This is all Palermo itinerary for one day from Cinisi, but also applicable of course to anyone who is wanting to travel to Palermo and needs inspiration from someone who was there already, including tips and my favourite places. Of course, you can always extend your stay, but in my opinion, one day is enough in Palermo if you know the right spots and maybe would rather spend more time on the coast of Sicily and enjoy the beach.
So basically, that’s what I would suggest you do! If you have more time and maybe even a car to see more of the island and its different places, then I would suggest doing a longer trip around the island and just taking one or two days to visit Palermo.
What we did, is stay somewhere closer to the beach and closer to the airport, in Cinisi, to be exact, because we did not rent a car but didn’t want to just be in the city with so many tourists.
My friend and I stayed in Cinisi not far away from Terrasini (walkable from Cinisi), but not on purpose, to be honest. We were very clueless and just realist it on the way to the airport… It turned out to be the best unintentional choice ever made.
Cinisi super close to the airport, so the accommodation is easy to reach, even if you arrive very late in Sicily by plane. We stayed in an absolute amazing Airbnb called “Bellavista”. It was a cute little apartment that had everything we needed, including a rooftop shared with other Airbnbs, which also had a whirlpool with an amazing view over the mountains and the sea. It is just stunning.
The view comes at a price, though, because you have to walk uphill a lot, but still worth it. And most importantly, the Airbnb had air conditioning and was very clean, with a cute bathroom and even a little kitchen for you to cook in if wanted. It was around 131.56 Euros per night.
We actually spent a lot of time in our Airbnb, because we made the huge mistake of going to Sicily in August. Many recharge and cool-down naps every day around midday… We decided to visit Sicily during Ferragosto, which was really great to see the town come to life during this special time, but we definitely had to rest a lot and it is super important to bring strong sunscreen and stay hydrated during the most intense period of the Summer there.
Would I recommend you to come specifically during Ferragosto? Not really. The experience was still great, but nothing too special and in the future I would visit Sicily with a bit of milder weather and fewer tourists probably.
Cinisi is more local with fewer tourists and quieter than the city Palermo. It has the beach in walkable distance with cool bars to sit and chill. The best thing about the Airbnb is also that there is a sun umbrella included, so you don’t have to pay for one, because otherwise, there’s really no way you can stay on the beach longer than a few minutes with that kind of a sun.
The town centre is very cute, not too much to do, but it has great food spots and is perfect for walking around town, eating and enjoying your vacation. We recognised that some places didn’t like foreigners that much, which we get, but it is a bit frustrating if you just want to order drink but they will not give you some. Tip: It is very good if you know a few Italian phrases just to make communication a bit easier, because some Italians don’t speak English that well. We actually do speak Italian, but it still didn’t help much, if I am being honest. At least not in those specific cases, but in general it always does help.
Favourite restaurant in Terrasini: La Sirenetta
But we also had really great experiences for example with one restaurant that fast became our favourite one in town. Amazing italian Food 24/7 and a great view over the ocean, where you can watch the sun set. We went there not just once!
And the evenings in Terrasini are very fun and chill, to walk around, enjoy the vibes, drink a cocktail, and eat delicious ice cream.
Tip: If you want to try a Cornetto in Sicily I would suggest you to buy one at Evola Bar, there they make them fresh many times during the day!
So, finally, after a lot of talking about Cinisi, you made it to the part where I will give you the Palermo itinerary for one day:
In the morning, you can easily take the bus from Cinisi into Palermo. It is Italy, so not always the easiest to trust the Italian public transport system, to see where the bus is and if everything works, but for us, it worked perfectly after being stressed and almost missing it…
Warning: that the italian busses sometimes are of track and just like you imagine them to be, a bit random when they are arriving etc.
You can buy the Tickets directly in the Bus or just online, which we did, they are around 3.20 Euros per Person.
We arrived near the train station and decided to walked into Palermo afterwards, because the bus into the city didn’t arrive on time and it doesn’t take that long. Looking back It is a bit far, so maybe take another bus if you prefer to be faster and just ask some of the staff there if you face some complications. Palermo is really not that big, so most of it is walkable, but you will get your daily steps in easily.
