Taormina & Messina tour: Sicilian street food tasting

Two towns, two hours each, and the street food that defines them

A four- to six-hour tour of Taormina and Messina combines two hours walking the clifftop streets of Taormina with a panoramic tour of Messina that stops twice: once for the town's famous arancini (rice balls) and once for cannoli siciliani. Hotel pickup is included. The vehicle is air-conditioned and wheelchair accessible.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Taormina and Messina with tastings

• Visit Taormina for 2 hours
• Panoramic tour of Messina for 2 hours
• Taste Messina's famous rice ball
• Taste delicious cannolo siciliano

The experience

The day splits between two very different Sicilian towns. Taormina gets the first two hours: enough time to walk its steep, narrow streets and take in the views from the hilltop. Then the tour moves to Messina, the port town across the strait, where the real focus is the food. Two stops break up the panoramic drive: one at a famous spot for arancini, the other for cannoli. Both are places locals eat, not tourist setups, and the stops are built into the itinerary so you taste without having to hunt.

An air-conditioned vehicle handles the drive between towns and the panoramic loop through Messina. Bottled water comes with the tour. The whole thing runs four to six hours depending on how long you linger at each stop and how the traffic moves on the day. Hotel pickup means you don't need to find your own way to a meeting point or arrange transport to the start.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water.
• two street food tastings in Messina (arancini and cannoli siciliani).
• two hours in Taormina and a panoramic tour of Messina.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 09:00 and 10:00

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by MESSINA CRUISE TOUR

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you skip arranging transport from wherever you're staying, and the fixed stops for arancini and cannoli are already planned so you taste the food without hunting for it yourself.

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Top questions

How much time do I actually spend in Taormina itself?

Taormina gets two hours for walking. That is enough to move through the main streets and get a sense of the town from its elevated position, but not enough for a long sit-down meal or a museum visit.

What exactly are the two street food stops in Messina?

One stop is for arancini, the famous Messina rice balls. The other is for cannoli siciliani, the pastry tubes filled with ricotta cream. Both are traditional Sicilian street foods and both stops happen during the panoramic tour of Messina.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the tour start, or is pickup included?

Hotel pickup is included, so the tour collects you from your accommodation and brings you back after the tour ends.

Is the tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or have mobility concerns?

The vehicle and all areas visited are wheelchair accessible. Taormina's streets are steep and uneven in places, but the tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels and you can move at your own pace during the town visits.