Messina Private excursion Taormina and Castelmola

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Messina, Italy

Great choice

20+ bookings last month.

5 to 7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Sue_H ·

Jun 2025

what an amazing tour. Alberto was wonderful and our guide was full of information and funny too. She showed us all about and to unusual places, including giving us advice where to shop and eat. They even treated us to cannolis. Can't say enough positive and wonderful things about this excursion. It was top notch.

· Brandon_C ·

Oct 2025

What a beautiful tour! We were simply amazed with the beauty of these places. Our guide, Perry and driver, Alberto were extremely hospitable and felt like family by the end of the tour. We had an incredible lunch (best in our 2 week trip in Europe) at Mama Rosa’s. Wow! We would recommend this 10/10 times!!

Overview

Discover the wonders of Castelmola, Taormina, and Messina in a day—without putting in hours of research time—thanks to this hassle-free private tour. Having a private driver means no need to worry about crowded buses or delays picking up other passengers. Just set off on your adventure and enjoy a scenic tour with lots of local highlights, including the Sanctuary of Christ the King, and views of Mount Etna.

Do more in less time : Check off Castelmola, Taormina, and Messina
Enjoy the luxury of having your own private driver
Boost hydration levels : Bottled water and soft drinks are provided
Get online as you travel : The vehicle has Wi-Fi access

What's Included

WiFi on board
Air-conditioned vehicle
Private transportation
Bottled water
Soda/Pop

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

The contact method can be via WhatsApp, telephone or email.

Arranged start time

Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.

04/03/2024 - 06/09/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Itinerary

Castelmola

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Taormina

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Messina

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9

based on 133 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

They were very prompt in...

Agent, May 2026

They were very prompt in picking us up at the cruise port and returning us. They brought us to some beautiful places for photos and we were dropped off for shopping and eating for a couple hours. We had a great time and our driver and guides were great.

The Perfect Taormina Day

Janel_V, Jan 2026

Paria and Alberto were terrific. The tour was beautiful and interesting with just the right balance of guiding and having time on your own. Taormina is beautiful and well worth the trip, especially the Greek theater and views of Mt Etna, Taormina and Ionian Sea. An added bonus of stopping in Castelmola was great, and we sampled the perfect cannoli. We were there in January so crowds were low and weather was cool and breezy. That's our sweet spot for travel. Alberto's kind personality and Paria's bubbly enthusiasm were the icing on the cake.

Absolutely Beautiful!!!

Brandon_C, Oct 2025

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you are wonderful is very important to us your opinion ❤️❤️

Amazing personalized tour from Messina to Toormina and Castelmola !!! Fabulous guide !!!

Mark_P, Aug 2025

We have been making several stops around the Mediterranean on a cruise ship and this tour has been our absolute favourite so far. Bahar (guide) and Alberto (driver) were absolutely amazing and made sure that we were greeted at our ship and treated like royalty. Alberto reached out ahead of time and gave very detailed instructions on where to meet and ensured very timely two way messaging up until the tour. Once picked up, they ensured that the timing was done right to avoid crowds and maximize our experience. The tour was customized to our preferences and they even ensured that we got our desired cannolis and almond wine 😋. There was just the right amount of free time. We never felt rushed and Bahar was able to answer all of our questions. They both took photos of our group and provided them to us throughout the day. I highly recommend this tour to anyone stopping in Messina. If I could have given more than 5 stars, I would have.

We had an incredible...

Christina_C, Jul 2025

We had an incredible experience thanks to Serena and Giovanni! Serena was an amazing tour guide — knowledgeable, friendly, and full of energy. She made sure we saw a wide variety of sights and shared fascinating insights that brought everything to life. Thanks to her, we even got to explore beautiful Taormina, which was a highlight of our trip. Giovanni, our driver, was fantastic — professional, courteous, and made us feel safe and comfortable the entire time. Together, they made our day unforgettable. Highly recommend this duo for anyone visiting the area!

Taormina Tour 6/26/25

gloria_r, Jun 2025

The tour guide seemed very inexperienced. She did not explain anything, unless one of us asked a a question. The driver did help her and was informative. Both the driver and the tour guide were very thoughtful, genuine people. Despite the tour guides inexperience, she made an effort to ensure that we enjoyed this experience.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Hello, I would like to point out that the person with me, was not a guide as specified in the product, but an assistant of mine who supported the customers in the visit with me, the product specifies that the driver is also the guide, who advises you during the trip, It gives you all the directions, I ask for a correction of the review because the guide was not present in the chosen product

A lovely day in Sicily

Kate_H, Jun 2025

We had a wonderful time in both Castelmola & Taormina. Our guide Paria was lovely and incredibly informative! One of our party was unwell and couldn't attend and Paria sent her photos and videos throughout the day which was a lovely touch.

Wonderful experience !!

lorena_m, Jun 2025

Amazing views all around ! Our tour guide Diamond was very informative and sociable . Stayed with us and gave us plenty of suggestions!

So cool Sicily

Kristie_F, Jun 2025

We were surprised that we had a driver and a guide on our private tour of Messina and its surrounding areas. We were thankful for this since Francisco spoke little English. He was a master driver on the tiny road up to Casltmora which could have been sketchy with someone else behind the wheel. He also was helpful is places where we could stop and take pictures since he was born and raised there. Diamond the info guide is a student at the Unviversity of Messina who spoke 6 languages including Italian. She shared with us the history of the area as well as what it really was like to live and go to school in Messina. She curated the trip to our liking which included shopping for Italian make up and leather. It was an amazing adventure with these two!

Best of the Best

Sue_H, Jun 2025

Best tour we’ve had

Kristine_F, Jun 2025

This tour was amazing! We had the best driver and tour guide! They were so nice and very informative.

Very good

Sally_M, Oct 2024

We loved Taormina and Castelmola. The tour was private and Jenny and Francesco were excellent.We were able to taste homemade cannoli and rice balls Jenny took us to an excellent restaurant in Messine where we had great food,

Great time in Castelmola and Taormina!

Abigail_B, Oct 2024

This trip is a lot of fun! Paria is a great tour guide. Knowledgeable and lots of fun! I recommend this tour.

Exceptional Sicily day tour.

Mary_F, Sep 2024

Amazing day with Paria!! Booked this tour on a port stop with cruise. Paria as our tour guide and the driver made the day exceptional! She was incredibly knowledgeable, engaging, funny and attentive to all our wishes for an amazing day out. It was by far our group of 4 favorite day! At the end of the day we were all sorry to have to say good bye to them. Thank you for an amazing day and highlight of our vacation!

Amazing

shelly_h, Sep 2024

What an amazing day. Great food, shopping, and most of all sites. We had a sweet young lady tour guide. She did a wonderful job!!!

Loved Exploring Sicily

Denise_J, Jun 2024

I highly recommend this awesome tour in Sicily! Alberto was our driver and Kiara our guide and both were terrific! Easy pick up as soon as we got off the cruise ship in Messina. We were a group of 6 and added a stop in Savoca. Next we continued onto Castelmola, Taormina and then Messina. Our favorite excursion of our trip! Truly a must do. Thank you!!!