• Discover Palermo authentically, like a true Palermitan, with a unique experience that will take you to explore its historic markets, savor Sicilian street food, and live the city like a local who moves around by public transport. During your 7-night stay, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in Palermo's millenary history, rich with UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

• The Ape Tour among the Historic Markets: Start your adventure with a fascinating tour aboard an Ape calessino, which will take you through the city's most famous historic markets, such as Ballarò, Vucciria, and Capo. Here, among stalls full of colors and scents, you can experience the lively and authentic atmosphere of old Palermo. You will discover anecdotes and curiosities about Sicilian gastronomic tradition while tasting some typical dishes like panelle, arancine, and sfincione.

• Sicilian Street Food: There is nothing more Sicilian than street food, and during your stay, you will have the chance to savor it in every corner of the city. Beyond the markets, you will discover the best “tavole calde” and kiosks offering the most iconic dishes, all prepared with fresh and local ingredients. Do not miss a taste of cannoli and cassata, typical sweets that are the heart of Palermitan pastry.

• A Stay to Discover: The 7-night stay will allow you to explore the city with calm and curiosity. You will also have time to get lost among the historic alleys, visit majestic palaces and churches, or simply stroll along the sea to enjoy the city's beauty. Opportunities to visit the Teatro Massimo, Palermo Cathedral, Palatine Chapel, and Norman Palace will not be lacking—extraordinary examples of art and architecture that tell the rich history of the city.

• Your Trip to Palermo: End your days with a walk in the historic center, letting yourself be enchanted by the life flowing through lively squares, characteristic shops, and hidden corners. A journey that is not just an occasion to see, but to truly live Palermo, feeling part of a millenary tradition that is still alive today.

• Discover Palermo authentically, like a true Palermitan, with a unique experience that will take you to explore its historic markets, savor Sicilian street food, and live the city like a local who moves around by public transport. During your 7-night stay, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in Palermo's millenary history, rich with UNESCO World Heritage monuments.

• The Ape Tour among the Historic Markets: Start your adventure with a fascinating tour aboard an Ape calessino, which will take you through the city's most famous historic markets, such as Ballarò, Vucciria, and Capo. Here, among stalls full of colors and scents, you can experience the lively and authentic atmosphere of old Palermo. You will discover anecdotes and curiosities about Sicilian gastronomic tradition while tasting some typical dishes like panelle, arancine, and sfincione.

• Sicilian Street Food: There is nothing more Sicilian than street food, and during your stay, you will have the chance to savor it in every corner of the city. Beyond the markets, you will discover the best “tavole calde” and kiosks offering the most iconic dishes, all prepared with fresh and local ingredients. Do not miss a taste of cannoli and cassata, typical sweets that are the heart of Palermitan pastry.

• A Stay to Discover: The 7-night stay will allow you to explore the city with calm and curiosity. You will also have time to get lost among the historic alleys, visit majestic palaces and churches, or simply stroll along the sea to enjoy the city's beauty. Opportunities to visit the Teatro Massimo, Palermo Cathedral, Palatine Chapel, and Norman Palace will not be lacking—extraordinary examples of art and architecture that tell the rich history of the city.

• Your Trip to Palermo: End your days with a walk in the historic center, letting yourself be enchanted by the life flowing through lively squares, characteristic shops, and hidden corners. A journey that is not just an occasion to see, but to truly live Palermo, feeling part of a millenary tradition that is still alive today.

