Things to do in Palermo

Three days. One for the Arab-Norman highlights (Cattedrale, Cappella Palatina, La Martorana, Quattro Canti), one for the markets (Ballarò, Vucciria, Capo) and street food crawls, and a third for Monreale cathedral and a beach afternoon at Mondello. Stretch to a week if pairing with Cefalù or Agrigento.

The Cappella Palatina inside Palazzo dei Normanni — 12th-century gold mosaics covering every surface, Arab muqarnas wooden ceiling and Norman walls in one chapel. The clearest physical proof that medieval Sicily was the most cosmopolitan place in the Mediterranean.

The Kalsa quarter — formerly the Arab governor's district, now full of palazzi (some bombed in WWII and left as gardens), antique shops and the Garibaldi garden with its huge Moreton Bay figs. La Vucciria after dark for an old-Palermo grungy bar scene around Piazza Caracciolo.

Arancina (Palermitan version is round, not pointed), pane ca' meusa (veal-spleen sandwich) at Pani Câ Meusa Porta Carbone, panelle (chickpea fritters in a roll), sfincione (thick spongy pizza), and a granita with brioche for breakfast. Don't leave without cassata or cannoli from Pasticceria Cappello.

Walk the centre — most of what you want sits inside the old quadrant defined by the Quattro Canti. Buses are unreliable. The single metro is mostly useless for tourists. Trains from Palermo Centrale make Monreale a quick combo with a bus 389. Hold onto your phone in crowds.

The Catacombe dei Cappuccini west of the centre — corridors of mummified Capuchin friars and 19th-century Palermitans in their Sunday clothes, including the eerily preserved two-year-old Rosalia Lombardo. Macabre but unforgettable, and a 15-minute bus 327 ride from Piazza Indipendenza.