Highlights & Hidden Gems of Catania in Catania - Catania_HHG1
4.8

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Catania

  • 3 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • Catania
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Choose one of 6 locals available

Experience hosted by Maria Grazia, Mirco & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Catania? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Catania!

Destination
Catania, Italy
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
3 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
Deutsch, English, Español, Italiano, Français
Included
  • Private Guide
  • 1 Local Snack or Drink
  • All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance to attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Explore the best of the city in only 3 hours
  • Spot classics like Cathedral of Saint Agatha & Roman Amphitheatre
  • Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
  • Experience the city from a local’s perspective
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • Privately guided by a local expert

What you can expect

Highlights & Hidden Gems of Catania in Catania - Catania_HHG1

Catania, is a magical place! And with the local host of your choice, you are going to experience it all. So get ready; culture, history, and local lifestyle await!

Dive into the origin of Catania as you see the city’s main landmarks like Cathedral of Saint Agatha, Roman Amphitheatre, and Villa Bellini. And how about the hidden gems? Oh, you’re in for a surprise! Every host has its own story to tell, so pick your favorite, and you’ll discover the city through their eyes. Experience their Catania to the max based on their passions and expertise. They’ll make sure you have fun enjoying a unique and local perspective of Catania.

Want to take a break? Leave it up to your host! This is the perfect opportunity to visit that special eatery where only the locals come and your chance to enjoy a local treat hand-picked by your host. Feel free to ask your host more about their life in their city or get recommendations about the top things to do in Catania. Remember, the locals know best.

The best part of any city tour is definitely the unique stories. Everybody has a story to tell, especially your host. Each one of the local hosts has a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share their knowledge with you and exchange ideas and perspectives! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Catania, your Catania!

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at at the Elephant statue - Catania to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. City Highlights

    See from Cathedral of Saint Agatha, Roman Amphitheatre, Villa Bellini, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Catania so unique
  4. Hidden Gems

    Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience
  5. Magical Storytelling

    Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!
  6. Special Treat

    Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions
  7. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

