Published on Dec, 2024
Our group of five took this tour from our cruise ship in Messina. Our guides were Filippo and Serena, with Filippo driving while Serena talked about the sights we would be seeing and the background of the area. We meet at the terminal at 8:30 and returned to the ship by 4:30 for our 5 pm departure.
Upon our arrival, we walked through an entrance to the walled city. We made plans to meet Serena at the other city gate and we were on our own. First we visited the Roman theater, which is still in operation and is available to see for a small fee. After that we took our time strolling through the beautiful streets of Taormina, shopping, and enjoying some gelato. We had a delicious lunch of pasta at a small restaurant outside the walled city, which Serena had recommended. Before leaving, Serena took us inside a small museum, explaining some of the artifacts there, and pointed out a couple other places we may have missed.
When we returned to Messina we made three stops, one was to see the Messina Cathedral. Serena had attended a school nearby so she enjoyed telling our group about the cathedral with its intricately painted ceilings and the nearby bell tower.
Our last stop was to taste the best cannoli you can imagine. One of our group has Italian heritage and had tasted many a cannoli. Even he thought this was the best ever. It was the perfect ending to a very special day. We thanked our hosts for the day, Serena and Filippo, and said our goodbyes at the ship terminal.
This excursion fits well with a day at port. We had enough time to enjoy Taormina without feeling rushed and still have enough time for a few sights in Messina. I highly recommend this tour.
