Taormina in a nutshell
Taormina is a hillside town on the east coast of Sicily. Its main sights are the ancient theatre, the pedestrian Corso Umberto and the lookouts over the coast. The beaches lie below the town, at Mazzarò and Isola Bella, and a cable car (the Funivia) links the two levels. Castelmola, Giardini Naxos and the Alcantara gorge make easy trips from the same base.
Most visitors reach Taormina from Catania airport. The train station, Taormina-Giardini, is not in the old town, so plan a short bus ride up to the centre.
What this guide covers
Taormina and the places you can reach in a day from it.
This site covers Taormina and its immediate surroundings: the theatre, Isola Bella, Mazzarò, the cable car, Castelmola, Giardini Naxos, the Alcantara gorge, the beaches, where to stay and when to go. For the rest of the island there are sister guides: Sicily as a whole, Mount Etna, Catania and Syracuse. This is an independent guide and not the official Taormina tourism website.
Old town and coast are two levels
The old town with the theatre and the Corso is on the hill. Mazzarò and Isola Bella are at sea level. The cable car connects them, and so does a bus line.
Cable car guide →The station is not the centre
Trenitalia describes a bus link, Taormina Link, from Taormina-Giardini station into the historic centre. The station name does not mean you arrive in the old town.
Several tickets, no combined pass
The theatre, Isola Bella and the Naxos museum have their own tickets. Budget each one separately.
Things to do →Weather can close places
In October 2026 the town announced a precautionary closure of the Villa Comunale because of wind and rain. Check the forecast before you plan a garden or coast day.
Our picks: Taormina tours
The ancient theatre, a boat trip from Giardini Naxos and a full day to Etna and the Alcantara Gorge.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Etna and Alcantara Gorge full-day tour
Transfer from your meeting point, a local guide, helmet and lamp, and lunch with a drink and coffee. Entry to the Alcantara Gorge is included.
Check availability →
Boat trip with snorkelling and prosecco
A guide, prosecco, fruit, music and a snorkel mask are included. The boat leaves from Giardini Naxos, not from Taormina itself.
Check availability →
Ancient theatre ticket with audio guide
Skip-the-line entry and a multilingual audio app, also in German. There is no personal guide.
Check availability →Taormina tours and day trips
Boat trips to Isola Bella, theatre visits, cooking classes and Etna excursions, with live prices and availability.
Plan your visit
One page for each place and each question.
Things to do in Taormina
Twelve experiences from the theatre and the Corso to the Alcantara gorge.
Taormina tours compared
Boat trips, Etna excursions, cooking classes and walks, and what to check.
The ancient theatre
Tickets at €14, evening openings and how to plan the visit.
Isola Bella
The island on its pebble spit, reopened on 20 June 2026.
Cable car to Mazzarò
Fares since 1 August 2026 and what runs when.
Castelmola
The hilltop village above Taormina and the green bus line.
Giardini Naxos
The archaeological museum, the bay and the beach town.
Alcantara gorge
Basalt walls, the €2 municipal access and the private park.
Beaches near Taormina
Mazzarò, Isola Bella and Naxos, and how beach clubs work.
Where to stay
Old town, coast or Giardini Naxos compared by access.
Best time to visit
Weather, events and what opens when.
What changed in 2026
Where older guides are out of date.
New cable car fares
Since 1 August 2026 non-residents pay €8 one way and €15 return. Earlier fares no longer apply.
Cable car guide →Higher museum tariffs
Since 1 January 2025 the theatre costs €14 and €7 reduced instead of €12 and €6. Isola Bella and the Naxos museum cost €6 and €3 instead of €5 and €2.50.
Theatre guide →Isola Bella reopened
Cyclone Harry damage closed the island in January 2026. It reopened on 20 June 2026 at 9 am.
Isola Bella guide →New parking tariffs
The operator ASM changed its car park and cable car tariffs on 1 August 2026. Prices differ between the high season and the rest of the year.
Good to know
Five points that save time on the first day.
From Catania airport
A direct bus service advertises a departure every 30 minutes. One scheduled departure on 19 October 2026 took 85 minutes to Taormina. A train via Taormina-Giardini is also possible. Details are in the Catania to Taormina guide.
Driving and parking
The Corso Umberto is pedestrian. The car parks Lumbi and Porta Catania are open 24 hours. A day (24 hours) costs €20 at Lumbi and €25 at Porta Catania outside the high season, and €30 and €34 in the high season, which runs from 1 April to 31 October. A hotel booking does not give automatic access to the restricted traffic zone, so ask your hotel.
Local buses
The local operator ASM sells tourist passes for €3.50 (24 hours), €7 (72 hours) and €15 (7 days). A single trip to Castelmola costs €2. Do not assume the passes work on the cable car or the airport bus.
Tickets
In 2026 the theatre costs €14 and €7 reduced, Isola Bella and the Naxos museum €6 and €3. Visitors under 18 enter park sites free with proof of age.
Opening hours
Hours change with the season and differ between official pages. Check the current timetable before you go, especially for the theatre, Isola Bella and the cable car.
More independent guides to Sicily
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one place.
Sicily
The whole island: routes, regions and the best time to go.
Mount Etna
Summit tours, cable car, craters and safety rules.
Catania
The city at the foot of Etna, its markets and baroque centre.
Syracuse and Ortigia
Ortigia, the Neapolis park and boat trips along the coast.
Modica
Baroque churches and the chocolate town of the southeast.
Stromboli
The active volcano island: hikes, boat trips and ferries.
Milazzo
The harbour town for the Aeolian ferries and Capo Milazzo.
Taormina: frequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Taormina?
The old town and the theatre fill one day. Add a day for the coast at Mazzarò and Isola Bella, and a further day for Castelmola, Giardini Naxos or the Alcantara gorge. The things to do page lists all of them.
How much is the ancient theatre?
The regional park lists €14 for adults and €7 reduced in 2026. Visitors under 18 enter free with proof of age, and EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay half. Opening hours change with the season, and the park announced late openings until midnight on selected summer dates. See the theatre guide.
How do I get from the old town to the beach?
Take the cable car to Mazzarò. Since 1 August 2026 it costs €8 single and €15 return for non-residents, with a day pass at €20. A bus line, the Taormina Sea Line, also links the station, Isola Bella, Mazzarò and Spisone.
When is the best time to visit?
Summers are hot and dry. Long-term averages for Catania show an average daily high of 33 °C in July and August, and October is one of the wetter months. In 2026 the Taormina Film Festival ran from 10 to 14 June and Taobuk from 18 to 22 June. See best time to visit.
Is visittaormina.org the official tourism site?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to the town of Taormina, the Region of Sicily, any park authority, cable car operator or tour company.