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9624

Day tour: Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily from Messina

0
  • From 5 to 6 HoursWe will operate a slighlty shorter tour if your cruise ship time in port doesn't allow a 6 hrs tour
  • Min People : 4The minimum number is the total number of people that we require the operate the tour (e.g. you can book the tour for 2 people)
  • Max People: private tour - small group 16 people - group tour 35 peopleYou can choose the group size you prefer at the check out: private tour, small group (max 16 people) or group tour (max 35 people)
  • Pick-up / Drop-off: Cruise port or accommodation
  • Jan 01’ - Dec 31'
  • Return to port on time 100% guarantee
taormina cathedral square

Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily is a day tour from Messina port to Taormina, a best-seller among our Sicily day tours. Discover with us the villages of Taormina and Castelmola and their unique and impressive views.

Castelmola Sicily is one of the most beautiful villages of Italy, at 550 meters above sea level. We will wind up in its panoramic square, where we will be surprised by the view, on one side, on Mount Etna that, with its 3330 meters, is the highest active volcano in Europe, and on the other, on the marvelous Giardini Naxos bay, the first Greek colony in Sicily. We stop also in local cafès to taste the typical sweet almond wine.

Our day tour continues with a Taormina tour, to visit the most popular tourist destination of Sicily, which was recently made if possible even more famous by the second season of White Lotus Sicily.

During the Taormina tour in Corso Umberto, you will be fascinated by an explosion of colors, sounds, and flavors typical of Sicily. Don’t miss churches, ancient buildings, and exclusive boutiques, as well as great views to take fantastic photos! The aromas from Taormina’s restaurants will make an impact on you, and you will certainly enjoy a break with the flavors of our land.

The Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily will be an unforgettable and multi-sensory experience.

Video
Itinerary

Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily from Messina Cruise Port

The Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily starts from Messina Cruise Port or from Travel Agency Discover Messina Sicily, located in the city center. On request, a departure from your accommodation located in Messina area.

Messina

We are going to have a panoramic tour of the city. We will see the famous statue of the Virgin
Mary of the Letter, the Fountain of Neptune, the St. Francis Church and the Palace of Culture.

Castelmola Sicily

Castelmola Sicily is the first stop of the day tour: we will spend about 1 hour visiting this medieval village where you will enjoy Piazza Sant’Antonio, the Cathedral, and the Castle. Your tour guide will let you taste the traditional almond wine in a local cafè.

Taormina tour

The Taormina tour will be the second part of the day tour to explore the most known tourist destination of the island. During a stroll in the main street -Corso Umberto-, you will admire the majestic Porta Catania and Porta Messina, the Cathedral of Taormina, April IX Square -the most famous and beautiful panoramic point in town, and the clock tower, Corvaja Palace. Before you end of the Taormina tour be sure to not leave without trying the best local foods, such as arancino and the Sicilian cannoli!

Return to Messina Cruise Port

The Taormina tour & Castelmola Sicily will end at the starting point. We share a goodbye, hoping to meet our guests back in Sicily soon.

Map
Price sheet
Adult - Shared group - max 35 people
85,00 € pp
Adult - Small group - max 16 people
110,00€ pp
Private tour - min 4 people
180,00€ pp
Groups - min 10 people
68,00€ pp
Why book with us
  • No-hassle best price guarantee
  • Minivan enabled for people with special needs on request
  • Professional & local tour guides
  • Certified tour operator
  • Small-medium tours, Higher quality
  • Full refund within 24 h to the departure
  • Customer care available 24/7
  • Support information on WhatsApp before the tour
  • Unique Tours & Activities, best experience
  • Free Travel Insureance
Additional Information
Important Information

Languages Offered

English.

 

Italian, Spanish, French, Romanian are available for private tours on request.

 

Price Includes

Round trip by A/C van or bus 

Professional guide

Live commentary on board

Treats and bottled water on board of the bus 

Discover Messina Travel Assistance

Liability Insurance

Price Excludes

Gratuities (optional) 

Entrance ticket to the Greek-Roman theatre 

Food and drinks 

Any Private Expenses

What is not specified in “Included in the price”

What to bring

Sunscreen, light shoes, comfortable and thin clothing, a hat. 

Private Tour Option

If you book this excursion as private for a group of maximum 6 people, you will be comfortably transported by our luxury car. Please, contact us and we will be happy to provide you with further information.

Booking instructions
  • Step 1: Find the calendar and choose the date

The calendar is located at the right side of the page if you browse on a desktop. You can find the calendar at the bottom of the page if you are browsing on mobile.

