Skip Navigation

Palermo

Travel Guide > Europe > Italy > Sicily > Palermo

In this Article

Join the Hipporoller Challenge

Help the Travel Guide reach 20,000,000 characters and we'll donate 63 hipporollers worth over $6000. Read more.

Contributors

Help contribute to this article to share the ad revenue.

In the Cloisters, Basilica di Monreale, Sicily

In the Cloisters, Basilica di Monreale, Sicily

© All Rights Reserved davidx

[edit]

Introduction

Palermo is the capital of the autonomous region of Sicily.

Top

[edit]

Neighbourhoods

  • Monreale - technically separate but only a very short trip by bus.

Top

[edit]

Sights and Activities

  • Cathedral.
  • Palazzo dei Normanni - Yes, the Normans did get right down here! The building houses the Siciliann Parliament and only a small part is open to the public but some excellent msaics can be seen.
  • Convento di Cappuccini - Catacombs full of skeletons, lcothed and arranged by sex, profession and status. One is a young girl who was embalmed by a secret process that died with the embalmer. She looks remarkably lifelike, as opposed to the majority. Children will be exhilarated or terrified and if in doubt, you are advised not to take them.
  • San Giovanni dei Eremeti - a deconsecrated church built over an earlier mosque with numerous arabic features.
  • La Martorana and San Catoldo churches adjacent churches slap in the centre. The Martorana is very ornate with some fine mosaics; San Catoldo is very simple but has a great atmosphere - and red cupolas!
  • La Zisa A palace dating from the 12th century with Arabic features. Claims that it bares comparison with the great Andalusian Moorish remains is absurd but it's quite striking.
  • Monte Pellegrino - reached by a wonderful bus ride with great views of the coast - taking a path to the top might seem more appealing than visiting the shrine!
  • Archaeological Museum - the mosaic of orpheus playing an instrument to the animals is very good indeed.

Monreale

[quote][/the most extraordinary and extensive area of Christian medieval mosaicwork in the world, the apex of Sicilian-Roman art] - The Rough Guide to Sicily. Hype? not a bit of it! This is one of the real MUST-sees of a visit to Sicily. This refers to the Basilica but don't miss the cloisters as well, through a separate entrance.

Top

[edit]

Events and Festivals

Top

[edit]

Weather

Palermo has a mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild wet winters. Summers last from June to September when average daytime temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius, though sometimes rise to more than 40 degrees. Nights are around 21 degrees, though with warm winds from the south also these can stay above 30 degrees in some rarer occasions!
Winters last from December to March and are around 16 to 18 degrees Celsius during the day and just under 10 at night with an absolute low of zero degrees. Winter days of over 25 degrees are rare but possible!
Most of the rain falls during winter and June and July are almost completely dry.

Top

[edit]

Getting There

By Plane

Palermo has an international airport. From some places it may be easier/cheaper to fly to Catania and complete the journey by train or bus.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

Tunesia

Mainland Italy and Sardinia

Neighbouring smaller islands

Top

[edit]

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

By Foot

By Bike

Top

[edit]

Eat

Top

[edit]

Drink

Top

[edit]

