A 2 or 3 Days in Taormina Itinerary You’ll Want to Steal
Last Updated on 19th August 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
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A veritable island paradise with crystal clear waters, impossibly beautiful architecture, and lying in the shadow of Mount Etna, the most active volcano in Europe, there’s no shortage of attractions in Taormina, the pearl of Sicily. Best visited over the course of several days, here’s how to spend 2 or 3 days in Taormina itinerary, as well as what to know before you go.
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Getting to Taormina
The closest international airport to Taormina is Catania, which is around an hour away. I personally opted to take the bus, which costs less than ten euros and will take you straight to the town centre. This is a welcome contrast to the train, which will deposit you in Giardini Naxos, which is at the bottom of the mountain.
How long do you need in Taormina?
Most people only opt to stay a single day in Taormina. Up until the arrival of the Four Seasons Hotel (and the subsequent filming of the White Lotus series), the town was seen as somewhere to stop off as part of a cruise tour.
However, opting to stay in town for less than a day would be your first mistake. After all, wandering the cobbled lanes, being amazed by the ancient theatre, and shopping for lemon-themed products are just a few of the many things to do in town.
In order to truly enjoy all that Taormina has to offer, as well as take some side excursions, I would say that you need at least two days.
If you also want to spend time at the beach as well as seen Isola Bella and make use of Taormina’s cable car facilities, then you’ll want to set aside 3 days. For ideas on where to stay, be sure to check out the most luxurious hotels in Taormina.
Day 1 suggested itinerary in Taormina
BamBar
Start your day the right way by indulging in a traditional Sicilian classic: a granita at BamBar. This shaved ice dessert is served up in various flavours including almond, strawberry, lemon, peach and more. In fact, there’s a changing daily menu of the flavours that are available.
The café-bar was so good that we actually ended up going twice during our stay. The best way to enjoy the iced sweet is to order a coffee (here’s a guide on how to order coffee in Italy) and an as large as your face brioche bun to accompany your frozen granita.
Amphitheatre
One of the most beautiful surviving amphitheatres from antiquity is located in Taormina. The Greek theatre boasts unrivalled views of Mount Etna, as well as of the beautiful azure waters of the Ionian Sea below.
Construction of the theatre probably began in the 3rd Century BCE and over over 100,000 cubic meters of rock had to be removed from the mountain in order to allow for its construction. In Roman times, the theatre likely held gladiator battles.
If I could give you just one tip to visit the amphitheatre, it would be to make sure to buy your tickets online. You can normally do this on the same day as your visit (we literally did it four minutes before our entry) and you’ll save a lot of time as you won’t have to queue up over half an hour to buy tickets.
I would also suggest to not be like us and visit the amphitheatre in the morning or late afternoon. We went at midday and honestly the sun was so hot that it was definitely less enjoyable than it could have been.
Visitors should also note that the amphitheatre is still regularly used for open-air performances. During our visit, it was the time of the summer film festival and so there was a modern day cinema screen erected near the stage area. You can purchase your entrance ticket here in advance.
Gardens
If I’m honest, the gardens of Taormina are among one of the most beautiful public green spaces I’ve ever been to. Completely free to visit, they lie on a terrace overlooking the impossibly green Mount Etna, and on a clear day, offer a beautiful view onto the azure blue waters of the Ionian Sea below.
The gardens are officially known in Italian as Villa Comunale di Taormina and were created in the latter half of the 19th-century, though they have only been property of the town since 1922.
If you want to have a little gelato, then I recommend heading to nearby Crema e cioccolato, where you can pick up a delicious gelato to enjoy in the nearby park. We enjoyed the park so much that we actually ended up going a couple of times, including at night.
Sicilian street food
For lunch, be sure to try some tasty local Sicilian street food. There are a surprising number of dishes to have originated from Sicily, and many are suitable for vegetarians. Local favourites include arancini (risotto balls) and Cannoli (sweet pastries filled with fresh ricotta cream and candied fruits).
Shopping
Post lunch, spend part of the afternoon checking out the various shops in town. The main shopping street is Corso Umberto, and you’ll find plenty of big name designers such as Dior, as well as smaller, independent boutiques.
Check out the Duomo
Though not the most impressive of churches in Italy, the lovely Duomo (cathedral) of Taormina is still worth checking out, if only to get a brief respite of the intense summer sun! Constructed in around 1400 on the remains of an earlier church, the cathedral is free to visit and lies in the heart of town.
Boat excursion
End your day by heading down to the water and going on a sunset cruise. There are a few ways to get down to the point where boats depart from, but I personally don’t recommend taking the scalinata per il mare as it’s not very well maintained and can be a little bit dangerous in places.
You can take a taxi to get to the water and if there’s a group of you, this is what I recommend doing. We were four and so the taxi was €5 each each way.
The sunset cruise itself was pleasant and we were able to see a lot of the coastline surrounding Taormina from an entirely new perspective. Find boat tour details here.
Day 2 suggested itinerary in Taormina
Cooking Class
Start your day by booking a cooking class with a local. We booked a class with a mother/son duo for our second day in Taormina and thoroughly enjoyed learning about how to make three different types of local pasta, as well as a tiramisu.
