Are you finally taking that dream trip to Sicily? Fantastic, good for you! You’ve made a great choice. Now you are probably putting together a list of the best places in Sicily to visit. If so, make sure to include the picturesque town of Taormina.
What Makes Taormina One of the Best Places in Sicily?
Taormina is one of Sicily’s most famous, and most visited, destinations. Oscar Wilde referred to the town as a “haven for lovers” in 1898, and frankly, not much has changed since then. Most recently Taormina was featured in the second season of HBO’s White Lotus which has only increased its popularity.
Even though it is fabulously famous Taormina manages to retain a large chunk of its old world romantic charm. While it is not our favorite town in Sicily it IS absolutely worth visiting. The small town is nestled high above the Ionian Sea, and its quaint narrow streets still feel like a bit of a time warp despite the opulent boutique shops selling expensive clothes, jewelry, and watches.
How long we recommend you visit Taormina for varies based on what you want to do while in Sicily and what time of year you visit. If you want to chill, eat, and enjoy a luxury hotel or hang out on the beach in the summer then stay for a week and take a few day trips. If you are wanting to see a lot of Sicily or are visiting in the shoulder or off season then we recommend 2 or 3 nights.
Have a look at our 7 day Sicily itinerary for an idea of what our ideal week in Sicily looks like.
Things to Do in Taormina
Alright, you have arrived in Taormina. Now what? Well, you’re first order of business will likely be to have a stroll around town. You’ll most likely enter via one of the two main gates of Porta Catania or Porta Messina and walk down Corso Umberto, the main street in Taormina. You will find yourself walking by many shops and boutiques, eateries and cafes. You’ll take in the stunning views of the Ionian Sea and Mount Etna from Piazza Aprile. You’ll have an espresso or an Aperol. And then, within 30 minutes, you’ll have reached the other side of town. Part of Taormina’s charm is how small it is.
So what else is there to do in Taormina aside from chilling out, eating, drinking, and taking in the vibes? Let’s get into it!
Climb up to Castlemola
Perched above Taormina is the tiny village of Castlemola. The village was built around the ruins of a 9th century Norman castle and affords stunning views of the Gulf and Naxos, the Ionian Sea, and Mount Etna. There are some cafes and shops here, but the real draw are the views, and the pleasant hike back down to Taormina via a nature trail that snakes down the craggy hill.
You can walk up to Castlemola from Taormina, or you can take a bus from the Porta Messina gate for 2 euro. We highly recommend you return to Taormina via the nature trail, which you can find near the Chiesa Madre (Mother Church of San Nicola di Bari). The trail only takes you about halfway to Taormina before you are relegated to using streets, but its well worth the short hike.
A small chapel on the hike down from Castelmola to Taormina.
Visit the Greek Amphitheater
Built in the 3rd century B.C. this stunning work of art has seen over 20 centuries come and go. The theater was originally constructed by the Greeks, and it was later used by the Romans as a gladiatorial arena.
From poetry and verse and song to blood and bloodlust and death the Greek Theater in Taormina has seen the best and the worst that humanity has to offer, and persevered. Standing upon the ancient stones of the theater is a pretty mind-boggling experience. It’s hard to properly process how much history this ancient site has borne witness to. Weirdly enough the theater doesn’t have an actual proper name, which is a bit of a bummer.
Glorious golden hour sun in the Greek Amphitheater in Taormina with Mount Etna in the background in November 2023.
The theater is one of the top attractions in Taormina, and it is highly unlikely that you will get a chance to have it all to yourself. However, arriving early in the morning might be an effective way to beat out some of the crowds.
Tickets are 14 euro as of April 2025, and the ticket box office is open from 9 AM to 6:30 PM daily. You can find more information on visiting the Greek Theater in Taormina here.
Take a Cooking Class
During our trip to Taormina, we wanted to do more than just dine in restaurants or cook pasta in our apartment. We wanted to try and cook some typical Sicilian dishes ourselves. That’s why we opted for a cooking class at La Porta Messina Pizzeria.
To our delight, we were the only participants, allowing Chef Paolo to focus entirely on us. After an aperitif and receiving our personal aprons, we got straight to work. We made fresh pasta, prepared fish in a salted crust, and cooked eggplant parmigiana using a recipe from Paolo’s nonna.
Between cooking steps, Chef Paolo shared fascinating stories about Sicily’s history and the evolution of its local cuisine. The reward at the end was enjoying our self-cooked menu, accompanied by a glass of wine and conversations with the chefs.
If you’re in Taormina and looking for an authentic experience this cooking class is highly recommended!
Visit Mount Etna
Mount Etna looming over Taormina in November.