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ken🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 November 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed the tour we had with Peppa. He was engaging, very knowledgeable, and helped make us see that there is more to Catania than meets the eye. I highly recommend using him as a tour guide - he was great!Awesome tour of Catania
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Liz🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
27 October 2024
We had a brilliant 3-hour hidden gems tour of Catania with Agata. She was excellent - full of information and stories, adapted the tour on the fly to spend more time in the market (it was so interesting) and gave us lots of tips and recommendations. We really enjoyed it and highly recommend.Brilliant tour!
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Teresa🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
15 October 2024
We recently had a private Tour with Peppe in Catania.. It was the highlight of our trip in that city. Peppe’s in-depth knowledge of the history and hidden gems made the tour truly unforgettable. He had excellent communication skills. He conducted the tour in both English (which was very good) and Italian. Peppe showed us places that we would never have known existed or able to appreciate.. He took us off the beaten track and showed us the underbelly of the city.. Peppe’s passion for Catania shone through. We also had little treats along the way.. I highly recommend this tour with Peppe as the guide. Thank you Peppe for a great day … 5/5 stars.Friendly and Informative
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Desiree
(About local )
15 October 2024
Maria was a great tourguide with lots of information to share, a friendly and accommodating attitude easy to understand. She also made references to other places in Italy and the countries we cane from, what made ut even more memorable. Thank you Maria!Insightful and friendly
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David
(About local )
1 August 2024
Pepe put on a wonderful tour of the hidden gems of Catania for my family. He was very knowledgeable any kept everyone engaged and excited through out the tour. We will 100% be recommending Pepe to friends coming to Catania and look forward to touring with him again.Amazing Experience
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oscar🇲🇽 Mexico
(About local )
7 July 2024
He Said he will vive me full refund He did not show up
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Philippe🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
21 May 2024
Thank you very mnuch Pepe for the wonderful tour you have given us in Catania. It was a great pleasure! See you next time again....Top Local!
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Grant🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
7 May 2024
He was knowledgeable, pleasant to spend time time. Petfect way to spend time in Catania
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Santiago🇪🇸 Spain
(About local )
31 March 2024
La experiencia con Agata fue muy interesante y amena Muy interesante !!!
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Sjoerd🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
18 November 2023
Peppe is een fijne en makkelijke verteller. Je loopt heel relaxed met hem van bekender Catania naar 'verborgen' delen van de stad. Erg leuk om te doen. Peppe weet je in korte tijd een mooie gevarieerde indruk van Catania te geven. Tussendoor leuke stops. In ons geval bijvoorbeeld bij een kiosk om een 'zoute' citrusverfrissing te drinken en later een cippolina te proeven. Heerlijk! Peppe is een aanrader. Boek hem als je in Catina bent en de stad iets beter wil leren kennen en begrijpen.Langs 'verborgen' kanten in Catania
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Susie🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
6 August 2023
A fabulous introduction to Sicily was my walking tour with Carla. Lots of great stories interesting places and a delicious local drink topped off a great morning. Carla spoke English perfectly and was such great company on my first morning in Catania.Fantastic few hours
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Bipin🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
7 July 2023
Guiseppe was a pleasant and friendly person but he’s not a guide. He didn’t have a plan on what to do and despite being a catanian didn’t seem to know much about history. He needs to be more prepared and improve his tour guiding skills. Nice person but not a guide
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Nicolas🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
3 July 2023
Carla is a well-informed and kind guide. She made the tour of Catania very enjoyable and interesting. She knew a lot about the local history and cuisine. I highly recommend her for any tour of Catania you might consider.Interesting relaxed tour of Catania
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Kathy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 June 2023
Giuseppe was very knowledgeable and very personable. It was like visiting Catania with a family member. We highly recommend Giuseppe. Bob Walton & Kathy McCormick USAEnjoyed our tour!
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Christina🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 May 2023
We really enjoyed our time with Carla, with whom we found to be personable, knowledgeable about Catania’s history and very easy going. We learned some neat facts about the churches, Sicilian legends and historical monuments that we otherwise may not have known about. She also took us to two local spots where we could get a beverage/dessert and take a break from the outside heat. My husband and I don’t speak Italian and don’t know Catania well at all, so it was nice to take a break from navigating the streets and the language and following Carla’s lead. We would gladly pick Carla as our guide again when we return to Catania. Like Touring with A Friend