Start off with a good granita and brioche for breakfast. It is life-changingly good and just hits the spot, especially if it is a hot day in Sicily and you need a cool breakfast. This really changed my life, and I would give everything to go back and try it for the first time again. Cafeteria del Corso on Via Vittorio Emanuele is known for its granita in Palermo and a good spot for you to try it for the first time, or for the second…
Tip: When I only have one day in a city/destination, I normally do a free walking tour. This is always the cheapest and most efficient way to see the top touristy spots with great and interesting background information. It is also a great option to meet new people and have some social interactions.
Even if you don’t decide on doing one of those tours, I would suggest you visit the Palazzo dei Normanni and the Palatine Chapel and of course also the Palermo Cathedral after your breakfast. In the Palermo Cathedral, you can also check out the exhibition, but it is not a must in my opinion because it is nothing super special and costs around 10 Euros for everything.
What is great, though, is the terrace, which has a view over Palermo, but other than that it is ok.
Important: Please be aware that you should dress modest when entering churches etc. so cover your shoulders is very important to show respect to the church.
For lunch, I would recommend you to go to one of the famous markets in Palermo like Mercato del Ballarò or Capo, where you can eat and try different delicacies and Sicilian dishes like arancini and more. If you are open to seafood, there is also a great variety of polpo and other seafood for you to try, absolutely fresh!
Afterwards, you can wander around Quattro Canti and the Pretoria Fountain, and also visit the Teatro Massimo from the outside, to see where the Godfather was filmed.
Also, make sure to not miss the No Mafia Museum to learn more about mafia history and the present in Italy, especially in Sicily. It is free, and I really was positively surprised by all of the interesting facts about this topic.
For an afternoon sweet treat, I would recommend you try one of the famous cannoli made by sweet old nonnas in the i segreti del chiostro. Personally I love Cannelloni with Pistachio filling! You can also try them at Cannolissimo where they have all kinds of flavours!
Later, I would suggest you grab dinner at Antica Focacceria San Francesco, which is super famous for its wide range of all different kinds of focaccia. There is something for everybody, and the place has been there since 1832. Grab one to eat there if there’s space, or to go, before heading back to Cinisi.
For budget travellers like me here is the estimated cost for a daytrip to Palermo from Cinisi\Terrasini:
Approximate cost of this day trip is around: 3,20+3,20+7+5+5+3=26,40
If you want to know more about the top things to do in Palermo, feel free to check out our other blog post about Palermo, where we go into more detail and provide more information, not only for this one day, but also very helpful if you are staying longer and want more tips (https://www.blog-lifetoremember.com/top-things-to-do-in-palermo/).
But those things listed above would be the things I would do, if I only had one day in Palermo and wanted to fit in as much as possible, including the most important sights and eats in Palermo.
After writing this blog post and looking at all the pictures, I really want to go back and eat granita and brioche so badly…
I hope you enjoy your stay, and if you follow my recommendation of staying in Cinisi/Terrasini, please send us some pictures of your great trip!
We are always super happy to hear about your recommendations and tips, so feel free to leave a comment below!
Live a life to remember!
Emma
About the Author:
If Emma were a word, she would be „daydreaming“ - the kind of daydreaming that feels more active than dreamy. No matter where she is, you’ll catch her thinking about the artsy city of Melbourne, wishing to take a walk through Central Park, dreaming of seeing the Northern Lights, and so on. The list is long. What’s adorable and also very impressive is that Emma doesn’t stay lost in the haze of her dreams; it won’t be long before the first opportunity appears, and she’ll be on her way to fulfill them.
Emma
About the Author:
If Emma were a word, she would be „daydreaming“ – the kind of daydreaming that feels more active than dreamy. No matter where she is, you’ll catch her thinking about the artsy city of Melbourne, wishing to take a walk through Central Park, dreaming of seeing the Northern Lights, and so on. The list is long. What’s adorable and also very impressive is that Emma doesn’t stay lost in the haze of her dreams; it won’t be long before the first opportunity appears, and she’ll be on her way to fulfill them.
