via Liberta to admire the art nouveau villas. The Teatro Massimo, the largest opera house in Italy, deserves the guided tour (30 minutes, every half hour). The staircase where the final scene of The Godfather III was filmed is stirring.

Hidden gem: the Capuchin Catacombs, outside the centre (bus 327), house 8,000 mummies from the 16th to 19th centuries arranged along corridors. A unique and slightly unsettling experience that reveals Palermo's relationship with death.

Evening

Aperitivo on the terrace of Palazzo Ferreri with rooftop views, then dinner at a trattoria in Borgo Vecchio for pasta con le sarde and fish couscous. Finish with a Sicilian cannolo from the nearest pasticceria: in Palermo they are all excellent.

Practical tips

Palermo is walkable: distances are short and getting lost in the alleys is part of the experience. For Monreale (extraordinary mosaics, 30 minutes by bus 389), you would need an extra half day. Watch for pickpockets in the markets. Tap water is drinkable.

• Where to stay in Palermo
• Where to eat in Palermo
• How to get to Palermo