Top Taormina Half-day Tours

The best way to connect with any local culture is through food, and nowhere is this more true than Sicily. With this cooking class, shop for ingredients at the market in Taormina like a local before learning how to prepare a variety of traditional Sicilian dishes with Chef Massimo in his restaurant kitchen. Enjoy the fruits of our labors over lunch afterwards, served with two local wines.

Trek around Mount Etna on this tour with a small group and an expert trekking guide. Set off from Taormina to spend the day learning about the volcano's history, exploring craters and lava caves. Stop at a local chalet for an included snack and wine. Hotel or port pickup and drop-off can be arranged on request.

Indulge your love of food and wine on this all-day tour of the Etna countryside. After a convenient hotel pickup, learn about the region’s history and culture from a local guide as you cruise through scenic Sicilian villages. Stop at a family-run winery, a picturesque farmhouse with delicious food, and a pastry bar. Enjoy wine tastings and samples of local cheeses, salumi, and pastas included in the tour price.

Spend a day discovering Europe’s highest active volcano and lava caves on this Mt. Etna tour. As you travel from Taormina or Giardini Naxos, learn all about the infamous Sicilian volcano from a guide. Then, leave the vehicle to trek along the trails of Parco dell’Etna, and visit an intriguing lava cave back at ground level. On your return to Catania, you have time for one last stop at an organic farm where samples of wine and honey await.

Compare the unforgettable storyline of "The Godfather" saga with real-life Mafia history during this in-depth guided tour of two Sicilian villages. See filming locations, like the church where Micheal Corleone married his young bride, Apollonia. You’ll also hear true stories from Sicilian Mafia clans and learn about their grip on southern Italy. The small-group tour is limited to eight and concludes with a tasty pasta buffet at a typical trattoria.

The Gole Alcantara is one of Sicily’s most popular attractions, and often has the crowds to match. On this private half-day tour, let a local guide help you sidestep the tourists and show you the park’s caverns and rock formations, gardens, and best swimming places. Later, explore the seaside town of Giardini Naxos on foot. Finish the tour with food and wine tasting at a local wine bar.

The volcanic landscapes around Mt. Etna are widely considered among the most fascinating in Italy, but they’re not always easy to explore without a guide. This adventurous half-day bus and hiking tour from Taormina includes food-tastings in Zafferana Etnea and a visit to the Parco dell’Etna. Delve into a lava cave with a guide, follow winding trails to the Rifugio Sapienza at 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) above sea level, and watch the sunset over the Silvestri craters.

Get off the beaten path on this half-day adventure tour to Mt. Etna, Europe’s tallest volcano. Trek alongside ancient lava flows as you explore crater-filled lunar landscapes with your guide. Helmets and flashlights will be provided to venture deeper into the caves. Tours end with a tasty sampling of local wine, honey, and olive oil.

Discover Taormina’s historic secrets and modern delights on a 3-hour walking tour of highlights like Palazzo Corvaja, Santa Caterina church and Vicolo Stretto — the narrowest street in town. Gain skip-the-line entry to the ancient Greek theater, which boasts magnificent views of Mt Etna and Giardini Naxos. In the main square of Piazza IX Aprile, rest your feet and refresh with a tasting of unique Mt Etna DOC wines and savory local products at an enoteca.

Learn to cook traditional Sicilian pasta and cannoli with an expert local chef in romantic ancient villa. Sip DOC wine and taste hand-made bruschetta as you get to know your chef and decide what type of paste to make. Lean local secrets to making perfect fresh pasta and authentic cannoli, and then celebrate your hard work by enjoying your hand-made meal on an outdoor terrace accompanied by Sicilian DOC wines.

Francis Ford Coppola filmed parts of The Godfather in small villages on the eastern side of Sicily, places difficult to reach without a car. This tour allows admirers of the movie to visit them without a sweat. Get picked up at the port in Giardini Naxos and driven to villages that were stands-in for the partly real, partly fictional Corleone. As a bonus, stop at Taormina for views of Etna and shopping before heading back to the port.

Experience the rugged, romantic beauty of Sicily’s eastern coastline with a private, 4-hour sailing excursion from Taormina. Let a professional skipper handle the navigation while you relax and soak up views of Mt Etna, Isloa Bella and coastal grottoes, bays and sea cliffs as they are bathed in the golden light of sunset. Go for a swim or learn basic sailing techniques if you like, and enjoy an onboard seafood appetizer with wine as the sun dips below the horizon.

