Mount Etna and Catania full day excursion from Malta to Sicily

Malta

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

15 hours (approx.)
Offered in: English

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Overview

Embark on a full-day excursion from Malta to Sicily via high-speed catamaran. Explore Catania, a vibrant city at the foot of Mount Etna, on a walking tour, discovering its Baroque architecture and iconic landmarks like Piazza del Duomo. Afterward, journey by bus to Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano, marveling at the ever-changing landscape as you climb towards the crater through picturesque villages and diverse forests.

Travel from Malta to Sicily via high-speed catamaran in comfort and style
Explore Catania’s Baroque beauty and iconic landmarks on a guided tour
Journey to Mount Etna and witness Europe’s most active volcano up close
Enjoy seamless transport in Sicily with air-conditioned coaches and guide

What's Included

Driver/guide
Local guide
Transport by air-conditioned coach in Sicily
Air-conditioned vehicle

Catamaran Crossing

Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Sicily Catamaran
Marsa, Malta
Travel by fast ferry from Malta to Pozzallo (Sicily.) Make sure you bring a valid travel document with you on the day. Check-in needs to be done at least 1 hour prior the departure time. Please bring your ferry/excursion ticket too.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Virtu Ferries

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Catania

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Mount Etna

3 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available

Most travelers can participate
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Minimum age is 18 years
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Passport name, number, expiry and country is required at time of booking for all participants
From October to April, the itinerary includes the first stop at Mount Etna and the second in Catania
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Nicholas_P

Wasn't sure about it in the first place because it was more than a full day experience but believe me, it worth it 100%! You gave plenty of time in Catania and Mt Etna as well so you have the chance to walk around, experiment in the city etc and also to go up to the Mt. Etna with the lift (lifetime experience for me). If you would like to see Catania and Mt. Etna please do this trip!🫶🏻 Our bus driver and tour guy was both 10-star review!! Do it, do it, do it!!

Reviews

4.0

based on 34 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Long But Memorable Day

Terry_T, Apr 2026

We were disappointed that gondola was not operating. As we are seniors we hiked to 2 lower craters but could handle more. Catania architecture really impressed us. We had a central orientation. My husband and I then appreciated the roman ruins before having a fabulous Sicilian meal of seafood on a quiet side street before returning to the bus. Our guide was knowledgeable and easy to understand. The large group made it to hear her when in the city center but she was very willing to answer questions. All in all, we were very happy with the tour and our day trip.

Mt. Etna - An experience that you should not miss!

Thomas_G, Apr 2026

Seeing Mt. Etna from afar was the prelude to the most amazing experience of being close to an active volcano. As we were driving up the mountain, each view of Mt. Etna is different and historical. Seeing the lava flow remains from all the different time periods was incredible. There were three of them that we could see with the final one closest to the top showing houses partially covered, fully covered, and untouched by the blasts flows. Arriving near the top where we disembarked were areas still covered with snow. We could see young children sledding and skiing on the mounds of snow. There were two opportunities to climb the snow trails to see craters up closer. The first one was a pretty difficult climb, which would require walking sticks to secure footing. it was rather steep. The second one was a smaller, and lesser steep slope, but it still was covered in snow and was rather slippery without walking sticks. Unfortunately, the cable cars up to the top of the mountain were undergoing maintenance and were not available at that time. That's very understandable as I'm sure everyone would appreciate them working well prior to ascending to the actual live volcano. The area at the bottom of this area offered restaurants and souvenir shops as well as restrooms. Just be aware, the restrooms do not have toilet seats and are the open squatting type. Overall, the Mt. Etna experience is not one to be missed! I highly recommend it.

Wrong seasonal itinary displayed on the booking page

John_W, Mar 2026

apparently there is a seasonal change of order to going up Etna in the morning or the afternoon. When I booked our trip the web page clearly showed I would have time in Catania to visit my Uncle's war grave, then to go up Etna in the afternoon. On arriving at the ferry office the day before the trip I was informed it was Etna first, Catania afterwards. On the day, despite all possible assistance from the tour guide, the taxi to the war cemetery arrive to find the gate locked. This suprised both the tour guide and taxi driver but confirmed my search findings that it closed at 4pm. They said it was open all day and night. I returned home disappointed with a failed mission. Why would you display on the booking page, an itenary for the wrong season?

