Where to Start: the 10 Best Palermo History Tours

1.Palermo: Street Food and History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,486 reviews · 3 hours · from $57Our pick

Join Palermo guide Fabrizio for three hours of Old Town history and street food. You’ll visit Capo Market, see the Cathedral and Quattro Canti, and taste sfincione, panelle, crocché, arancine, cannolo, and a drink. Cruise pickup is available on request.

“Excellent tour. We were happy to get to the food portion of the tour. It was excellent and the guide was engaging! Great to do on the first day of the trip because we learned so much we can now further check out in Palermo. Street food is amazing!”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Palermo: UNESCO World Heritage Sites Guided Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 548 reviews · 3 - 5.5 hours · from $41

Join a 3-hour guided walk through central Palermo with a local English or Spanish-speaking guide. See Teatro Massimo, Vucciria, Martorana Church, Piazza Pretoria, Quattro Canti, and the Cathedral, with Cathedral entry and a Sicilian pastry or sweet included. An optional tour adds the Norman Palace and Palatine Chapel.

“We loved all of the little secrets of the history of Sicilia that were shared with us by our guide. We would not change a single thing.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Palermo: Walking Tour of Historic Markets and Monuments

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 478 reviews · 3 hours · from $35

Spend three hours walking Palermo’s old center with an Italian-speaking guide. Visit the Cathedral, Teatro Massimo, Quattro Canti, Fontana Pretoria, and Capo market, with stories of Santa Rosalia, the Beati Paoli, and chances to sample street food.

“Esperienza interessante e piena di fascino!!La nostra guida Claudio davvero professionale , piena di entusiasmo , ironica e divertente . Tre ore sono volate tra le strade e i monumenti principali di Palermo!! CONSIGLIATISSIMO!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Walking Tour and street food Tour Palermo / History and Food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 386 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $58Top rated

Spend three hours with Palermo guide Domenico Aronica, walking from Quattro Canti through historic churches and monuments before eating your way around Ballarò Market. Expect a small group, local stories, Sicilian street food, and plenty of walking. Food tastings and some church entries are included.

“Dominico was an awesome tour guide! We weren’t expecting so much history so it was a wonderful surprise. The food market was over the top and really made the tour special.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Discover Palermo in 3 hours. Art, history, markets and street food

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 352 reviews · from $34

Spend about three hours walking Palermo’s historic center with an Italian-speaking local guide such as Maurizio or Fabrizio. Visit Capo Market, the cathedral, Teatro Massimo, Quattro Canti, Piazza Pretoria, and more, with food tastings and practical tips for cannoli, coffee, and later sightseeing.

“Cosa dire, Maurizio ama il suo lavoro, ci mette e trasmette passione e originalità’, disponibile , preparato, gran persona, bravo…”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Palermo: Tour of the historic center by train

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 242 reviews · 1 day · from $11Best value

Ride Palermo’s sightseeing train from Porta Nuova, using a 24-hour hop-on, hop-off ticket to reach the Norman Palace, Teatro Massimo, and Porto di Palermo. An onboard audio guide comes in eight languages. The full route takes about one hour, with trains every 60 minutes from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

“la guida disponibile per ogni richiesta e informazione. potete utilizzare il trenino più volte lo stesso giorno”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Palermo : Historic Markets & monuments Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 129 reviews · 3 hours · from $41

Spend three hours walking central Palermo with a local guide such as Martina, Delia, or Bianca. See the Cathedral, Teatro Massimo, Quattro Canti, Fontana Pretoria, and Capo Market, with time for Sicilian street food and practical restaurant tips.

“Martina was amazing. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and funny. I really enjoyed today’s tour and would be happy to recommend Martina to others.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Palermo: Historic Center Guided Bike Tour with Food Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 85 reviews · 3 hours · from $45

Ride through Palermo’s historic center with an English-speaking guide such as Elena, Fabio, or Caterina, stopping at major monuments, old markets, noble palaces, and La Cala. The mostly flat three-hour route ends with a sample of Sicilian street food or an almond pastry.

“The Tour with Eve was great! We covered a lot of ground riding. There is no way you could do that by foot. Eve was very knowledgeable about the History of Palermo. Would recommend this tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.From Palermo: Segesta Archaeological Park Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 52 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $100

Travel from Palermo to Segesta in a shared, air-conditioned van with an Italian- or English-speaking driver such as Eusebio or Eugenio. You get about 2.5 hours at the archaeological park to see the Greek temple and ancient ruins on your own, with entry paid separately.

“Eugenio was a very good driver and the Segesta archeological site was fascinating. A great trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Palermo: Mafia history and present, Street Food Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · 3 hours · from $79

Walk Palermo’s historic center with Elena, a law graduate who worked at Italy’s Supreme Court. Over three hours, discuss the Mafia’s continuing influence, visit pizzo-free businesses, and share four generous Sicilian food tastings in a group of no more than 10.

“Elena our guide was so knowledgeable and passionate about not just the mafia but about life in Palermo. The food sampling was also great. We had a fun evening . Would highly recommend”

Check availability →Read our full review