Sleep

Budget

PropertyAddressTypePopularity
A Casa di Amicivia Volturno,6Hostel89
Ai Cartari Bed and BreakfastVia Alessandro Paternostro, 62Guesthouse-
Ai Quattro CantiVia Maqueda 124Guesthouse90
Al 316 Bed and BreakfastCorso Vittorio Emanuele n.316Guesthouse70
Al Galileo Siciliano B&BVia G.B. Odierna 40Guesthouse74
Al Giardino dell'AlloroVicolo San Carlo, 8Guesthouse-
Al Mandarinovia del Torrente 5Guesthouse93
Alacasa Palermo Apartments DownTownVia Giacomo Cusmano, 9Apartment97
Albergo AthenaeumVia l. Giannettino 4Hotel-
Alla Riserva Di Capo GalloVia Spinasanta 210Hostel27
AllaKalaVia Vittorio Emanuele 71Guesthouse85
Amélie BBVia Principe di Belmonte, 94 90139Guesthouse90
ArtePalermoVicolo Madonna del Cassaro 7, PalermoGuesthouse-
B & B AgramanteVia Terrasanta, 82 via Dante, 157 AGuesthouse-
B&B Agor'ArteVia Lincoln, 161Guesthouse83
B&B CasanovaVia Tripoli, 17 PalermoGuesthouse92
B&B Palermo Art-Via LincolnVia Lincoln, 161Guesthouse67
B&B Palermo Lincoln SuiteVia Lincoln 161Guesthouse-
B&B VillapapiriVia Giasone 9 Mondello, PalermoGuesthouse43
B&B Z.C.via Gorizia, 8 90133 PalermoGuesthouse73
BB Agatavia Roma 188Guesthouse65
Bed and Breakfast Alla VucciriaVia Coltellieri, 46Guesthouse94
Bed and Breakfast D'AngeloVia Roma,83 PalermoGuesthouse83
Camere con vistaVia Regione Siciliana n.10750Guesthouse62
Casa Giuditta ApartmentsVia Savona 10 (Piazza Kalsa)Apartment82
Casa LucreziaVia Duca d Aosta 121 BalestrateApartment85
Casa MarconiVia Monfenera 140Hotel50
Casa RiccioVia Giacomo Cusmano, 28Guesthouse77
Casa Teatro MassimoVia Bara All' Olivella 123Apartment100
Casa Vacanza S.EliaVia Billante Santa Flavia (PA)Apartment88
Castiglia GiuseppeVia Gorizia 8Guesthouse-
Cleopatra B&BVia Foro Umberto I n.20Guesthouse53
Cristal Palace HotelVia Roma , 477 AdHotel-
Farmhouse Saint Thorn HouseVia Dpinasanta 210Guesthouse20
FumbiVia Generale Arimondi 48Guesthouse-
Giorgio's HouseVia A.MongitoreGuesthouse94
Guest House RuggieroVia Cavour, 32Guesthouse-
Hotel & Hostel FirenzeVia Candelai 68Hostel71
Hotel AlessandraVia Divisi 99.Hotel75
Hotel Baglio Conca D'oroVia Aquino 19,MonrealeHotel-
Hotel Bellevue del GolfoVia Plauto 40, PalermoHotel79
Hotel ConcordiaVia Roma,72Hotel63
Hotel EliteVia M. Stabile 136Hotel-
Hotel Gallery HouseVia Mariano Stabile 136Hotel-
Hotel Gardeniavia M. Stabile 136Hotel-
Hotel JoliVia Michele Amari, 11Hotel82
Hotel LetiziaVia Bottai 30-90133 palermoHotel-
Hotel Liberta'Via Mariano Stabile 136Hotel-
Hotel OrleansVia Monfenera, 106Hotel77
Hotel ReginaCorso Vittorio Emanuele n. 316Hotel77
Hotel SiciliaVia Divisi 99Hotel56
Hotel Villa ArchirafiVia Lincoln 30Hotel-
KemoniaVia Nicolò Turrisi 38/bGuesthouse87
La Casa di ZoeVia Roma 171Guesthouse100
La Finestra sul MercatoVia Coltellieri, 26Guesthouse57
La Locanda del GaginiVia A. Gagini 111Guesthouse-
La Mimosa 24Vie Ettore Maiorana 24 TrabiaGuesthouse86
O'sciàVia Garibaldi 8Guesthouse87
Palazzo FilangeriVia maqueda 92Guesthouse-
Palazzo Montevagovia Maqueda n. 92Apartment-
Palazzo SavonaVia Schioppettieri 8Guesthouse85
Palermo Center CityPiazza S. Oliva 5Guesthouse48
Palermoart b&bVia Cavour 32Guesthouse80
Piccola SiciliaVia Tenente Ingrao, n°2Guesthouse80
Politeama Bed and BreakfastVia Emerico Amari 89, PalermoGuesthouse98
PoliteamAffittiCorso Domenico Scinà 27Apartment79
President HotelVia Francesco Crispi , 228Hotel-
Real Teatro Santa CeciliaVia Piccola Teatro S. Cecilia, 5Guesthouse64
Rosella Bianchi b&bVia Roma 72Guesthouse-
Ruggiero VIIvia cavour, 32 via cavour, 32Hotel-
S.Maria a Mondellovia delfini 47Apartment-
Sky SleepingCorso Finocchiaro Aprile n° 140Guesthouse77
Stella B&BVia Stella 8Guesthouse76
Student's Hostel San SaverioVia Giovanni di Cristina, 39Hostel75
Surf & Bed B&BVia Ruggero Mastrangelo 17Guesthouse-
Torre Artale HotelContrada SantHotel-
Torre Artale VillasContrada Sant'Onofrio TrabiaApartment-
VichoVia Roma 118Guesthouse89
ZYZ Bed and BreakfastVia Gioeni 19Guesthouse93

Mid-Range

Upscale

Top

[edit]

Work

Top

[edit]

Learn

Top

[edit]

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

This is version 8. Last edited at 19:35 on Aug 11, 09 by Utrecht (+23). 14 articles link to this page.

Creative Commons License
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License