Great day out but instructions a bit unclear

Derrick_G, Feb 2026

Excellent but a bit unclear on the instructions on timings. If the tour starts at 6.30am, it needs to be made clear that you need to be at the ferry at 5.30am to catch the 6.30am ferry otherwise its easy to assume. I had to call the ferry company for clarity. Good job too as we would have missed the boat and the amazing trip

Better explanation, better trip

Janssen_S, Nov 2025

Bus driver and bus: 5 stars. Tour guide: 5 stars. Ferry: 5 stars. Mt Etna: 5 stars. Catania: 5 stars. Food in both locations: 5 stars. VIATOR: 3 STARS! Please state in your tour description that customers will need to pay an extra 52€ per person to get near the top of Mt Etna and that they won’t have time to get a guide to go to the ACTIVE volcano crater on top. That said, the 7 DORMANT craters you can see after paying a 5€ per person fee is still pretty impressive. Also, the trip goes to Mt Etna first, THEN Catania. This makes sense considering the timing, but also should be explained in the trip description(it’s the opposite presently). A clearer explanation will prevent disappointment and confusion for some of your customers.

Trip was as described in...

Kimberly_R, Nov 2025

Trip was as described in terms of time. It's a long day though. My one complaint was the van - the seats were uncomfortable. If you’re over 5’5””, it’s going to be a long day!

Rex

bogdan_k, Oct 2025

Well organized tour everything works like promised . Tickets were waiting for us with explanations were to meet and name of our guide

“ A Must Do Trip “

Jennifer_R, Sep 2025

The exploration of the beautiful city of Catania -the drive from the port to that city is scenic and Loredana our guide was very informative . Similaly the drive up Mt Etna - amazing and such a difference from Catania. To have both experiences in 1 day was life changing. It may have been a long day but to don2 countries an a volcano all in that period was a unique travel experience . Loredana was essential to this experience. She was knowledgeable engaging informative and very attentive to each of your member. Her ability to keep us interested and together whilst walking through the bustling city of Catania - showed her experience and professionalism. Tour members responded accordingly and ensued we were back on the bus in time. Noting the distance we had to cover we complied on doing so Loredana thanked us several times for that compliance. Gian - Franco the driver also needs to be mentioned. Whilst there was an accident on the return trip to the port and a traffic delay of 45 minutes Gian Franco managed to return us on time to catch the ferry. He also navigated the bus around hairpin bends up the mountain to Mt Etna. Notwithstanding going on several tours around the world - this one remains memorable your 2 tour guides Loredana and Gian Franco made this possible. Thank you.

A really nice day out

Samuel_C, Aug 2025

A really enjoyable excursion. There was plenty of time in Catania and also on Etna. This trip was really good for having a taste of Italy. It was a long day as we left the hotel at 05:45 and returned at 00:30 but I definitely recommend this if staying on Malta.

Waste of a day

Carmen_A, Aug 2025

Catania was dirty and rushed train was told was well worth doing all we seen was a tour of graffiti!!! Mt Etna was not enough time to see valcano.

Long trip made longer by unacceptable rules

Sam_V, Aug 2025

This is a long day with short outside experiences. The stop in Catania was nice however only 2.5 hours long so difficult to do anything other than have lunch and a short wander. Mt Etna was what it said. A good one to tick off the list. Restaurants are quite fairly priced but souvenirs are pricey. 3 hours 20 mins was a long time here unless you're hiking. The description of the trip on Viator is very vague with no real itinerary given. Lastly be mindful that although the bus is luxury, there is no WiFi, no phone charging and you are bombarded all the time with reminders to use the toilets at restaurants not on the coach. This seemed to be the main concern of the guide as well as congratulating us all for ' being professional tourists' for being on time. This and the fact we were told there is no eating or drinking on the bus was pretty unacceptable for a tour of this length and cost.

Mt. Etna was on fire!

