The Godfather filming locations from Catania: Savoca and Forza d'Agrò
Updated October 18, 2026 · 5 min read
The Godfather villages are Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, two hill towns on the Ionian coast, and the easiest way to see them from Catania is a guided tour that picks you up at your hotel. A small-group tour of 7 hours costs €100 and has 4.9 stars from 570 reviews. A 9-hour tour costs €107 and a private tour with lunch starts at €219.
What you actually see
The tours go to Savoca first. It is a medieval hill town, and the church where Michael and Apollonia are married in the film stands there. The tour descriptions name it as the Church of San Nicolò, and two of them call it Santa Lucia. A short walk from it is Bar Vitelli, the bar where Michael asks Mr Vitelli for his daughter’s hand; the booking pages say you can have a drink or a lemon granita there.
Forza d’Agrò comes next, another hilltop town. The descriptions mention its cathedral, where another wedding scene was filmed, and the cobbled streets and houses used for scenes of village life. The private tour adds the ruins of a 12th-century Norman castle and a view over the Ionian coast.
If you have not seen the film, these are two pretty villages with a bar and a church. The stories the guides tell are the point, so watch the first film before you go.
The four tours compared
| Tour | Price | Length | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Godfather Filming Locations Tour from Catania or Taormina | €100 | 7 hours | 4.9 stars, 570 reviews |
| Day trip to The Godfather film sites from Catania | €107 | 9 hours | 4.8 stars, 247 reviews |
| Private Godfather tour with appetizer and pasta | from €219 | 5 to 6 hours | 4.9 stars, 159 reviews |
| Taormina, Savoca and Castelmola tour with lunch | €110 | 8 to 9 hours | 4.8 stars, 647 reviews |
The small group at €100
This is the one to book for most people. The group is limited to 8 participants, and the tour has the best rating and the shorter day of the two public tours that go to Forza d’Agrò. The page lists pickup in Catania, Aci Castello, Naxos or Taormina and a driver-guide who speaks Spanish, English and Italian.
The itinerary has about an hour in the van each way, 1.5 hours in Savoca and 1.5 hours in Forza d’Agrò. A visit to the Castello degli Schiavi is possible as an option, on request and subject to availability, with an extra fee. Fuel, parking and tolls are included; food and drinks are not.
The tour can be cancelled because of the weather, so ask what happens to your booking.
The 9-hour tour
The €107 tour covers the same two villages at a slower pace: 1.5 hours in Savoca and 2.5 hours in Forza d’Agrò, with the van legs adding up to about three hours and a quarter. The guide speaks French, Italian and English, which makes it the one to look at if you do not want English. Its page says it is not suitable for people with mobility impairments and that it is likely to sell out. Pickup is in Catania.
Two hours longer for €7 more is not a bad deal if you like to wander, but the shorter tour has the higher rating.
The private tour with lunch
At €219 per person it is about double the others. For that you get a traditional lunch in a family restaurant with local wine and water, entry to the churches, and a talk on the real history of the Sicilian mafia. Its itinerary has a 45-minute drive each way, guided time in Savoca, lunch in Savoca and a 1.5-hour walk in Forza d’Agrò. Pickup is available from Catania and five other places. It suits a group that wants its own pace; for a couple on a budget, the €100 tour does the same villages.
The tour with Taormina
The €110 tour is a different day. It starts with Savoca and Bar Vitelli, with a granita and photos from the filming, then goes to Castelmola for a light lunch of bruschette and pasta alla norma with wine, and ends in Taormina with the Greek Theatre. It does not go to Forza d’Agrò. It is the right choice if you want the film as one stop among three, but not if the film is the reason you are going.
Can you go by car?
Yes. The tours put the drive from Catania to Savoca at about an hour to 75 minutes, and you set your own time at each stop. The price is that you have no guide, so you miss the stories, and you have to find parking in two hill villages. Check the roads and the parking before you go. If you want to try it, you can compare car hire for Catania.
Choosing
Most people, two villages and the stories: the €100 small group.
You want French or more time: the 9-hour tour.
A group that wants lunch and its own pace: the private tour.
Taormina matters as much as the film: the tour with Taormina.
Check the start times when you book. For other long days out of the city, see the day trips from Catania.