Take part in an age-old Sicilian tradition with a fishing trip off the shores of Taormina’s idyllic Isola Bella nature reserve. Admire the coastline’s bays, grottoes and sea cliffs while traveling aboard a traditional wooden fishing boat, and get tips and techniques from your local fisherman guide. After reeling in some local swimmers, enjoy a waterfront lunch featuring your fresh catch of the day expertly prepared by a chef. Tour size is limited for a more intimate small-group experience.

• Pick-up and drop-off in your accomodation in Taormina PRIVATE CAR WITH GUIDE  • Welcome Kit • Stroll past ancient lava flows • Reach the Rifugio Sapienza or Rifugio Citelli • Trekking around the Silvestri Craters or Sartorius Craters • Explore a lava flow cave with helmets and lamps • Savor the tasting of typical Etnei products LASTS ABOUT 5 HOURS

Discover the ancient and natural wonders surrounding Taormina on a private sightseeing tour. Forget the stress of navigating Italian roads on your own and relax in end-to-end private transportation from your hotel. Begin with a leisurely guided tour along the streets of Taormina, known as the Pearl of the Mediterranean. After a picturesque drive past the Straits of Messina and Ionian Sea, explore Mount Etna.

Villa Romana del Casale is a stunning Unesco heritage site of exceptional historical and artistic value, featuring over 3,500-sqm of flooring covered in stunning mosaics. Located in a valley just outside the town of Piazza Armerina, the villa was built in the 4th century and belonged to a powerful Roman patrician. In the 12th century a mudslide completely covered its extensive network of rooms, which helped the natural preservation of these beautiful artworks. The mosaics depict scenes of everyday life back in the ancient Roman Empire, created with an exceptional attention to detail. Highlights include the famous "bikini girls” portrayed playing various sports and the huge 60-meter long corridor with hunting scenes.

The tour will allow you to visit Savoca, Taormina and Messina without time limits you will decide the stops with your driver or hostess who will accompany you giving information on board the means of transport, plus at the end of the tour you can enjoy in a famous Pasticceria di Messina the real Sicilian cannolo made at the time sipping a glass of typical Sicilian almond wine.

The tour will start from Calatabiano, during the ride it will be possible to admire the ruins of the Francavilla Castle. The route develops mainly in the plain, immersed in the cultivation of citrus fruits and fruits typical of the Alcantara valley.

Spend an evening relaxing and enjoying the views with this 2.5-hour sunset cruise from Taormina, followed by dinner. Drift past some of Sicily's most beautiful coastline, and then dine on seafood on board.

Soak up the Sicilian sun like a VIP with a private boat tour along the coast from Taormina. As a captain navigates the waters of the Ionian Sea, just relax and enjoy the island scenery from the deck of your own luxurious boat, which can accommodate up to 10 people. While you sunbathe and take in sights like Grotta Azzurra and Isola Bella, indulge in provided wine, beer, prosecco, soft drinks, juice, fruit, bread and cheese.

We offer a private, exclusive and comfortable service from the dock where your cruise ship will arrive in Messina. The approximate duration will be 6 hours and we would have the opportunity to visit Castelmola, one of the most beautiful Italian villages, to admire on one side the gulf of Taormina and on the other side the majestic volcano Etna. After  few minutes transfer service we will continue our visit to Taormina where along Corso Umberto you can visit the Greco-Roman theater (entrance tickets not included), see the local shops or enjoy an ice cream while walking.

Face difficult passages on Etna trails and exciting descents. Have fun on mixed cross-country trails, ranging from volcanic sand to crossing lava rocks on Etna, with our MTB tour. Finally you can say you dropped a volcano!

Enjoy the beauties of the most beautiful coast of Sicily, visiting 3 amazing sites: Taormina, Giardini Naxos and Isolabella, with a special stop to taste the famous sicilian Arancini, the rice ball well know to be the most delicious street food in Sicily. At the end of the tour we moreover offer a quick city tour of the town your ship docks.

See all three of Sicily’s active volcanoes from the air on a thrilling, 100-minute helicopter tour. Take in spectacular aerial views of mighty Mt Etna — the largest active volcano in Europe — and then soar above the UNESCO-listed Aeolian Islands, home to sputtering Stromboli and Vulcano. Learn about the ancient, seismic history of the volcanic archipelago while taking in an unforgettable, bird’s-eye perspective of the dramatic Sicilian landscape.