Imagine standing on the enchanting island of Sicily, gazing up in awe at the towering presence of Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Better still, imagine travelling up the 10,912ft volcano by cable car for breathtaking views over the nearby city of Catania and surrounding area. On the volcano, you can also do a guided trek of the summit, whizz around in 4×4 cars or explore on foot. Visiting Mount Etna is a remarkable, surreal experience; it truly feels like walking on another plantet. In this post I am going to share everything you need to know about planning to a visit.
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Choosing a tour
You can reach Mount Etna by car, private transfer, or the local bus. Normally we’d go for the budget-friendly bus, but the information online was confusing and the timetable seemed unreliable – definitely not something we wanted to gamble on.
If you’re unsure which option to pick, GetYourGuide has some excellent, top-rated tours, including the Guided Volcano Summit Hiking Tour and Summit and Crater Guided Trek Tour. Since we weren’t up for a full summit hike, we booked with Etna Tribe, a well-reviewed company offering daily tours from both Catania and Taormina.
Our tour (and many similar ones) included:
- Pick-up directly from our accommodation in Catania
- A scenic drive to the base of Mount Etna at Rifugio Sapienza
- Two hours of free time to wander the craters, soak up the views, and explore at our own pace
- A stop inside a fascinating lava flow cave (helmets and torches provided!)
- A visit to a local organic farm shop in Zafferana to sample honey, olive oil, and liqueurs
- Drop-off back at our accommodation in Catania
It was the perfect balance – enough adventure to experience the magic of Etna, but without the intensity of a summit trek.
On the day of the Mount Etna tour, our friendly driver arrived on time and told us a bit about Etna’s history and significance in Sicily, while picking up the other members of our tour group (eight people in total). Upon arrival at Rifugio Sapienza, we were surprised to see lots of souvenir shops, restaurants and even a hotel nestled into the base of the mountain. However, as Mount Etna is Sicily’s main tourist attraction, it probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise that the area has become commercialized.
We were presented with three options:
- Stay at the base level and look around there. Near Rifugio Sapienza are two inactive craters – the Monti Silvestri – at a height of 1,986 metres. They were formed as a result of the Mount Etna eruption of 1892 and are free to walk around.
- To take the cable car up to 2504 meters, where we could explore on foot. This cost an additional €30 per person.
- Pay €65 to be driven in a 4×4 jeep up to the 2900 metre mark (Torre del Filosofo). This option is only possible with a local guide – Etna is an active volcano and tourists are not allowed to wander off! From this point, you can see the central crater and South-East crater. Tours are offered in Italian and English.
We decided on option number 2. Having spent a fair bit in Taormina, Siracusa and Catania, we weren’t keen to spend an additional €65 (on top of the €47 we’d paid for the tour). We probably should have coughed up the cash because I’ve heard that the high altitude tour is really impressive, and photos don’t do it justice.
The cable car took around 15 minutes in each direction. Once we were up at the first level, at 2504 metres, we were greeted with fantastic views over Sicily along with the very surreal feel of walking on volcanic rock. It felt like being on another planet, especially with the high dunes and low dips. Wear trainers/sneakers/hiking boots as it was steep in parts – not sandals or flipflops! We were there in July and it was a comfortable temperature; my husband wore shorts and a T-shirt, and I had jeans, a vest top and cardigan.
Unfortunately, before all too long, it was time to make our descent back down to reunite with our tour group. We were given around some time to explore the Monti Silvestri, which were more colourful than Mount Etna with wild flowers and plants sprouting around the craters. We had two stops on the way back to Catania; the lava flow cave and the farm shop. The cave visit was very brief but our driver told us about how the cave had formed, following one of Etna’s eruptions. Protective helmets and torches were provided, and it was easy to climb in and out of the cave.
The organic farm shop had a lot of produce from the Etna region including basil and pistachio pesto, olive tapenade, white wine, red wine and other sweet and savoury delights. There were lots of tasters so you could sample products before buying. The staff were friendly and didn’t push us to buy something. After the shop, we returned to the city and everyone was dropped off at their accommodation.
If you want to visit the volcano with a tour guide, Etna Tribe would be a good choice. The driver was friendly and punctual and the schedule was as described. However, if you’re confident about driving in Sicily, a better option would be renting a car and driving to the base camp yourself. You can compare prices and find the best deals with Discover Cars. Once you’ve made your way to the base camp, you can buy tickets for the cable car and the guided tour. The two hours we had to explore the volcano passed really quickly and I am sure those who opted to pay extra to reach the 2900-metre mark felt the time flew by. It would have been better to spend much longer there, and to explore all the levels.
Need internet access/data while in Sicily? I highly recommend trying an Airalo E-SIM. I’ve used Airalo E-SIMs quite a few times and setting them up is always quick and painless. They work in 200+ countries and you can choose plans that last a week, two weeks, or a whole month – super handy for both quick getaways and longer adventures.
Ciao for now
Izzie, The Curious Sparrow
Sounds like a great trip, one I’m hoping to do in October. Thanks for all the tips.
Thanks Alison 🙂 Hope you enjoy visiting Mount Etna.
[…] airport and well-connected bus and coach networks. While many visitors see Catania as a base for Mount Etna or a quick pit stop for their onward journeys, I encourage you to spend a couple of days exploring […]
[…] experience the breathtaking panoramic views over the city of Catania and beyond. You can read about my experience at Mount Etna […]
[…] After two full days in Palermo, it’s time to visit Catania. It’s the perfect base to visit Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. There are lots of tour companies organising trips to Etna; depending on your budget you can ride a cable car up the volcano for spectacular views, or ride up in 4x4s to the volcano summit. Not sure which tour to choose? Getyourguide has really highly-rated tours such as Guided Volcano Summit Hiking Tour and Summit and Crater Guided Trek Tour. You can read all about my experience visiting Mount Etna here. […]