Palermo Cruises, Sicily
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Sicily’s capital is an exotic blend of Middle Eastern architecture, Baroque buildings and colourful marketplaces you’ll love to explore.
• Tick off a list of city sights like the Quattro Canti, the intersection of Palermo’s original four streets, the Palatine Chapel, and the magnificent Greek Orthodox Martorana Church.
• Head inland to the breathtaking Monreale Cathedral. It’s an Arab-Norman masterpiece famous for its glittering gold mosaics depicting stories from the Bible.
• Pay a visit to the romantic Medieval village of Cefalu. Backed by the towering ‘la rocca’, a colossal cliff face, its ancient streets are studded with elaborate buildings and chic shops.
SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions
Palermo & Monreale
This trip starts right in the heart of the Sicilian capital, Palermo, with a visit to the ancient cathedral. The huge, ornate building dates back to the 12th-century, and you’ll have time to snap a picture or two of the Norman, Gothic and Moorish architecture before the next stop. From here, your guide will lead you to Quattro Canti, one of the city’s prettiest and most famous squares, before you hop back on the coach for a trip to the mountain village of Monreale. Here, you’ll get to tour one of Sicily’s most popular attractions – the Cathedral of Monreale. Like its counterpart in Palermo, the first stones were also laid in the 12th-century, but this place comes with an even bigger reputation – as a national monument of Italy. Once you’ve finished your tour, there’s a slice of time to explore the winding streets and admire the views of the Conca d’Oro valley.
Walking Tour of Palermo
You’ll be right in the thick of things on this trip, as you explore Sicily’s biggest city on foot. Starting at Palermo’s pretty pier, you’ll soon see the jumbled architectural influences as you weave a path through the city – a style described by locals as an Arabic-Norman mix. There are even tell-tale signs of Irish rule here, with the famous Quattro Canti crossroads designed to represent the four provinces of Ireland. As you get closer to the city centre, the colossal orange-hued Palermo Cathedral comes into view, and just around the corner is the Palazzo dei Normanni – filled with gold pillars and colourful mosaics. There’s no strict itinerary to stick to on this trip, so you’ve got carte blanche to do what you wan,t at your own pace.
Vineyards tour and tasting
You’ll leave the coast behind on this trip, as you cross the mountains and head inland to a traditional Sicilian vineyard. You’ll get to see the wine-making process from start to finish at this picturesque winery, starting with a tour of the entire site. The more complicated bits will be explained by an oenologist, which in plainer terms is a wine scientist. There’ll be a sommelier on hand when it comes to tasting the different reds and whites, too, which Sicilian’s insist are among the best in the world. There’ll be savoury platters of bread, olives, meats and cheeses, plus a few dessert-style tasters before things wrap up. You’ll enjoy all of these with panoramic vistas from the open-air decking, so bring a camera to make the most of the rolling views.