24 hours in Palermo for solo travellers

Highlights

• Spend the morning with a coastal walk along Foro Italico or Mondello Beach if you have transport.
• Head through the botanical gardens and a self guided route around some of the city’s stunning domes and churches.
• Try the street food market of Ballarò and sample grilled washed goats intestines.
• Aperol Spritz your face off – but save some sobriety for later.
• Street drinks and new friends in piazzas to end your night with.

Is Palermo safe for solo travellers?

This question would once have focused on historic organised crime, most famously La Cosa Nostra. This is not a tourist issue these days and petty crime is likely what most travellers want to know about.

Palermo despite being a little rough around the edges, is still a safe place to visit. Yes it’s close to North African and Middle East migrant routes, which exacerbate petty crime in major urban European centres, and I probably wouldn’t walk around dark alleys at night on my own in some of the more remote parts of the city. But if you exercise basic caution that you would in your home city, you will see it as a friendly and safe place to visit.

Sicilians are welcoming, decent and God fearing, if Palermo is as bad as it gets in Sicily, then you’re going to feel very safe on the island.

In terms of specifics, I read that streets near the train station ‘Palermo Centrale’ on P.za Giulio Cesare, were areas to be more conscious of, but other than being scruffier, and housing non Italian shops, I didn’t see any obvious signs or tell-tales that would advise me to believe I may be less safe. Honestly, the road surfaces are the most unsafe thing here! 🙂

In data terms – Palermo has a Crime Index score that is the same as Berlin, and significantly better than NYC, London and Chicago.

For up to date Sicily travel safety information you can visit the US State Department’s page here >>>

Author experience

This isn’t another guide on a place a website hasn’t been, and that is the case for all our travel journals. I’ve gone as far as eating this stuff below as part of my research journey. What is it? Washed goats intestines, seasoned with a little lemon and salt. You can try it if you visit one of the food markets in Palermo. There is also lung and spleen sandwich too, but I have my limits.

Very popular locally though I hear. Once for me was enough.

Anyway, I travel with solo travellers and young couples in mind when I visit these places. Where would feel safe for an introvert, what would be a fun use of time if you’re on your own or trying to create memories with a friend or partner? That’s it, that’s the little intro on how I produce these guides. Enjoy 😊

About Palermo

Palermo means old city and it’s had civilisations occupying the area for thousands of years. This is likely because it has mountain ranges bordering it, and a deep water harbour area alongside. Making it a pretty good spot for a fortress city and trading port.

A walk around the city shows how those different civilisations have infused themselves within the architecture. You have Arab-Norman Cathedrals, Greek ruins and Baroque decoration from the Spanish and Bourbon eras. Beyond that, the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Carthaginians and even the Vandals have occupied this place. So it has seen a lot, making for a fascinating and often overlooked European city.

With a population of 2/3 million inhabitants, it’s the 6th largest Italian city but despite this, it is very walkable, affordable and friendly. It does get it’s fair share of tourists but it doesn’t feel overwhelmed in the way other historic stops in the Med get, like Dubrovnik etc.

Where to sleep in Palermo

If you’re travelling solo, then I’d recommend being either in the central historic quarter or out of town in Mondello for the beach. But if it’s just a one night stop, then La Kalsa in the city is my suggestion. La Kalsa is close to Palermo Centrale (the train station) but architecturally pretty, close to all major tourist sites and a little more affluent. It’s also a short walk to the bars and cafes found along and just off Via Roma.

And there are some amazing places to eat!

La Kalsa houses or is close to some of the most highly rated solo travel hostels, such as Ostello Vucciria with it’s 9.7 score on Hostelworld, and probably the best in town for solo bods, Ostello Bello Palermo. This is north La Kalsa and faces out to the sea. They have a lot of traveller mixer events as part of the Hostelworld app link-ups, so it’s a great way to meet others if you want that. This time out, we stayed in an Airbnb as we wanted some couple luxury 😉 but still in La Kalsa so we didn’t lose time transiting around.

La Kalsa being a popular spot for visitors means it has a good security presence, and ultimately if you are in Palermo for only 24 hours, then you don’t want to be too far from things either.

Mondello beach which I mentioned, is about 20 minutes from the city centre back toward the airport. It’s a pretty beach satellite of Palermo, with a lot of Art Nouveau (Liberty Style) properties. It’s the upscale place to visit and features fancy restaurants and hotels. If it’s a sunny day on your trip and you prefer coastlines vs pavements, then Mondello would be my shout. It may feel a bit lacking in social options for solo travellers, but is charming, safe and tranquil. Introverts may prefer that.

