Quattro Canti

Discover Palermo, the chief town of Sicily, on an open-top, hop-on hop-off bus tour! Start from the terminal outside the Politeama Theater, cruise past the Massimo Theatre, and continue towards Piazza Quattro Canti and the nearby Vucciria Market. The tour continues towards the botanical gardens, passing near Palazzo Steri. After a quick glance of the central station, you'll find yourself in the vicinity of the Royal Palace, the Flea Market, and the Cathedral. Then return to the terminal along the ancient via Roma. The second route takes you to the beautiful villas of Palermo. Starting from the terminal outside the Politeama Theatre, admire the gorgeous English Garden and then continue towards Villa Malfitano and the wonderful Zisa Castle. The tour passes near the Mercato del Capo and the Massimo Theatre, towards the port, and then returns to the terminal in Politeama Square.

Get a feel for the rich history, culture, and architecture of central Palermo on a 3-hour guided walking tour. Your guide will take you to Norman Sicily churches and beautiful palaces, through bustling city squares and famous old street markets. Head first to the Teatro Massimo and learn about Italy’s largest opera house, known for its perfect acoustics. Then visit the beautiful Palermo Cathedral, dating from the 12th century and part of Unesco ’s list of World Heritage sites. See the Church of the Gesù, one of the most important Baroque churches in Palermo, as well as the Praetorian Palace, an outstanding palace of the 15th century.   Continue to Pretoria Square, referred to by locals as the “square of shame” for the nudity of its fountain statues. You’ll also visit the nearby Bellini Square where you’ll see the Church of San Cataldo and Martorana Church, two more Norman Sicily–era churches and Unesco World Heritage sites.   Along the way, your guide will lead you through the famous Capo street markets. Observe the lively scenes and multitude of smells, textiles, and colorful foods as you weave among the stalls. You can also buy and taste some of the city’s popular street food, including: panelle, crocché, sfincione and arancina The tour ends in the exact center of historic Palermo, the Baroque Villena Square, also known as Quattro Canti (Four Corners). It was built in the early 1600s at the crossing of the two most prominent streets in Palermo: Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via Maqueda.

Meet us at h 2.30PM at the i Quattro Canti, the famous Pretoria (A.k.a Shame) fountain will be a scenario of popular stories. In Piazza Bellini you will admire the domes of San Cataldo from the 12th century of the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, of the Martorana and of Santa Caterina and you will travel the alleys of the Corporations of the artisans and of the Judges who accompanied the Inquiries to the Death. You will be introduced to the stories of Gattopardo walking along the street and having the opportunity to see (from outside) the Gangi palace, location of the famous film by Visconti, to reach the square decorated by the splendid Gothic rose window of the church of San Francesco D’Assisi. From there you will discover the richest and darkest centuries of Hispanic Sicily with a visit to the oratory of San Lorenzo, decorated by the stuccos of the Serpotta and admire the ancient furnishings, stables and treasures in the Historical House of the Mirto Palace. In the shadow of the centuries-old ficus magnolioides of the sea square, a Surprise Visit in the footsteps of the “Santa Inquisition” will end your walk through traditional ice-creams and cannoli in the district of the old port of the Cala.

Palermo is especially suited for a walking tour, considering its Arabic-influenced urban structure and narrow streets and lanes. Get acquainted with this beautiful Sicilian city on this half-day walking tour. Start by crossing Politeama Square, the main square of Palermo, where the main city avenues meet. Continue along Ruggero VII Street, which is considered the “lounge of Palermo” and pass the Church of St. Lucia before arriving at Theater Massimo, the largest theater in Europe. Continue along Via Maqueda, an ancient commercial street full of churches and historic buildings, to Candelai, which is at the heart of Palermo's nightlife. See Quattro Canti, meaning "four corners," which divides the city exactly into four parts. See the beautiful church, St. Joseph of Theatine and tour the iconic Cathedral of Palermo. The Royal Palace awaits afterward, where you can visit a Jewel of Arab Norman art and also the most visited monument in Sicily: the Palatine Chapel. Throughout the tour, you will see old Arab quarters hidden among the narrow lanes of the inner city, including the community of St. Clare. Admire the nude statues in the Square of Shame and the red Arabic-style domes atop the Church of the Martorana. Shop around the historic market, Vucciria and Saint Dominic Square before lunch. Inside a 16th-century Spanish building, enjoy a rich Sicilian buffet, including panelle, sfincione, anelletti al forno, caponata and cassatelle, along with a traditional Sicilian wine and a dessert of almond biscuits and mocha espresso.

