From Catania: Taormina, Savoca, & Castelmola Tour w/ Lunch

About This Experience

This day trip leaves Catania in a small air-conditioned vehicle and starts in Savoca, a medieval hill town. The listed stops there are a walk of about an hour, the Cappuccini convent catacombs with mummified bodies, and Bar Vitelli, the bar from the film The Godfather, for a granita.

Next is Castelmola, above Taormina, for about an hour on foot with views of Etna and the Ionian Sea. Brunch follows at a local bar, about an hour: bruschette, pasta alla norma, water and a natural wine. The listing includes the brunch, wine and water.

Taormina comes last and gets 2 hours, self-guided. The description says you can visit the Greek Theatre and walk Corso Umberto. It does not say that Ancient Theatre admission is included, and the listing gives no guide, only a driver. Check before booking, and expect to buy the ticket (EUR 14 full price, checked 3 November 2026) yourself if you want to go in.

Two hours is enough for the theatre plus a walk down Corso Umberto, but not for much more. One October 2026 reviewer did not get to the theatre, and another found the free time long. The group has to find the driver again at the end, so note the meeting spot and time.

The listing has a group tour and a private tour. The group tour is from about $123 per person (checked November 2026); the private tour is from about $252 per person.

Highlights

• Savoca's Cappuccini convent catacombs, with mummified monks and nobles
• Bar Vitelli, the Godfather film location, with a Sicilian granita
• About an hour on foot in Castelmola with views of Etna and the Ionian Sea
• Brunch at a local bar: bruschette, pasta alla norma and natural wine
• A 2-hour self-guided stop in Taormina with Corso Umberto and the Cathedral
• An 8-seat air-conditioned vehicle from Catania

What's Included

• ✓ Hotel pickup and drop-off
• ✓ Transport in an air-conditioned minivan
• ✓ Driver
• ✓ Brunch of typical Sicilian products
• ✓ Wine and water
• ✓ Online brochure and maps

Not Included

• Tour guide, so you travel with a driver
• Entrance tickets are not listed as included
• Anything beyond the listed brunch, wine and water

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes for hill-town streets and stairs
• Cash or card for a theatre ticket and the catacombs if asked
• Sun protection and a hat
• Water
• A note of the meeting spot and time in Taormina

Good to Know & Caveats

• Ancient Theatre admission is not stated as included. Taormina is 2 hours self-guided, so a ticket would be your own cost and use part of that time.
• The excludes list says tour guide: you get a driver, with languages English and Italian.
• An October 2026 reviewer missed the catacombs and the theatre; routes can change for local events.
• Finding the driver at the end of the free time was hard for one reviewer, so fix the meeting point before you wander.
• One reviewer's van had no air conditioning on a hot day; the second van was fine.
• Some reviewers found the walk up in Castelmola too long, others liked it. It is about an hour on foot per the itinerary.

Meeting Point

Pickup is at your accommodation in Catania, in an air-conditioned 8-seat vehicle, with drop-off back in Catania. The listing shows two pickup and two drop-off options; check availability for start times.