Day 1: ARRIVAL IN PALERMO

• Arrival in Palermo. The rest of the day is free for individual activities or shopping in this area. During the day you will have the opportunity to taste Sicilian street food in authentic places, such as ARANCINE, PANE E PANELLE, LO SFINCIONE (Sicilian pizza), CASSATA SICILIANA, CANNOLO. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 2: UNESCO WALKING TOUR ITINERARY OF PALERMO

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Suggested excursion: Walking tour of Palermo city center. The city was dominated by the Arabs from the 9th to the 11th century. In the 11th and 12th centuries they were replaced by the Normans; from the union of these two peoples was born the “Arab-Norman” architectural style, which can only be found in Sicily. In 2017 some of these monuments were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. From the hotel, you can walk to the Cathedral (inside are the tombs of Emperor Frederick II and some Norman kings). You can enjoy the splendid view of the cathedral also from the balconies of Palazzo Asmundo, an 18th-century aristocratic palace, a “museum of itself.” Continue (through a palm garden) to the Royal Palace (also called Palazzo dei Normanni), seat of the Sicilian kings and viceroys from the 11th to the 19th century; here you will admire some rooms in different styles and the Palatine Chapel, with its multicolored marbles and colorful mosaics on a golden background. The visit ends in front of Porta Nuova, erected in the 16th century. Overnight.

DAY 3: MONREALE & APETOUR

• Breakfast at the hotel.

• Suggested excursion: Not far from the hotel, enter the popular “Il Capo” market, which resembles an Arab souk, in a mix of colors, flavors, and smells. At the end of the market, you reach Piazza Indipendenza, where you will take the public bus to Monreale, a town 7 km from Palermo, famous worldwide for its magnificent Cathedral (also a UNESCO World Heritage site), in Arab-Norman style with its 3,500 square meters of polychrome mosaics on a golden background, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testament. Near the cathedral (which also houses the tombs of other Norman kings) you visit the cloister, with its 80 pairs of twin columns, each different from the other. In a corner of the cloister is the Arab fountain. Return by public bus to Palermo. You can continue the visit and we suggest the Flea Market, the Christian Catacombs, and the Arab-Norman church of San Giovanni degli Eremiti. During the day you can take a 1-hour Apetour in Palermo, exploring the alleys to discover the real “old” Palermo and the famous markets such as Il Capo, Ballarò, San Giovanni degli Eremiti, and the Vucciria Market.

DAY 4: PALERMO & MONDELLO

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Suggested excursion: Our last day in Palermo is dedicated to a walking tour of the most central part of the historic city center. From the hotel you can walk to the Teatro Massimo, inaugurated in 1897 and currently the third largest opera house in the world, after those in Paris and Vienna. The theater is also famous for the film The Godfather with the killing of Al Pacino's daughter outside the theater. You can visit it and have the chance to see the auditorium and other rooms of this masterpiece of Sicilian Art Nouveau. On foot, continue along Via Maqueda (lined with some noble palaces) to reach the “Quattro Canti,” the geographical center of the city, where there are fountains and statues of Spanish kings. Nearby you can admire the Baroque Fontana Pretoria (with its nude statues) and the exterior of the Town Hall. A few steps away, visit the Arab-Norman (UNESCO) churches of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio and San Cataldo, the latter with red domes. On foot, enter the popular Ballarò market which resembles an Arab souk. The walking tour ends at the central train station, from where you can take the public bus to Mondello, one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy. Mondello was (and still is) a fishing village, which at the beginning of the 20th century was chosen by wealthy Palermo families as their summer holiday destination. For this reason, you can admire numerous villas built in Art Nouveau style and another interesting Art Nouveau building, the “Stabilimento Balneare,” built on stilts over the water, which also houses one of Palermo’s best restaurants. Depending on the weather and sea conditions, you may also have the opportunity to sunbathe or swim. A walk along the palm-lined seafront promenade is a “must.” In the main square, you will have the opportunity to taste Sicilian street food specialties or an ice cream. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 5: CEFALU'

• Breakfast at the hotel. This day you are free to relax and explore the city on your own or you can visit Cefalù.
• Suggested itinerary. You can reach the central train station to take a comfortable regional train to Cefalù, one of Sicily’s main tourist destinations. Cefalù, a medieval fishing village at the foot of a promontory, also hosts a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Arab-Norman Cathedral, which looks like a fortress. The cathedral was built by the Norman king Roger II as his own funerary seat (no longer used as such); for this reason, the polychrome mosaics on a gold background were placed only in the apse and not on the sides of the cathedral. Then we will walk through the alleys and admire the medieval washhouse, still used until the 1950s. Free time to admire the beach, shop, or visit the Mandralisca Museum on your own, which houses the “Portrait of an Unknown Man” by the famous Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina. Return to Palermo by regional train. Overnight.

