Taormina & the Ionian Coast

Taormina & the Ionian Coast Trips & Tours

Taormina & the Ionian Coast

A 2,000-year-old Greek theatre with Etna smoking on one side and the Ionian Sea glittering on the other, Taormina has been showing off since antiquity.

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Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Feefo

4.9/5 (1007 reviews)

Travel and Leisure Worlds Best Awards for number 1 tour operator in the world 2024 and number 2 tour operator in the world 2025
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Named three years running in Travel+Leisure World's Best, including No.1 in 2024
Sea, sky and Mount Etna in one swooping glance.

Set high on Sicily’s jagged cliffs and peering out over the Mediterranean Sea, Taormina is an adored hillside town, chock-full of history and with a charm that has been thousands of years in the making. The Greco-Roman amphitheatre is the town’s showpiece, its stone tiers framing the sea and Mount Etna in one of Italy’s most irresistible views. Along Corso Umberto, boutiques, gelaterie and chic aperitivo bars spill out, while narrow lanes lead towards Chiesa Madonna della Rocca for even wider and more wonderful vistas. Below is teeny-tiny Isola Bella, a nature reserve once home to English conservationist Florence Trevelyan and now reached by a ribbon of sand (walk, swim or cable car across) that appears and disappears with the tide. Head south and the scenery shifts again, as the Ionian Coast tumbles towards Catania in a string of fishing villages and lava-black headlands, all born of Etna's historic eruptions. At the end of the day, grab a seat on a sunset terrace and watch the sky turn apricot, a perfectly chilled martini by your side...

Why you'll love it

Why you'll love it

The views here could elicit a tear or two from a stone: Etna smoking in the distance, the Ionian gleaming beneath, and Sicily sprawling beyond.


Off the beaten track

Off the beaten track

Ditch the crowds and hike up to the castle ruins of Castelmola for even more spectacular vistas and a glass of local almond wine.

Something to think about

Something to think about

High season brings cruise ship crowds that can transform the town's narrow lanes into a human traffic jam – timing is everything.

When to go

Best time to visit Taormina & the Ionian Coast

Excellent
Good
Mixed

january

Wet Season — a good time to visit

Reviews

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Based on 1007 Feefo Reviews

An Incredible Safari Experience Thanks to Timbuktu Travel
Matt
An Incredible Safari Experience Thanks to Timbuktu Travel
October 2026
11 nights in Kenya and Tanzania
We recently returned from an incredible safari through Kenya and Tanzania, and we couldn't be happier with our experience working with Timbuktu Travel. Joanna and her team were wonderful from start to finish. They listened to what we wanted from our safari and designed an itinerary that exceeded our expectations. They helped us prepare for every aspect of the trip, answered our questions along the way, and made sure everything ran seamlessly once we arrived in Africa. From the accommodations and guides to the transfers and overall coordination, everything was exceptionally well organized. We were also celebrating a milestone anniversary, and Joanna and her team went above and beyond to make it special. They arranged anniversary surprises at every stop, including cakes, traditional celebration songs, and even a private dinner. These thoughtful touches made an already amazing trip even more memorable. We also want to recognize Joachim, our private guide for the final four days of our safari. He was friendly, patient, incredibly knowledgeable, and an absolute pleasure to spend time with. He made the final part of our journey particularly enjoyable. The entire experience exceeded our expectations. We saw incredible wildlife, stayed at wonderful camps, and never had to worry about the logistics. Timbuktu took care of everything, allowing us to simply enjoy the adventure. We can't thank Joanna, Joachim, and the entire Timbuktu team enough for creating such an unforgettable experience. We would highly recommend Timbuktu Travel to anyone planning an African safari.

Why travel with Timbuktu?

We design tailor-made journeys for travellers who want more than a holiday, from first-time safaris, gorilla treks and multi-generational family adventures to once-in-a-lifetime honeymoons - and everything in between. And here's why so many choose us to plan them.

Tailor-Made Since 2014

Tailor-Made Since 2014

We've been crafting one-of-a-kind journeys since 2014 — over 2,500 trips across 40+ countries, each one built from scratch around your interests and dreams.

Specialists Who've Been There

Specialists Who've Been There

Our team only recommends places they've slept in, eaten in, and happily keep going back to. Condé Nast Traveler named 11 of them Top Travel Specialists in 2026, and Travel+Leisure made three A-List Advisors.

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

The World's No 1 Tour Operator

Travel+Leisure's readers voted us the World's No.1 Tour Operator in 2024 and No.2 in 2025 — the travel industry's biggest readers' award, judged by people who actually travel.

Every Trip Makes A Difference

Every Trip Makes A Difference

$50 from every booking goes to female empowerment, tech education, and conservation projects across the countries we love. We have donated $78,000 so far – and it's going up!

Collaboration Is Key

Collaboration Is Key

Your travel specialist is with you the whole way, dreaming up the trip, building the itinerary, checking you in, and answering the 2am question from the other side of the world..

Loved By Our Guests

Loved By Our Guests

We are rated 4.9 out of 5 from 1007 verified Feefo reviews. And these are the words of people who actually went, not us talking about ourselves.

As Seen in

11 Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists 2026

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No. 1 & No. 2 Tour Operator in Travel + Leisure's Best Awards 2024 & 2025

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Best Booking Platform in Women's Health Travel Awards 2025

Women's Health magazine

Travel Specialist voted as Latin America A-List Travel Advisor 2025

Condé Nast Traveler A-List Awards

"Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip."

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