Taormina and the Blue Grotto

The perfect excursion

Wonderful day with two Terrific guides, Sofia and Emanuela. During a scenic ride from Messina to Taormina, Sofia informed and amused us, speaking about the history, culture, and food of the area. Once there, Emanuela guided us to a Beautiful boat ride around the Gorgeous Naxos Bay, getting an Incredible view of Taormina (and the White Lotus Hotel) from the water. We had plenty of time for a Delicious swim in the clear blue water; such a Pleasure in the middle of the day. Sofia then toured us through the Greco Roman Theater, an Incredible archeological site with Stunning views of the mountains and sea surrounding Taormina. The tour ended with ample time to browse, shop, and snack in the charming town of Taormina. Fabulous shore excursion – organized and well-paced with Great guides and attention to detail from pick up to drop off. We Loved every minute of our day and really felt that we had experienced a taste of Sicily!

We experienced this excursion on 9/10/23 and had an incredible time. The ONLY downside was that our boat ride was first and there was no where to change out of our wet suits afterwards. If they could change that one thing (giving us a place to change), it would be perfect. The boat ride itself was wonderful and we had a blast swimming in the Ionian Sea. Our guide and boat driver were super friendly and informative. Taormina was charming and beautiful. We walked to the Ancient Theatre for a quick tour and then had ample free time to eat and shop before meeting back at the bus. The company was extremely organized and contacted us a couple days ahead of time with great information. Honestly, highly recommend this tour!

Excellent small tour, had a lovely time on a boat with only 13 tourists. We had ltos of time to swim and look at beautiful fish. We had prosecco and treats. then the trip to Taormina was beath taking. Would recommend. Bring goggle and snorkel gear if able as the fish are beautiful with very clear water.

Driving to Taormina was absolutely beautiful and our first stop was getting on the small boat to go see the Blue Grotto. I cannot explain how blue and beautiful the water is and the same for the scenery looking back to shore from the water. We took a swim from the boat and enjoyed the crystal clear water. What a treat! We decided to forego the Greco-Roman theatre and enjoyed walking around in Taormina and browsing in the shops. Our tour guide was a very nice, humorous young lady who we thoroughly enjoyed.

We recently took this tour when we ported at Messina and i cant say enough about this tour. The bus ride was nice and they gave us a treat to the boat and explained alot on the way. The boat tour piece was amazing and to swim in the water was magical. The tour up to Taormina was good the only complaint would be the slightly rushed feeling and the tour leader was hard to hear when walking in town. We had Sofia and Sara and they were both great. One of our best tours when in Italy.

Something happened with our cruise ship docking, and we were delayed for about an hour. This really messed up the tour companies, and they were scrambling to redo groups an itineraries. Our guide was stressed. We got to Taormina and it was crowded since all of the groups were arriving at the same time. We finally got to explore, but we didn't have a lot of time because we booked the tour of the theater. You don't want to miss the theater, and we were so glad we did this part of the excursion, but it didn't leave us much time for shopping. We then went and got on the boat for the Blue Grotto tour. This was so much fun, and we loved swimming and getting to see Sicily from the water. It was nice to be away from the crowds, too. The guide took us to see part of Messina on the way back to the ship. She really was delightful and did her best during pretty chaotic circumstances. We would definitely recommend this tour, especially if the time in Taormina could be a little longer.

Started off with about a 45 min bus ride thru the beautiful countryside. Then, up the spectacular winding road to Taormina. The town has high end shopping and restaurants. You have an option at the end of the tour to explore on your own or see the Greek theater. The theater was absolutely spectacular but it then left us no time to eat or explore. The boat ride was quite an adventure. Splashing waves and caves. We forgot our swimsuits - there is 20 min in a calm (crowded) bay to jump in and swim. A cookie and a glass of bubbly was included.

Amazing ! Lots of fun !

We enjoyed this excursion very much. Taormina is a beautiful city with fabulous places to eat, shop, and take memorable photos. We were taken by bus to the shore where about 10 of us got onto a medium sized boat and went along the coast side seeing all of the beautiful beaches, hotels and expensive yachts. We went to a few grottos, which were beautiful and my daughter was able to swim in the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean.

Just the perfect excursion. They provided the perfect amount of time for each segment of the excursion, we’re very organized and knowledgeable. This is a must do!

Taormina was breathtakingly beautiful, and we took many photos to keep our memories fresh! Our tour guides were wonderful and very informative. Subsequent to our tour, we had ample time for shopping, which was another nice experience, as the merchants were friendly and welcoming. The boat ride tour to the Blue Grotto was also unforgettable, as was the gorgeous scenery. The water in and around the Blue Grotto was unbelievable, as the water was so strikingly blue it appeared to be dyed or artificial. Of course, this was simply one of our environment's true mysteries and offerings. Fortunately, our tour guides were very accommodating and knowledgeable, and made for a very enjoyable excursion. Finally, our boat's captain and his assistant were safety conscious and insightful. They explained where we were and where we were going, and their friendly personalities made this an awesome experience!