Things to do in Taormina

Admire the breathtaking views from Mount Etna on a half-day morning trek from Taormina. Visit craters, explore lava tunnels, and learn about this otherworldly landscape from your guide. Enjoy lunch and wine tasting after the hike. Depart Taormina in the morning and journey to the foothills of Mt. Etna. En route, enjoy insightful commentary about your surroundings from your guide. Arrive at Mount Etna and hike for approximately 1.5 hours around the perimeters of extinct craters. Walk through ancient woods and along paths covered in lava at about 2,000 meters above sea level. Get a better understanding of this active volcano and its surrounding landscape from your guide. Learn about its geology and history before heading underground to explore one of the lava caves. Then, head to a local café for a savory sandwich, wine, and dessert, followed by almond wine tasting. Savor this Sicilian sweet wine before being returned to your hotel in the afternoon.

Enjoy the sights and tastes of Italy à la The Godfather in the company of a knowledgeable, English-speaking tour guide.  Your guide will pick you up at your hotel or port at a time suitable to you before beginning your tour in Savoca, a medieval hilltop town where the fictitious Michael Corleone hid out during the "Going to the Mattresses" scene.  In Savoca, stop at Bar Vitelli, which looks exactly as it did in the movie. At Bar Vitelli, you will be invited to take pictures with an authentic Sicilian shotgun, see pictures from The Godfather movie, enjoy the view from the square where the wedding scene was filmed, and purchase souvenirs.  The highlight, however, will be an optional tasting of Sicilian cannoli and lemon granita. Your next stop will be the church of Santa Lucia, where Michael and Apollonia got married. You will follow in the footsteps of the newlyweds down the hill into the town. Once in the town, visit another ancient church, dating back to the 13th century.  Your guide will tell you about the filming processes involved in shooting The Godfather and some fun trivia about the movie, the director, and the actors. Discover the history of the real Sicilian mafia from your guide. Hear how the mafia rose to power, its structure, and about the "Law of Silence", "Men of Respect" and the "Boss of the Bosses". After all this walking and learning, you will be taken to visit one of the best wine bars in Savoca where you can try excellent Sicilian wines and locally produced, traditional food including cheeses, salami, prosciutto, olives, and homemade bread.  During the tour in Savoca, you will also see the mirror monument dedicated to Coppola, on the panoramic terrace overlooking the Ionian coast, the site of Michael Corleone's wedding scene. Your tour will continue to Forza D'Agro, another stunning hilltop town. Your guide will lead you along abandoned streets towards the historic square where you will visit the churches Santissima Trinita and Santissima Annunziata. In Forza D'Agro, you will see the piazza where young Vita Andolini escaped from Don Ciccio's men and you will walk up to the remains of a 12th-century Norman Castle to admire the panoramic view of the Ionian coastline.

Jump in the shuttle bus and head out into the lunar landscape of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, Mount Etna. At over 6,500 ft (1,981 meters), this majestic mountain dominates the coastline, concealing plenty of treasures within its lair. No trip to Sicily would be complete without a visit to the tempestuous territories of Mount Etna. Starting at Rifugio Sapienza, follow the line of the old Silvestri craters down into a cave of lava formed during the eruption of 1792. From here, head to the province of Zafferana, where you'll visit a local organic farm and sample honey and wine, cultivated in the fertile soils of the region. En route to Taormina, look at the spectacular wildlife reserve of Isola Bella from above. Upon arrival, spend lunch at your leisure, then re-group to check out the highlights of this unique historical town. From the old-world charm of the ancient Greek theater to the breathtaking views of the Bay of Nexus and the striking architecture of Palazza Corvaja, this town steals the heart of every visitor.

Spend a morning in Taormina learning how to cook delicious Sicilian food from a professional chef. At the end of the class, participants enjoy the lunch they created along with wine. Meeting at 10:00 AM at the Arch of Porta Messina, the activity starts with a guided tour of the market of Taormina. Shopping for fresh ingredients, the group will enjoy learning about the local products. Back at the restaurant the chef will explain the recipes in program while guests take a break for coffee. The preparation and the cooking of the food will then start, with the making of hand-made pasta a highlight. Once the dishes are prepared, everybody is invited to the table for the typical local lunch with accompanying wines. Afterwards, each participant will receive a certificate and an autographed apron as a souvenir of this special day.  