Want some inspo on where to stay? Check out our top picks for solo travellers with a range of budgets.

To and from Palermo

Palermo has it’s own airport Falcone Borsellino, which is about 35 km or 30-40 minutes drive to the main city centre. Located west of the city, you will travel through Mondello environs to get into town. So, if you do choose to stay in Mondello Beach, it’s a bit of a shorter hop.

We used an Uber for avoidance of scams or rip off fares, and while I don’t know that to be a thing you will experience, it just eradicates a possible stress situation that I’ll kick myself if I didn’t do this. Our Uber took 35 minutes, so it’s a touch quicker than a bus, and gets you direct to your location. Ideal if you are unfamiliar with a city.

We actually booked a shuttle bus first. There are fairly frequent and low cost buses that take you into La Kalsa, which was our initial plan. However you do need to reserve your bus, and where I booked via Get Your Guide only a couple of hours earlier, it had barely processed and wanting to avoid losing time in the evening, I just sacked it off. You can book a bus at the airport and they will handle the reservation. It’s very easy to do, now I know how. Shuttle bus to La Kalsa from the airport is 6 Euros (£5) one way. It’s air conditioned and takes around 50 minutes, the same as the train.

There is also a train that takes you into Palermo Centrale, and the trains in Sicily are very good. Expect to pay the same as you do for the shuttle bus, around £5/$6.50. This takes about 50 minutes.

Travel tip

If you have time on your side, grab a shuttle bus from the bus rank outside the airport. As you head out of the airport, head right and walk around on the footpath. You will see some buses parked up and this is where you want to head to. As you get there, you will see a little booth that sells tickets. They speak English. The buses are clean, affordable and run quite frequently.

You can catch that bus all the way to Centrale, which is the train station stop. This means you have a 5 to 10 minute walk into La Kalsa. As this is the last stop, it makes life easier as you can’t miss your stop.

Budgeting for 24 hours in Palermo

Every tourist city in Europe can be pricey and while Palermo has it’s own spots, it is actually more affordable than most other big Italian cities. Which means you can soak up the Italian experience without a Venice sized budget. The south of Italy is historically more economically disadvantaged than it’s northern counterparts and when 1 bed apartments with roof terraces go for £40,000/$50,000, it means accommodation costs aren’t as prohibitive as other stops in Europe.

To give you a rough idea on what you may spend if you’re in Palermo for 24 hours…

Accommodation

A dorm bed in one of the best hostels in Palermo is around £45-55/$55-70 per night, if booking close to summer on a Friday night. While a private room will set you back £80-120 or $100-150 USD in a decent hotel/hostel.

As with any location, you can spend more and go for ultra luxury, but our AirBnB was around £100 for the night, with two balconies, a lovely large room and good bathroom, in a secure building, on the edges of La Kalsa, close to the heart of it all. Good value.

Transport

Palermo is very walkable, and with any Roman city, quite densely built, so you won’t need transport between most of the key places of interest, other than a pair of trainers. There are little piaggio “Apes” which means Bee in Italian. These are like a tuk tuk but with a cool Quadrophenia style make over.

Known as bees because they make a buzzing sound. You will likely only need to use one of these as a box tick (I’ve been there!) and there are some city tours with them, you can book safely here >> At least with booking via someone like GYG you avoid surprise pricing or rip off scams. Again, I’ve no knowledge this happens, but as the Cub Scout motto says ‘Be Prepared’.

Your other travel need, is as discussed earlier – airport transfers. Getting to and from the airport ranges from £6/$8 USD with a shuttle bus or train, to £30/$40 USD using an Uber.

If you are heading on from Palermo, to somewhere like Cefalu etc, you will be best to download the Trenitalia app to book your tickets and this saves any aggravation or queues at the main train station itself. I used the app and it was a breeze. If not a little clunky.

Food and drink

Food and drink – nearly everyone’s favourite! Some of the key prices:

Let’s start with the big one, Aperol! Aperol Spritz seems to be priced around 7 to 8 Euros wherever you go, although sometimes can be found for as low as 5 Euros in the street market of Ballaro.

A cappucino is around €1.75. A draught beer approximately €5 for domestic brands. (Eg: Messina) and a restaurant pizza from a nice restaurant (sit down meal with candles etc) is €10-15. We ate an evening meal at a very cute restaurant off of Via Roma ‘Lo Scrigna di Donna Rosa’, and my Diavolina was €14.

