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Taormina: Godfather Movie Villages Private Tour & Sicilian Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/36

Duration4h–7h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · IT

PickupAt your hotel

Walk Savoca’s quiet streets see Bar Vitelli taste real cannoli hear stories of mafia & movie legends

You’ll wander through Savoca’s stony lanes with a local guide who knows both Godfather trivia and real mafia history. Stop at Bar Vitelli for lemon granita, visit ancient churches used in filming, then share a long Sicilian lunch overlooking the sea before heading back to Taormina full (in every sense).

4h–7h

Step-by-step itinerary

Depart from Taormina by private car
Visit Savoca medieval town
Walk to Santa Lucia church
Follow path down the hill
Visit 13th century church
Explore Savoca streets and meet locals
Visit Bar Vitelli and see movie spots
Take photos with Sicilian shotgun
Taste cannoli and lemon granita
Continue to Forza d'Agro hilltop town
Walk abandoned streets and historic square
Visit ancient churches and piazza
See Norman castle remains
Admire Ionian coastline panoramic view
Enjoy traditional lunch with local products

The Experience

I didn’t expect the road out of Taormina to feel so different so quickly — one minute it was all traffic and bright shop windows, and then we were winding up these silent hills, everything getting greener and older-looking. Our guide, Salvatore (he told us to call him “Totò” — “like the comedian!”), pointed out olive groves and explained how Coppola picked Savoca because it looked more like old Sicily than Corleone itself. It was cloudy at first, kind of cool for June, but you could smell wild herbs when we stepped out of the car. I kept tripping over the stones in the street — shoes with grip are definitely better here.

Walking through Savoca really did feel like stepping into a movie, but not in that cheesy way. We stopped at Bar Vitelli — same faded sign as in The Godfather, same wooden chairs outside. Totò ordered us lemon granita (“best in Sicily,” he swore), and I tried to say grazie in Sicilian dialect. He laughed; apparently I made it sound Spanish? Inside the bar there are old photos from filming and this weirdly heavy shotgun on display (not loaded, obviously). He told us about the actress who played Apollonia’s mother — she still lives nearby and sometimes pops by for coffee. The church where Michael married Apollonia is just up the hill; we peeked inside, echoey and cool, candles flickering even at midday.

Forza d’Agrò was quieter — almost nobody around except an old man sweeping his stoop who nodded but didn’t smile. The square looked exactly like that scene where young Vito escapes on a donkey (Totò had us re-enact it with imaginary baskets; I’m sure we looked ridiculous). There’s this view over the Ionian coast that made me stop talking for once. You know those moments where you suddenly realize how far from home you are? That was one of them.

The food… honestly, I still think about that lunch. Everything came out on mismatched plates: salty olives, caponata with sweet peppers, homemade bread still warm from somewhere nearby. Pasta alla Norma with eggplant and ricotta salata — simple but perfect after all that walking. Local wine too; Totò poured generously and said “cin cin” every time someone took a sip. Lemon sorbet at the end tasted like sunlight somehow.

What’s included

Your day includes private hotel or port pickup in Taormina by air-conditioned car with your own English-speaking guide-driver.
guided walks through Savoca and Forza d’Agrò visiting Godfather film sites.
bottled water along the way.
plus a traditional multi-course Sicilian lunch with local wine before returning comfortably to your starting point.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Prestelli Sicily Tours