Sicily - Skip visit to Monreale Cathedral??

Monreale is pretty spectacular, buuuuuttt in the end it is just another big church. Your experience is going to be a pretty typical tour group thing, getting shuffled around. You sound like you’d rather wander around Palermo and are looking for permission, so I’ll give it. :)

I thought Palermo was fantastic. The old center from Quattro Canti to Teatro Maximo is a treat to wander around. It’s 99% pedestrianized. Hit a market. Santa Caterina church on Piazza Bellini maybe blew my mind more than Monreale.

I spent five days in Palermo last year and loved it! I will add the link to my trip report, so you can have additional ideas. Palermo is about halfway down the report:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/my-1-month-independent-trip-to-southern-italy-tribute-to-my-husband

Another vote for Palermo. We were pleasantly surprised by how much we liked the city.
If your tour includes Cefalu, the church there was a mini version of Monreale with the same mosaic of Christ.

Thanks so much for the feedback everyone. I guess I was asking for permission to skip Monreale.. lol! And we will be visiting Cefalu so that seels the deal… free day in Palermo! I was thinking about a fun cooking class but wondering if it would be too much time out of the day. Anyone take a cooking class in Palermo?

A vote against the cooking class. That’s just another time-eating activity. Palermo has plenty to see for a day of exploration. Most places you can just pop into, touring Teatro Massimo requires a reservation. Palermo’s cathedral is worth a stop, Oratario di San Lorenzo was cool too. But Palermo is truly a town that lives on its streets and that’s where you ought to be. I found it undeniably lively, clean and quite cosmopolitan. Each of the three markets have their own personalities. If you enjoy one, stop by another. Have a blast!