DAY 6: MARSALA, ERICE & SEGESTA

• Breakfast at the hotel. This day you are free to relax and explore the city on your own or you can visit Marsala Stagnone, Erice, and Segesta.

• Suggested itinerary: Go to Marsala, famous for its salt pans and wine production. Stop at the Stagnone Reserve, a magical place with a natural landscape of rare beauty for its white salt pans with windmills. Continue driving to Erice, the medieval town on top of Mount San Giuliano. Here you can admire the Norman Castle (outside) and the Cathedral. Meanwhile, we suggest stopping at a bakery to taste the typical almond pastry of Erice. Continue to Segesta, one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Sicily, where it is recommended to visit the Doric temple whose majestic appearance and dominant position give great nobility to the landscape. Return to Palermo. Overnight in Palermo.

DAY 7: PALERMO

• Breakfast at the hotel. This day you are free to relax and explore the city on your own.

DAY 8: DEPARTURE

• After breakfast at the hotel, end of our services. You can reach the airport on your own. We are pleased to inform you that the public shuttle bus connecting the city with Palermo airport stops just a few steps from the hotel.

• 7 overnight stays with a rich breakfast, in a double room in a central 4* hotel in Palermo

• Ape Tour (duration about 1 hour) with a driver to discover the ancient and fascinating Palermo

• Tourist tax, to be paid locally
• Transfers to/from the Airport
• Lunches and dinners
• Drinks
• Tips and personal extras
• Luggage handling service
• Entrance to monuments and archaeological parks
• Everything not expressly indicated in the “the price includes”

• Transfers apt-hotel-apt 50 euros per trip 1-2 pax
• Car rental "Platinum insurance" from 40 euros
• Street food with Panelle, Arancina, Cannolo, Cassata
• Local guides

• To skip the lines at museums or archaeological parks, it is necessary to make a reservation in advance.
• Tickets are non-refundable

• Palermo: Hotel Garibaldi or similar (*)

(*) The indicated hotels may be replaced with others of the same category. The accommodations are located in the indicated towns or in different cities where the program can be carried out. The name of the hotel will be sent to you 21 days before arrival.

• Rooms must be vacated by 10:00 AM. You can carry your luggage with you or leave it free of charge in your hotel's storage. Upon request and for an additional fee, it is possible to keep the room until late afternoon.
• Tours are guaranteed with a minimum number of 2 passengers.
• The hotels indicated in the programs may be replaced by others of the same category.
• It is advisable to book optional excursions at the time of booking.
• Some trips may be a combination of multiple Norma Vacanze tours. It should be expected that some group members join or leave the tour between segments.
• We try to conduct the tour as scheduled, but emergency changes or bad weather conditions may require alternative programs.
• Tour programs may undergo changes compared to what is published, for technical or logistical reasons, without substantial modifications to the program itself.
• Norma Vacanze reserves the right to modify the excursion itinerary if deemed appropriate or due to force majeure.
• Norma Vacanze is not responsible for accidents, delays, damage or loss of luggage or personal belongings, nor for damages caused by third parties or others such as floods, storms, landslides, earthquakes, political unrest, epidemics, terrorist attacks, strikes.

• Cancellations up to 120 days before departure with full refund
• Cancellations from 119 to 15 days before departure, penalty of €50 per person
• Cancellations from 14 to 8 days before departure, penalty of 30%
• Cancellations from 7 to 4 days before departure, penalty of 50%
• In case of cancellation within 3 days before departure, penalty of 100%
• No refund is provided in case of no-show or voluntary interruption of an already started trip.