Food on the main drags with high tourist footfall in the day time, is in the same price range. If you head out of La Kalsa, you will expect to see prices much lower. On the whole, eating out is about 25% cheaper than Milan, London, Paris and New York City.

Top budget tip, drink local beers, such as Birra Stretta and Messina and Sicilian wines. They won’t just be cheaper, they will taste better as they are closer to source.

Reference Source: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Italy&city1=Milan&country2=Italy&city2=Palermo

Activities/entertainment

With 24 hours in Palermo, you are under time constraint for what you can do. Which means you are more likely to run out of time than money. That said, a lot of the lovely things to do in Palermo are free or don’t cost much. Walking around the street markets, viewing the architecture, just taking it all in, doesn’t cost anything.

Budget for between $10-20 USD for food in and around the street market. Walking tours will set you back between $25-35 USD, while entrance costs to some of the Cathedrals are free, with a nominal fee of $5-8 for access to more in demand spots, such as the crypts.

In short, you can have a lovely 24 hours in Palermo without spending much at all on organised activities. And if you do decide to invest in a tour or pre-arranged activity, you have a lot of scope for what you can do affordability wise.

Total estimated budget for 24 hours in Palermo

(Prices established as of 2026)

• £10/€12 transfers to and from the airport
• €5 on a coffee and an arancini for breakfast
• €15-20 for a big lunch per person
• €10-15 for some street food at Ballaro
• €30 walking tour around the markets / or a No-Mafia tour
• €15 for a couple of Aperol Spritz
• €30 for dinner per person (from)
• €100 for a hotel room (€50 per person or for a dorm bed)

That comes in at around €175 for a solo traveller staying in a dorm style accommodation at one of the best hostels in Palermo, to €225 if you budgeted for a private room, either there or at a hotel. You may save money on breakfast by having it at the hotel, and you may wish to avoid lunch if you’re eating at the street markets.

You can also cut out the walking tour fee, by doing what we did, which was asking Gemini to list out a walking route that covered 10,000 steps featuring key sites around the city, and then doing a DIY tour.

So, it can be done for less. But as a guideline £150-175/€175-225 will give you a chance to really enjoy yourself in Palermo in 24 hours. For that, you will enjoy Aperol on the streets from the cocktail vendors, a lovely dinner in a top location, see the sites with expert guides and taste authentic pizza with a cold locally brewed beer with money left over.

1 day in Palermo itinerary

A lot of people head to Sicily for the romantic charm, the beaches or as I was, exploring for 1 Euro homes, and thereby almost ignoring Palermo. That’s a shame because it’s pretty cool and my shout as a sleeper party destination too.

It doesn’t need a lot of time, and with a committed 24 hours in Palermo you can get a real feel of it. This is how we did it and if you’re looking for advice or inspiration on how to spend 24 hours in the city, then hopefully we have done that well.

Morning

Key activity: 10,000 steps on a DIY tour of the city’s architecture and history

Either make the most of your hotel breakfast, which we didn’t have as we were in an AirBnB, or head out to grab a morning coffee, just like the locals. I didn’t fully get the politics of coffee in Italy, eg: capuccino is what tourists drink, not the locals and if I’m honest it confuses me enough that I’d often just grab a can of Tenzing! But the morning is a great time to miss some of the crowds and get the streets to yourself a little.

While the Mercato di Ballarò street market opens around this time, you probably don’t want to be eating barbecued spleen and lung at 0900, so we opened by the Gemini app, and stated, we would like a 10,000 step route with at least 4 to 5 historic buildings on the route, and a breakdown of what each was.

This was a nice way to get some exercise and see the city before the tourist masses arrive, and before peak sunshine. It’s also a free activity. If I was staying longer and travelling alone, I’d go on a walking tour, as you can meet other travellers, but with 24 hours on the clock, my focus was on seeing as much as I could and moving at my own pace.

I also knew I was going to eat a lot today, and wanted to create some calorie headroom! 😂

So, on our route we had the following stops.