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Kathleen🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
30 April 2023
Maria has been living in Catania for many years and knows a lot about the city and its rich history. She also took us to the fish market and make us taste the highly refreshing local soda, Sicilia Seltz. Warm & knowledgeable guide!
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Jessie🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
3 April 2023
Grazie Carla, Excellent experience to tour Catania with you as our guide! My daughter and I had a great time getting our first insights on this beautiful city. The story on Sant Agata was very memorable. We will come back in February :-) A presto! Grazie
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Martin
(About local )
25 February 2025
We had the pleasure of having a private food tour with Agata. She is high energy, knowledgeable and 100% client focused. She is a fountain of information about the food and the history of the food that we sampled. She has great relationships with some of the vendors, so we were treated like VIP's at various stops along the way. Our 3 hour tour passed by in the blink of an eye. We'd highly recommend Agata if you're looking for a fun, educational guide. Your enjoyment of Catanian delicacies will be elevated after your time with Agata.Agata - Amazing Food Tour Guide in Catania
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Marc
(About local )
30 December 2024
Es war eine phantastische Erfahrung (ich geize normalerweise mit Superlativen) mit Giuseppe. Er ist einfach ein extrem sympathischer Zeitgenosse, der über ein profundes Wissen verfügt. Ich kann nur sagen: außergewöhnlich! Jede Minute die wir mit Giuseppe verbracht haben war einfach nur genossen! In jeder Hinsicht extrem empfehlenswert! Danke Giuseppe!!Alle Erwartungen wurden übertroffen
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Mariah
(About local )
7 December 2024
Davide, Thank you for an outstanding walking tour today. All of us enjoyed learning about Catania’s historical monuments and experiencing unique sites throughout our walk.Lot of historical monuments
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Tracey
(About local )
2 November 2024
Thanks for the great tour today!Best tour ever had
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Unknown
(About local )
30 October 2024
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Chris🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
27 October 2024
Agata was fun, knowledgeable, and took us on an adventure we would not have otherwise had without her understanding of our needs and her knowledge of her home country. Great guide and highly recommend the tastings tour. Agata was a great host!
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Oliver🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
16 October 2024
Maria is very knowledgeable about history of Catania, and we tasted foods unique to Catania only.Very Good Tour
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Jane🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 October 2024
Maria was a great guide leading us through the streets of Catania. A good selection of street food and loads of history while we walked. Recommended!Super tour
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Dorothy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
10 October 2024
Agata is a wonder. Her pride in Catania--its people, history and food--made this far more than a food tour. Catania was our last stop in a month-long trip in Sicily: we had sampled plenty of street food, but we we knew we needed someone local to help us find the best and to give us insight into what makes Catania and its people unique. Agata was perfect for the job: she knows everyone and everyone knows her. We met fishermen and fish mongers as well as ooing and ahhing over the variety of fish; sampled the best arancini at the Antica (1910) Rosticceria Catanese; learned the interesting history of sarde a beccafico while snacking on it at Scirocco; ate carne di cavallo and washed it down with selz, limone e sale. Agata helped us better understand and see first hand how young Catanese chefs are bringing new energy and enthusiasm for their city's amazing street food. Agata's pride in Catania is palpable, even contagious: we couldn't have found a better guide. Grazie mille.More than a food tour
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Unknown
(About local )
4 August 2024
Maria was a great guide and super flexible to our needs. Every stop was well thought out and we all really enjoyed the sweet treat on such a hot day. Highly recommend her tourGreat tour!!
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Benjamin🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
13 July 2024
My family and I had a great time touring with Maria. She was flexible in scheduling an early start ( critical with the heat ! ) Maria was able to provide relevant context to Catania’s historical highlights as we walked the streets and were able to see first hand, buildings, ruins, churches and castles. The addition of the culinary element to the Catania experience was great and was enjoyable to all in our party - vegetarians included. Highly recommended!Great way to gain an intro to Catania
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Arjan🇳🇱 Netherlands
(About local )
29 June 2024
We were with a group of 17 people in Catania. It was a hot day and in the late afternoon Peppe organised a relaxed and interesting bike tour around town. Because we were with a large group, Tony helped him. Cycling around town through trafic was safe with them and the bikes were good. Making arrangements was very easy. Peppe is flexible in changing plans when the group became bigger en we wanted a rest with a drink and a bite. Peppe told us fascinating stories about the history and geography of the city and region. We definately recommend Peppe as a guide in Catania!Catania by bike
