Palermo and Cefalù Day Trip from Taormina
Taormina, Italy
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 13 hours
Visit Palermo and Cefalù on a day trip from Taormina, and discover stately Arab-Norman architecture, impressive churches and piazzas with Sicilian charm! With an expert local guide, enjoy walking tours of the cities to see highlights such as Palermo’s Il Capo market, La Martorana church and Cefalù Cathedral. An optional visit to the neighborhood of Monreale – a famous producer of olive oil, oranges and almonds – can also be arranged (own expense).
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Visit Palermo and Cefalù on a day trip from Taormina, and discover stately Arab-Norman architecture, impressive churches and piazzas with Sicilian charm! With an expert local guide, enjoy walking tours of the cities to see highlights such as Palermo’s Il Capo market, La Martorana church and Cefalù Cathedral. An optional visit to the neighborhood of Monreale – a famous producer of olive oil, oranges and almonds – can also be arranged (own expense).Meet your guide at the Bus Terminal of Taormina and board your air-conditioned coach for your journey west across the island to Palermo, Sicily’s main town. Relax and admire the scenery as you travel, arriving in Palermo after roughly three hours on the road.
Stretch your legs on a walking tour of the city center – an area teeming with impressive art and ruins. Hear the history of the Arab-Norman monuments scattered through town, and how Palermo was Sicily’s capital under both sets of rulers. When the Normans seized power from the Arabs in the 11th century, they were so fascinated by their predecessor’s architectural legacy that they continued to include elements of Arabic style in their building designs.
Visit Piazza Bellini to see the La Martorana church – famed for its spectacular mosaics – and then stop for photos outside Palermo Cathedral with its elegant Arabic arches and blue-gray dome. Amble through the Baroque square of Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena), and head into Piazza Pretoria to admire its 16th-century fountains and palazzi.
The city is popular for its colorful markets. Visit Il Capo to saunter around the labyrinth of alleyways, browsing heaving stalls of fresh food and Arabic handicrafts. Spend time at leisure after your market visit, and relax at a cafe of your choice for lunch (own expense). If you want to visit the nearby town of Monreale, your guide can arrange transport for you at an additional cost.
Both groups meet back at a prearranged point for the journey to Cefalù, roughly an hour away. One of the sweetest Sicilian seaside towns, Cefalù boasts a historical town center comprising a maze of narrow alleyways strung with washing hung out to dry. Its standout attraction is Cefalù Cathedral, famous for its Mosaic of Christ Pantocractor – a stunning Byzantine mosaic that’s considered as one of the most important pieces of religious artwork in Sicily. Head inside to marvel at the feature with your guide.
After exploring the town with your guide and at leisure, return to your coach and travel back to Taormina. Your tour then finishes back at the start point.
Stretch your legs on a walking tour of the city center – an area teeming with impressive art and ruins. Hear the history of the Arab-Norman monuments scattered through town, and how Palermo was Sicily’s capital under both sets of rulers. When the Normans seized power from the Arabs in the 11th century, they were so fascinated by their predecessor’s architectural legacy that they continued to include elements of Arabic style in their building designs.
Visit Piazza Bellini to see the La Martorana church – famed for its spectacular mosaics – and then stop for photos outside Palermo Cathedral with its elegant Arabic arches and blue-gray dome. Amble through the Baroque square of Quattro Canti (Piazza Vigliena), and head into Piazza Pretoria to admire its 16th-century fountains and palazzi.
The city is popular for its colorful markets. Visit Il Capo to saunter around the labyrinth of alleyways, browsing heaving stalls of fresh food and Arabic handicrafts. Spend time at leisure after your market visit, and relax at a cafe of your choice for lunch (own expense). If you want to visit the nearby town of Monreale, your guide can arrange transport for you at an additional cost.
Both groups meet back at a prearranged point for the journey to Cefalù, roughly an hour away. One of the sweetest Sicilian seaside towns, Cefalù boasts a historical town center comprising a maze of narrow alleyways strung with washing hung out to dry. Its standout attraction is Cefalù Cathedral, famous for its Mosaic of Christ Pantocractor – a stunning Byzantine mosaic that’s considered as one of the most important pieces of religious artwork in Sicily. Head inside to marvel at the feature with your guide.
After exploring the town with your guide and at leisure, return to your coach and travel back to Taormina. Your tour then finishes back at the start point.
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