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
4.4
(258 Ratings)
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Kristi_r
Jul 7, 2025
Great taste of Messina - We really enjoyed this tour! We liked that the tour guide timed everything for us to see the bell tower show right on time. The puppet museum was interesting but a little less time there would have been better. The cannoli at the end was amazing!
Review provided by Viator
Leannb438
Jul 7, 2025
Really enjoyed this tour! - My son and I took this tour and Chiara was our guide. She was GREAT! She was very engaged with the group and the people not in our group. She asked a family to take a group pic of us and then she returned the favor. I thought that was very nice of her. She went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed each and every stop along the way. She took us to the fountain, a puppet museum, to see the noon show, the church and to get food. She even put her own money in the box at the church so we could see the church light up. The noon show was AMAZING and the church was beautiful. She made it feel like a very personal tour like a friend that wanted you to see the best things in the area. Thank you, Chiara!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lamarckt2019
Jun 30, 2025
Incredible walk - Excellent tour of the beautiful city. The guide was spectacular with great knowledge of the history of each site visited. All very organized.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mikeg10361
Jun 23, 2025
Expert Tour with a great guide - The tour was really informative and fun. It included seeing the cathedral clock performance at 12.00pm and other sights and history. We felt well paced and included throughout the whole tour by our tour leader Chiara.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_k
Jun 18, 2025
Great walking tour of Messina - Excellent walking of Messina with a fantastic guide. We only booked this tour the day before arriving in Messina at the cruise port. Our previously booked shore excursion was cancelled by our cruise ship leaving us with no booked tour. The highlight of the tour for us really was viewing the Bell Tower at 12 midday when all the figurine move.
Review provided by Viator
Backpacker596184
Jun 16, 2025
Do not be attentive to the chimes of the Annunziatta church in the square of the same name, at noon!!! - We traveled in.May 2025 , wonderful, do it, it was one of the ports we made.We also visited Malta, corfu, duvrovnik split Venice!!!!!!!!!
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Irmgard_b
Jun 16, 2025
Our Guide Cathy was super... - Our Guide Cathy was super helpful and very informative. We feel educated about this beautiful place.
Review provided by Viator
Scott_g
Jul 13, 2025
Insightful Messina Tour with Chiara - We had a great walking tour in Messina with Chiara as our guide. She was knowledgeable and informative, sharing fascinating insights into Messina’s rich history. Highlights included the Neptune Fountain, the beautiful cathedral, and seeing the famous clock tower performance at noon. Chiara made the experience engaging and memorable — highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Paradise528966
Jun 22, 2025
An enjoyable walk - We enjoyed it but the guide spoke a little too quickly. But the end was a nice touch when we sampled some lovely cakes. Watching the clock was the highlight
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Khailing_t
Jul 13, 2025
Hard to understand. Screechy voice. - The meeting instructions could be clearer. Our tour guide was not easy to understand. Unfortunately her screechy high pitch voice was also really hard on the ears. We left the tour half way through.
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).