• Chiesa del Carmine Maggiore: This is a stunning Majolica tile roofed church that looms over the Ballaro street market and for US and UK visitors, it’s just something you don’t see in your day to day.
• Quattro Canti: A busy little spot, where 4 corners each with their own impressive baroque designs frame a cross roads. Look out for horse and carts. It makes a good final point before heading off to lunch.
• Piazza Pretoria: If you’ve ever seen a picture of lots of naked statues, then this is it. Also known as the Square of Shame. When we were there it was closed off for construction works but you can still see it close by the Quattro Canti.
• Teatro Massimo: A mixture of fascinating styles added on over the years, and reached along Via Roma. This is the lit up stunningly at night. I grabbed a picture of this later in the day as we headed toward dinner. If you have the time, go check out an opera too.
• Botanic Gardens: There are a few of these around the city, and when you’re needing some green space to get away from the crowds, the gardens are reached from Via Roma.
• Church of San Cataldo: This is the famous red dome roof church, that has a delightful square out the front and in our case, there was a gentleman singing opera out front. Absolutely nailed on for ‘experience’.
• Palermo Cathedral: One of the most famous spots in the city. No walking route would be complete without it.

I have written these locations up a little mixed, but the route to put into your Maps app, if you want to copy it is:

Start at Palermo Centrale Station > Botanic Gardens > Church of San Cataldo > Piazza Pretoria > Teatro Massimo > Palermo Cathedral > Chiesa del Carmine Maggiore (Ballarò Market) > Quattro Canti

As we finished up our walk, we headed into the street market to prep for lunch.

Lunch

Key activity: Pizza, a cold Sicilian beer and street food

While we had poked our heads into the market in the morning to get a feel of the noise and the chaos we finished our morning walk with a loop back to grab a bite to eat and experience some of Sicily’s famous street foods.

Being brave, I opted for stigghiuola, which is barbecued, seasoned lamb or goats guts, first washed out with salt water. The taste is quite fatty, but isn’t entirely awful. Be aware, that while some street food stands display card payment stickers, they make you feel awful for presenting a card and want payment in cash. So, just make your life easier and have some euros to hand.

My “chef” stood there cooking food, with a burning cigarette in the other hand. This I believe must be to enhance the experience. In between moving sticks of goats guts around, he would bellow something indecipherable to the passing crowds, and break into song with whatever was playing on the radio at the time.

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I bought enough for two, sadly my compatriot decided to avoid the ‘experience’, meaning to avoid insult, I had to eat a double portion. After feeling suitably greased up, we headed out of the market and back up to Quattro Canti and seek out a little spot for lunch and some cold drinks.

We settled on pizza and found a great spot called Assud a Santamarina Pizzeria Siciliana on via del Celso. You can find it for yourself here >>

This is a little pizzeria, which is located on a side street, in a sunny spot with outdoor seating. Run by a lovely Sicilian with an Irish wife, the service is exceptional, prices great and the beer cold. Which was what I needed to wash away the taste of the Ballaro experience. We spent a good hour or so, relaxing in the sun trap before venturing off to explore the rest of the city.

Afternoon

Key activity: Tour of Count Federico’s Palace or for the macabre – The Catacombs

We had two things in mind to tick off in the afternoon. We could only really do one of them time wise, so we opted for the tour of the Count Federico Palace. The other option was the Catacombs, but having lost both my parents young, the face of death is rarely something I have the stomach for. I’m also a father of an 8 year old, and one of the famous scenes, is a well preserved corpse of a child and I just can’t do that.

If you are care-free and haven’t been through trauma or just are better adjusted for it, they are unique, hugely popular and seem to be worth a visit. I just couldn’t do it. I went instead to be taken on a tour of an aristocratic palace guided by family members who still live there.

This felt far more aspirational and easier on the spirit. Besides I was in Sicily to view dream homes for sale, why not start big!

You can book direct for the palace tour or do as we did, which was to book with Viator. I use them a lot, and mention them too, as it’s just an easy app to use and you can see what others have had to say too.

If you want to check out the tour of the Palace – which took us about 45 minutes, you can do so here. Palace tours >> Price was £14 or $17 USD.

Evening

Key activity: Family run Italian restaurant and a stroll along Via Roma lit up.

As sun began to set, we had already eaten in the sun, explored the city, been inside some old buildings, sampled the street food and definitely had an Aperol Spritz. So far so good. I wanted to take my partner to a cosy cute Italian restaurant and I still hadn’t had an Gelato. The remainder of my trip needed to resolve those points.

I had done a little research before we got here, and settled on a place called Lo Scrigna di Donna Rosa. This was located about 25 minute walk from our accommodation taking us on a stroll down Via Roma once more. Via Roma is a lively street with lots of stalls selling anything from souvenirs to cocktails, and is abutted with a host of places to eat and drink.

