Palermo Ballaro Market & Street Food Tour by Eating Europe
Description
Step into the soul of Palermo on this immersive street food adventure through the historic Albergheria district. Wander through the lively Ballarò Market with your local guide, where centuries-old traditions meet bold Sicilian flavors and sizzling street food. Along the way, taste your way through a delicious line-up of Palermo's street food royalty: crispy arancine, crocchè, and soft sfincione pizza. Visit a hidden monastery-turned-bakery for divine pastries crafted from age-old recipes, sample sun-drenched tomatoes and “cheese on horseback,” and sip espresso from one of Italy’s top independent roasters. With each stop, you'll uncover stories of resilience, rebellion, and the enduring pride of Palermo’s food-loving locals.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Since 1947, this renowned Palermo eatery is famous for its traditional fried specialties. Taste panelle (chickpea fritters) and crocchè (mashed potato croquettes), classic local snacks; a true Sicilian street food experience.
The Arch of Cutò is an ancient monument in Palermo, dating back to the 13th century. It is part of the Palazzo Cutò and it's one of the main entrances of Ballarò Market.
Visit a beloved Palermo bakery, running for 56 years and celebrated even by the NY Times! The chef will prepare two types of sfincione: the Palermitano with tomatoes and caciocavallo cheese, and the Bagherese with tuna, cheese and onions.
Arancina is the most famous street food in Palermo. In this old pharmacy, Anna has opened a small bistrò where the food is prepared fresh everyday and arancine are nice and round, as they should be!
One of Palermo’s most striking historic squares, just steps from Quattro Canti. At its center stands the Fontana Pretoria, a 16th-century Renaissance fountain originally made in Florence and later transported to Palermo in 644 individual pieces.
Enjoy a cannolo espresso at a hidden pastry stop inside a former monastery. Watch as one of Palermo’s best cannoli is filled fresh on the spot with creamy ricotta and finished with pistachio, chocolate chips, and candied fruit.
This square is a unique intersection of history and it's most famous for housing two UNESCO World Heritage churches side-by-side, each representing the city's Arab-Norman heritage.
We will end our tour with a coffee stop, in this 100 years old roastery. Casa Stagnitta is a reference to locals when it comes to good coffee and pastries.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This activity requires a minimum of 2 guests. Should this not be met, we will contact you directly to help you get rescheduled or reimbursed.
- Children under 4 years old do not need a ticket and can join the tour for free. However, food is not included. Paid tickets with food included are available for ages 4 and up.
- Please note that the tastings mentioned are a selection of the delicious foods we often feature. Both offerings and tour stops may vary by day or season, but you're sure to enjoy a delightful array of local flavors!
- Have dietary requirements? Simply email us or add a note at booking, and we’ll do our best to accommodate vegetarians, gluten-free guests or other dietary needs where we can. For guest safety, this experience isn’t suitable for those with severe or life-threatening food allergies to ingredients found on the tour, and the company cannot take responsibility for any food allergies or intolerances.
Reviews(133)
Loved this tour! Inno was a phenomenal guide providing us with the perfect balance of history, cultural info, and humor. The food was the best I’ve had during my entire trip. Highly recommend this!
This was an amazing experience and tour. Everything went well and as planned. The food was amazing and the history of some of Palermo was very interesting. If you’re looking for a great food tour mixed with some history, make sure you book a you with Inno.
Innocenzo was an amazing tour guide! We had an amazing time, ate amazing food and heard amazing stories and history.
Alissia did a good job of introducing us to the food of Palermo, taking us through the Bollaro market and then to several locations with top flight goodies!
Great food, great portions and our guide Alessia was very friendly and knowledgeable. Would highly recommend!
Giusi was phenomenal! We had a very small group and we were taken through such great local gems. The food was delicious, and are full for days! What a great way to see Palermo
This is an awesome way to explore authentic Palermo. I highly recommend this tour; amazing food and a great way to see the city and markets.
The best way to see Palermo, all the highlights, the market, and enjoy all the local foods. I went with my three kids, and they enjoyed every single stop. It was perfect timing to enjoy the rest of the day. A must do!
Our tour with Inncenzo was amazing. He was so passionate and knowledgeable about Palermo and its rich history and culture. The food stops were all different and equally delicious. We would definitely recommend!!
Ciao, Thank you very much for this amazing review about our "Palermo Street Food & Market Tour" guided by Innocenzo. We are glad you had such a great experience during the tour, and we hope to have you soon for another foodie adventure with us! Have a great day!
This was an excellent tour and I cannot recommend it enough! Our guide Giusi was a Sicilian native and so she could relate the food we sampled to Sicilian culture generally and also to her own childhood food experiences and memories. She has also been a professional cook and so could explain how the dishes were prepared. It was very hot on the day of our tour and she was very good at getting us tables in the shade to eat our samples. That alone was amazing! She knew all the vendors of our food and they clearly knew and liked her. All of the vendors and/or their families had been producing their specialties for at least 50 years. The food itself was plentiful. For the savory dishes we had two different versions to compare. All the food was bursting with flavor! (There is a list of the specific food on Eating Europe’s website) We had a beverage at every stop, including two different kinds of soda. The sodas added a nice extra dimension to the tour. We also really appreciated the cold bottled water on such a hot day. The espresso at the end was the best I have had in Italy. I really cannot recommend this tour enough!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a detailed and glowing review of your experience with us during our "Palermo Street Food & Market"! We are absolutely thrilled to hear that you had such a memorable tour, rich of stories, childhood memories and deep relationships. We are glad you enjoyed the carefully curated selection of flavors, from the savory dishes and local sodas to that final espresso. We work hard to build strong relationships with vendors who have kept these traditions alive for generations, and they will be equally heartened to know their passion shone through. Thank you again for highly recommending us. We truly hope to welcome you back for another foodie adventure across Europe!
