36 Hours in Messina: What to See, Eat and Experience in Sicily’s Gateway City

We spent 36 hours in Messina. And no, it wasn’t just a stop along the way.

As the gateway to Sicily by location and history, Messina is often the first encounter with the island, the point where everything begins. Staying here, even for just a day and a half, led us to discover a lively city that reveals itself little by little, with its views over the Strait and an identity shaped over centuries, rebuilt time and again after every hardship.

We walked through the historic center, following the rhythm of its streets and squares, stopping at its landmark sites and then moving into more everyday details, from the atmosphere to the food, and up to the experiences that truly made us feel the city on our skin.

In this way, just 36 hours were enough for us to unveil the true soul of Messina and fall in love with an unforgettable destination.

We designed these 36 hours in Messina as a short but rich itinerary, created to explore the city’s most fascinating places without reducing them to a simple sequence of stops.

The goal was never to see everything, but to discover the city step by step, letting ourselves be guided by its everyday rhythms: a walk through the historic center, a stop in front of its landmarks, and time dedicated to local food and traditions.

We were guided throughout this journey by Discover Messina Sicily, a local company that allowed us to connect directly with the city. With their support, we explored the main stops and, above all, unveiled the secrets that often escape during a self-guided visit.

An approach that combines hands-on experience with deep local knowledge, with itineraries designed to reveal Messina from different perspectives and moments that reflect its most genuine dimension. A unique way to experience the city alongside those who truly live it every day: here's the itinerary we followed.

- Walking tour through the historic center with the bell tower show.

- A street food experience worth savoring.

- A museum that brings Messina’s history to life.

- Time for some shopping in the city’s modern heart.

- A taste of Sicily’s culinary tradition.

- In the footsteps of The Godfather.

- A slow walk by the lake.

Let's start our day on a climb, on the road that leads us to the Tempio di Cristo Re, one of the highest viewpoints over Messina.

The temple, built in the 1930s on the site of the ancient Rocca di Matagrifone, one of the city’s historic fortifications, overlooks Messina and the Strait. From its belvedere, we’re rewarded with a breathtaking view that stretches all the way to Calabria, especially in the clear morning air.

We can take a short break, recharging with a fresh and delicious Sicilian granita.

Then, at 10:30, we join a two-hour walking tour of the historic center, a guided route whose highlight is the visit to the Duomo di Messina and its magnificent Bell Tower, home to the unmissable astronomical clock show.

With its intricate mechanisms, the clock marks the passage of time through a system of automata that comes to life every day at noon. It’s the perfect way to begin uncovering the most authentic charme of Messina.

At this time of day, the streets around the Cathedral come alive, and it feels natural to stop for something to eat without moving too far away.

This is when Messina tells its own story through food. And the Messina’s street food, in particular, is truly unique! Freshly fried arancini, hot pidoni, a cassata, or the small bites you’ll find among historic cafés and local spots along the streets.

We take the time to sit down and relax, perhaps on a bench in Piazza Unione Europea, or heading to the tree-lined Villa Mazzini, or the Passeggiata a Mare Messina.

Beyond street food, you also have the chance to put yourself to the test with an unforgettable pizza-making experience in the heart of the city, learning the secrets of Sicilian tradition directly from a local chef. In this way, lunch becomes a moment to enjoy without rushing—our first real taste of the most authentic side of Messina.

In the early afternoon, we move slightly away from the heart of the city, heading to the MuMe – Museo Regionale Interdisciplinare di Messina.

It’s a very different space, quieter and more intimate compared to the experiences of the morning in the historic centre. But that doesn’t make it any less special.

We walk through the spacious galleries at an unhurried pace, with the artworks accompanying us along a path that follows the city’s history. The journey moves from medieval artifacts to gems that define Messina’s artistic identity, and on to testimonies that speak of what the city lost and rebuilt, especially after the 1908 earthquake.

Some works stand out more than others, such as the extraordinary Caravaggio paintings, which become one of the most intense moments of the visit, also because we can observe them in complete comfort, sitting down and taking all the time needed to appreciate these masterpieces.

In the late afternoon, let's return to the city centre to immerse ourselves in the more modern side of Messina. We reach Piazza Cairoli, one of the city’s most lively open spaces, developed as part of the 20th-century urban redesign.

It's a charming square, spacious and surrounded by trees, shops, and cafés that make it a natural meeting point. We cross it and head into Viale San Martino, a street full of shops, window displays, and signage that guide an easy walk between shopping and everyday city life.

If we wander into the nearby side streets, we find plenty of bars where we can pause for a quick aperitif, perhaps a glass of Etna Bianco or a local wine such as Faro DOC.

We stay in the same area, among the restaurants and cafés along the streets around Piazza Cairoli. We sit down and take our time for a dinner made of traditional local dishes.

Messina is the gateway to Sicily: so we enjoy fish-based dishes, pasta such as pasta alla Norma, and seafood specialities like sarde a beccafico or swordfish, which tell the story of a rich and distinctive culinary tradition.

Outside, meanwhile, the city lights begin to turn on, the streets grow quieter, and a slower, more relaxed rhythm gently brings us to the end of this first part of our 36 hours in Messina.

A new day, a new itinerary. This time we leave the centre of Messina behind to explore its fascinating surroundings, along the roads that lead towards the inland hills and the Ionian side of the island.

We can travel on our own, renting a car for half a day, or join the Godfather Tour Sicily, a guided itinerary departing from Messina that takes us through beautiful, well-preserved villages, made even more evocative by the fact that several scenes from the film about the Corleone family were shot here.

The first stop is Savoca, a small medieval village where we walk along stone streets, gentle uphill paths, and striking viewpoints that suddenly open onto the coast.

What truly stands out is the slow pace, the feeling of a place that has remained authentic, as if suspended in time—a setting far from the more touristy routes and still closely tied to its everyday life.

The second destination is Forza d’Agrò, also set on a hill overlooking the sea. It's a village built around a well-preserved medieval layout, with narrow alleyways, stone arches, and wide views over the hills rolling gently towards Taormina.

With the taste of the villages still on our lips, we return toward the city around midday, then head a few kilometres further north, in the direction of Ganzirri Lake.

These are the final moments of our 36 hours in Messina. After the emotions of the inland villages, we close our journey with another Sicilian experience: a slow walk along the lake, where the scent of freshly harvested mussels fills the air.

We sit at a small kiosk to try “cozzi co ’a cunzata”, mussels dressed simply with lemon, garlic, and parsley, paired with a chilled glass of Malvasia.

And if you still have a bit of time to spare, the journey can end in the most special way—by joining a fishing tourism experience in the Strait.

An experience that brings you close to one of the island’s oldest practises, among legends, currents and fishermen who preserve knowledge passed down through generations. For one last breath of Messina, filled with the scent of the sea and tradition.