Palermo

I've never taken the Best of Sicily tour, however looking at the itinerary it looks like the tour takes you only to the Duomo of Monreale, on top of the Monreale hill, while the rest of the day will be left to you to explore Palermo on your own.

I recommend to take a look at the list of top sights of Palermo linked below (Monreale and its duomo is one of the sights) and work your way down the list
The half day that the tour leaves to explore Palermo on your own will not be enough to see all of the many things Palermo has to offer, therefore I suggest you utilize your extra day to try to see more of the many items in the list (obviously skip the Duomo of Monreale which is part of RS' tour).

I think the Mafia tour in Palermo is actually a tour of the Anti-Mafia movement that started in Italy to combat the mafia. It is not the Godfather's movie tour which is actually in Taormina (the movie was shot at locations near Taormina, like Savoca). Since you don't seem to have a lot of days for Palermo, between the tour and your extra day, I'd recommend to devote that time to more important sights, of which Palermo is rich.

https://wearepalermo.com/what-to-see/

We had 4 days in Palermo before the RS tour started, so we did do the NoMafia tour in May 2022. At that time, it was an evening tour, so we weren’t sacrificing any daytime activities. As Roberto says, it’s about the efforts in Palermo to fight the Mafia, especially at the judicial level. We found it fascinating, but not “The Godfather’s” mafia. If you fly into Palermo’s airport, you’ll pass the monument honoring Judge Falcone and his wife who were blown up at that spot along the motorway on their way into town.

The Palermo Cathedral and especially the rooftop were a definite highlight. We also took the Streaty Food tour and has a filing and fun evening with a small group of people. Roberto’s link gives you great ideas and just decide what interests you.

We will be in Palermo this fall and are also interested in restaurant recommendations. We plan to take a walking food tour one night but looking for a fun experience with good food also.

La Galleria is very solid and has nice quiet sidewalk seating. Nice evening meal place with a good wine list

Cappadona for very solid gelato. Close to the Mafia museum and the cathedral

Biga - Fantastic Roman pinsa style pizza slices. On V. Marqueda (a river of pretty meh tourist restaurants.) Perfect quick lunch spot. We ate there twice, it was so good.

Pizzeria Sant’Agostino - Really great family-run pizzeria on a quiet street. Huge pies w perfect crust, plastic chairs, great vibes. Caponata is very solid too.

But there are a ton of solid places once you get off V. Maqueda. You’ll have no trouble getting good food at a great price
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You’re probably gonna see a lot of the typical sites on your tour. I don’t know the itinerary. One thing that may not be on it is the Capuchin Crypt. It’s a bit of a long walk out there but that could take you past Il Capo market if you wanted to check that out ahead of the tour.

Like Chris, I also recommend eating at La Galleria. It is right behind the Palermo Cathedral, right off Piazza Sette' Angeli. And while in that Piazza, take time to admire the intricate facade on the back of the the cathedral, facing the piazza. I don't know exactly what your tour covers in Palermo, but be sure to visit the Fontana Pretoria Square and Piazza Bellini right next door. Several beautiful churches right there to explore. And don't miss the cannoli and sweet treats from the nuns right there at Monasterio Santa Caterina. Look for the door that opens onto the piazza. You can eat your cannolo ( they are very big) in the cloister garden. If you have any interest in the opera you can do a tour of the Teatro Massimo. We also enjoyed the Regional Archaeological Museum Antonio Salinas. There is a flea market not far from the cathedral called Mercato delle Pulci but you would have to check out its schedule. If you like Baroque churches, check out the Chiesa del Gesù di Casa Professa. As mentioned above, the Capuchin crypt is quite the experience. If you are into religious sites, get a driver to take you up to Monte Pellegrino to see the Sanctuary (cave) of Santa Rosalia. Some very scenic views from up there.

My favourite thing we saw in Palermo was the Palazzo Normani- must visit especially if you are a fan of mosaic tiles.

For food, we really liked Antica Focacceria San Francesco- great place to try lots of the local options. We way over ordered but it was all so good, and very nice location on a piazza.

Nni Franco U Vastiddaru Is a good pick to try a pane con milsa (honestly, much better than it sounds.)

Oratorio do San Lorenzo is pretty cool and a quick visit, and Santa Caterina is mind blowing. I think the tour takes you to Ballaro market, but I think all three of the big markets are interesting and different. Teatro Massimo tour was pretty good, fine architecture and not too long.

I loved Palermo just because of how cool and easy it is to walk and explore. Much of the main drag is pedestrianized, and there’s all sorts of little side streets or squares that beckon. I really enjoyed the Kalsa neighborhood, especially in the evening. Felt very local. Palermo in general is well more hip and sophisticated than one imagines.

The RS Sicily Tour is an excellent tour - but it barely touches on Palermo. Read the itinerary carefully. If I only had one day before the tour, I'd focus on the Palazzo dei Normanni and then walk around the heart of the city. Check the cruise ship arrival schedules because when thousands of people come ashore simultaneously, the character of the city changes.

Thank you so much for all of your replies.