Things to Do in Palermo
• Navigate the city seamlessly covering two routes and 15 stops and get on and off the bus arriving every 30 to 60 mins.
• The double-decker buses equipped with an immersive audio guide in eight languages will offer panoramic city views.
• Some iconic spots along your route include Palermo Cathedral, Palermo Botanical Garden, and Teatro Massimo.
👋 WHO WE ARE
We are a team of Sicilian tour guides, we lead free-tip walking tours designed to help travelers experience the real Palermo and get a useful introductory look at this city.
Born and raised in this city, we’ll take you beyond the surface — from majestic squares to secret alleys, from street food to ancient legends. This isn’t just a walking tour — it’s a deep dive into Palermo’s soul.
🎧 QUALITY FIRST
This is the only free tour in town that provides guests with headphones to overcome city noise.
👉 IMPORTANT
We are professional guides and we run tours as a primary occupation. Please, book this tour only if you are seriously planning to join. Cancelling a reservation is fine, not showing up is disrespectful.
🔍 WHAT TO EXPECT
Palermo is full of contrasts — chaotic and elegant, ancient and vibrant.
We’ll guide you through a mix of grand landmarks and raw, local corners, giving you a deep and honest view of the city’s spirit. We talk food, culture, legends, and daily life — always with heart, humor, and truth. Palermo is not a postcard. It’s a living, breathing story. Come walk it with us — we’ll show you the real thing.
☀️ MORNING TOUR
Itinerary:
- Teatro Massimo – Start strong with Italy’s biggest opera house and a story of rebirth.
- Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria & Piazza Bellini – Gorgeous baroque squares with scandalous tales.
- Secret alleys – Vicolo Cagliostro & Vicolo Brugnò: Palermo’s underworld of mystics and rebels.
- Ballarò Market – Dive into Palermo’s boldest market. Learn how to move, what to eat, what to avoid.
- Casa Professa or Cathedral – Entry to one of these stunning churches (depending on time/day).
- Local recommendations – The best eats, aperitivo spots, cultural tips and more.
🌙 EVENING TOUR
(focus on nightlife and neighborhood vibes)
Itinerary:
- Teatro Massimo – Meet here and kick off with the beating heart of Palermo’s cultural scene.
- Olivella Aperitif Area – Discover the perfect spot to enjoy an evening drink like a local.
- Vucciria – From forgotten market to street food mecca: full of stories and contradictions.
- Kalsa (including San Francesco d’Assisi Church, outside) – A district reborn, with nightlife, resistance, legends, and artistic secrets.
- Quattro Canti, Pretoria & Bellini Squares – Baroque, fountains, power and pride.
- Cathedral (exterior view) – Palermo’s eclectic icon, full of symbolism and layers of history.
- Tips & ideas for your evening – Drinks, bites, and local-only spots
*PLEASE NOTE: routes may vary based on the inspiration and improvisation of the tour guide.
💬 WHY JOIN OUR TOUR?
✔️ 100% Local guides
✔️ A full mix of food, culture, legends & real talk
✔️ Perfect for solo travelers, curious minds & new friends
✔️ Tips to make the most of your time in Palermo
✔️ No scripts. No filters. Just passion.
ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW
- Reservation is mandatory.
- Please arrive on time — we can’t wait for latecomers.
- Minimum 6 participants required to run the tour.
(Rarely a problem during high season.) - Tour may run 10–15 minutes longer than scheduled — our guides love what they do!
- Wear comfortable shoes and bring curiosity!
👉 TIPPING POLICY
This is a free-tip walking tour.
You choose the value at the end.
- Tips in Euro only
- Suggested minimum: €10 per person
(FYI: we have about €4 in costs per guest)
• Stroll through the narrow alleys of the medieval hilltop village of Erice and find viewpoints to admire the Egadi Islands and Trapani city.
• Delight in a refreshing local Sicilian granita in Erice; indulge in sweet wines, olive oil, and typical Sicilian lunch in Marsala.
• Feel and smell the tangy salt in the air as you pass by scenic Marsala's Salt Route.
• Fun Fact: Erice is often called "the town of one hundred churches" since believers had started to build churches and monasteries in the Norman period.