You can’t visit Taormina and not notice the giant volcano that looms over the entire east coast of the island. If you’re lucky enough it might even erupt at night, bathing the summit, and the sky, with glowing red fire and lava. We experienced an eruption on one of our trips and it was a truly unforgettable sight.
The easiest way to visit the volcano from Taormina is to book a tour that will take you to Etna. Please be aware that on some days you can’t climb Mount Etna at all, depending on how active the old mountain is feeling.
After you are done return to Taormina, have yourself a drink and a nice meal, and get to bed. It’s going to be an early morning tomorrow!
Scout Some Godfather Locations
Our attempt at recreating a frame from The Godfather 2, in which the Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata in Forza d’Agro is featured.
Various scenes from all three of the Godfather movies were shot in close proximity to Taormina. As massive fans of the movies we took the opportunity to visit a few of them while staying in Taormina. They are easily accessible by car, but a bit trickier without one. You might want to opt into a tour if you don’t have a rental car.
Here are a couple of tours you can choose from depending on how much time you want to spend and what your budget is.
Savoca and Forza d’Agrò The Godfather Tour – This tour takes you to both Savoca and Forza d’Agro. Total time is around 5 hours and starting costs are around 60 euro per person. It can be booked here.
The Godfather Set Private Tour from Taormina – A more intimate experience for the true Godfather fan. Duration is 5 to 6 hours and the prices start at around 200 euro per person. You can book it here.
If you have a car and want to visit some Godfather filming locations on your own, there are two towns near Taormina that you should drive to. Start with Savoca, as it is a bit further away, some 45 minutes by car. On your way back to Taormina stop by Forza d’Agro. The trip can be done in 3 or so hours. You can pack your own lunch or find something to eat in both places.
Savoca
Savoca is a sleepy little medieval village nestled among the hills north of Taormina. Two Godfather locations are located here. The first is Bar Vitelli, which was used for a scene in which Michael Corleone asks Apollonia’s father permission to marry his daughter.
The second notable film location is situated just a short walk up a hill from the bar. The Church of San Nicolo was used to film Michael and Apollonia’s wedding. The church affords sweeping views of the valley below and is well worth visiting, as well.
The famous Bar Vitelli in Savoca, Sicily.
Forza d’Agro
On your way back to Taormina stop off in the town of Forza d’Agro and check out the Church of Maria Santissima Annunziata. You might recall this building being the backdrop of a scene in which young Vito is smuggled out of town to avoid death while hiding in a basket strapped to a donkey.
Visiting this site was one of the highlights of my life, and I say that only half jokingly. These movies instilled a lifelong desire to visit Sicily and being able to see the locations 50 years after the movie was shot was truly special.
The Four Seasons – White Lotus
If you are a fan of HBO’s season 2 of White Lotus you’ll probably get a thrill from visiting the Four Seasons in Taormina. And no, you don’t have to be magnificently wealthy to experience the hotel. It is open to visitors who don’t mind paying a premium for a drink in one of its bars, or a meal at its restaurant. We promise you that the show’s theme song will play in your head as you walk the very familiar corridors of this gem of a building.
Visiting Taormina on a Budget
Due to its fame, its posh nature, and its high-end boutiques Taormina is one of the more expensive towns in Sicily. Prices for everything are higher here than elsewhere on the island, from accommodation to Aperol. There are a few things you can do to offset costs if you are trying to keep your travel budget to a minimum. Have a look at one of our oldest articles on budget travel. Pretty much everything we wrote 11 years ago still applies to spending less while you travel today.
Specifically, for keeping costs down in Taormina we recommend the following.
- Rent an apartment with a kitchen so that you can prepare some of your own meals. You will find delicious produce in Italy, and prepping breakfast and lunch yourself just makes sense.
- Visiting during shoulder season will help you avoid larger crowds, and will offer you cheaper accommodation prices. We would recommend traveling October to December, or March to May. While this means you probably won’t get beach weather you’ll experience a calmer and cheaper Taormina. Read our article on visiting Sicily in offseason for more.
Best Places in Sicily Taormina Wrap-Up
So, that’s Taormina for you. There are obviously many more things you can do when you visit this truly special town. We didn’t dive into all the different dining and drinking options you will find in Taormina, we’ll leave that up to your tastes and budget. Having never visited Sicily in the summer we can’t give you much advice on the beaches around Taormina. Rest assured there are plenty of options in that regard.
We hope your visit to Sicily will be as enjoyable as ours have been. It’s a truly special part of Italy that deserves all the love and acclaim it receives. Have a look below for some of our other related articles about Sicily and Italy.
As always, happy travels everyone, and we’ll see you on the road!
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