Taormina and Castelmola Shore Excursion from Messina

The Taormina and Castelmola shore excursion from Messina is a six-hour private trip that starts at the cruise terminal and is timed so that you are back at the ship on time. A driver takes you to Castelmola, about 45 minutes by road, a small village perched above Taormina, looking out at Mount Etna.

After roughly an hour there, the trip moves on to Taormina, which can only be visited on foot and is full of shops and restaurants. You get two or three hours to wander. On the way back the route makes a panoramic pass by Isola Bella.

• Castelmola, for the view of Etna
• Taormina, on foot
• Isola Bella, a panoramic stop
• the Sanctuary of Christ the King, which overlooks the Strait of Messina
• the Duomo of Messina, where the biggest astronomical clock in Europe is

The vehicle has free Wi-Fi and cold drinks, and the tour includes a Sicilian cannolo.