A city where Arab domes, Norman walls and baroque facades stand side by side — and where you eat better at the market than in most restaurants.
Direct flight from Bolzano to Palermo (2 hours) + hotel + 45-minute transfer. Palermo brings together Arab, Norman and baroque buildings — nine sites in the city and its surroundings have been UNESCO World Heritage since 2015.
- Direct flight from Bolzano
- Best price guarantee
- EU-protected package holiday
- Just 45 minutes' transfer on arrival
Why a city break to Palermo?
Palermo is reachable from Bolzano in two hours and shows Arab, Norman and baroque periods side by side in its buildings.
Palermo is the capital of Sicily and has been shaped by Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Hohenstaufens and Spaniards. This layering is directly visible in the cityscape: churches with red domes in the Arab style, Norman palace walls and baroque facades, sometimes on the same square. For a city break of a few days, that yields a density found in few other Mediterranean cities.
In 2015 UNESCO added Arab-Norman Palermo to its World Heritage list — including the Norman Palace with the Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral and the churches of San Cataldo and San Giovanni degli Eremiti, plus the cathedrals of Monreale and Cefalù outside the city. The Palatine Chapel is the highlight: an interior in which almost every square metre is covered in Byzantine gold mosaics from the 12th century.
The second reason for Palermo is the markets. Ballarò, Capo and Vucciria aren't tourist markets but supply markets with street food — arancine, panelle, sfincione. Anyone willing to engage with them eats better here for little money than in many restaurants. The city also has good simple trattorias, but the markets carry the culinary character of Palermo — and are among the most vivid places in the whole Mediterranean.
What should you see in Palermo?
Palermo is dense and loud but well explored on foot. The most important buildings lie along two intersecting main streets, with the markets in between. For Monreale with its gold mosaics you should plan half a day and a bus.
Old town and Norman Palace
12th-century mosaics in the Palatine Chapel
Monreale
One of the largest mosaic surfaces of the Middle Ages
Which flights are available from Bolzano to Palermo?
SkyAlps flies direct from Bolzano to Palermo — flight time 2 hours. All prices are per person and include return flights plus nights at the booked hotel.
When is the best time to visit Palermo?
Palermo has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters. July and August regularly reach over 35°C — too much for sightseeing in a dense city. April to June and September to October are ideal, with warm days and pleasant evenings; in September the sea is still warm enough for a beach day in nearby Mondello. Winter is mild and quiet, the light is soft, restaurants and museums are open — one of the more affordable ways to see the city.
Frequently asked questions
Monreale Cathedral sits around eight kilometres above Palermo, reachable by bus.
Its interior is almost entirely lined with Byzantine gold mosaics — one of the largest coherent mosaic surfaces of the Middle Ages. Alongside stands the cloister with its 228 double columns, no two of which are identical. Plan half a day for the trip: bus up, cathedral and cloister, lunch in one of the small trattorias in the town, bus back. On weekends and public holidays, the cathedral fills up quickly — go early.
Ready for your Palermo city break?
Direct flight from Bolzano to Palermo, a hotel in Palermo and the transfer – all in one booking. Book online now, securely, flexibly and at the best price.