Nicholas_P, Aug 2025

A great day trip. Lovely...

Maria_J, Jun 2025

A great day trip. Lovely time on Sicily and Mt. Etna. Our guide was great. Kudos to our driver as well. Exception skill on the road. The staff at Myetna Street Food were the best. Great cocktails and food. The staff was friendly and hospitable.

Malta to Sicily tour is an amazing experience!!

Elizabeth_W, May 2025

Sicily was all I ever imagined it to be!!! It was a long day, starting with boarding the ferry at 5:30 am. Virtu Ferries was an amazing experience! Arriving at Porto di Pozzallo, we then got on a coach with Lora Donna, our tour guide, and Jon Franco, our driver, who shared a beautiful day with us full of Italian countryside as well as a stop in the city of Catania for a couple of hours where we enjoyed the festivities of a marathon and concert in the square as well as street vendors and open air markets. We ate the best pizza ever at the greatest little pizza shop called 3.0 Pizza! Then, we travelled to Mt. Etna, an active volcano, where we rode a cable car up to 8,000 feet above sea level then climbed another 500 feet until we decided we were ill-equipped to go further. Afterwards, we rode the coach back to Porto di Pollazzo and boarded the ferry to return back at Marsa, Malta around 11:30 pm.

A unique experience !!

Keith_C, Sep 2019

I had my doubhts about doing this tour as it was 15 hours , and I'd be loosing a whole day in Malta. I may have lost a day but gained so much more . The trip ran like clockwork nd the experiences and views were amazing . My only tip is make sure to get a good night's sleep the night before and bring an umbrella/raincoat for Mr. Etna. The weather was bad the day we visited mt.etna but this did not dampen our moods as we were taken away with the views on offer. Plus I'm from Ireland so the damp weather felt like home :) Thanks to the tour guides and bus driver who did a great job looking after us .

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Dear Sir/Madame, thank you for choosing our service and for finding the time to send us your comments about the service rendered. We were very happy to read that you have enjoyed your day in Sicily. Thanks so much! Best regards Virtu Ferries.

Good experience

angelaaX322EF, Aug 2019

Overall the trip was a great experience. There were a few things that kept me giving the trip a full 5 stars. The ferry was an amazing ride. It was my first time on a ferry of that magnitude, it reminded me of a cruise ship. It was very spacious the seats were comfortable and the snack bar was delicious. Bathrooms were of great quality and were clean. These all great things considering the ferry ride is a 90min ride to Sicily. The coach bus was of good quality as well. I would recommend using the bathroom before debarking the ferry because the bus doesnt stop until it gets to Taormina which is almost a 3 hr bus ride. We stopped in Taormina around lunch time but only for 2.5hrs. After getting lunch and using the bathroom, you're lucky if you have an hour to explore the city. None the less the areas we did see were gorgeous!!! Had amazing views and took great pictures. We continued on to a food tasting place...I wasnt impressed. Actually I believe if we didnt stop here we could have spent more time in Taormina. I would recommend the staff at the food/wine tasting venue brief the tourist to use a CLEAN spoon after every tasting. I witnessed several people using the same spoon when tasting multiple items. Very unsanitary and being that we all come from different back grounds the staff should be very diligent for these types of things. After seeing that I refused to indulge in the tasting. We continue to Mt. Etna for the last stop of the day. Which was really cool and amazing We stopped for about 2hours again. We were to leave around 1800 to head back to the ferry. My only complaint about this stop was that the restaurants on Mt. Etna doesnt open until 2000 for dinner. So we were left to eat snacks or a slice of pizza for dinner. After a full day of traveling an appropriate dinner would have Been nice. We left Mt. Erna late because we had 6 people missing. What an inconvenience because by the time we made the 2.5hrs drive back to the ferry there were very little seats left. None the less the trip was amazing seen some good views but you do spend a good majority of your time either traveling via ferry or on the bus.

Response from Host, Aug 2019

Dear Madame, thank you for choosing our service and for finding the time to give us your rating. We are elated to read that you had an enjoyable day. Kind regards, Virtu Ferries.