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From 40€
Want to discover Messina in a unique and exciting way? Come and enjoy our private walking tour! Our local guide will take you to the most interesting places and will tell you everything you need to know about the city, don't miss this opportunity to discover Messina in an unforgettable... Learn more
Free cancellation
2 hours
Guided tour
From 140€
This tour will allow you to admire the beautiful landscapes of the Sicilian Ionian coast, as well as to visit some of the most interesting and emblematic places of the island, such as the city of Taormina and the village of Castelmola.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
8 hours
Guided tour
From 160€
Experience the natural and cultural wonders of Sicily with our private tour of Etna and Messina. Our expert guide will take you on an 8-hour journey through some of the most beautiful landscapes and historic sites in Sicily, including the Etna Volcano, Monte Soro, Gole dell'Alcantara, Taormina and Messina Cathedral.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
8 hours
Guided tour
From 130€
The private tour of Taormina from the cruise terminal or Messina is a tour of one of the most beautiful cities in Sicily. During the tour, you will see the most emblematic places of Taormina, such as Teatro Greco, IX Aprile Square and Corvaja Palace.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
5 hours
Guided tour
From 160€
You won't have to worry about anything except enjoying the beautiful view. Your expert guide will take you to the best places to take pictures, tell you the story behind each place and answer all your questions.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
8 hours
Guided tour
From 140€
Messina is a city in Sicily and Taormina is its capital. Both cities are well known for their amazing beaches and for the beauty of their architecture, fall in love with this destination with us!... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
8 hours
Guided tour
From 160€
A private tour to Etna from Messina will allow you to explore the volcano without worrying about crowds or waiting in line for hours on end. You can also visit a winery on Etna.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
8 hours
Guided tour
From 40€
Are you planning to visit the stunning city of Taormina in Sicily? If so, Tour Travel and More offers a hassle-free private transfer service from Messina to Taormina. Sit back and relax in a comfortable vehicle as you make your way to this beautiful destination.... Learn more
Free cancellation
Luxury vehicle
transfer
Messina looks younger than every other city in Sicily, and there’s a reason. On 28 December 1908 an earthquake and the tsunami that followed destroyed around ninety per cent of it. What stands today was rebuilt low and braced, and the cathedral is a reconstruction of a reconstruction. Its bell tower holds the largest astronomical clock of its kind, built in Strasbourg in 1933: at twelve sharp a bronze lion roars, a cock crows and a twelve-minute mechanical sequence plays out in front of whoever happens to be in the square. Knowing that at 11:55 rather than 12:05 is exactly what a licensed official tour guide is for.
With us you’re always private: your group and your guide, nobody else. You set the pace, and for Taormina and Etna we put you in a luxury vehicle with a chauffeur. There’s a travel coordinator on call at any hour too. The Private Walking Tour in Messina starts at 40€.
The centre is flat, gridded and walkable, and small enough to see properly in a morning — cathedral and clock, the Orion fountain, and the golden Madonnina on her column at the harbour mouth, blessing ships on their way through the strait. The private walking tour starts at 40€.
Duomo · astronomical clock · Fontana di Orione · Madonnina del Porto
This is the classic day out from Messina, and the reason most calls here exist: a Greek theatre with Etna behind the stage, a medieval main street and a cliff-top town. Taormina from your hotel or the cruise terminal starts at 130€, and Taormina with Castelmola, the village 500 m above it, at 140€.
Taormina · Teatro Antico · Corso Umberto · Castelmola
Europe’s most active volcano is an hour and a half away, and the road up crosses lava flows you can date by name. Etna with Messina or Etna with Taormina both start at 160€, as does Taormina with a winery visit on the slopes — Etna DOC vines planted straight into volcanic soil.
Etna · Rifugio Sapienza · Etna DOC wineries
Coppola filmed the Sicilian scenes of The Godfather in Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, half an hour south of Messina — Bar Vitelli is the real place and still serves lemon granita to whoever turns up. Corleone itself was never used: by 1971 it was too modern for the period. Savoca and Taormina starts at 140€.
