An Insider’s Guide to the Best Things to do in Taormina

Last Updated on 13th August 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

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Taormina is a charming town in eastern Sicily that is famed for its proximity to Mount Etna and dramatic location perched halfway up a mountain, Mount Tauro. Boasting millennia of history, the town counts a historic amphitheatre, luxury shopping, and plenty of delicious restaurants, among its many varied attractions. Here are the best things to do in Taormina, as well as what to know before you go.

If you are planning on spending a few days in town, be sure to check out our suggestions on how to spend 3 days in Taormina.

How long do you need in Taormina?

Unfortunately, most people opt to stay in Taormina only for a single day. However, this would be a shame as the Pearl of Sicily is the kind of destinations which merits more than a cursive glance over. Indeed, if you want to make the msot opf this charming Sicilian town, I recommend setting aside two to three days.

Where Is Taormina?

Taormina is located on the eastern coast of Sicily within the Metropolitan City of Messina. The town has been a tourist hotspot and resort since the end of the 18th-century and has a population of around 11,000 permanent residents, though this swells enormously during the summer months.

When is the best time to visit?

Like many popular summer destinations in Europe, the best time to visit Taormina is either just before or just after peak season. What this means is planning a trip in late spring or early autumn. We visited during the summer, and while enjoyable, it must be said that it was pretty busy!

Is Taormina expensive to visit?

The short answer is that, yes, Taormina can be expensive to visit, especially when you compare it with other towns and villages on Sicily. With this being said, it’s still perfectly possible to find reasonably priced restaurants and hotels. All that is required is that you do a little bit of research ahead of time.

Best things to do in Taormina

Shopping in Taormina

Many people head to Taormina to indulge in a little retail therapy. Ever since the arrival of luxury hotels in the area, more and more luxury shops have been popping up across town.

There are also a number of stores where you can buy local souvenirs such as lemon-themed products and ceramics. The main shopping street is Corso Umberto, and this snakes its way through the entirety of the old town.

Odeon Taormina

One of the best hidden gems of Taormina is the Odeon, a tiny little ancient theatre in the centre of town. Free to visit, this theatre is located behind St. Catherine’s Church and was built by the Romans when Taormina became a Roman colony in 21 BCE.

Historic gates

There are a few surviving city gates marking out what were once the entrances and exits to medieval Taormina. These vestiges of the past are all that remains from a time when the town was completely surrounded by fortified walls.

There are four such gates scattered across town: Porta Catania, Porta Messina, Porta di Mezzo (which is also known as the clock tower and is located in the city centre), and a final gate which leads to Via Cappuccini.

Go out for food

Of course, no trip would be complete without sampling the local Italian food, and in Taormina, you’re pretty spoilt for choice. From fine dining experiences to on-the-go street food, there’s plenty of option to choose from.

Of course, there’s the firm Italian favourites like pizza and pasta, but you’ll want to sample the local specialities too. For example, did you know that Sicily was probably the birthplace of Cannoli, the delicious sweet that consists of a fried pastry dough filled with ricotta.

Wander the streets 

Truth be told, one of the greatest joys of a visit to Taormina is simply to stroll around and allow the town to reveal itself to you. Thanks to the fact that the historic city area is pretty compact and close together, this area will only take a few hours to wander and explore.

If you want to go shopping at the same time, allow yourself around three hours. If you prefer to discover a new destination together with a local guide, then you can consider booking a walking tour like this one.

Enjoy the views

Thanks to its elevated position set high on the cliff face above the dazzling Ionian Sea below, one of the best things to do in Taormina is to soak up all of the beautiful views.

On a clear day, you can also enjoy postcard-worthy vistas of Mount Etna. Some of the best viewpoints in Taormina include Piazza IX Aprile and from the Taormina public gardens.

Church of St Joseph

This lovely little church is situated on Piazza IX Aprile and dates all the way back to the latter half of the 17th-century. While visiting Taormina, we noticed that the church was particularly popular for weddings and so you might not be able to enter during your visit to the town. Luckily, the best part of the church is its stunning Baroque façade.

Take a cooking class

One of the best aspects of visiting a new destination is sampling all of the local food, and one way to do this is by booking a cooking class. We personally enjoyed taking a cooking class like this one, where we learned how to make pasta in a local’s home before eating everything we had made and washing it down with a glass of Italian wine.

If you prefer to enjoy a sweeter adventure, then this cannolo cooking class will teach you all about Sicily’s most famous sweet. You’ll also get a coffee and a commemorative certificate upon completing the class.

BamBar

If you love refreshing desserts served together with your morning coffee, then you need to look no further than BamBar. Nestled in the heart of the old town, this quaint café serves up super refreshing frozen granitas accompanied by freshly baked brioche buns.

Isola Bella 

Often referred to as the Pearl of the Ionian Sea thanks to its sheer beauty, the beautiful Isola Bella is a charming tidal island just off of the main coast of Sicily, close to the equally beautiful town of Taormina on the eastern coastline.

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.

In 2011, the island was turned into Museo Naturalistico Regionale di Isolabella and in order to visit the island you’ll have to pay an entrance fee of €4, otherwise you can only get as far as the beach of the island (the rest of the island is gated).

If you love water-based sports and want to see the little island from a different perspective, then you can book a kayak tour like this one.

Ancient Greek Theatre

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. Buy your ticket here in advance.

