From October 10 to November 16, 2025, Palermo hosts the annual Vie dei Tesori (Treasure Streets): for weeks, churches, palaces, gardens, courtyards, theaters, and historic sites that often remain invisible to the general public will be opened, narrated, and inhabited by guided walks, concerts, special visits, and cultural events.
Imagine entering a forgotten palace, walking along secret corridors, ascending to terraces overlooking the city, listening to ancient stories echoing in the empty silence of closed rooms. It's an experience that transforms the tourist into an explorer, the monument into a dream waiting to be revealed.
One of the highlights is Palazzo Branciforte, which opens its rooms for guided tours lasting about 30 minutes on weekends in October. In many other historic buildings, participation in the Treasure Trails program allows for special access, art tours, concerts, exhibitions, and author stories.
Visiting Palermo in October means encountering a gentler, more breathable city. Daytime temperatures hover between 22°C and 23°C, while nights become cooler, around 16°C-19°C. The risk of rain isn't particularly high, but a few days of light rain are possible—it's worth bringing light rain protection.
Autumn partially strips the city of its summer tourist smog: the streets are less crowded, the alleys quieter, and the lights at sunset take on a special magic. It's the perfect time to stroll slowly, stop in a square, enter a church, and observe the details that most people miss in summer.
How to live the experience. Practical advice.
* Choose the right weekend: The Treasure Trails are concentrated on weekends, when many places open their doors to the public.
* Purchase coupons or tickets in advance: for the “Treasure Places” a single ticket (around €3) is often enough, while for walks, concerts, or special events, reservations are required.
* Start from the center: the location of your B&B, opposite the Cathedral, is strategic: from there you can walk to many of the festival venues.
* Alternate between indoor and outdoor visits: if it rains, you can take refuge in one of the buildings opened by the festival; when the sky is clear, climb the terraces or the panoramic towers.
* Seize the signature walks and special experiences: dramatized visits, tastings in unusual places, nighttime itineraries to discover hidden heritage.
* Dress in layers: Bring a light jacket for the evening, but dress comfortably for walking during the day.
* Don't overlook street food: during the festival, markets and alleys come alive even more, with opportunities to taste local specialties.
Walking through Palermo in autumn, under a golden sky, with the doors of secret palaces opening before you... is an experience that will remain in your heart. It's more than just a visit: it's a journey into the city's secrets, a dialogue with memory, a glimpse of what Palermo holds beneath the surface.