Walking along Via Roma at night, gives you an even more stunning way of looking at Teatro Massimo.

I was hoping to find our restaurant was one with red and white checked table cloths and Sinatra playing, but I imagine that’s just movies about Little Italy in NYC! When we found the restaurant, from the outside it was a little unassuming on a side street, but once inside we immediately relaxed. Lo Scrigna is this adorable grotto meets contemporary space with friendly and multi-lingual (ish) staff.

I’d searched for ‘cute restaurants for couples near La Kalsa’ on Google Maps before I came, and after sifting through the reviews, frequency of them and pictures, I thought this looked a perfect spot. If I was on my own, I may find the walk a little lonely at night, and for those visitors I would stick around the options on Via Roma proper, within La Kalsa. It’s not unsafe to do the walk, but no one really wants to walk into the dark on their own in unfamiliar locations.

The pasta is homemade as you would expect, and makes anything you have bought in Waitrose, Tesco or Trader Joes a poor second choice. Their pizza was exceptional too, probably big enough to share between two people. I really can’t fault this place. I was looking for a cute family run restaurant, and found exactly that. It wasn’t swamped with tourists and it just felt authentic.

What is it they say? “If the locals go there, then it must be good…”

We spent about £60/$80 USD or around 80 Euros on dinner, which included beer, wine, water, some appetisers and a main.

You can find Lo Scrigna Di Donna Rosa at Via Agrigento, 12, 90141 Palermo PA.

Check their socials: https://www.instagram.com/loscrignodidonnarosa/?hl=en

Night

Key activity: City-wide beer garden experience & Gelato

After dinner, we went in such of some evening drinks and that Gelato I wanted. Starting with the Gelato, one of the things Italians do differently to here in the UK, is the cup for the Gelato is filled to the brim, as oppsoed to a couple of scoops dumped in.

As an ice cream fan, I highly rate this approach!

Cannoli and Co was our stop. Easy to communicate with the staff, pricing was great and whether you are travelling alone or with a partner, Gelato is always a fun thing to do in a city.

There is no type error in their stationary, they have not been operating from that location since 1024, instead, it is the recipe they use for their Cannoli that was birthed that year. As for the gelato, 5 Euros for a medium cup, filled to the brim. If I wasn’t already full up from dinner, I was now pretty close to it.

Cocktail time!

I mentioned earlier in the guide, that Palermo seems like a sleeper party town. This means, it is one of those cities or destinations that lends itself well to social mixing and having a good time. The culture here embraces a tipple on the street, and a common thing to do in at night in Palermo, is to grab a beer from a local convenience store and fill out into a piazza with dozens of others and chat the night away.

Palermians have turned parts of the city into an open air beer garden and I am down for it.

After a couple of Aperols and beers we made our way back to our apartment and crashed for the night.

The streets felt safe, although a little drink fuelled in the later hours, but certainly nothing like a wild late night Liverpool or Hollywood Blvd. For solo travellers, the Ostello Bello Palermo hosts beer pong and drinking games evenings if you want some social action when travelling alone.

Departure morning

We left the city in the morning to head on to Cefalu, a cute coastal village 45 minute train ride away. So, we packed our bits up and headed for Palermo Centrale and hopped on a clean, affordable train albeit a busy one to check out somewhere a little more tranquil.

Other places to go in Sicily

If you’re travelling through Italy and have a bit more time to spend in Sicily, then I recommend checking out the following stops.

For Beach Lovers

Close to Palermo you have Cefalù. Which is a popular coastal town, with a number of beaches and watersports stops. It’s a cheap train ride and easy to get to, with no changes required. Popular with US visitors, it’s really very lovely.

Cost by train with Trenitalia: £6-8 / €7-9

Check out Omio for booking

For History Fans

Taking a trip inland and heading south toward Agrigento, takes about 2 hours by train at a cost of around £10/$13 and gives you the chance to view some of the ancient ruins left on the island by Greek and Roman civilisations. The route down there highlights mountain views, the countryside and a lot of picturesque villages.

If you have time, you can stop half way and embrace a rural village escape. It’s these small towns that have become famous with the Sicily property hunting boom.

Where next?

Sicily has a lot to see and do, from sandy beaches to great sailing, history, food and of course a number of famous filming locations. It’s not a small island, so you may want to devote a bit longer to getting around, but if you do have the time, it’s a rewarding trip.

If you’re doing a wider trip around Italy, you may appreciate this guide next:

• 3 Weeks in Italy Itinerary