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Palermo Cruise Port (Terminal Crociere di Palermo)
The Basics
Because of the number of things to do in Palermo, it’s best to explore on a hop-on hop-off bus or private tour. Highlights include Palazzo dei Normanni, Monreale—one of Italy’s most impressive cathedrals—the Palermo Cathedral, Chiesa Della Martorana, Capuchin Catacombs, Teatro Massimo opera house, and Quattro Canti square. Food tours are also popular.
Farther afield, the Valley of the Temples and Zingaro Reserve, as well as towns and villages such as Cefalù, Segesta, Erice, and Mondello are easily reached via day trip or shore excursion from Palermo.
Things to Know Before You Go
Palermo Cruise Port offers ATMs, tourist information, transport links, luggage storage, parking lots, restrooms, duty-free shops, and a free shuttle service.
Be sure to browse Palermo’s ceramic shops for brightly painted Sicilian pottery.
Sicily’s train and bus systems are famously inefficient, in part due to the island’s complicated geography—it's almost always faster and easier to get around by car.
How to Get to Palermo From the Palermo Cruise Port
Cruise ships berth at the Stazione Marittima where taxis and horse-drawn carriages are usually waiting at the port exit to take travelers along the small winding streets of the city’s historic center. Many cruise companies also offer shuttle buses to the center of town, while shore excursions typically depart from the dock.
Port Information
Many of the largest cruise lines stop at the Palermo Cruise Port. Italian is the official and most widely spoken language here, although some people will likely speak at least basic English at tourist attractions. The local currency is the euro; ATMs are easy to find, and foreign exchange bureaus are near the docks.
Trip ideas
- Things to do in Sicily
- Things to do in Agrigento
- Things to do in Catania
- Things to do in Taormina
- Things to do in Messina
- Things to do in Syracuse
- Things to do in Mellieha
- Things to do in Valletta
- Things to do in Capri
- Things to do in Sorrento
- Things to do in Positano
- Things to do in Naples
- Things to do in Rome
- Things to do in Amalfi Coast
- Things to do in Lazio
- Branciforte Palace (Palazzo Branciforte)
- Opera Dei Pupi (Rod Marionette Theatre)
- Politeama Garibaldi Theater (Teatro Politeama Garibaldi)
- Massimo Opera House (Teatro Massimo)
- Chiaramonte-Steri Palace (Palazzo Chiaramonte-Steri)
- Mirto Palace House Museum (Palazzo Mirto Casa Museo)
- Piazza & Fontana Pretoria
- Vucciria Market (La Vucciria)
- Capo Market (Mercato di Capo)
- Martorana
- Four Corners (Quattro Canti)
- Church of the Gesù (Chiesa del Gesù)
- Palermo Cathedral (Cattedrale di Palermo)
- Ballarò Market (Mercato Ballarò)
- Palatine Chapel (Capella Palatina)