Walk through a beautiful route of the city, discover hidden gems and visit 10+ of the most important attractions and spots. Learn some introductory information about each place and interesting stories about the city in general. Download the ‘World City Trail ‘app from the store and login. Read the instructions and head to the starting location. Unlock photos of the exterior and the interior of the location. Listen or read some information regarding the attraction and continue walking to the next checkpoint. Note what you liked and did not like and create your bucket list for the next days! Start your walk any time, without a schedule. Pause it for lunch, have a drink, visit an attraction of your choice, and continue later or even another day. With the maps feature, you will never get lost. In the history-filled city of Palermo you will first visit the beautiful Royal Palace and Palatine Chapel. Then the unique Norman Palace and then the irreplaceable Cattedrale di Palermo. This wonderful route continues to the Chiesa del Gesù. As a fifth stop you will find the Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio. As you continue your walk through the city you will find the interesting Piazza Pretoria. Of course, the Quattro Canti could not be missing from this tour. In addition, you will also admire the Church of Saint Domenico. The penultimate destination is the enviable Regional Archeological Museum Antonio Salinas. While the icing on the cake of this unique tour could not be other than the Massimo Theater.

On this full-day tour visit the magnificent sights in the city of Palermo before moving on to the town of Monreale, where you will visit the fabulous cathedral. Finish off the day with a visit to the beach resort of Mondello. Your private chauffeur will first take you into the center of Palermo to explore its magnificent sights. Here you will visit Ruggiero VII Square (Piazza Politeama), the Theater Massimo, Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena), the Royal Palace and the Palatine Chapel – a beautiful chapel representing the best example of Arab-Norman art. After seeing the interesting sights in Palermo, visit the town of Monreale. Here you can admire the magnificent cathedral and cloister, one of the most stunning Norman churches.  Also visit Mondello, a popular beach resort near Palermo which was originally a small fishing village. Here you can enjoy the sight of the small fishing boats before returning to Palermo port, train station, or city center in the late afternoon. This tour will introduce you to some of Palermo's renowned and diverse, local street food.

Discover Palermo on a guided walking tour of this charming city, including a cannolo tasting. See iconic sights including the U Capu historical market, the Norman Cathedral, and the ancient fortifications of the city. Marvel at the varied architectural styles around you: baroque, Spanish facades and courtyards, and more. Meet us at h 9AM at Piazza Verdi at the foot of Teatro Massimo staircase to admire the imposing structure of the largest opera house in Italy. A few steps you will enter the heart of the historical market "U Capu" where history, tradition and street food mix with the voices and faces of the people of Palermo. There is a newly restored baroque jewel, the church of the Immaculate Conception. Through alleys and ancient buildings you are at the Norman cathedral where the remains of Frederick II of Swabia and the silver "Vara" of Santa Rosalia are located. Between the gardens of Villa Bonanno and the ancient Roman ruins of the Paleopoli you will be at the Royal or Norman Palace which houses 3000 years of our history and the splendid mosaics of the Palatine chapel where Arabs, Byzantines and Normans shared knowledge, esoteric secrets, life and customs in great tolerance. Skirting the ancient fortifications you will photograph San Giovanni degli Eremiti, an evocative Arab-Norman architecture with its particular domes. Discovering medieval quarters, Spanish facades and courtyards of historic houses, you will walk through the "Cassaro" to end your tour at the Quattro Canti or Teatro del Sole, an elegant baroque structure.

Explore the ancient history and present-day culture of Palermo on this guided tour aboard an air-conditioned vehicle with plenty of room for your and your private group. Have a private driver and guide at your disposition for 4 hours and visit all the corners of this fantastic city. Meet your private driver and official tour guide at your hotel or place of choice in Palermo. Determine your own starting time with this private experience. Get to know the most emblematic sites of the city like the Baroque square of Quattro Canti and the Norman Palace. Find out how to shop like a local at the Historical Market of Palermo and admire the dome of the biggest theatre in Italy at the Teatro Massimo. See a mixture of Norman, Arab, and Byzantine influences at the “Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio Martorana” church. Discover the Boroque and Gothic architecture of the Duomo (Cathedral of Palermo) and the Romanesque architecture of the San Giovanni degli Eremiti church. Have the option of tailoring your experience to your own preferences. Return to your starting point at the end of your tour.