Palermo Mafia Tours

Palermo is the capital of Sicily, has some of the most representative architectural works of southern Italy and is an example of coexistence of different Norman, Byzantine and Romanesque styles, but it is also the city where the Cosa Nostra emerged and where the mafia has moved at ease, especially during the first half of the twentieth century.

Among the best things to see and do in Palermo to follow the ways of the mafia you can take a guided walk through the city to discover the origins of gangsterism, visit the Mercado del Capo, where a medieval lodge founded the Cosa Nostra criminal organisation, tour Corleone to find the locations of The Godfather and visit Portella della Ginestra to relive the famous massacre.

A guided walk through the city to learn about the ways of the Mafia is the most comprehensive of excursions to learn about the Cosa Nostra in Palermo, which is the founding city of the criminal organisation in Sicily. On these tours you can visit Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, which is the epicentre of the capital, the Mercado del Capo, where Italian gangsterism was born, and also Piazza della Memoria.

During these excursions you can also learn about the links between politics and the Mafia in Sicily and the influence of the Cosa Nostra on the resistance and separatist movements during World War II and the post-war period. Usually during these excursions you will also visit the picturesque Cathedral and the Town Hall.

In addition, if you are a fan of The Godfather trilogy, you will be able to visit the corners of the Sicilian capital that were used as filming locations, such as the Teatro Massimo, where the final scene of the third film was shot, and the Monastery of Palermo, where Michael Corleone meets the Pope.

Note also that Mafia-themed excursions are also a fun alternative to see the main sites of Palermo's historic centre in a fun guided tour, especially if you are interested in the Mafia theme.

Interesting details

• Price of these tours... They have an initial cost of approximately 32 euros per person. Children between 10 and 17 years old pay 16 euros.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... It is an ideal excursion to get to know the main points of the city in an alternative way.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... They are usually walking tours throughout, so on hot days they can become very tiring.

Corleone is not only the surname of the protagonist family in The Godfather trilogy, but also an ancient Sicilian village where there are plenty of real-life examples of mafia bosses who were born there. On these half-day excursions you can walk the roads of Corleone, see some of the film locations and visit the Mafia Museum, which is noted for containing the archives of Sicilian gangsterism.

In Corleone you will also have time to have lunch, enjoy the Sicilian gastronomy and also taste the wines of the town's wineries, in restaurants that have nothing to envy to those that are usually included in the best gastronomic tours of Palermo. After lunch, the tour continues to Portella della Ginestra.

Portella della Ginestra is a small spot located between the villages of San Giuseppe Jato and Piana degli Albanesi and is a site made famous by the bandit Salvatore Giuliano, a post-war Sicilian gangster and trafficker who led the island's separatist movements for many years and who provoked the massacre that ended with 11 dead during the summer celebrations of the 1st of May 1947. During the visit you can visit the memorial to the victims.

Interesting details

• Price of these tours... They have an initial cost of approximately 75 euros per person. The final price varies according to the number of visitors and includes return transfers and the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 5 to 6 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will get to see some of Sicily's most famous villages.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... The tour has a very hectic pace, not recommended for older adults and small children.

Just as there are many excursions that try to show the history of the mafia and the relations of the Cosa Nostra with Palermo and the island of Sicily, there are also anti-mafia tours that want to promote the culture that fights gangsterism in the Sicilian capital and also to defend the memory of those who died fighting the mafia bosses.

These excursions are among the best tours of Palermo, as they not only review the main mafia-related sites of the city but also the memorials of those who sacrificed their lives in the attempt to re-establish a culture of legality in Palermo, such as Judge Giovanni Falcone, who was assassinated by the Cosa Nostra in an assassination attempt.

These tours are usually led by a guide who belongs to an anti-mafia organisation, so he or she will be able to give you first-hand information on the measures taken by these associations to help eradicate gangsterism in the Sicilian capital. On these tours, you can also stop for lunch in the Piazza della Memoria area, which is located between the old and the new Palermo Courthouse.

The anti-mafia tours last approximately 3 hours, so they are compatible with a short visit to the city. If this is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Palermo in 3 days.

Interesting details

• Price of these excursions... They have an initial cost of approximately 31 euros per person, including the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 3 hours.
• Advantages of these tours... You will be able to take an alternative mafia-themed tour.
• Disadvantages of these tours... Usually do not visit the Mercado del Capo, which is one of the most important markets in Palermo.

If you want to combine a cycling activity with a mafia tour in Palermo then you can opt for these excursions, which consist of a ride from the historic centre of the Sicilian capital to Bagli de Ciaculli, a peasant village where you can discover Norman and Islamic Arab buildings and also revisit mafia stories, such as the Ciaculli Massacre.

