We are arriving early for RS Best of Sicily in in late March. We have a total free day in Palermo. Could anyone make suggestions for sights or day trip that will not be covered by RS tour, We do have a No Mafia Tour booked for another day and we have free afternoon on arrival day (Sunday) to do some serendipitous exploration depending on energy level.
I was thinking Cefalu, but welcome any suggestions. Also welcome any favorite restaurant or watering holes.
Thanks,
Cindy
Thank you for asking! I will be in Palermo the first week of April and I'm a bit behind in my itinerary choices. Agrigento is set for a day trip. Beyond that - I'll be following this feed!
Cefalu is an easy train ride from Palermo( takes about an hour each way) and well worth it IMO. While in Cefalu, if you are into hiking, a climb up La Rocca is a fun way to spend an hour or so and you will be rewarded with fabulous views. Enjoy your time in Sicily...it is a fascinating destination.
Cefalu is an easy train away. It’s sure to be a bit sleepy in March, but still worth a morning/afternoon. Come back to Palermo that night and just wander around. Looking at the itinerary, you don’t spend all that much time there. So, legitimately, you could spend your free day just exploring Palermo. It’s an amazing city, and a terrific place to wander around.
I'm arriving early for RS Best of Sicily later this year. My first priority is the Palatine Chapel, and it's not on the tour.
Does anyone know what is currently going on with the restoration work on the mosaics in the cathedral at Cefalu? As of late 2023, the mosaics in the apse were covered by a screen, which could be very disappointing if you planned a visit to see them.
I did that RS tour six years ago, also in March. I added two nights in Palermo at the front end, and four in Cefalu following the tour. I really liked Cefalu, but was also very glad to have had the extra day and a half to wander Palermo on my own. As was mentioned above, the tour does not spend much time in Palermo itself, with a visit to the cathedral at Monreale taking much of a half day (very much worth it). I enjoyed seeing the Palazzo dei Normanni, Capella Palatina, Teatro Massimo and just strolling around the harbour area before meeting the group. A train trip to Cefalu is doable, but in late March you won’t see it at its best (it was cloudy most of the time I was there, and rained on three of the four days). You will have lots of moving from place to place once the tour starts- I would recommend spending your extra day chilling in Palermo. Especially if you are just coming off an overseas flight.
We really enjoyed visiting the Archeological Museum. Also people that did a food walking tour said they enjoyed it.
We took an evening street food tour run by Streaty.
It was really good and the guide had grown up in the depths of old Palermo, so seemed to know every little detail about the area.
One afternoon we had a couple of hours wandering around the Botanic Garden.
It’s relaxing and has some very old glasshouses.
Cefalu is a great day trip from Palermo, especially easy by train.
If you want to rent a car, check out Mondello near Palermo.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ChQnDVEykwiB5dOb2
Thank you all for the ideas. I have decided to book a half day morning tour with a Rick recommened guide Domenicio Aronica. It's a combo food and sights tour so we can get our bearings and be better planned for the free afternoon.
