What's the ideal length for a tour starting in Palermo to fully experience Sicily?

An 8-10 day tour from Palermo gives travelers enough time to see Sicily's main attractions without feeling rushed. This timeline lets you explore key sites like Monreale Cathedral Mount Etna and the Aeolian Islands at a comfortable pace. As one TourRadar traveler noted: "The 10-day itinerary was perfect to see all the highlights without feeling rushed and our guide Lino made the experience exceptional."

What's the typical travel time from Palermo to popular destinations?

Key travel times from Palermo by coach include a 30-minute ride to Monreale 1 hour to Cefalù 2.5 hours to Mount Etna and 3 hours to Taormina. The coaches provide air conditioning and regular rest stops. One TourRadar traveler mentioned: "The drive times were very manageable and our guide made great stops along the way."

What are the most common starting locations for tours within Palermo?

Tours in Palermo start from three main spots: the Palazzo dei Normanni and Cappella Palatina complex the historic Mercato del Capo area and the Quattro Canti intersection. The Hotel Mercure Palermo Centro often serves as a meeting point while food-focused tours begin at the Ballaro or Capo markets. As one TourRadar traveler notes: "The places we visited were all fantastic especially starting from the historic center with its stunning architecture and lively markets."

What unique cultural experiences can I expect in the first days of tours starting from Palermo?

The first days in Palermo often include visits to the gold-adorned Cappella Palatina food tastings at local markets and hands-on cooking classes. Many tours take you through the Arab-Norman Cathedral and the Byzantine Church of Martorana. A TourRadar traveler shared: "The street food tour in Palermo's markets was an incredible way to start - our guide explained all the unique Sicilian specialties and let us sample everything from arancini to cannoli."

What are the best side trips available from Palermo in the first few days of tours?

Early tour days often feature trips to nearby attractions: Monreale's Norman Cathedral takes 30 minutes to reach the beach town of Mondello is 15 minutes away and the medieval town of Cefalù sits an hour from Palermo. One TourRadar reviewer noted: "The day trip to Monreale from Palermo was breathtaking - the cathedral's mosaics were incredible and offered a perfect contrast to Palermo's busy streets."

How far is the transfer from Palermo Airport to the city center hotels?

The airport transfer covers 32km and takes 45-60 minutes to reach central Palermo hotels. Tour operators typically arrange direct transport to properties like the Mercure Palermo Centro or Hotel Plaza Opera. A TourRadar traveler mentioned: "The transfer was smooth and well-organized taking us directly to our hotel in central Palermo."

Sicily Tours from Palermo

An adventure starting in Palermo is a great way to see Sicily. We have 64 tours that range from 4 days up to 14 days. The most popular time for tours from Palermo is May, which has the most tour departures.

