Hamilton & Chase Tours
Private tours in Palermo, Sicily

Private Palermo Tours

Palermo appears in 3 of our itineraries across Sicily, ranging from 7–9 days. Every one is private, and every one can be reshaped around the time you want to spend here.

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From our itineraries

What a day in Palermo looks like.

Taken from the itineraries themselves — these are real days from trips we run, not a generic description of the city.

Day 1 · Sicily: Ancient Fire & Baroque Stone

Palermo: The Arab-Norman Capital

Palermo is one of the most historically complex cities in Europe — twelve civilisations have left physical traces here that can be seen simultaneously on a single walk. Your private guide meets you after the transfer from Palermo airport for an afternoon introduction to the Arab-Norman itinerary: the Palazzo dei Normanni with its extraordinary Cappella Palatina, whose gold mosaics cover every surface of a room that is simultaneously a Norman palace chapel, an Arab muqarnas ceiling, and a Byzantine theological programme. The cathedral of Monreale just outside the city contains the most complete cycle of medieval mosaics in the world after Hagia Sophia — the guide explains the political theology behind them, commissioned by William II as a statement of Norman divine authority. Dinner in Palermo's Ballarò market neighbourhood: the street food tradition here — panelle, sfincione, arancini — is the most Arab-influenced in Italy, and the restaurants that surround it serve the cucina palermitana that the island has been refining for a thousand years.

  • Cappella Palatina — Arab-Norman-Byzantine mosaics
  • Monreale Cathedral's complete mosaic cycle
  • Ballarò market neighbourhood and Palermitano street food

Day 2 · Best of Sicily

Palermo Highlights

Your private guide meets you after breakfast for a morning that reveals Palermo's extraordinary layered history. Begin at the Norman Palace — the seat of Sicilian power for nine centuries — and step inside the Cappella Palatina, where every surface blazes with Byzantine gold mosaics so fine they take your breath away. From there, walk through the historic centre: the Cathedral with its mix of Arab, Norman, and Gothic architecture, the elegant Quattro Canti crossroads, Piazza Pretoria with its monumental Renaissance fountain, and the twin Arabo-Norman churches of La Martorana and San Cataldo. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace — the Kalsa quarter, the puppet theatre tradition, or the street food that Palermo does better than anywhere in Italy: arancini, panelle, and sfincione from vendors who've been at it for generations.

  • Norman Palace and Cappella Palatina gold mosaics
  • Palermo Cathedral and Quattro Canti
  • Piazza Pretoria, La Martorana and San Cataldo churches

Day 1 · Essence of Sicily

Arrival in Palermo

Your private driver meets you at Palermo Falcone Borsellino Airport and delivers you to your hotel in the historic centre. After check-in, the rest of the day is yours to absorb the city at your own pace: wander through the Ballarò or Vucciria street markets where vendors shout over mountains of swordfish and blood oranges, find a café in the Quattro Canti, or try your first arancino from a street vendor. We'll share our curated list of favourite restaurants for your first Sicilian evening.

  • Private airport transfer to central Palermo
  • Curated restaurant recommendations for your first evening

Itineraries

3 tours visit Palermo.

Best of Sicily — Private Package 9-day tour: Palermo, Segesta, Agrigento, Taormina & Mount Etna — the complete Sicilian journey.
9 Days
From €3,110 per person

SICILY

Best of Sicily

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SICILY

Best of Sicily

Palermo, Segesta, Agrigento, Taormina & Mount Etna — the complete Sicilian journey.

Cities You'll See

Palermo · Segesta · Erice · Agrigento

Highlights

  • Palermo's Norman Palace and Cappella Palatina gold mosaics
  • Segesta's hilltop Greek temple and ancient theatre
  • Valley of the Temples — world's best-preserved Greek temple

9 Days / 8 Nights

From €3,110

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Sicily: Ancient Fire & Baroque Stone — Bespoke 8-day tour: Valley of the Temples, Baroque UNESCO towns, and the most active volcano in Europe.
8 Days
From €2,890 per person

SICILY

Sicily: Ancient Fire & Baroque Stone

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SICILY

Sicily: Ancient Fire & Baroque Stone

Valley of the Temples, Baroque UNESCO towns, and the most active volcano in Europe.

Cities You'll See

Palermo · Agrigento · Ragusa · Noto

Highlights

  • Valley of the Temples at golden hour with private guide
  • Etna crater walk at 2,900m with volcanologist
  • Noto and Ragusa — UNESCO Baroque cities

8 Days / 7 Nights

From €2,890

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Essence of Sicily — Private Package 7-day tour: Palermo, Agrigento, Syracuse & Taormina — Sicily's essential highlights in seven days.
7 Days
From €2,490 per person

SICILY

Essence of Sicily

Private · Semi-Private · Self-Guided

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SICILY

Essence of Sicily

Palermo, Agrigento, Syracuse & Taormina — Sicily's essential highlights in seven days.

Cities You'll See

Palermo · Agrigento · Syracuse · Taormina

Highlights

  • Palermo's Arab-Norman heritage and street markets
  • Valley of the Temples and Scala dei Turchi
  • Syracuse's Neapolis Park and Ortygia Island (UNESCO)

7 Days / 6 Nights

From €2,490

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Elsewhere in Sicily

Agrigento Taormina
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