Norman Palace & Palatine Chapel tickets

The price depends on the day

The Norman Palace (Palazzo dei Normanni, also called Palazzo Reale) is run by the Fondazione Federico II, and it's still the seat of the Sicilian Regional Parliament. That has practical consequences, starting with the price.

• Thursday to Monday, and holidays: €14.50 full. Reduced tickets cost €12.50 for EU citizens aged 18–25 and permanent teachers, €11 for EU citizens aged 65+ and €9 for ages 14–17. The ticket covers the Palatine Chapel, the Royal Apartments and the Royal Gardens.
• Tuesday and Wednesday: €10 full (€8 reduced and 65+, €6 for ages 14–17). It covers the Palatine Chapel and the Royal Gardens only.

If all you're after is the Palatine Chapel, Tuesday or Wednesday saves you money and you miss nothing. If you want the state rooms too, avoid those two days.

Reductions and free entry apply to EU citizens, and to others only where reciprocity applies. Children up to 13 with an adult get in free. Bring ID for any discount.

The audio/video guide costs €5. You can add it when you buy online or rent it at the bookshop desk. It comes in English, Italian, Spanish, French, German and Russian.

Closures without notice

Know this before you plan your day. The Foundation warns that the palace and the Palatine Chapel may close fully or partly, or change hours, without notice for institutional or religious reasons. In practice it's mostly the Royal Apartments. In October, for example, they were shut on several days, and on others the last ticket was sold at 4pm.

Two fixed rules:

• On Sundays the Palatine Chapel is closed 9:30–11am. Arrive at 8:30am and you get under an hour; otherwise wait until 11.
• On Sundays and holidays, last entry is 12:30pm, against 4:30pm on other days.

Restoration work is also scheduled in the Palatine Chapel, with special changes to opening hours. Check the "Visita" page on the Foundation's website the night before, where the month's notices are listed day by day.

Hours and timing

The palace opens daily at 8:30am. Last entry is 4:30pm Monday to Saturday and 12:30pm on Sundays and holidays. It's closed on 25 December and 1 January.

On weekdays, school visits are booked in fixed slots, 8:30–10:30am and 12:30–2:30pm, so expect classes in the chapel at those times. You can buy tickets online until 20 minutes before the day's last entry, so a last-minute decision still works.

There's no left-luggage service, and no animals apart from guide dogs and pet-therapy dogs. If it's your check-out day, drop your bags somewhere else first.

There's no first-Sunday free entry here. That scheme covers Sicily's regional museums and parks, and the palace is run by the Fondazione Federico II. Visitors who get in free every day include children up to 13 with an adult, disabled visitors with one companion, journalists, ICOM members, and teachers and students on history, art and literature degree courses.

Accessibility

Step-free areas include the bookshop, the Duca di Montalto rooms, the Palatine Chapel, the Sala d'Ercole, the Viceroys' Room, the Pompeian Room, the Chinese Room and the Royal Gardens. The Punic Walls archaeological area, the King Roger Room and the Pisan Tower are not accessible. Disabled visitors and one companion get in free.

Official ticket or guided tour?

For a plain visit, the Foundation's ticket is the cheapest option, and there's no reason to pay more elsewhere for the same thing. GetYourGuide sells guided tours with entry included, plus longer walks that combine the Royal Palace, the Cathedral and the old town. They're worth it if you want someone to read the chapel's mosaics with you, or if you have one day and want everything fitted in.

The palace pairs well with Monreale. Do the Palatine Chapel in the morning, take bus 389 from nearby Piazza Indipendenza, and arrive at Monreale Cathedral after it reopens at 2pm.