10 best Sicily tours from Palermo

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Explorer
Sicilian Secrets - Mini Tour of Sicily 5 days
4.6 (28 traveler reviews)
"Everything was very well organised, we appreciated Hotel's choice and especially food!"
Ada, traveled in August
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Dimensione Sicilia - Dimsi Incoming Operator Srl
From
US$1,228per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Journey of Charming Sicily - 10 Days
2.5 (2 traveler reviews)
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina,Syracuse,Island of Ortigia,Noto,Ragusa,Modica,Piazza Armerina,Agrigento,Marsala,Erice,Segesta+10 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English, Italian,Spanish+1 more
Operator
Click Tours
36% Off
From $3,540
US$2,266per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Private Tour of Sicily from Palermo to Palermo
4.4 (7 traveler reviews)
"Perfect all round from the pickup at the airport to the structure, timing, hotels. All were great."
Michele, traveled in June
Duration
8 days
Destinations
Palermo, Cefalu, Piazza Armerina, Catania, Mount Etna,Taormina,Syracuse,Noto,Ragusa,Modica,Agrigento,Selinunte,Marsala,Monreale+9 more
Age Range
Ages 18+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Soleto Travel
20% Off
From $3,848
US$3,078per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Food & Culinary
Sicily Food & Wine
4.8 (6 traveler reviews)
"The trip was so much fun and educational!"
Rebecca, traveled in September
Duration
8 days
Destinations
Palermo, Trapani, Marsala, Agrigento, Ragusa, Noto, Syracuse,Mount Etna,Taormina,Catania+3 more
Age Range
Ages 16+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Exodus Adventure Travels
5% Off
From $3,523
US$3,345per person
Price based on Shared Room
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Explorer
Sicily and Its Isles (Palermo to Taormina) (2025)
4.6 (29 traveler reviews)
"Good selection of sights and activities. Nice group."
Evelyn, traveled in March
Duration
14 days
Destinations
Palermo, Marsala, Agrigento, Cefalu, Aeolian Islands,Salina,Taormina+2 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Collette
6% Off
From $5,499
US$5,149per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Sicily & Aeolian Islands Discovery
4.0 (1 traveler review)
Duration
9 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Taormina, Milazzo,Lipari,Salina,Vulcano,Panarea Island,Stromboli+5 more
Age Range
Ages 13+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Omega Tours
6% Off
From
US$2,466per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
7-Day Sicily in Style from Palermo to Catania, Private Tour
Duration
7 days
Destinations
Palermo, Agrigento, Taormina, Mount Etna, Catania
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
TUI Italia
6% Off
From
US$2,164per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Sicilian Secrets – Tour of Sicily & Aeolian Islands
4.5 (8 traveler reviews)
"The sights were absolutely amazing, mostly the accommodation was excellent and the included lunches were all top notch."
Catherine, traveled in April
Duration
9 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina,Lipari,Salina,Panarea Island,Stromboli+4 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Dimensione Sicilia - Dimsi Incoming Operator Srl
6% Off
From
US$2,344per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
MINI TOUR OF SICILY from PALERMO TO CATANIA
4.3 (4 traveler reviews)
"Simple and valuable."
Sara, traveled in June
Duration
5 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina
Age Range
Ages 20+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Soleto Travel
6% Off
From
US$1,483per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Tour of Sicily and Aeolian Islands - from Palermo
3.0 (2 traveler reviews)
"A perfect blend of cultural tours in Sicily and natural beauty of the splendid Aeolian Islands."
Placido, traveled in February
Duration
9 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Lipari,Taormina,Panarea Island,Vulcano,Stromboli,Milazzo+5 more
Age Range
Ages 18+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Soleto Travel
20% Off
From $2,456
US$1,965per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
New Tour of Sicily from Palermo 10 Days
4.1 (68 traveler reviews)
"I learned a lot about Sicily. I highly recommend this tour."
Olympia, traveled in September
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina,Syracuse,Noto,Ragusa,Modica,Piazza Armerina,Agrigento,Marsala,Erice,Segesta+9 more
Age Range
Ages 14+
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Soleto Travel
20% Off
From $2,668
US$2,134per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Handpicked adventures loved by our team
TourRadar Curated
Explorer
Sicilian Secrets - Tour of Sicily 10 days from Palermo
4.2 (37 traveler reviews)
"The tour guides with rich knowledge of the attractions, we learned a lot from them; and we tasted lots of typical Sicilian dishes and they were delicious."
QueenieLee, traveled in November
Duration
10 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Cefalu, Catania, Mount Etna, Taormina,Syracuse,Noto,Ragusa,Modica,Piazza Armerina,Agrigento,Marsala,Erice,Segesta+9 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English, Italian,Spanish+1 more
Operator
Dimensione Sicilia - Dimsi Incoming Operator Srl
20% Off
From
US$2,372per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Sicily Explorer: 11 Days from Palermo to Palermo, Self-Drive
5.0 (4 traveler reviews)
"The history, the culture, the breathtaking views - it's all there for you to discover."
Gruoch, traveled in May
Duration
11 days
Destinations
Palermo, Taormina, Mount Etna, Syracuse, Noto, Ragusa,Modica,Agrigento+2 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
TUI Italia
15% Off
From $2,230
US$1,895per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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Explorer
Magical Sicily - 7 Days
4.1 (8 traveler reviews)
"The tour was well organized and well thought out. The destinations were interesting and fun."
WILLIAM, traveled in April
Duration
7 days
Destinations
Palermo, Monreale, Erice, Marsala, Agrigento, Ragusa, Noto,Mount Etna,Taormina+2 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Click Tours
36% Off
From $3,090
US$1,978per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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In-depth Cultural
SICILY: The Best of... 7 days / 6 nights
5.0 (2 traveler reviews)
"Hotels were in city centers and all 4 star. I definitely recommend this tour - we had a blast."
Susan, traveled in September
Duration
7 days
Destinations
Palermo, Erice, Marsala, Agrigento, Ragusa, Noto, Syracuse,Taormina+1 more
Age Range
All Ages Welcome
Regions
Sicily South Italy
Operated in
English
Operator
Carrani Tours
36% Off
From
US$1,849per person
Price based on Private Double Room
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