This massacre consisted of a car bomb that exploded in Ciaculli in 1963, killing 7 policemen and soldiers, in an attack that was promoted by the mafia boss Pietro Torretta. This massacre did not go unnoticed by the national government, but was the beginning of the first war against the mafia, making it a central destination in the history of the Cosa Nostra.

This excursion is one of the best activities to do from Palermo, the best activities to do from Palermo, as you will be able to cycle more than 30 kilometres there and back and also visit one of the representative sites in the fight with the Sicilian gangsterism.

Interesting details

• Price of these excursions... They have an initial cost of approximately 39 euros per person, including the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration of these tours... Approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... It is the best activity to combine sports cycling and a mafia tour in Palermo.
• Disadvantages of these excursions... It is a physically demanding excursion, so it is not recommended for summer, because of the heat.

If you plan to visit Palermo at Christmas time you'll find that the Christmas markets are a big feature of the city, especially the one located in the Mercado del Capo which becomes themed during December, but these markets are open all year round and some have a striking history in their past.

The Mercato del Capo, which is one of the four most important markets in the city, hides many of the secrets of the Sicilian mafia, as it is believed that it was in its underground passageways, which are now closed, that the Cosa Nostra originated through the criminal activities of a medieval sect known as the Beati Paoli. Here you can take a guided tour through the alleys of the market to discover its myths.

These tours are usually short and last about 2 hours, so they are ideal if you plan to continue touring the city afterwards, because the Mercado del Capo is located in the city centre, very close to Palermo Cathedral, the Town Hall, Piazza della Memoria and Piazza Giuseppe Verdi, which is the epicentre of most of the city's activities.

Interesting details

• Price of these excursions... They have an initial cost of approximately 18 euros per person, including the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration of these tours... Approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions... You will get to know in a short visit one of the foundational sites of the Cosa Nostra in Palermo.
• Disadvantages of these excur sions... Although the Mercado del Capo is very important in the local history of the Mafia, it is not the central site of the Cosa Nostra in Palermo, so it can be incomplete.

One of the best alternatives to be part of the atmosphere of the city on a mafia tour is to take a night tour of the places that hide the mysteries and secrets of Palermo. On these excursions you can visit the Mercado del Capo, which is considered the founding place of the Cosa Nostra in the Middle Ages, the Piazza della Memoria, the Town Hall, the Piazza Giuseppe Verdi and the Cathedral, which witnessed the links between the Church and the Mafia bosses.

On these tours you can also visit the No Mafia Memorial, which is one of the best museums in Palermo and is dedicated to honouring the victims who died fighting the Cosa Nostra in Sicily. During the tour of the Mercado del Capo you can also stop to buy food and drinks along the way.

These walking tours last approximately 2 hours and are also useful for seeing the main sites by night and enjoying the architecture and lighting of the Sicilian capital.

Please note that while these tours are available all year round, if you are planning to visit Palermo in winter I recommend that you take even a light coat with you, as the temperature tends to drop substantially at night.

Useful details

• Price of these tours... They have an initial cost of approximately 24 euros per person, including the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration of these excursions... Approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these tours... This is the best night-time alternative among the mafia tours.
• Disadvantages of these tours... The stop for food and drinks may be too short.

You can either buy the tours in advance online or book the tours once you are in the city, although if you plan to visit Palermo in August or during the summer months it is best to buy in advance of your visit to secure your place on the tours and also to avoid last minute price increases.

In addition, some tourist service providers offer discounts for online bookings and having the tours programmed before your visit will allow you to organise an itinerary to get to know the city.

The answer will depend on the tour you choose, but if you are interested in the mafia theme you will be able to see the main sites in and around Palermo where the Cosa Nostra originated and developed and also learn about the protagonists of the fight against gangsterism, terrotism, trafficking and crime in the city.

It is also a good alternative to get to know the city from a different approach, although most of the tours cover the main sites of the Sicilian capital.

If you are planning to visit Palermo in summer, which is the city's peak season, I recommend that you book your tours in advance to avoid crowds, sold out spaces and last minute price increases.

Also, if you plan to visit Palermo with children, I advise you to opt for shorter tours or those that require less physical exertion, to avoid the kids getting bored and not being able to enjoy the attractions.

If you are a fan of the mafia theme, these tours are not to be missed, as Palermo is not only intimately linked to the Cosa Nostra and is part of its history, but also offers very successful tours to tackle the subject.

Mafia tours are also excellent opportunities to get to know important and peripheral places in Palermo such as Corleone and Portella della Ginestra, which would otherwise be difficult to get to know on your own.