Beach club 

If you’re looking for an activity which will allow you to relax while in Taormina, then you’ll want to book yourself into a beach club. However, before booking, you should note that not all beach clubs are made equally as some don’t have toilet facilities or a restaurant onsite.

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. 

Taormina Public Gardens  

One of the more unexpected highlights of Taormina is just how beautiful the Public Gardens are. Known as the Villa Communale di Taormina, this stunning green space is filled with winding pathways, follies, and tropical plants. Head to the terraced area at the end of the gardens to enjoy an unrivalled view of Mount Etna.

Take a day trip to a winery 

From Taormina, there is a wide array of activities to enjoy for almost any interest and budget and one of my personal favourites was taking a day trip to a winery. We personally visited the family run Gambino Winery, which is located directly on the slopes of Etna.

We loved sampling the various Sicilian wines, which were paired with some fresh local food (including, to my amusement, a boiled egg)! Vegetarian options were available. If you want all of the details taken care of for you, then you can book a guided tour like this one.

Cable car 

Now, while you can walk up and down to the beach level from Taormina via winding steps which take you through a residential area to get to the town and back, the easier option is to take the cable car.

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 and along the water.

Enjoy the nightlife

As one of the go-to holiday destinations in Sicily, it should come as no surprise that enjoying the nightlife while in Taormina is a must. As well as checking out one of the casual cocktail bars and eateries, one of my favourite activities was strolling around the town and enjoying the illuminated streets.

Boat tour

If you want to see the Sicilian coastline from an entirely different perspective, then a fun way to do this is to embark on a boat tour like this one. We love taking a sunset boat tour which included snacks, drinking, and snorkelling. Check prices and availability here.

Take a day trip to Syracuse and Noto

One of the more popular cities to visit on Sicily is none other than the lovely Syracuse. This magical destination boasts a rich Greek and Roman history and vestiges of the past can be found all around, including ancient amphitheatres and other millennia old structures.

The city also happens to be the birthplace of the acclaimed mathematician and engineer Archimedes. A little further down the coastline, Noto (featured in The White Lotus Season 2) is famed for its 18th-century Baroque buildings.

Unfortunately, neither of these cities are that easy to reach on public transportation. With this being said, if you have access to a car then they are under half an hour away. If you want all of the details taken care of for you, then you can book a small group tour like this one.

Take a day trip to Mount Etna

While Mount Etna may be one of the most active volcanoes in Europe, it is also one of the most visited volcanoes in the world. If you wish to enjoy the views at sunset from the volcano for yourself, then you can book a guided sunset tour like this one.

Go in search of filming locations

Of course, Taormina’s sheer beauty and unique vibe has meant that it has been used as the backdrop for many a TV show and movie over the years, including more recently to film Season 2 of the White Lotus.

Much of The Godfather was also filmed in Taormina and movie lovers can spy many of the places where the iconic film was shot across town. If you would prefer for an insider to show you all of the movie locations, you can book this Godfather v/s Mafia Tour with Lunch.

Walk/ take the bus to Castelmola

Nestled high on a rocky outcrop overlooking the glitzy town of Taormina and the impossibly blue Ionian Sea beyond that, Castelmola is a dreamy Italian village that’s a must-see when visiting eastern Sicily. 

One of the more popular ways to reach the settlement is to take the stairs from Taormina up to the top of the mountain.

In order to do so you’ll want to wear comfortable shoes, bring plenty of water, and attempt the walk at either the beginning of the day or at the end of the afternoon. After all, the trail is pretty exposed with little shade covering and the sun gets pretty hot in Sicily!

The other popular option is also not for the faint of the heart as it’s to take the bus up a mountain pass that seems better suited to a Fiat 500 than a coach! You can purchase bus tickets at the Interbus -Etna transporti ticket office and, for around €2 to get a bus directly to Castelmola centre.

Getting to Taormina

Unfortunately, there is no train station in Taormina, making it slightly harder to reach than other sought after destinations in Sicily. With this being said, if you’re flying directly into Catania airport and heading straight for Taormina, then there is a direct bus that will take you from the airport to Taormina’s town centre in around an hour and a half.

If you have an awkward arrival time, then you can opt to take a taxi, but this will set you back around €80. Of course, if you wish to see more of the island, including some of the more off the beaten path locations, then you’ll want to rent a car. Check car rental comparison prices here.

Where to stay in Taormina

The one thing I should say about Taormina before you opt to stay there is that it can be quite pricey. Therefore, if you’re on a budget and would prefer to spend your travel funds elsewhere, then you might not want to stay in town.

After all, ever since the arrival of the Four Seasons Hotel and the filming of the White Lotus Season 2, there has been no shortage of luxurious hotels popping up in Taormina.

We personally loved staying in Taormina as it gave us the full experience of the town early in the morning, as well as late at night and everything in between. And so, if you are planning to stay in Taormina, here are some of the best places to stay (based on location and web-reviews):

San Domenico Palace: If you’re a fan of hit TV series then no doubt you’ll have heard of San Domenico Palace which was used as the backdrop for the second season of The White Lotus. And, if you’re anything like me, you were too distracted by the dazzling interiors of the hotel to focus completely on the storyline!

Set against the backdrop of a 14th-century former convent, highlights of this five-star establishment include an outdoor infinity pool, three restaurants on-site, a gym, and two bars. Check prices and availability here.

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