Best Of Sicily Shore Excursion: Etna, Taormina, Castelmola - 10 Persons Max

Posted By : Soham_B
We were a group of 10 and all had a wonderful time. Sergio (unsure of spelling) was a fantastic guide and was very knowledgeable about the island and the places we went to. Mt. Etna was simply extraordinary and Taormina was beautiful (we didn’t go to Castelmola since we wanted to maximize our time in the other two areas). Great views, great tour guide, wonderful experience altogether
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Posted On : 2023-08-25 08:09:00

Posted By : H7154UCginam
My family and I took a Mediterranean cruise stopping at several different countries. Sicily was most important to me as this is where my family is from. Of all the excursions/tours we did on this cruise, Sicily was hands down the best! Our guide, Sergio, gave us the experience of a lifetime, Knowledgeable, friendly, and very helpful, I can honestly say he made this tour so special for us. I promised Sergio a picture of the sentimental souvenir I purchased (with his help to negotiate a good price), so I am posting it here hanging proudly in my kitchen. Please make sure he sees this; I don't know how else to get these to him :)
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Posted On : 2022-08-24 12:12:43

Posted By : Alyssa C
My husband, mother, and I booked this tour while our cruise ship was docked in Messina because all other excursions through the ship were sold out. We’re so glad that we did! Sergio was our guide. He picked us up directly from the port along with another couple and drove us first to Mt. Etna, then Castelmola, then Taormina, before dropping us back off at our ship. He was a phenomenal guide. As a local, he was extremely knowledgeable about the history and current events of the region and brought us to cafes, restaurants, and shops off the beaten path where he haggled great discounts for us. He was extremely friendly and inviting, and you could tell he truly loves what he does. After hearing about our intent to grab cannolis in Taormina, he instead brought us to his favorite local bakery in Messina and treated us to some incredible, fresh cannolis. By the end of the tour, he felt like a family friend. Hands down the best shore excursion experience I had for the entire trip.
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Posted On : 2022-08-21 11:39:57

Posted By : antonysM5377JU
The tour was fantastic and the sites we visited stunning. The driver was punctual and professional, the vehicle, comfortble and clean. 100% recommended
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Posted On : 2020-01-10 18:46:55

Posted By : BackPacker826993
While the sites and tour guide were nice, the management overbooked this tour and we left 40 minutes late. We got an email a few days before the excursion stating that there were going to be 14-16 people on the tour and if we weren’t happy, we could cancel. They advertise 10 people max! What were we going to do since we were already on the ship and had booked this well in advance?

Then on the day of the excursion, 14 people were on the bus and the guide said 3 were missing (now it’s 17?, not great), but that if the people didn’t show up within 15 minutes of scheduled time we’d leave. 20 minutes past scheduled time she arrives with 2 new people who just joined. We were not happy as these people probably got a great deal last minute, less than what we paid through Viator. So we finally left with 16 people on board.

Once we were out of the port the manager called our guide and told her the 3 missing people were now there waiting. He literally forced the guide and driver to go back to get them. With now a packed full mini-bus of 19 people, and bad traffic, we left the port 40 minutes late! Ugh! While we were at Castelmola we were only given 20 minutes, far less than needed to see the town. What a waste of a stop. Then at Taormina, the guide insisted on walking us all the way though town to show us the meeting place on the other side. A much more effective way then walking the entire group there and wasting what free time we had was to give us a map and point out key landmarks to find it. Once we finally got our free time we were at the end of the town and had to go back to begin.

I would NOT recommend this tour. Very poor management and they did not stick to what was promised when we booked! Just horrible! We should get a partial refund for all the problems!
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Posted On : 2019-11-11 12:19:49

Posted By : William C
Nina was an excellent guide..her knowledge and love of her native city was infectious.. when we return we will surely request her again
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Posted On : 2019-11-11 01:50:46

Posted By : Gary G
Our visit to Sicily on our cruise was made special by this small group tour. The guide, Sergio, was knowledgable, engaging, and fun to be with. The sites--Etna, Taormina, and Castelmola-- were breathtaking. We were partiularly enchanted by Castelmola, a small, beautiful town on the top of a rock.
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Posted On : 2019-11-04 09:23:12

Posted By : Graham_H
We were 4 people and had booked an up to 10 persons trip - it was in reallity just the four of us. The negative was that it was 4 adults in a medium sized car, so the three in the back were a little cosy! The trip itself was excellent with Etna as the highlight. a really good way of seeing what we wanted to see.
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Posted On : 2019-10-15 04:42:55

Posted By : Roam631635
We had a wonderful tour with our guide Serge. He was attentive and informative with lots of information about the local area. He basically ran the tour with his great itinerary, we didn’t have to ask for anything he hadn’t already thought of.
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Posted On : 2019-08-15 08:26:12

Posted By : Peggy H
We loved going to Etna, but didn’t enjoy the long drive to the other places. Enjoyed our driver. Van was fine
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Posted On : 2019-08-10 14:50:31