Visit the tallest volcano in Europe and explore Etna Park on a 6-hour tour from Taormina. The first stop of the day is in the town of Zafferana, known as the town of honey, located on the eastern side of Etna. Visit one of the area’s top organic farms to taste products such as honey, olive oil and wine. Later, put on a helmet and headlamp and head inside a lava cave to learn how lava flows are formed. At the Sapienza Refuge, see both the newest eruptions of the volcano and the old Silvestri craters dating from the 1892 eruption. Trek along a nature path enjoying breathtaking views, before the drive back to Taormina.

Visit the Ancient Theater of Taormina with this guided tour and enjoy the added perk of skip-the-line entry privileges. Take a journey through the archaeological ruins and learn the history. Step back into the past with a visit to the Ancient Theater of Taormina. After the one of Syracusa, the Ancient Theater of Taormina is the largest building for shows in the Italian Peninsula. Learn about the Greek building that dates back to the 3rd-2nd century BCE. See how the Romans under Emperor Trajan and Hadrian changed the monument/ Discover the amphitheatre and orchestra, converted under Emperor Caracalla and hear tales of gladiator fights during this period.

Benefit from pick-up at your accommodation and journey with an authorized local guide through the typical villages of Sicily's west coast. Pass houses made from lava stone and marvel at groves of orange, olive and almond trees. Listen to tales of local traditions and learn about the food and wines produced in the volcanic landscape of Mount Etna. Stop at a family-run winery and get a glass of rosé Prosecco as a welcome.  Visit the cellars before a wine tasting with cold appetizers in a lava stone open-air amphitheater. Sample a glass of white and red wine with locally produced cheeses, salamis, artichokes and more. Continue to a farmhouse to savor more food and wine on an open-air terrace overlooking the vineyards. Try various dishes, including ricotta cheese with marmalade and 2 different pastas made with seasonal ingredients, such as black pork sauce.  Lastly, taste a homemade Limoncello and be dropped off at your accommodation.

Discover the secret to making an authentic Italian pizza at a half-day pizza making course in Taormina. Held in a pizzeria in the beautiful resort town, the class is led by a professional pizza maker, who will demonstrate how to prepare and bake a perfect pizza. Learn the basics of pizza preparation, following the simple advice and techniques demonstrated by your guide. Enjoy a hands-on experience as you discover how to make perfect pizza dough, get tips on what goes into a good pizza sauce, and hear how to have fun with pizza toppings. Learn the importance of a good wheat flour rich in gluten, water, and fresh yeast, discover how to stretch your dough, and how to transform it into something everyone will want to eat. Then, enjoy your pizzas for a complete meal that also includes mixed bruschetta, complimentary mineral water and soft drinks, and some local wine. Before you leave, your chef will present you with a pizza certificate to confirm that you are now a qualified pizza cook.

Europe’s highest active volcano is studied extensively by scientists and is popular with trekkers and nature lovers as well. Visit Mount Etna and the clifftop village of Taormina on this 11-hour excursion from Palermo. From Crateri Silvestri you’ll take the funicular with a local mountain guide all the way up to 2,500 meters above sea level. From this point you’ll experience unforgettable panoramic views. Just south of Taormina is the nature reserve of Isola Bella, and further south you’ll see the popular seaside resort of Giardini Naxos. Visit the village of Taormina, a 45-minute drive from Mount Etna. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea, the village features an ancient Greek theater, many old churches, antique shops, lively bars and fine restaurants.

Begin your Sicilian adventure with pickup from your hotel at 9 AM. Sit back and relax as you’re transported in comfort to a truly unique location, Mount Etna. Positioned above the convergent plate margin between the cities of Messina and Catania, Mount Etna is the highest-located active volcano in all of Europe. Learn about this fascinating volcano  from your expert guide, and explore its ancient craters and lava caves with helmets and torches. Then move on to explore Taormina at your leisure without a guide. Discover one of the most pristine areas of Sicily, celebrated for its stunning natural landscapes, marine beauty, baroque and medieval monuments, and its quaint Greek theater.