Any must see sites in Palermo?

First time in Palermo this November and not sure if I should see Palermo or go to Erice.

Are there any must see sights in Palermo? I had a cruise in May with a Messina port stop but it rained so hard all day I didn't even go off the ship. So Palermo will be the first time I will be able to do a land tour in Sicily.

Any suggestions as to what to see to give me a "feel" for Sicily?:)

IMO the must-see sites in Palermo include the Norman Palace and simply stunning Palatine Chapel and the cathedral of Monreale. We also enjoyed our visit to the Palazzo Mirto. We booked a private tour and were able to cover a lot of ground in a very busy city.

Thanks! :)

I agree that the Palatine Chapel in the Norman palace should not be missed. We found the audioguide to be very helpful - there is just so many details to take in. We took a city bus there in the morning and then walked back to the port on Corso Vittorio Emanuele stopping to see Villa Bonanno, the cathedral of Palermo, the Quattro Canti (Four Corners), the Piazza Pretoria with the Fountain of Shame and finally Garibaldi park in Piazza Marina.

Susan

If you have a weird sense of humor, and like something quite unusual, the Cappuccini Catacombs is something you will never forget. Rather then me trying to describe the place, where folks are literally hanging around, I will leave it to you to Google the place :).

Hank

Teatro Massimo, the Palermo opera house, is within walking distance from the port and is pretty interesting. It was a location in Godfather 3 and the tour(in English) takes you into the royal booth where Micheal Corleone watched his son perform. Lots of other sights close by but the archeological museum which is also close by is not open.

Monreale!

We went on a private tour with Don Saro and spent the morning touring, he even took us to a local food market where we tried eating a few things... yum! then we spent an afternoon cooking with an Italian chef. It was quite the experience and we were quite glad for the indoor activity it rained all day.

Does Palermo have a Chinatown?

The catacombs were eye opening to say the least,bizarre but worth the walk from the dock :):)

We spent 11 nights in Palermo and did not go to the catacombs. There was plenty else to see and do. The catacombs are gruesome and macabre.

I always find it amusing when a poster admits they have not been to a place but feels free to pass judgement as though they have some special insight or knowledge. :rolleyes:

My first visit to Palermo was a port day. Our group, which included one mobility impaired sixty-something and one energetic mid-eighties cruiser, walked about three miles from the cruise port to the cathedral, the Norman Palace, on to San Giovani degli Eremiti and the Ballaro market. At that point we caught a cab back to the port.

I've since been back to Palermo on a land trip and I assure you that there is plenty to see and do right in the city.

If you want to see a medieval city, the two most common choices are Cefalu and Erice. Of these two, Cefalu is closer and easier to get to from Palermo.

My first visit to Palermo was a port day. Our group, which included one mobility impaired sixty-something and one energetic mid-eighties cruiser, walked about three miles from the cruise port to the cathedral, the Norman Palace, on to San Giovani degli Eremiti and the Ballaro market. At that point we caught a cab back to the port.

 

I've since been back to Palermo on a land trip and I assure you that there is plenty to see and do right in the city.

 

If you want to see a medieval city, the two most common choices are Cefalu and Erice. Of these two, Cefalu is closer and easier to get to from Palermo.

That's exactly what I said "There is a lot to see and do in Palermo". By the way, tell us about your visit to the catacombs.

Stopping in Palermo on cruise - would love a cooking class.

Any suggestions

Thank you!!!

This is a very useful thread on Tripadvisor, as is the whole Sicily forum there.

https://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowTopic-g187890-i418-k9074541-Hidden_gems_of_Palermo-Palermo_Province_of_Palermo_Sicily.html

Gosport11. How far is the catacombs from the port? You walked?

Thank you

Gosport11. How far is the catacombs from the port? You walked?

Thank you

It is not walkable. You can either take a taxi or get there on the local public buses (have long forgotten which route).

Hank

Thank you. I'll look into a tax since I really don't know the bus system

We stayed in Erice and in Palermo for several days each.

They offer a very different experience to one another. It really depends upon your personal preferences. Given the choice. I think we would choose Palermo. But this is based on our preferences and on hindsight. We had a wonderful few days in each location.

Gosport11. How far is the catacombs from the port? You walked?

Thank you

We followed google maps to start with,soon gave up on that as it was leading into some unsavoury looking areas.We then walked for about 90 min getting a little lost until we found them,coming back it was about 45 min with a coffe stop :):)

Thanks. I'm definitely taking a taxi!!!!

How can you get from the port Palermo to Cefalu ?

How can you get from the port Palermo to Cefalu ?

It's about an hour and 15 minutes driving; there are trains that take slightly less time (~50 minutes). The two most likely options would be to arrange for a private driver or to take the train, using a taxi to get to the train station -- which is not particularly close to the port.

Just as an FYI, I was on an April cruise with a stop in Palermo. Cefalu was offered as an afternoon shore excursion (I didn't take it). Many of those who did reported being disappointed that one of the man reasons for visiting -- the fantastic mosaics in the Cathedral -- are not currently viewable, as they are under restoration.

Thanks for the info.

I posted a reply to you Palermo-Cefalu question in the area where you first posted it.

Very good train service. We drove one way, returned by train. Spent just under three weeks in Sicily and enjoyed it very much.

We combined it with a trip to Malta since these islands are so close. We spent three days in Palermo. It was different than we had imagined. Very enjoyable. Our next stop was a cruise from Rome. We were originally thinking of taking the train but snagged an inexpensive Vueling flight (under $50) from Palermo to Rome.