Corleone Grand Gateway

The Ultimate Godfather Locations Experience in Sicily

Embark on the ultimate Godfather themed tour and experience firsthand the timeless charm of Sicily as portrayed in the iconic film trilogy.

We offer flexible departure times at 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM, starting with you in the driver’s seat of a classic Fiat 500! Cruise through the historic landscapes of Sicily while our professional guides share fascinating details about the film locations.

Your adventure begins with a scenic drive to the iconic Godfather Villa, also known as the Castello degli Schiavi (Castle of Slaves). This historic estate, located just a 20-minute drive from Taormina, served as the backdrop for some of the most memorable scenes from the film. Explore its cinematic significance as the owner, Baron Franco Platania, personally guides you through the villa’s rich history.

The journey continues to Savoca, a charming town featuring several key locations from the movie. Walk through the streets where Michael Corleone and Apollonia’s love story unfolded, visit the San Nicolò Church, the famous Bar Vitelli, and other beautifully preserved spots.

For those joining the morning tour, you have the option to enhance your experience by adding a traditional Sicilian lunch at a local venue in Savoca. This optional activity allows you to enjoy authentic Sicilian cuisine and extends your journey from a half-day tour into a full-day experience.

After your visit (and lunch, if selected), hop back into your classic Fiat 500 for a scenic drive back to your hotel in Taormina, Giardini Naxos, or your starting point.

Things to note

Departures

Every Day (except Sunday)

Duration

Approx. 4/5 hours. The full day tour is 6 hours.

Pick-up

1. Parking Mazzarò – Taormina Mare
2. Parking Train Station Taormina / Giardini Naxos
3. Parking Recanati – Bus Terminal Giardini Naxos
4. Nike Statue – Giardini Naxos Harbour

Typology

Town sightseeing & history

Included

Half Day: Tickets  for the Godfather’s Villa
Full Day: Tickets  for the Godfather’s Villa – Lunch

Seats

2 adults ( or 2 adults and 2 children) in each Fiat 500

Some places you will visit during the Corleone Grand Gateway:

Castle of the Slaves – Fiumefreddo

About 20 minutes driving from Taormina, this “Castle of Slaves” is one of the most evocative buildings of the whole Sicily island. It is a private house but also a fascinating museum with a lots of documents, books, images, objects and memorabilia of the Godfather film. Today is pretty much the same as it appears in the motion picture.

Castle of the Slaves – Fiumefreddo
godfather bar vitelli

Bar Vitelli Tour – Savoca

In the Godfather’s motion picture Bar Vitelli was featured as the place where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) meets Mr. Vitelli (the bar owner) and asks his permission to court his daughter Apollonia (Simonetta Stefanelli), and also for the official engagement and for the party after the wedding cerimony. While in town “a must” is the stop for a Lemon Granita in this famous bar.

Church of the Godfather Wedding – Savoca

Next stop is the Church of Santa Lucia, where the scene of the wedding between Michael Corleone and Apollonia Vitelli was shot. This place was also used for the the scene when Michael and Apollonia, just married, walk down from the church, followed by their families and by the music brass band.

Charming Sicilian Lunch – Savoca

Charming Sicilian Lunch – Savoca

A traditional Sicilian lunch tasting all locally produced organic fresh food (such as cheese, salami, bruschetta, olives, dried tomatoes, mushrooms, vegetables), pasta alla norma, roasted sausage, domestic olive oil and home-made bread.

More information

Our self-drive tour on themed itinerary will show you unveiled Sicily and its secrets.
You will drive one of our classic and convertible Fiat 500 following our tour leader car that will be driven by our staff.
A fun and professional fully licensed English-speaking tour guide will lead you through this fascinating trip.

Don’t forget to bring your driver’s license with you. To drive in Italy you need an EU driving licence, or an International Driving Permit, which is a translation of your non EU licence.

All drivers must be able to drive using a manual clutch / trasmission (stick shift gears). Occasional driving experience with manual cars is not enough to handle our vintage cars.

Infant under 3 years of age are not admitted to the car tour. Children 3-12 years old in the same car of parents are free.

Our tours usually start from your hotel or easy meeting points at 9.30am from October to June and 3.30pm from July to September.

The “Dolce Vita – Sunset Tour” starts at 4.30pm.

If you are a group and you have more time to spend we can arrange a customized full day tour according to your needs.

The most important Sicilian scenes of the Godfather trilogy were filmed in Savoca, Forza d’Agrò and in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia but not in Corleone (as many believe).

Corleone, near Palermo in Sicily, was too modern and developed even in the early 70s to be used for filming a story dated back to the early 1950s.

Castello degli schiavi ( Castle of the Slaves ) is a private house but we can also arrange this visit thanks to the good collaboration between our company and the owner.