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Joshua🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 June 2024
We paid for the tour with 10 tastings. After wandering around for a little while we happened upon a corner place selling Sicilian street food. There was no planned location to eat; just whatever was open. We were served 6 different dishes from this one place. We anticipated trying one or two things from a variety of places. After that, we walked only along the Mt. Etnea strip and tasted a free sample being offered. The guide then went inside and bought a serving and gave it to one of us with the statement, “my gift to you.” This clued me in that there was no plan to try anything else. When I asked the guide about it, I was told that the amount of money spent at the first location was equivalent to tasting 10 different things. Reluctantly, we were offered cannolis and a chocolate bar from another location. Besides not being served what we expected, my biggest complaint was that we just wandered around with no plan of what we would see or what we would eat. The structure could be so much better, and we didn’t even spend the entire 3 hours that the tour was supposed to be. I did give a tip because I was made to feel guilty about the guide spending their own money to accommodate my push of having 10 tastings. Although, we only tasted 9. Definitely disappointing and not what we expected, especially for the price. OK But Not as Described
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Nancy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 June 2024
Maria took us to some wonderful eating establishments! One comment to please offer water for drinking with the food as it was hot and we would have liked that optionKnowledgeable & very friendly!
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Elena
(About local )
10 June 2024
I booked a private street food tour in Catania for my dad and two of his friends, and they had an absolutely fantastic time! Agatha was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, providing them with super interesting information about Catania’s rich history and vibrant culture. She guided them through the bustling streets, introducing them to the most delicious and authentic local street food. Each stop was a delightful experience, and her passion for her city truly shone through. If you want to discover the true essence of Catania and its culinary delights, this tour with Agatha is a must. Highly recommended! Fantastic Street Food Tour with Agatha!
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Cheryl🇦🇺 Australia
(About local )
26 April 2024
We all loved our tour of the food market with Giuseppe. He was very knowledgable, not only of the food but the city in general. We would highly recommend this food tour with Giuseppe. Grazie. 😀Awesome food tour of Catania
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Christa 🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
7 April 2024
Maria Grazia hat uns 2 interessante Stunden beschert. Sie ist historisch kompetent und hat auch unsere Fragen zu heutigen Lebensumständen umfassend beantwortet. Danke für die feine Tour. Empfehlenswerter Rundgang
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Vanessa🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
31 March 2024
Maria led us on a tour of Mt. Etna. She was knowledgeable about the history, geology and botany of the area. We all learned something new about Sicily and about volacanos. Maria guided in French beautifully and her English is also excellent. It was a windy day, but we felt confident in Maria’s expertise and judgement which prioritized our safety. Communication prior to the tour was prompt, professional and very helpful. Highly recommend!Really knowledgeable and helpful
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stephanie.grewal🇩🇪 Germany
(About local )
27 March 2024
We had booked a food tour through Catania with Agata and it was simply wonderful. Not only did we get to try different types of local food and drinks. Agata also gave us insights on the history of Catania and Sicily, as well as loads of interesting details about the way of living, the culture, etc. We can highly recommend a tour with Agata. An amazing experience
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Lisa🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
7 March 2024
Our amazing guide Agata took us around Catania to where the best foods to taste were. We learned a lot about Catania and about Sicilian food. Agata is a very knowledgeable and enjoyable guide, and the tastings we're delicious! Highly recommend this tour!Excellent tasting tour in Catania
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Lauren
(About local )
3 February 2024
Peppe is an awesome guide, easy going and with great humor. We had the best time on bikes, seeing the city, learning its history, and tasting local delights along the way. Peppe was careful to choose a route that was safe and enjoyable. Our tour covered Catania’s botany, geology, history, culture, art, urban design, and politics. Thank you Peppe for helping us see and discover the city in a super fun way.
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Stevee🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
2 November 2023
I highly recommend using tour companies operated by locals. Withlocals.com is the perfect choice! Once you choose your city, you have an opportunity to choose between several guides by reading their background and interests. We used Withlocals in three different Sicilian cities and were never disappointed. Our tour guide in Catania was Agata and she was delightful, informative and fun. We did a Ten Tastings tour with her. Agata intertwined the city’s culture and history so that it was much more than only tasting the food! As she guided us across different piazzas, strolled through the fish market (what a fun experience) and to the castle, we learned quite a bit. It was feast for all our senses. At the end of the tour and because my cousin is an opera aficionado, she even sang the opening bars from “Casta Diva” (from the opera Norma) for us in the middle of a piazza!!! Choose Agata for your tour guide!!!Agata gives an awesome tour!!!