  • Step 2: Choose the departure time

Departure times are set according to the arrival and departure time of cruise ships based on the calendars that we know in advance. Return on time is 100% guaranted, and we wait for our guests to arrive if the ship is late disembarking.

  • Step 3: Choose your group size

At the check-out, you can see and decide what you want to pay according to the group size you choose.

  • Step 4: Fill the fields with the required info

At the check-out you will be asked to fill a form with basic info: name, mobile phone number, e-mail, name of the ship ecc. If a discount code is available, this is the moment to use it.

*Please, be sure to share with us a correct phone number because we will use it to share important reminiders and notes for your trip in advance.

  • Step 5: Finalize the payment to book

You have the option to pay with a deposit of 40% if the total due amount is more than 500€. We will later charge your card for the balance within 15 days to the tour departure.

FAQ

What happens if my ship is late?

If your ship docks a bit later than expected, or if for any reason clearance procedures take longer, we will wait for you until the disembarking procedures are complete, and you will be allowed off the ship.

If for any personal reasons you are running late, your guide can wait for you no more than 10 minutes before leaving.

Is this tour suitable to people with mobility issues?

We are happy to welcome people with mobility issues and special needs. Foldable walkers and wheelchairs can be accommodated on most of our vehicles if the guest can get on and off the bus.

Castelmola

Castelmola is a small medieval village, and there are steps to reach the Mother Church. People who can’t walk too far can wait at the little square where the bus drops the group off, and enjoy a coffee or a gelato with a view. 

Taormina

Once in Taormina, if you bus will enter the parking station, elevators are available to reach the city center from the parking. Other than that, the historic center develops along Corso Umberto, the main street of Taormina, which is flat with no steps. 

Is this tour shared or private?

You can choose the group size of your tour at the check-out:

  • Regular group tour (max 35 people)
  • Small group (min 8 – max 16 people)
  • Private tour (minum 4 people per booking required)

What is the driving time from/to Messina on the Taormina & Castelmola tour?

The distance from Messina till Taormina is almost 55 km and the duration is almost 45-50 minutes. 

Is the entrance ticket of the Greek-roman theatre included in the price of this tour?

No, the entrance ticket and the visit to the Greek-Roman Theatre is not included in the price of this tour. If you are interested in visiting the Greek-Roman Theather, you can book the tour that includes it: Taormina and Castelmola with the Greek Theater

How much free-time available this tour includes?

The free time included in this tour is almost 2 hrs. Free time can vary depending on traffic conditions and other unpredictable situations. Our #1 priority is to bring you back on time to the port before the departure of your ship. For private tours we are flexible and, upon request, we can add some extra time at the destination if the ship time in port allows without extra charge.

taormina white lotus tour

What they say about us

  • Clara_H
    Great Experience

    Our tour guide Giulia was excellent — knowledgeable, articulate, pleasant and very
    organized. We were picked up and returned to the pier in perfect timing.. Both Taormina and
    Castelmolo were charming cities with breathtaking views, well worth visiting.

     

    June 27h, 2025

  • leighann_m
    Awesome!

    Very very organized. Tour company was in communication with us 5 days before the tour. On a scale of 1 to 10 being the highest. This tour would receive an 18!. They were waiting for us at the terminal gate with identifiable shirts. They told us where and what they would be wearing. Margarina our guide was awesome and the bus driver deserves a raise for getting us to Castlemona and back safely, which is quite a drive of hairpin turns with oncoming traffic, lots of busses. Impressive driving to say the least. This tour is what I have always booked and received from Viator.

     

     

    June 26th, 2025

  • Rima_R
    I fell in love with Sicily!

    Carmelo and Giuseppe were our lovely guides who tag-teamed telling us and another family about Sicily. We dropped off Giuseppe and the other family at the marina and continued with Carmelo to Castelmola, the most adorable village on top of a mountain. We wandered around and had a tasting of almond wine. We then were driven to Taormina and Carmelo gave us a map, lots of information, and some restaurant recommendations. We were able to wander and shop for a couple of hours and then were taken back to the port. It was an amazing day!

     

     

    June 21st, 2025

  • caseyaK7495VG
    Incredible Tour with Discover Messina and Sara

    We had an amazing experience exploring Castelmola and Taormina with Discover Messina. Our guide Sara was exceptional. She was incredibly knowledgeable, welcoming, and brought so much insight and energy to the tour. You could tell she truly loves what she does.

    Sara made the history come alive and gave us a deeper appreciation for the beauty and culture of the area. Both Castelmola and Taormina were stunning and the pacing of the day was just right. We never felt rushed and had plenty of time to take in the views, explore, and enjoy the local charm.

