The Old Town and the Sea: Waterfront Palermo, By Night
About this activity
Highlights
- Wander the charming streets by moonlight
- Sample fresh seafood straight from the market
- Discover hidden gems of Palermo's nightlife
- Learn about local culinary traditions from guides
- Experience the vibrant atmosphere of the waterfront
Full description
Working our way through some of Palermo’s most charming seaside neighborhoods, we’ll explore the city’s enduring connection to the sea – as well as taste the food and meet the people that tell the old port area’s fascinating story. Our evening will start in the Castellammare neighborhood, home to La Cala – Palermo’s ancient port – which for millennia has been host to sailors, traders, and merchants, including a silversmith hand-hammering religious icons in his tiny workshop, which we’ll visit. To get started, though, we’ll duck into a century-old cafe that remains unchanged since it first opened, for a glass of aromatic Sicilian vermouth. Fortified by our aperitivo, we’ll make our way towards the waterfront and a bustling neighborhood institution for pezzo, classic to-go snacks made from a brioche dough that’s baked with a dizzying array of savory fillings and toppings. Stepping into the port itself, our next stop will bring us face-to-face with one of Palermo’s still working fishermen, who will give our group a chance to step into his colorful wooden boat and tell us about his work and how local fishing traditions are being kept alive. We’ll then continue through the backstreets to a street food specialist for a coppo – a paper cone – filled with pannelle, crispy fritters made from chickpea flour, and other fried bites.
Continuing on our way, we’ll join the locals at a family-run trattoria for a plate of caciocavallo all’argentiera, pasta with sardines and fried calamari, a beloved specialty of the neighborhood. Before the evening is over, we’ll get another taste of the sea at a neighborhood restaurant helmed by a young woman chef. Here we’ll sit down for a meal of freshly caught seafood and fish, served both fried and – more extravagantly – crudo, accompanied by some delicious Sicilian wines. But we’ll be sure to save some room for our last stop, a fifth-generation dessert maker in business since 1860, where we’ll get a taste of a true Palermo original, the Giardiniera, a three-layer gelato cake that evokes the colors of the Italian flag and created to celebrate the late 19th-century unification of Italy. It’s a fitting finish to a walk in an area where history and tradition is evoked at every stop along the way.
Included / Excluded
- Guided walking tour through Palermo's old port area
- Tasting of local specialties like pezzo, pannelle, and caciocavallo all’argentiera
- Engagement with local fishermen and visit to a traditional trattoria
- Transportation to and from the meeting point
Meeting point
Start Location
Piazza San Domenico
Piazza S. Domenico, 90133 Palermo PA, Italy
Important information
Know before you book
- The tour is conducted in English; proficiency is recommended.
- The tour operates on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings
- The tour includes alcoholic beverages; participants must be of legal drinking age.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven terrain.
- Bring a light jacket or sweater, as evenings can be cool.
- Ensure you have a valid ID if you plan to consume alcoholic beverages.
Cancellation policy
More than one week before the beginning of the activity: 90% Refund Less than one week before the beginning of the activity: 50% Refund Less than 72 hours before the beginning of the activity or no-show: No Refund
Reviews
We did the Yanesen tour with Michelle and had a wonderful time exploring corners of Tokyo we were unlikely to find ourselves. The food and venues were very well curated with cultural and historic locations well spaced between eating and drinking. Michelle provided excellent background and context at all times and the pacing was great. Finishing with a drink on a makeshift street bar was perfect. Thank you Michelle for one of the best experiences of our trip.
We recently did the food tour of Kichijoji and had the best time. Our guide, Michelle, was incredible. She was the perfect blend of knowledge, fun and passion, and she introduced us to a diverse range of food offerings and venues. I would highly recommend jumping on one of Michelle's tours with Culinary Backstreets as it was the highlight of our 5 day stay in Tokyo. Cheers, Oliver & Ged
The tour was awesome and we highly recommend. We were expecting a larger group but were excited to show up to a private tour with Kasumi. She made the tour very personal and did an excellent job making the tour feel casual while teaching us lots of new things. She had the cultural knowledge and also mentioned that she continues to learn every time she takes a new group around. Some of the restaurants and shops we stopped at had lovely owners and workers, who were willing to teach us and share their knowledge happily. It was a good mix of foods and Kasumi made sure we were well hydrated and had plenty of time to rest on a hot day. We had a great day and we highly recommend it!