Savoca · Bar Vitelli · Forza d’Agrò · Taormina
Messina is one of the most practical ports in the Mediterranean: ships berth right beside the city centre, so you step off and you’re already there. In practice almost nobody stays — Taormina is forty-five minutes away and Etna an hour and a half, which makes Messina the gateway to eastern Sicily rather than the destination. That’s a perfectly honest way to use a call here, and we’d rather say so.
A typical day is Taormina from 130€, Taormina and Castelmola from 140€, or Etna combined with either from 160€. Every itinerary is built backwards from your all-aboard time, your guide meets you at the terminal and our coordinator watches the clock. A straight private transfer from Messina to Taormina is 40€.
The 1908 earthquake took almost everything, so this is a rebuilt twentieth-century city with a handful of restored survivors. Fascinating as a story; thinner as a monument trail.
Swordfish done the Messina way, pidone fried turnovers and granita with brioche — the granita here is as serious as anywhere in Sicily.
Flat, laid out on a grid and compact, with the port right at its edge. One of the easiest Sicilian cities to walk.
Taormina, Etna, Savoca, the Aeolian islands and even Calabria across the strait. Messina’s real strength is what surrounds it.
There are beaches north towards Mortelle and the strait is spectacular, but this isn’t a resort town. Mild from March to November.
A university city, so there’s a real student evening around the centre — local rather than touristic, which some people much prefer.
Messina is a door more than a room, and what it opens onto is worth the trip: Taormina down the coast, Palermo across the island with its Arab-Norman layers, and, over the strait, Naples and its own volcano.
If the Ionian coast has you wanting more of the same — small towns, big views, slow lunches — Sorrento, Capri and Amalfi are the mainland equivalent.
| Tour Travel & More | Marketplaces (Viator, GetYourGuide…) | Free tours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guide | Licensed official guide, language confirmed at booking | Varies by listing, often unverified | Unlicensed in most cases |
| Group | Always 100% private | “Private” varies by seller | Up to 30 people |
| Vehicle | Luxury vehicle with chauffeur for Taormina and Etna | Coach transfer in most listings | Not included |
| Itinerary | Fully flexible, adapted to you | Fixed per listing | Fixed route |
| Cruise timing | Planned backwards from your all-aboard time | Generic departure slots | Not applicable |
| Support | Travel coordinator 24/7 | Platform ticket system | None |
To sum up: a private tour from Messina with Tour Travel & More is always a licensed official tour guide, a 100% private group, a luxury vehicle with chauffeur for Taormina and Etna, an itinerary that adapts to you, cruise days planned backwards from your all-aboard time, and a travel coordinator you can reach 24/7. Marketplaces like Viator or GetYourGuide resell third-party listings with conditions that vary by seller, and free tours run with groups of up to 30 people and guides who generally are not licensed.
Shall we build your day in eastern Sicily?Tell us your ship, your dates or your hotel and a travel expert gets back to you in under 24 hours.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons — Jeanne Griffin, Jeanne boleyn, The Cosmonaut, Sharon Hahn Darlin, DimiTalen, Berthold Werner, Майкл Гиммельфарб, Arnoldius (CC BY / CC BY-SA / public domain).
Visiting The Godfather Films up Close and Personal Absolutely superb experience! Our guide, Massimo, was passionate and knowledgeable about the history of Sicily, the villages we visited and the 3 Godfather films. He is special person who made our time more than worth the expense—a great value!
Great day in Sicily A fantastic excursion. We had a great day with our guide Salvatore, you can see the delivery in his work, he gave us some fantastic explanations and many tips. We loved it. The drivers were also very attentive. If I return I will not hesitate to contact them again. 
Palermoacross the island
Naplesover the strait
Sorrentomainland version
Capriisland glamour
Amalfithe coast road