Messina Walking Tour: Arab-Norman Sites & Puppet Museum

Discover the highlights of Messina on a 2-hour walking tour. Visit Cathedral Square, Catalani Church, Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, and more. Don’t miss the Sanctuary of Montalto and the Shrine of Christ the King.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Annunziata dei Catalani Church - is one of the few great monuments that have resisted earthquakes and the fury of incendiary bombs of war events,
  • Municipio di Messina - The biggest palace ever rebuilt after the earthquake of 1908.
  • Galleria Vittorio Emanuele III - built by the architect Camilo Puglisi Allegra in between 1924 and 1929
    -…
What's Included
  • Professional guide
  • Tasting of typical Sicilian products
  • Entrance fee to the Museum of Sicilian Puppet Theater
What's Not Included
  • Food and Drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Additional Information

Your 2.5-hour walking tour begins at the Catalani Church, a prime example of Arab-Norman architecture. Next, you’ll head to the City Hall, the largest palace reconstructed after the 1908 earthquake. The Vittorio Emanuele Gallery, situated in Antonello Square, is the second largest in Southern Italy.
A highlight of the tour is Cathedral Square, featuring…

Location
Terminal Crociere
The guide will meet you OUT OF THE EXIT GATE of the ship terminal wearing an orange scarf and a signboard with our logo: A LION HEAD.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.4
(223 Ratings)
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Faraway03523368662
Oct 6, 2024
Discover Messina’s hidden gem, a must see - We thoroughly enjoyed our (wife and I) tour of Messina. Though limited in scope and excitement due to most of the historic sites being flattened by an earthquake in 1908 and allied bombings during WWII, we did enjoy the visit to the cathedral and the daily midday clock tower show. However the highlight of our tour was our visit to the only surviving small family puppet museum. This is a fabulous, hidden gem, tucked away in a side street that our tour guide knew about. It is owned and operated by the 5th generation descendants of the founder. The exhibit was phenomenal, old, intriguing, and still operates as a museum and puts on shows. I was skeptical at first when the guide told us about it, but I was totally swept away once we got into the place. Everyone in our group felt the same. Whether a kid or a kid-at-heart this is a must see. It is few minutes from the main clock tower square. It’s not well known but should be soon.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sharyl_s
Oct 5, 2024
Informative! - Claudio was a great tour guide. he told the history of the city as we walked by different buildings. The best part was The Cathedral of Messina in the town square! The moving gold statues told the story of Messina. Very interesting! We also were surprised with a sweet snack! Great tour!
Review provided by Viator
Mobile48999601311
Oct 1, 2024
Very pleasant visit to Messina - The visit was very pleasant. The Mariarita Guide very friendly and explanatory. At the end of the walk we tasted a typical Sicilian product
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mary_l
Sep 30, 2024
Interesting - Our tour guide, Claudio, was very knowledgeable and interesting. He was both friendly and professional.
Review provided by Viator
Trip14497227683
Sep 23, 2024
Very good - Alessandra, the tour guide was excellent. She explained everything during the trip. I liked very much the trip. Everybody liked.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Connector24107686164
Sep 19, 2024
Great overview of all things Messina - Very informative guide, nice overview of Messina. Excellent stop for the best cannolis. Guide was very willing to offer suggestions of things to do after the official tour ended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kanvalr2024
Oct 2, 2024
Loved our walking tour - Chiara led our walking tour. The highlights included seeing the noon show at the Cathedral Square Bell Tower and being treated to Granita and a canoli.. so good. The puppet museum was enlightening.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wayne_v
Sep 23, 2024
Very Good - Tour guide informative. If u have difficulty walking, be aware there are stairs and very uneven walking surfaces. Enjoyed the history of the area. Recommend the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Richard_l
Sep 17, 2024
A great way to get a flavor for a city in a relatively short time. - I never thought that a tour of the puppet museum would be that interesting, but it was fascinating. Watching the 12:00 bell tower performance was amazing. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us a history lesson along with the tour. Much better than being on a bus tour with a large number of people
Review provided by Viator
Helenakabetty_s
Oct 4, 2024
An extremely boring tour - Worst tour on our trip. I should’ve researched more before booking. There isn’t enough to see in Messina to make it worth going on a walking tour. We left after 45 minutes because it was so boring.
Review provided by Viator
From $45
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).