Top Messina Day Trips

Wonderful experience for short day trip! Tour guide Andrea was welcoming, give historical insights into Sicily and never made us feel rushed. He showed us wonderful sights of this part of Sicily and introduced us to some unique aspect to Sicilian culture! Truly one of the best trips we have been on. Left us wanting nothing, other than to return to Sicily!

Michael was waiting for us the moment we got off the ship, making the whole day completely stress-free. He drove us to Mt. Etna and Taormina in a clean, comfortable Mercedes and was informative, funny, and personable throughout the trip. The tour was well-paced, and we never felt rushed. Highly recommend—an easy 5-star experience!

We were originally booked for a longer Mt. Etna hiking excursion, but when not enough people signed up for our date, Discover Messina reached out well in advance to offer a switch to the Mt. Etna/Taormina tour. We agreed and were not disappointed! We took this as a port excursion from our cruise ship, and our guide, Carmelo, was one of the most passionate guides I’ve ever had. He was absolutely excellent and shared so much local culture, history, personal experiences, and even some culinary treats. Our first stop was Mt. Etna, which was beautiful. There wasn't a significant amount of walking, but the elevation and volcanic terrain (though mostly well-established trails) might not be suitable for everyone. It’s highly beneficial to dress in layers. We were there in late May and there was still snow at the top (apparently atypical for this late in the year!), so having pants and a jacket was a lifesaver. Before leaving Etna, we enjoyed a lovely food and drink tasting at a local shop. A quick tip on transit: The drive up is quite winding. I’m prone to motion sickness but felt fine because our driver handled the roads so well. However, if you suffer from it, definitely come prepared with ginger or medication just in case. Our final stop was Taormina, a stunning coastal town sitting high on a bluff, packed with high-end boutiques and restaurants. It is significantly warmer here than at Mt. Etna, which is where those clothing layers come in handy again! You get about 2 hours here. We tried to do a sit-down lunch and see the sights, but felt a bit rushed trying to fit both in. If we could do it over, we would grab a quick bite from a bakery instead to maximize our sightseeing time. Carmelo got us back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this tour!

Our family had an amazing day in Sicily. Every place we visited on the itinerary was totally worth it, you can stay extra in the places if you want they all have hiden gems. You will see things eat things and smell things that are out of this world. Our guide and driver we professional, perfect with our babies and family and were accommodating to our needy needs! The company communications and ability to have a great tour for your family is very top tier. Can’t say enough about them.

We very much enjoy the day. Corrado our guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about the volcanic eruptions and the aftermath it left. We were able to explore an underground volcanic cave as well as walk up a volcanic crater. It was awesome. Lunch at the winery at the end of the day was very enjoyable. We would recommend this tour.

The tour of some small Sicilian mountian villages (Taormina and Castelmola) was absolutely wonderful. Enzo was a wonderful driver navigating the mountainous roads expertly and safely. Kimberly was a wonderful tour guide whose energy was contagious. Thier love for the area was evident and allowed us to tour and see some unique stops and sites not on the normal tour. A walking tour in Taormina which included the Trevelyan Park (Villa Comunale) was a true gem. Recommendations for lunch at Momma Rossa's was also a hidden gem and provided a truly wonderful memory. The free time was well spaced out and enough guidance provided to make good choices while on our own. 5 star experience from a 5 star duo.