Private Guided Tours of Palermo with Gaetano!
For two decades Gaetano has spent the better part of every year as a tour leader for a host of American, Canadian, and New Zealand travel companies. He guides all over Sicily, the Amalfi Coast, and much of Southern Italy.
An art, history, and culture buff, Gaetano’s tours are imbued with fascinating details and insight that will help you better understand this ancient island and the civilizations that have molded it.
Gaetano’s private tours are mostly in Palermo and Western Sicily, but he also does multi-day tours all over the island.
Palermo Walking Tour
Duration: 5 hours
Cost: $425 USD
Extra fees paid during tour: 30 euros per participant for entrance fees to palaces and museums
Max participants: 8
A 5-hour city tour to master Palermo’s sights and history and discover some of her many secrets.
During this tour, we’ll explore 2,000 years of art, history, culture, food, and social life as we wander the city. Together, we’ll discover what people ate in the middle ages and will compare that to the foods they buy today at the fresh market, which is one way of seeing how the past of this incredible city is embroidered with its present.
We’ll talk of a Christian king who lived like a sultan, of the lives of Muslims and Jews during Spanish rule, and of the extravagant pleasures of the local aristocracy in the 1700s. We’ll continue on by visiting the half destroyed city walls, still bearing evidence of the second world war, and will delve deeper to uncover more of what make this thriving city so intoxicating in the present day.
Palermo has changed tremendously over the last 1,000 years and has seen countless civilizations and empires come and go. From today’s modern Palermo to that of its mafia heyday, the 1900’s and Mussolini era, a Baroque city of elegant theaters, and the one of the Spanish Inquisition… It is a city of layers, each stacked on top of another and often co-existing side by side. There’s a lot to cover here!
Some of the many places we’ll visit:
Teatro Massimo, Fascist quarter, Capo fresh market, Cathedral, Royal palace (visit of the Palatine Chapel), Four corners, Fountain "of shame", Palace of the Inquisition (from outside), La Cala (old harbor)
Palermo Art tour in five masterpieces
Duration: 3.5 hours
Cost: $325 USD
Extra fees paid during tour: 25 euros per participant for entrance fees
Max participants: 8
A half-day tour through the works of Raphael, Caravaggio, Guttuso and more.
Stolen, donated, disappeared, removed. . . The story of 5 incredible masterpieces of art history will be revealed during a 3+ hour walking tour of Palermo. We will start with the "Spasimo of Palermo" by Raphael and learn how it ended up at the Prado museum in Madrid. We will then discover one of the most incredible frescoes, which depicts the Triumph of Death at Palazzo Abatellis and inspired Pablo Picasso for his Guernica masterpiece.
We’ll discuss what's behind the enigmatic eyes of Antonello da Messina's Annunciata and will then move on to Guttuso’s 20th century painting, Vuccira, which expresses life and death through the produce of one of Palermo’s fresh markets. Our final stop will be with the stolen Nativity by Caravaggio, where we’ll discover its connection with the mafia.
Art always has its mysteries, so let’s unveil them together! This tour is a new and fascinating way to discover Palermo through its masterpieces.
Where we’ll visit:
Spasimo, Palazzo Abatellis (Regional Art Gallery), Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri, Oratorio di San Lorenzo
Cefalù Day trip from Palermo
Duration: 5.5 hours
Cost: $500 USD
Extra fees paid during tour: 30 euros per participant for train tickets & museum entrance
Max participants: 8
Are you the type of travelers who enjoys experiencing a new country by traveling like a local and using public transportation? If so, this tour is for you! We’ll meet at the Palermo train station and will take the train to Cefalù.
The journey between these two towns is fascinating: our journey will be spent passing along the Tyrrhenian coastline, crossing little villages and beautiful bays all the way. In less than one hour we’ll arrive in Cefalù and will be ready to discover the amazing Norman cathedral and the medieval laundry, and to stroll together through the charming little streets.
During the visit, you’ll have some time on your own to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this lovely fishing village or even to do some shopping in the beautiful boutiques. After that, we’ll have rice balls (arancini), a glass of wine, and, what else - a gelato! If we’ve got good weather, be sure to take your bathing suit as well, as Cefalù offers some great beaches with fine golden sand.
We’ll end the day by getting back on the train and returning to bustling Palermo. So, what are you waiting for? Jump on the train and join me for a wonderful day in Cefalù!
Suggested Itinerary:
• We will leave by train to Cefalù
• Visit of the Cathedral
• the medieval laundry
• historic city center
• If you wish the visit of the museo Mandralisca can be added
• Return to Palermo
Custom Tours
Looking for something a bit different?
All of Gaetano’s tours can be fully customized to you, your interests, and travel style. If you’d like something totally unique, you can work one-on-one with Gaetano to co-create a one of a kind tour.
To get started, request a custom tour below and provide us some initial ideas about what you’re looking for. Gaetano will then reach out to you directly to start planning your tour together.