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Tom🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
19 September 2023
Really good food recommendations and tour around some great places in Catania. Really good historical information as well. I thought a little over priced considering we didn't have any alcholic drinks but a very good experienceReally enjoyable food and historical chat
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Jaks🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
12 September 2023
Carla is nice person, however I had to remind her to send me an offer to pay, there was was almost no communication before to understand the needs of the group or what we wanted to see, or know about Catania. My mum had a broken leg, we had all just flown in from Malta so it was just a quick pit stop. She was good at telling us about legends and a few historical things, when we asked any kind of question she was not able to answer. I’m now really hesitant to use or recommend With Locals at all.
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natalie🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
4 September 2023
We did a late afternoon bike tour. Peppe is a great guide, with a good sense of humor and a lot of knowledge about Catania, History Art and Food:-) He loves biking and is a proud Catanian. You can feel that. We had 3 hours of biking , full of interesting sights, stories and even food tasting. Big recommendation! Thank you Pepe! Great City Bike Tour
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Dominique🇧🇪 Belgium
(About local )
11 August 2023
Wonderful tour. Carla is a great guide. She knows all nice places and knows all history of Catania. 10/10. Giving less 'd 've been unfair. Perfect.
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Sebastien🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
6 August 2023
Our guide, Carla, met us on the piazza where we started the tour at a café. We had 4 different dishes: cannolli, arancini and 2 pastries. We got italian coffee as well. The dishes were delicious! As we ate, Carla told us about the statues on the piazza and about local legends/history. We then walked a bit and she showed us ruins of an ancient Roman thermal bath, and took us to a beautiful castle. We sat at a drink kiosk across from the castle and tasted 4 different refreshing local beverages (no alcohol). There was one we didn’t like (a kind of fizzy salty lemonade)… but the other 3 were great. Then, we walked around some more as Carla told us more local history. In front of the opera house, we sat at a café and enjoyed 6 different flavors of gelato. They were delicious. Carla was knowledgeable and very attentive to our needs. Our family was in Catania as it was one of the stops on our 10-day Mediterranean cruise. We didn’t enjoy Catania itself (it was dirty, smelly, and everything was rundown except for a small area around the main square), but the tour made our day much more enjoyable. I definitely recommend this tour if you plan on visiting Catania.A great way to experience local food
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Nancy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
19 July 2023
Carla was quiet but very nice. It would have been nice for more savory foods and more food locations. We had 2 pastries and an arancini at meeting point, 3 sweet drinks at second and really tasty gelato samplings with a pastry at the third and final stop. Our tour lasted 2.5 hours. Casual laid back tour
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Andy🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 June 2023
Carla was very pleasant and extremely knowledgeable. Taught us so much about Catania! Getting to eat lovely food made the trip much more relaxing. Would recommend Great Host
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Heidi🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 June 2023
Carla was a great tour guide having us taste all kinds of traditional Sicilian food and mixing in the history of Catania. We enjoyed our food tour and would recommend to anyone wanting to try a bit of everything. Great Food Tour!
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Lisa🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
26 May 2023
Carla was a wonderful tour guide! She took us to Mt Etna and also to the Etna winery. Carla was knowledgeable and professional… would highly recommend her. Thank you Carla!10
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Cato🇳🇴 Norway
(About local )
14 May 2023
It was a nice, cosy guided tour with Carla. She guided us in a polite manner, and had good knowledge of the beautiful city.Nice guided tour in Catania
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Caitlin🇮🇹 Italy
(About local )
2 May 2023
Our family of 3 (including a child, age 6) thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon with Maria Grazia in Catania! She was very friendly and was extremely knowledgable about about Sicilian/Catanian history and about all the local food and drinks! She also did a great job adapting our private tour, both for our personal travel parameters AND due to some establishment closures due to our tour being on a national holiday :) Her food tour was absolutely fantastic. Go hungry, or else you won't be able to enjoy everything on offer!Lovely and DELICIOUS afternoon in Catania

Withlocals experiences
are always

Private & personalizedNo strangers, just you. Fully customize your trip to your needs.
With a local expertFrom historical facts to the most up-to-date health regulations.
Without the crowdsExperiences designed to take you away from the crowds towards authentic local spots.

Other City highlight tours in Catania

€66.55per person