Things to Do in Palermo in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Palermo
Is December Right for You?
Advantages
- Genuine low season pricing - accommodation runs 40-60% cheaper than summer months, and you'll actually have negotiating power at family-run guesthouses in neighborhoods like Kalsa and Vucciria
- The markets are at their absolute peak in December - Ballaro and Vucciria overflow with seasonal produce like blood oranges from the slopes of Mount Etna, wild fennel, and cardoons. Local grandmothers are making traditional Christmas sweets like buccellati, and you'll see food traditions that tourists miss entirely
- Museums and major sites like the Palazzo dei Normanni and Cappella Palatina are blissfully uncrowded - you can spend 20 minutes alone with the Byzantine mosaics instead of jostling with tour groups. The Cattedrale di Monreale, 13 km (8 miles) outside the city, becomes almost meditative
- December weather is actually perfect for walking the city - Palermo in summer hits 35°C (95°F) with brutal humidity, making afternoon exploration miserable. December's 15°C (60°F) means you can comfortably walk the 2.5 km (1.6 miles) from the port area through the historic center without arriving drenched in sweat
Considerations
- December is genuinely wet - those 10 rainy days often mean sudden downpours that flood the narrow streets of the centro storico within 20 minutes. The city's drainage hasn't been updated since the 1800s in some areas, so streets like Via Roma can become small rivers. You'll need to build flexibility into your daily plans
- Many beach clubs and coastal restaurants around Mondello, just 11 km (6.8 miles) north, close entirely from November through March. If you're dreaming of seaside dining, you'll find shuttered venues and a somewhat melancholic off-season vibe at what's otherwise Palermo's main beach escape
- Daylight is limited - sunset hits around 5pm, which cuts into your exploration time. The evening passeggiata along Via Ruggero Settimo happens largely in darkness, and photographing Baroque facades becomes challenging after 4:30pm without artificial lighting
Best Activities in December
Street Food Market Tours in Centro Storico
December is when Palermo's markets shift into their winter rhythm - you'll find seasonal specialties like pani ca meusa (spleen sandwiches) that taste better in cooler weather, plus Christmas-specific treats like sfince (fried dough balls) that appear only in December. The 70% humidity actually keeps the arancini and panelle crispier longer than in dry summer heat. Markets like Ballaro and Capo are less tourist-heavy now, so vendors have time to explain what you're eating. The cooler temperatures mean you can comfortably spend 2-3 hours grazing without feeling overwhelmed.
Norman-Arab Architecture Walking Routes
The winter light in Palermo is softer and more directional than summer's harsh glare, which makes the gold Byzantine mosaics in churches like La Martorana absolutely luminous between 11am-2pm. December temperatures mean you can spend comfortable hours inside the Palazzo dei Normanni without the summer crowds. The 13 km (8 miles) route between central Palermo and Monreale Cathedral becomes pleasant rather than punishing - you'll actually want to walk portions of it.
Mount Etna Day Trips
December on Etna means snow above 2,000 m (6,562 ft) - you can actually see smoking craters against white slopes, which creates surreal photo opportunities impossible in summer. The 90 km (56 miles) drive from Palermo takes about 90 minutes, and December weather tends toward crisp, clear days rather than summer haze. You'll need warm layers - temperatures at Rifugio Sapienza (1,900 m/6,234 ft) hover around 0-5°C (32-41°F). The volcanic landscape looks particularly dramatic under winter light.
Cooking Classes in Traditional Homes
December cooking classes focus on seasonal Sicilian dishes - you'll learn Christmas specialties like pasta con le sarde using fresh sardines (still excellent in December) and winter vegetables. The cooler weather makes standing over a stove for 3-4 hours actually pleasant rather than the sweaty ordeal it becomes in July. Many classes happen in residential apartments in neighborhoods like Kalsa, giving you access to local homes you'd never otherwise see.
Coastal Towns of Cefalu and Castelbuono
The 70 km (43 miles) drive east to Cefalu takes about an hour, and December means you'll have the medieval streets largely to yourself. The Norman cathedral and La Rocca fortress (270 m/886 ft elevation) are far more enjoyable without summer's cruise ship crowds. Castelbuono, 14 km (8.7 miles) inland, celebrates the Festa di Santa Lucia in mid-December with traditional foods. The cooler weather makes the steep climb through Cefalu's old town genuinely pleasant.
Wine Tasting in Western Sicily
December is harvest aftermath in western Sicilian wine country - the cellars around Marsala and Alcamo (80-100 km/50-62 miles west) are actually fermenting new wines, and winemakers have time to talk. You'll taste late-harvest Grillo and Nero d'Avola while learning about production. The countryside looks beautiful in winter green rather than summer brown, and the 15°C (60°F) temperatures make vineyard walks comfortable. Many estates light fireplaces in their tasting rooms.
December Events & Festivals
Feast of Santa Lucia
December 13th brings the Feast of Santa Lucia, when Palermitani traditionally avoid eating bread and pasta, instead eating cuccìa - a sweet wheat berry pudding with ricotta or chocolate. You'll find it in every pasticceria for about a week surrounding the feast day. The tradition dates to a 1646 famine when a grain ship arrived on Santa Lucia's feast day. It's not a tourist event but a genuine local observance you'll experience if you're eating in the city.
Christmas Markets and Presepi
From early December through January 6, neighborhoods across Palermo set up elaborate presepi (nativity scenes) - some mechanical, some life-sized, many incorporating Sicilian village scenes rather than Biblical Bethlehem. The market in Piazza Politeama sells presepe figures, Christmas decorations, and seasonal foods. It's modest compared to northern European Christmas markets but authentically Sicilian. Streets around Via Maqueda get decorative lighting that transforms the Baroque architecture.
New Year's Eve in Piazza
December 31st brings outdoor celebrations in several piazzas - Piazza Politeama typically hosts a free concert and countdown, while restaurants around Quattro Canti offer special cenone (New Year's dinner) menus running 60-100 euros per person. The tradition includes eating lentils at midnight for prosperity. Streets stay lively until 2-3am, which is late for Palermo. Book any New Year's dinner reservations before mid-December.