Sicilian Majesty: Taormina & Castelmola Tour from Messina

Great tour with Sara. Driver navigated skillfully on narrow roads and got us close to stops. Sara has lived in Sicily her whole life and has lots of knowledge of history, good sense of humor! Highly recommend. Meeting place right at cruise pier, very convenient!

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and thorough. Gave us time to explore on our own too which was fun. The scenery was amazing too!

I participated in this tour as part of a cruise excursion. Claudio was our guide and he was phenomenal. I gave us a little paste di mandorla to start the experience…delicious. He told us everything about Sicily or at least it seemed that way. He even gave pointers on what to see and visit if there’s more time or if we come back on day. While the clouds covered Mt. Etna, it didn’t take away from the amazing views. I would take this tour again.

Katia was a wonderful tour guide and Giacomo a great driver. Both of them went out of their way to ensure that we had a wonderful experience on the tour. Katia was very knowledgeable about the places we visited. She exhibited concern and caring for all her guests on this excursion.

Mariarita was a wonderful guide! Funny and friendly and very sweet! Carlo was also very knowledgeable and helpful! These two towns were spectacularly beautiful!

Purchased "small group" tour of Taormina (including ticket for Greek/Roman amphitheater) and Castelmola, with pick-up and drop-off at the Messina cruise port. Communication with staff at "Discover Messina Sicily" prior to the excursion was A+. Sabrina was our tour guide. She used a mic and distributed ear bud receivers for the entire tour - it made it easier to hear her. She was very charming and knowledgeable throughout the 45 minute drive to our destination and during the tours of both Castelmola (1st) and Taormina (2nd). However, my girlfriend and I often had a hard time understanding what she was saying (in English) and she rarely came up for air, so asking questions wasn't a practical option when she was on a roll. Despite this, both sites were well worth the excursion cost and time. We understood enough of Sabrina's narration to enjoy each site, including their rich history. The views from both sites were nothing short of spectacular, thanks to the high elevation of the sites and the gorgeous mountains and coastline of Southern Sicily. The biggest highlight for us was going into the ancient Greek/Roman amphitheater, which is at the very end of the Taormina site. It's remarkably well preserved and sitting in it where you can see the sea and lush, green mountains far behind the stage pillars is breath-taking. Sit for awhile and soak it in.

We booked through Discover Messina and were met at our ship by the maxing and enigmatic Carmelo (guide) and his buddy Guiseppe (our driver for the day). Max capacity is six but there were only 4 in our group. We arrived in Castelmola around 9.30am which is high up above Taormina with views to Mt Etna. Gorgeous village for a wander around and a sip of the regional almond wine. From there we departed for Taormina and after some brief pointers on what to see and potentially where to get the best Cannolo and Arancino, the four of us were let loose for nearly 3 hours which we loved. This tour was amazing both for the locations but especially the knowledge and passion shown by our incredible guides. We all chatted all the way back to Messina and arrived back at port having had one of the best days of our 6 week European vacation. Highly recommend this company!

Excellent guide and driver. Right amount if time in both sites. Easy walking, more stairs in Castelmola with smaller area to see everything.

Great guide and driver. Seamless information provided by tour company. Tour excited pur expectations

We joined this tour as a shore excursion starting from the Messina port. From booking on Viator to pick up at the pier, the company was extremely organized and communicated very well. We were told in advance, to look for the orange shirts with a Lion head, where and when to meet on the pier and even our tour guide’s name. When we came off the ship, everything was exactly as described which made it very easy to find the right tour and Sabrina greeted us warmly. During the ride, Sabrina provided tons of information, along with a cookie and water. She speaks English well (maybe a little fast, but still easily understandable). The drive itself was stunning, with many expansive views and the 2 locations we stopped were gorgeous. Lots of shopping, beautiful picture opportunities, good food and everything you imagine when visiting Italy. I highly recommend this tour and you would be lucky to have Sabrina leading it. She paced well to the audience, spoke to everyone, made suggestions for things to eat and experience. She is knowledgeable and friendly! Antonella was our driver and she took great care of us also. The drive up the mountain was steep and windy, but she handled it with ease and confidence. She also got as close as possible to drop off points and never made us wait too long. Everything was timed well, with enough time to see and enjoy the sites, grab a snack and people watch without wasting hours of time. What else can you ask for? A beautiful day all around!