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
Discover Messina Sicily
Via I Settembre
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.5
(294 Ratings)
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Hudsonp787
Mar 10, 2026
Messina tour march26 - Roberto.. was amazing, 5 stars. He was extremely well knowledged with the city and spots. Was able to give us directions by memory. Knew all of the cool facts, and had all the insider scoop on the amazing food.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Annea733
Feb 6, 2026
Well-informed guide, good pace. - Claudio was able to share his expertise as a guide in Messina. He shared not only the sights, but also the history behind them. A very good tour and I especially liked the cannoli at the end!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
311marlenaa
Dec 18, 2025
Discover Messina Italy - Your tour guides were excellent sorry I can't remember their names at this moment. They took us around the southern coast which is very beautiful. We then went up the hill toward the church culminating at the square where we toured the church and witnessed the display at noontime. The square was packed
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Davidsimpson
Nov 18, 2025
Chaira gave us a very... - Chaira gave us a very good tour despite the pouring rain! Throughout the tour she shared a lot of information about Messinas history. We saw the Cathedral, Town Square with Astological clock and animated figures strike noon, a working hand carved puppet business and a family bakery to eat a delicious Cannoli….highly recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Diane_m
Nov 14, 2025
Well thought out plan to... - Well thought out plan to see the city, except for the very end. The company had two groups out at the same time and they both ended at the same exact spot, which created a little mayhem. But overall it was an enjoyable time, Ciara knew her city well.
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Marty
Nov 3, 2025
Claudio was great - Claudio was great. He provided us with whispers and took us on a fun, interesting and at times humorous walking tour of a small part of Messina. He knew his facts and if he was asked a question that he didn’t know the answer to, he didn’t try to fake it.
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P2269neannaa
Nov 2, 2025
Excellent and informative tour - We met Sara after popping into the Discover Messina office and asking for restaurant recommendations. Even though there was no tour scheduled for the next day she set one up just for us, at the usual, very reasonable rates. The tour was informative and engaging, filled with lots of great details, anecdotes, history, and delivered with genuine passion and love of Messina. We even got a detailed explanation of Messina and Sicily’s geology. Because Discover Messina has partnered with the family of puppeteers we got a tour of their museum, and wrapped it all up with an amazing cannoli.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacinthe_t
Nov 16, 2025
Pouring rain in Messina - Although it was pouring rain, our guide made the best of it. We really enjoyed being provided with an audio/earphones making it easier to hear the information. We also enjoyed tasting the cannolo. Chiara was very professional.
Review provided by Viator
Barton_g
Oct 27, 2025
A very interesting tour... - A very interesting tour but the tour guide needs to make certain their microphone is always close to their mouth because when they turn their head you lose the sound of their voice
Review provided by Viator
Mary_j
Nov 4, 2025
Perhaps consider venturing outside of Messina for places of interest. - The tour was interesting but to be honest there is not a lot to see (at least of interest in us) in Messina. We did enjoy the noon show of the cathedral bell tower. The guide did a good job with what she had to work with. The cannoli's at the end were delicious. Unfortunately at end of tour most shops and businesses closed for a few hours in the afternoon, so we just returned to the ship.
Review provided by Viator
From $49
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).