2 days in Palermo

San Giovanni degli Eremiti

A 12th-century church with red domes, a small cloister and a garden, close to the Royal Palace.

1 h 15 visitOpen 9:00 am–1:30 pm · last entry 1:00 pmAdult ticket €8

Combine it with the Royal Palace, which is close by, and leave some time for the garden.

Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 19:00, with the last admission at 18:30. Sunday and public holidays 09:00 to 13:30, with the last admission at 13:00. Free entry on the first Sunday of the month.

Source: Comune di Palermo, Ufficio Turismo (orari al 12 novembre 2025), checked November 2, 2026

La Martorana

The church of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio, known for its 12th-century Byzantine mosaics. The visit is short and centred on the interior.

45 min visitOpen 10:00 am–1:00 pmAdult ticket €2

Go in the morning and allow time to look at the mosaics from different corners of the nave. Visit San Cataldo next door afterwards.

Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 13:00. On Sundays the church is open only for Mass at 11:00.

Source: Comune di Palermo, Ufficio Turismo (orari al 12 novembre 2025), checked November 2, 2026

Ballarò market

The oldest and largest of Palermo's historic markets, with fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and street food.

2 h 30 visitAlways open

Go in the morning with an empty stomach, and try a few things from different stalls rather than one sit-down meal.

The city does not publish fixed hours for the stalls. A morning visit is the usual choice.

Source: Portale del Turismo, Comune di Palermo, checked November 2, 2026

Chiesa del Gesù (Casa Professa)

A Jesuit church with a richly decorated baroque interior, at the head of the Ballarò market.

40 min visitOpen 9:30 am–4:30 pmAdult ticket €2

Pair it with the Ballarò market, which begins at the church square.

Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 18:30 in summer and until 16:30 in winter. On Sundays the church is open only for Mass.

Source: Comune di Palermo, Ufficio Turismo (orari al 12 novembre 2025), checked November 2, 2026

Quattro Canti

The baroque crossroads where Corso Vittorio Emanuele meets Via Maqueda, with four curved facades in cut stone. It marks the centre of the old city.

45 min visitAlways open

Stand in the middle of the crossing and look up at the three levels of each corner.

Source: Portale del Turismo, Comune di Palermo, checked November 2, 2026

Teatro Massimo

The opera house of Palermo. The guided visit takes in the main hall, the royal box salon and the foyers.

1 h 15 visitOpen 9:30 am–7:00 pm · last entry 6:20 pmAdult ticket €14

The visit fits well between the Quattro Canti and a lunch break. Choose a morning slot online if you want a fixed time.

Open for visits every day from 09:30 to 19:00, with the last visit at 18:20. The theatre may suspend visits on some days and posts notice on its news page.

Source: Fondazione Teatro Massimo, checked November 2, 2026

Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel

The seat of the Sicilian Parliament and the former royal residence of the Norman kings, with the Palatine Chapel, the Royal Apartments and the gardens. The chapel is the part most visitors come for.

3 h visitOpen 8:30 am–12:30 pmAdult ticket €14.50

Go as soon as it opens and leave the afternoon for the lanes. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the Royal Apartments are not included and the ticket is cheaper.

Tickets are sold online and at the ticket office. Online sales stay open until 20 minutes before the last admission of the day. Restoration work in the chapel can change opening times, so check the Foundation page the day before.

The palace opens at 08:30 every day and lists 16:30 (Monday to Saturday) and 12:30 (Sunday) as the last admission. The Palatine Chapel is closed to visitors every Sunday from 09:30 to 11:00. The palace is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and it may close in whole or in part without notice for institutional or religious reasons.

Source: Fondazione Federico II (Palazzo dei Normanni), checked November 2, 2026

Capuchin Catacombs

The cemetery of the Capuchin convent, with many bodies dressed in the clothes of their time and arranged along underground corridors.

1 h 15 visitOpen 9:00 am–5:30 pmAdult ticket €5

The site is quiet at opening time. The visit is short and the place can be hard going for young children.

Every day 09:00 to 12:30 and 15:00 to 17:30. Hours may change on some Sundays and holidays, so check before you go.

Source: Comune di Palermo, Ufficio Turismo (orari al 12 novembre 2025), checked November 2, 2026

Palermo Cathedral

The cathedral of Palermo, with a free nave and a paid monumental area that holds the royal tombs, the treasury, the crypt and the roof.

2 h 30 visitOpen 10:00 am–6:00 pm · last entry 5:30 pm

Start on the roof in the morning, while the light on the domes and the city is good. The nave is free, so you can step in between other visits. Buy tickets only on the official shop or at the cathedral ticket offices, since it does not use outside sellers.

The monumental area opens Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 18:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 18:00, with the last admission at 17:30. It is closed on 25 December and 1 January, and opens from 10:00 on 8 December, 26 December and 6 January.

Source: Cattedrale di Palermo, Area Monumentale, checked November 2, 2026

Piazza Pretoria

A square with a large fountain made of marble statues, next to the city hall and the Martorana.

45 min visitAlways open

Look at the fountain from the steps of the city hall, then continue to the Martorana, which is a few steps away.

Source: Portale del Turismo, Comune di Palermo, checked November 2, 2026