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 main cathedral, Il Capo market, Martorana church and Cefalù Cathedral.
Posted By : Esther_v
We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. From Taormina we drove through the beautiful landscapes of central Sicily past Enna. We had a toilet stop on the way, after just over 3 hrs we arrived in Palermo. Guide Renate was very informative and did a bustour first, then a walking tour visiting a couple of important sites and churches and a local market. After lunch in a nice outdoor restaurant we were brought to Cefalu, and saw the historic town and the beach.
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Posted On : 2023-10-08 13:48:24 
Posted By : MOLESKIN2306
OK if you don't mind a route march through the busy streets of Palermo at speed in 30°c. We passed through one of the local markets with lots of lovely fresh produce on display. The tour guide walked through it so quickly we were unable to stop to look at anything. Accused of being late for the pickup in Cefalu. Yes, we were last on the bus but with a few minutes to spare. Even the others on the bus agreed that we were not late. If you can get to Palermo yourself, either by car or public transport I would do that instead of going on an arranged tour. Very disappointed.
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Posted On : 2023-09-03 11:59:26 
Posted By : JojoKorn
We were happy to get on this tour after booking the night before - the company we had originally booked with cancelled at short notice and we were scrambling to find another company. (And it seems the CbyS company had messed others around too) With SAT not a problem, they could pick us up near our hotel in Giardini Naxos and we could then pay on the bus. Hurrah!
The guide was excellent and we felt that we were in good hands the entire day (our guide also spoke German which was a bonus).
The tour itself is long bus stretches and the time in Palermo seemed relatively short but it was good to see another part of Sicily. We particularly enjoyed Cefalu.
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Posted On : 2023-07-20 15:44:43
Posted By : H609XVjuliew
It was a long day but very interesting and informative. The guide and the local guide in Palermo were excellent as was the driver.
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Posted On : 2023-07-10 05:03:50
Posted By : 262martyne
We booked this trip but when we were on walking tour of Palermo with female guide
We all went into Cathedral we were advised to meet back at a point in courtyard at 12.10
We arrived out at 12.05 and met 3 other guests waiting approx 10 mins
In the meantime 6 further guests arrived by the allotted time but no sign of guide or balance of group .
After waiting for 30 mins we luckily found our own way as a group back to meeting point and had to rush our meal with no time to wander around and spend money in Palermo
This was brought to attention of main guide as he was ushering us to the bus when we were attempting to pay our bills without any reaction
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Posted On : 2018-09-27 16:09:54
Posted By : Daniel_S
This was our first excursion in Sicily and we knew it would be a very long day! We were surprised to see how dirty the city was but did not detract from the beautiful churches we saw.Afrer reading other Trip Advisor reviews we opted not to eat at Restaurante 59 but had a wonder meal in restaurant Basil opposite the opera house. It took a while to navigate the steps to get food but the locals were friendly and guided us through. You must pay first and then go to the window to order your pasta--it will be the pasta for the day. I had homemade raviolis and my husband the best spaghetti with clams sauce. The best we have had thus far! Cefalu was very pretty seaside town. I wish I had put my swim suite on and gone swimming instead of seeing another church. As it turned out I did go in for a dip up to my knees-just rolled up my shorts. This was a good taste of both areas- I do not have the desire to go back to Palermo but would think about spending a few days in Chefalu!
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Posted On : 2018-09-12 04:28:09
Posted By : Wayn P
Our day started out promptly at 6.45am from Taormina bus terminal, easy to find. Our driver Roberto and tour guide Santo were a great team: a good driver and a well-informed guide who spoke fluent English, French and German. The drive across Sicily is a complete contrast from Mount Etna and different towns, at the start, to rolling fields, plains, olive groves, orange and lemon orchards and fields of artichokes before arriving in Palermo. Santo at all times kept us well informed of the history of Sicily and we stopped for coffee and a comfort break after 90 minutes. The tour of Palermo was well organized, although we did end up in the middle of a local demonstration with flag waving, speeches and banners, all very safe and well behaved such lovely people. Santo new all there was to know about the history of various places of interest and spent his time with the group and answering different individual questions. The market place walk through was a great way to see Sicilian life up close and try some of the local produce. Restaurant 59 across from Teatro Massimo was perfect for our lunch before the return taking in Cafalu with its beautiful church in the square and a walk around the town and its narrow streets onto the beach. No hesitation in recommending the very good SAT tours company for whatever trip you decide to do.
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Posted On : 2018-04-21 15:27:46
Posted By : taormina171255
I enjoyed a great excursion across the Sicilian country side with the safe driving of Pippo and the historical briefing of Santo who made this excursion to lovely Palermo and Cefalu an exciting event during my Sicilian holiday. Highly recommended.
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Posted On : 2018-03-04 04:52:06
Posted By : KathleenAnn417
Our group of 11 passengers started out promptly at 7am from Taormina. Our driver Pippo and tour guide Santo were a great team: a safe and cautious driver and a well-informed guide who spoke fluent English, French and German . We had an amazing drive across Sicily from Catania to Palermo: views of Mount Etna giving way to magnificent olive, orange and lemon groves, fields of artichokes, sheep and cows grazing lazily on the plains, all combined with various hues of green. We then toured Palermo, first by bus then on foot,ending with a visit of the colourful market. The walk was welcome after the bus tour. At lunch, at the well-chosen Restaurant 59 across from Teatro Massimo, I realized that I not only shared the same name as our dining companion but so did 2 other women at neighbouring tables. How likely is it that out of 5 women, 4 would have the same name?
The visit to Cefalu was short but a good stop before our long drive back to Taormina.
All in all, a most delightful tour, which I would highly recommend!
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Posted On : 2018-02-22 07:25:39
Posted By : Vincenza S
I was staying in Messina the other side of Sicily and I wanted an easy way to explore the capital of Palermo. I was so happy when I found this tour option. It is a VERY LONG DAY! You do leave at 6am and you do not return until 7pm that night, however for one person wanting to get a glimpse of the other side this was good. I enjoyed seeing the historic heart of Palermo and you can definitely see why Cefalu is a thriving beach town for Europeans. A great way to explore.
