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A pedestrian with an umbrella passes a baroque statue niche and wrought-iron lamppost on a Palermo street corner.
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PalermoTravel Guide

Italy4 stories

Sicily's chaotic, golden capital layers Arab-Norman palaces and Byzantine mosaics over roaring street markets and one of the world's great street-food scenes, with a beach at the end of the bus line.

Is Palermo right for you?

When to come

Spring and autumn

Around 31°C by day in August, 15°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Cheap by regional standards — eating, sleeping and moving around all cost little.

What we've planned, and who for

We have a weekend here planned hour by hour.

Palermo is inKind to a budgetEnough for a long weekendDeepest in EuropeAncient wonders
When to go
January: around 15 degrees by day, 9 at night, 71 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 15 degrees by day, 9 at night, 65 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 17 degrees by day, 10 at night, 59 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 20 degrees by day, 12 at night, 44 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 24 degrees by day, 16 at night, 26 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
June: around 28 degrees by day, 20 at night, 12 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
July: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 5 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 31 degrees by day, 23 at night, 13 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 28 degrees by day, 21 at night, 42 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
October: around 24 degrees by day, 18 at night, 77 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
November: around 20 degrees by day, 14 at night, 94 millimetres of rain, wet.
December: around 16 degrees by day, 11 at night, 81 millimetres of rain, wet.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Palermo-Boccadifalco Airport (117 m), 1991-2020 normals.

Where this comes from

Servizio Meteorologico (via Wikipedia 'Palermo')

Budget level

Budget

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Catania170 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June

  • Valletta, Malta270 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (mid)

  • Naples310 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June

  • Tunis, Tunisia320 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June

Plan itWhere to stay in Palermoad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Palermo

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Palermo

Palermo Cathedral with its dome, arabesque arcades and palm-filled gardens on a summer day in Sicily
01
The List

The essential Palermo bucket list, ranked

Norman palaces, golden mosaics, anarchic markets and Sicily's best street food — the experiences that define Palermo, ranked from unmissable to merely wonderful.

Italy · 2 min
A street market stall piled high with cheeses, cured meats and prepared foods under colorful awnings
02
Hidden Gems

The backstreets and local markets of Palermo

Beyond the cathedral queues, Palermo's real life runs through Ballarò's shouting vendors, the Kalsa's crumbling palazzi and the Vucciria after dark. Here's where to wander.

Italy · 2 min
The Torre di Scopello and sea stacks at golden hour on Sicily's north-west coast
03
Itineraries

48 Hours in Palermo, Hour by Hour

Golden mosaics before lunch, a shouting street market after, and the finest cathedral cloister in the Norman world on day two: a precise plan for Palermo's glorious chaos.

Italy · 2 min
Golden evening light over Mondello: villas and pines running down to the long pale beach with its rows of loungers, the turquoise bay curving away beneath the mountains behind the town.
04
Stays

Boutique or grand: choosing your Palermo base

A Belle Époque palace by the sea, a storied grand hotel downtown, or a B&B in a baroque palazzo — where to stay in Palermo, neighborhood by neighborhood.

Italy · 2 min
In pictures

Palermo, framed

The limestone cliffs of Monte Pellegrino rising above Mondello, Palermo's seaside quarter, its villas and umbrella-lined crescent of beach curving along clear turquoise water in low afternoon light
Photo: Henrique Ferreira / Unsplash
The gold-mosaic interior of Monreale Cathedral, the Christ Pantocrator filling the apse above the nave's marble columns, carved capitals and wooden choir stalls.
Photo: Peter Boccia / Unsplash
The baroque front of San Domenico behind palms, Palermo
Photo: Giuseppe Buccola / Unsplash
Palermo's rooftops with the mountains standing behind the city
Photo: Tomas Anton Escobar / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Palermo

See and do

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Italy

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Italian; English is spoken in hotels and tourist businesses but thins out quickly in smaller towns

Power

Type C/F/L, 230V 50Hz (Type L is the Italian three-pin)

Getting around

Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains link the major cities in a few hours; in town you buy a local paper ticket such as Rome's €1.50 BIT and validate it as you board.

Tipping

Service is included and tipping is uncommon — a few euros for genuinely good service is plenty, and the coperto on the bill is a cover charge, not a tip.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink everywhere, although restaurants will normally bring bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; a UK or EU photocard licence is accepted, though hire companies commonly require an International Driving Permit as well.

Emergency

112 (single European number; the old 113, 115 and 118 route to it)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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