It was particularly interesting to learn all about the differences between traditional Italian pasta and Sicilian pasta- the latter is made with less egg but more flour.
After preparing the different pasta, we then cooked and ate it together with the hosts, and all of this was washed down with a glass of Italian wine. This tour will take you around a market before showing you how to create some traditional Sicilian dishes. Check more details here.
Gambino winery
Even if you’ve been to wine tastings in Europe before, then I can bet that you’ve not tried very many Sicilian wines. Indeed, there are over 65 native wine varieties from Sicily, though since they’ve not been greatly exported until the past decade or so a lot of people haven’t had the chance to try them.
Reaching Gambino is not the easiest feat as it is literally perched on the foothills of Mount Etna. We opted to book a taxi to take us there and back from Taormina so that we could also enjoy the wine tasting without someone having to worry about being the designated driver and so we wouldn’t have to worry about the hassle of renting a car in Sicily.
Gambino winery itself was founded in 1978 and today you can pay for a tasting of the most popular wines. We tried four wines alongside some food, though the most unusual thing that we were served had to be a boiled egg! If you want to visit Gambino, then this tour will take you (though the wine tasting is an optional extra at an extra cost).
Castelmola
The charming village of Castelmola is widely regarded to be one of the most beautiful villages in Sicily and is perched precariously at the top of the mountain, overlooking Taormina and the sea beyond.
Those who enjoy hiking and don’t mind the heat can walk the hundreds of steps from Taormina up to Castelmola, though you obviously don’t want to do this in the middle of the day!
The other option is to take the bus, though this is also not for the faint of heart because for just under two euros you’ll pay to go on a windy road up a mountain pass that feels more like it was made for a Fiat 500 than a coach!
Castelmola doesn’t have a great deal by way of attractions and the real charm of the village is simply to wander around and allow the settlement to reveal itself to you. Most of the town is car free and on the slope so be sure to wear comfortable shoes.
If you enjoy sightseeing, then note that there are a few gift shops and souvenir stores in town, as well as some incredible viewpoints thanks to Castelmola’s strategic vantage point.
Indeed, the village was built around a Norman Castle, the ruins of which can still be visited today, that was constructed to protect the surrounding countryside. Today, the only danger in town is getting too full on pasta! After all, this is probably the spot in Sicily where we encountered some of the best restaurants.
Day 3 suggested itinerary in Taormina
Though not necessarily a must, if you have a third day in Taormina, then I recommend going down to sea level to admire the islands, soak up the sun, and enjoy a lido (that’s an Italian beach club).
Take the cable car
The easiest way to get down to sea level is by taking the cable car. The cable car actually wasn’t working until the last day of our visit (we still don’t know why it was apparently closed for months), but it was definitely handy for reaching sea level and much cheaper than taking a taxi.
If you want to use the cable car, then you should note that it’s pretty popular and so going down in the morning can get quite busy, as can going back up at the end of the afternoon when everyone has finished at the beach club. As such, be prepared to wait up to half an hour in each direction to access the cars.
Beach day
If you want to book a beach club, then you should note that not all beach clubs are made equally. For example, some don’t have toilet facilities, while others might not serve cooked meals.
As such, be sure to do some research in advance (we personally spent a day at Lido Tao Beach Club) and book your slot ahead of time. As you can imagine, visiting a beach club during the summer is particularly popular and so the best beach clubs fill up fast.
See the Isola Bella
If there’s one piece of the coastline that you shouldn’t miss during your time in Sicily, it’s Isola Bella. The island itself is located within a small, sheltered bay (the so-called Gulf of Naxos) and is a tidal island, meaning that twice a day, the tide recedes low enough for visitors to cross between the mainland the the little islet on foot across a narrow, rocky path.
Dinner in beach bay
End your final day in Taormina by booking into a luxurious restaurant overlooking the inky waters of the Ionian Sea as night falls. We personally booked a table at the Ristorante Sant’Andrea and loved our risottos paired with a glass of local wine overlooking one of the most picturesque bays in Mazzaro.
Where to stay in Taormina
If there’s one thing you should know about Taormina before visiting, it’s that it can be pretty pricey and is easily one of the most expensive places to visit on the island.
As such, if you’re travelling on an extreme budget, I might consider visiting somewhere else in Sicily. Nevertheless, here are some of our top recommendations for places to stay in town:
Budget- Hostel Taormina: This hostel offers both dorm rooms as well as private rooms for more privacy during your stay. The budget accommodation is well located at only 500 metres or so from the cable car. The hostel has a shared terrace space, as well as a new lounge/ bar. Check prices and availability here.
Mid-range- B & B La Terrazza sul Mare TAORMINA: This laid-back B&B offers casual rooms with free Wi-Fi, parking, and is pet friendly. Check prices and availability here.
Luxury- San Domenico Palace: For the crème de la crème of places to stay in Taormina, you’ll want to check yourself into this five-star hotel. Amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness centre, a restaurant onsite, and a bar. Oh, and it was used as the filming location for The White Lotus. Check prices and availability here.
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