Photos: Rolf Dietrich Brecher from Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Fintan Corrigan of http://friendly-hotels.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hein56didden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Rolf Dietrich Brecher from Germany, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 Fintan Corrigan of http://friendly-hotels.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Hein56didden, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Arab-Norman Palermo: Palatine Chapel and cathedral
Your local guide
Valeria Di Stefano
View profile
Highlights
- The Palatine Chapel's Byzantine mosaics, from the courtyard
- A Fatimid wooden ceiling inside the Royal Palace
- San Giovanni degli Eremiti's five red domes
- Norman and Swabian royal tombs in the cathedral
- The Cassaro, the old main street to Porta Nuova
About this tour
This session follows Palermo's Arab-Norman layers from the Royal Palace to the cathedral, taking in the Palatine Chapel's mosaics, the red domes of San Giovanni degli Eremiti and the royal tombs inside the cathedral. You see how Norman, Byzantine and Arab styles sit together across a handful of buildings within walking distance of each other. The route finishes on the Cassaro, the old main street leading to Porta Nuova.
After the sound check, the guide walks between the three sites in order, describing what each one shows and leaving time for questions along the way. A short note on visiting the Palatine Chapel yourself is sent after the call.
This suits anyone interested in Sicily's mixed medieval history, whether new to it or already familiar with the period.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
-
Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Palermo before heading out.
-
Norman Palace, from the courtyard 21 min
From the palace courtyard, the guide describes the Palatine Chapel's Byzantine gold mosaics and its carved Fatimid wooden ceiling, and the royal apartments upstairs, all part of the working seat of the Sicilian parliament today.
-
San Giovanni degli Eremiti 21 min
In the garden beside the church, the camera looks up at the five red domes, added when Norman kings rebuilt an older mosque-like structure into a monastery.
-
Palermo Cathedral and the Cassaro 21 min
Inside the cathedral, the guide points out the tombs of the Norman and Swabian kings, then leads out onto the Cassaro, the old main street running down to Porta Nuova.
-
Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Palermo: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
-
A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Pasta con le sarde and Kalsa, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Rome time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Palermo, showing you Ballarò Market and Vucciria Market live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Palermo live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Rome time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Reviews appear here after travellers have completed this tour.
How reviews work
Only travellers who booked and paid through Locals Guide and whose tour took place can leave a review, within 60 days of the tour. Every review is marked "Verified booking". We check reviews before they appear and publish positive and negative ones alike; we remove only reviews that break our rules (insults, personal data, unrelated content). Guides cannot pay for, edit or hide reviews, and ratings are the plain average of all published reviews.
Next: Thu 29 Oct · 10 seats left From 29,00 €
Book