Discover a surprising and alternative side of Palermo with our Free Walking Tour of Street Art, an itinerary that blends urban art, memory, and creativity. Strolling through the narrow streets of the historic center, we will explore symbolic districts such as Kalsa and Ballarò, where tradition meets innovation. Here, building façades, weathered walls, and forgotten squares have become open-air canvases, transformed by local and international artists into vibrant public galleries.
Guided by local experts, you will uncover how murals, stencils, posters, and installations narrate stories of resistance, social engagement, and collective identity, giving voice to communities often left unheard. Each artwork becomes a message to decipher: a tribute to figures of civic memory, a political statement, or a celebration of the multicultural vitality that fuels Palermo.
This tour is not just an artistic walk, but a true journey into the rebellious and contemporary soul of the city, constantly reinventing itself and surprising all who visit.
• Skip the stress of arranging transport post-flight and dive straight into exploring Palermo with a direct transfer in just 45mins.
• Missed your bus? No worries your ticket remains valid and buses depart every 10-15mins, ensuring seamless travel.
• Benefit from onboard amenities like ample storage space, free high-speed WiFi, and a dedicated bicycle area.
• Arrive at the vibrant Palermo city center, filled with attractions, restaurants, and shops - a perfect start to your journey!
We welcome you to the city with The Best Free Walking Tour of Palermo. You will see that each monument, each name and even each souvenir has a meaning and a background story that deserves to be told. It is a must to know about street food and how much of it is true when it comes to the mafia. It's time to discover where to get the essence of the city 🤩
Some of the stops are:
👉 Teatro Massimo
👉 Via Maqueda
👉 Quattro Canti
👉 Piazza Pretoria
👉 Piazza Bellini
👉 Chiesa della Martorana
👉 Chiesa di San Cataldo
👉 Corso Vittorio Emanuele
👉 La Cattedrale di Palermo.
The tours are conducted by certified guides 😎 .
It will be our pleasure to take you along Palermo's streets and discover their secrets. Be a local 🫶
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOiW8NVS_i0
• Learn about the history of the Royal Palace and the tumultuous stories of its past that it hides within its majestic glory.
• Try to spot the mayor in the beautiful Town Hall which is open to the public.
• Admire the Martorana Church, named by a 12th-century Arab traveler as the “most beautiful monument in the world.”
• Fun Fact: Piazza Pretoria is affectionately dubbed "Square of Shame" by the locals because all of its statues are nude!
• Explore Palazzo Dei Normanni and learn about its past in great detail to truly understand its recognition by UNESCO.
• Venture into the gardens and Cappella Palatina for a complete experience and find marvel at its beauty and luxury closely.
• Fun Fact: Referred to as the “golden coach”, a magnificent late-18th-century Baroque carriage that belonged to the Prince of Butera is present in the Palace and was featured in Jean Renoir’s film.
This visit is perfect for those who want to delve into the fascinating history of the Normans and their arrival in a Muslim Sicily.
Our visit takes place inside one of the main monuments of the Norman Arab style of Sicily, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO: the spectacular Palatine Chapel, located inside the Palace of the Normans: the mosaics made with 24 gold carats will leave you speechless. We will continue visiting the Royal Apartments, to finish in the Royal Garden. On days when the Royal Apartments are closed, they will be replaced by a visit to the Cathedral
Entrance fees to the monuments are not included.
Important! This is not the classic free tour: you will enjoy a visit with an official guide, a careful itinerary and with small groups, so its recommended price is €10 per person. If you're still hesitating, check out the reviews!
A minimum of 8 paying participants is necessary for the tour to depart (children under 12 years old are free)
• Identify fresh seasonal ingredients at the Mercato del Capo (street market) in Palermo and dabble in the sights, sounds, and aroma of the place.
• Discover the secrets of the local cuisine and experience the true combinations of flavors and their depth, something Sicily is known for.
• Prepare dishes like arancini, pasta alla norma, and cannoli depending on seasonal availability.
• Make sure to collect the recipe booklet with the chef’s favorite tips and tricks to impress guests at home.
• Witness the processes involved in making the "sfincione palermitano," the thick sponge-like pizza that is indigenous to Sicily.
• Sample some delicious premium wines and house-made olive oil while you wait for the dough to rise.
• Spend precious family moments as you learn to make pistachio gelato and listen to the history of Italian ice creams.
• Fun Fact: There is a Gelato World Cup, a biennial event where international teams compete to make the best gelato dishes, sundaes, and ice sculptures.
