Godfather tour from Taormina: Private villages and lunch

Four to seven hours walking the Sicilian villages where Coppola filmed The Godfather

A private guided tour from Taormina through the hilltop villages of Savoca and Forza d'Agro, where The Godfather was filmed, with a local English-speaking guide, hotel pickup by air-conditioned car, and a traditional lunch of local cheeses, pasta and homemade bread. The tour is exclusive to your party only, and covers the exact locations where Michael Corleone married Apollonia, the Bar Vitelli where he revealed his name, and the piazza where young Vito escaped Don Ciccio's men.

Step-by-step itinerary

Godfather film locations and traditional lunch

• Depart from Taormina by private car
• Visit Savoca medieval town
• Walk to Santa Lucia church
• Follow path down the hill
• Visit 13th century church
• Visit Bar Vitelli and see movie spots
• Taste Sicilian cannoli and lemon granita
• Continue to Forza d'Agro hilltop town
• Walk abandoned streets and historic square
• Visit ancient churches and piazza
• See remains of 12th century Norman castle
• Admire panoramic Ionian coastline view
• Enjoy traditional lunch with local products

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Taormina hotel in a private air-conditioned car and heads to Savoca, the medieval town that stood in for the Corleone village. You'll walk the unchanged streets to the ancient church of Santa Lucia, where Michael and Apollonia knelt in the doorway to marry, then follow the same path down the hill the newlyweds took. A 13th-century church sits further down, and on some days you may encounter locals who appeared in the film, including the actress who played Apollonia's mother and still lives there.

Bar Vitelli is the centerpiece: the exact room where Al Pacino's Michael told Apollonia's father "there are people who'd pay a lot of money for that information, but then your daughter would lose a father instead of gaining a husband." The bar looks as it did in the movie. You can pose with an authentic Sicilian shotgun, see stills from the filming, and taste original cannoli and lemon granita while looking out at the Mediterranean from the square where the wedding ceremony was shot. The guide walks you through the filming process, the real Sicilian mafia structure and history, and the culture of the villages themselves.

After Savoca, the tour moves to Forza d'Agro, another hilltop town with its own Godfather scenes. You'll explore the historic square, walk the abandoned streets, visit ancient churches, and see the piazza where young Vito Andolini hid in a basket on a donkey's back to escape Don Ciccio's men. A 12th-century Norman castle sits above the town, and the views of the Ionian coastline open across the pastoral landscape that has stayed unchanged since ancient times. Lunch comes at a family-owned restaurant with a terrace overlooking the sea: locally produced cheeses, salami, prosciutto, caponata, parmigiana, pasta alla norma, olives, extra virgin olive oil, fresh homemade bread, and lemon sorbet. Everything made from organic ingredients grown within the region.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off by private air-conditioned car.
• personal local English-speaking guide.
• walking tours of Savoca and Forza d'Agro.
• entry to the churches and Bar Vitelli.
• traditional lunch with locally produced cheeses, salami, prosciutto, caponata, parmigiana, pasta alla norma, olives, bread and lemon sorbet.
• bottled water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00, 10:00 and 15:00

AgesAdult (17 and older) · Child (4 to 16 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by Prestelli Sicily Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're traveling as a couple or small group and want the Godfather locations without sharing a guide or vehicle with strangers: the private car and exclusive guide let you move at your own pace through the villages and linger at the filming spots that matter to you.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 16 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly happens at Bar Vitelli on the Godfather tour?

Bar Vitelli is the room where Michael Corleone revealed his name to Apollonia's father in the film. You'll see the exact spot, take pictures with an authentic Sicilian shotgun, view stills from the movie and a monument to Coppola, and taste original cannoli and lemon granita while standing in the square where the wedding ceremony was filmed.

Can I really walk the same path Michael and Apollonia took after their wedding?

Yes. In Savoca, you walk to the church of Santa Lucia where they married in the doorway, then follow the same route down the hill the newlyweds did in the film, passing a 13th-century church on the way.

What's included in the lunch on this tour?

Lunch is a traditional Sicilian meal at a family-owned restaurant with a sea view: locally produced cheeses, salami, prosciutto, caponata, parmigiana, pasta alla norma, olives, extra virgin olive oil, fresh homemade bread, and lemon sorbet. All made from organic ingredients grown in the region.

Is this tour just for my group, or will I be with other travelers?

This is a private tour exclusively for your party. No other travelers join you, and you have your own personal local guide and air-conditioned car for the entire day.

What does the guide talk about besides the movie filming?

The guide covers the real Sicilian mafia (its structure, rise and development through history) the culture and history of the villages themselves, and the atmosphere of old Sicily that remains in these hilltop towns.

Will I see the piazza where young Vito Corleone escaped in the film?

Yes. In Forza d'Agro, you'll visit the historic piazza where young Vito Andolini hid in a basket on a donkey's back to escape Don Ciccio's men, along with the remains of a 12th-century Norman castle and views of the Ionian coastline.