    Highly recommend this tour and especially Sara. She made it one of the highlights of our entire trip. Thank you for an unforgettable day!

     

     

    June 17th, 2025

  • 201JeffR201
    Castelmola and Taormina

    We just returned from our tour of Castelmola and Taormina and it was a very nice tour. Our guide Katia did a very good job and was very informative with where we were going and what we would be seeing. She was also very helpful in pointing out good places to eat. Sicily is very beautiful, the ride up the mountain has very nice views and I would recommend anyone to take this tour.

     

     

     

    May 29th, 2025

  • Nancy_H
    Fantastic company and tour guide!

    Messina Tours has been so wonderful from the minute I booked this tour right up to when our tour ended yesterday! Their communication response is perfect, everyone extremely kind and caring and we loved our tour guide Sara, she was the best! Thank you and I will absolutely recommend this company to anybody I know traveling to this part of Italy!

     

     

    May 12th, 2025

  • 1946Traveler2022
    Wonderful guide Claudia

    We had a great day visiting Taormina. Claudia was a terrific guide. We also visited
    Castelmoda, but honestly, there isn’t much there. Lots more in Taormina. Highly recommend
    the tour. Claudia was very professional, informative and fun!

     

     

    May 11th, 2025

  • Kim_C
    Group Traveller
    Castlemola was amazing

    The drive to Castlemola on hairpin turns up the side of the mountain was a bit scary. Our bus driver did a great job. Once in Castlemola, it was well worth the drive. Amazing little town. Taormina was a beautiful town as well, but surprisingly crowded. Claudia was our guide and she was excellent and most importantly her English was excellent and very easy to understand.

     
     
    October 30, 2024
  • Dan M
    Family Traveller
    Amazing tour from start to finish

    We appreciated and enjoyed every element of this tour. The tour support staff greeted us as we left the ship and directed us to our pickup location a short walk away. From there we met our guide Gabriella, boarded the bus and were set up with our communication gear. And then the fun began. Our driver did a wonderful job skillfully ascending the winding roads while our guide Gabriella entertained all us with colorful stories about the area’s history. Upon arrival we strolled through Castelmola and Taormina with Gabriella’s guidance, met some of the local restauranteurs, and enjoyed plenty of free time for lunch and photos. From beginning to end, this was one of the best tours I have taken. Thanks Gabriella and Discover Messina.

     
     
    October 22, 2024
  • LightPacker235664
    Couple Traveller
    Favorite stop on the cruise

    We loved our time in Sicily!! Mariareta was a perfect guide and made our day trip perfect. The views, food, drink and shopping were what we’ve been looking for all over the Mediterranean! Thank you!!

     
     
    October 14, 2024
  • Lisa_R
    Family Traveller
    Taormina and Castelmola Tour from the Port

    We really enjoyed this tour. Sabrina was a fabulous guide, we had just the right amount of time at Castelmola and plenty of time at Taormina. The bus trip was interesting with nice scenery. I would definitely recommend this tour.

     
     
    October 12, 2024
  • 453barbr
    Group Traveller
    Great tour that offers beautiful views!!

    This tour was well organized and we learned a lot about the area. Castelmola and Taormina were the highlight of our trip. Thank goodness this tour has a fantastic bus driver who can navigate all the curves and turns as you go 400 meters above sea level. The views are beautiful and Elisa did a great job as our guide. A nice blend of history and culture of the area without overwhelming you. Even had a view of Mt Etna. Great free time for walking and shopping in Castelmola and Taormina. Have to get Cannoli at Roberto’s in Taormina. Would highly recommend if you don’t want to spend 8 plus hours on a tour.

     
     
    October 5, 2024
  • Chad M
    Family Traveller
    You wont be disappointed

    Absolutely phenomenal experience with the company Discover Messina. They contacted us days ahead of our scheduled Tour and verified all the details of meeting point, what to look for and who our tour guide would be. Fortunately for us it was Katia and we couldn’t have asked for a better guide. She was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and kind. She put our group at ease and we enjoyed the conversations about Sicily, its history and her family. Her English was clear and she was open to adding a stop on our way back to our cruise ship to visit the Cathedral of Messina. Thank you again for a memorable experience.

     
    October 2, 2024
  • Joan_P
    Couple Traveller
    Great tour guide.

    We met with our tour group at the designated time. Gabrella was our tour guide and Salvatore was our driver. Gabrella was fantastic. She had a vast knowledge of the areas and made everything very interesting. She had a great sense of humor which everyone appreciated. Beautiful scenery and buildings. Learned a lot about the way the locals live. Would take the tour again.

     
     
    October 1, 2024

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