Etna, Summit Craters
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Sicily, Italy
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Mt. Etna offers beautiful views from every angle, making it a must-do for most travelers, but doing the hike alone can be intimidating since the volcano is an active one. Journey safely to the summit by prebooking this Mt. Etna Summit Trekking Experience. You’ll first take a cable car and 4x4 (own expense) up to the area of Torre del Filosofo before you begin your trek through craters to the summit.
- Trek to the top of one of the highest active volcanoes in Europe
- Stop at Mt. Etna craters like Bocca Nuova and others
- Hiking equipment — including trekking boots and helmet — is provided
- A morning start time leaves your evening free for other activities
What's Included
- The price includes the guide and the equipment (trekking boots, jacket, felapt, helmet). The price of the round-trip cable car and jeep up to 2900mt are excluded
- Private transportation
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- La Terrazza Dell'EtnaEtna Sud, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, 95030 Nicolosi CT, Italy
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:00 am
Itinerary
Mount Etna (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not recommended for those with asthma problems
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Serena_S
Our guide Marco was amazing. This hike is not for the faint of heart but he made sure the pace was doable and everyone felt safe and comfortable. This is a once in a lifetime experience I recommend for anyone!
Reviews
4.9
based on 274 reviews
DAVID_R, Aug 2025
The publicity referred to needing a moderate level of physical fitness which my wife and I believe we both have Upon arrival we were quizzed by staff as to whether the trek was suitable and had we any experience of hiking at altitude and that it was a 5 hour hike - it was also very windy (most people wouldn’t I suggest) My wife was told “this is not for you” Upon reflection and not wishing to feel under pressure the whole way we decided not to participate and obtained a refund for the tour cost We then paid 104 Euro to get the bus up and back to the 2500 m point and amused ourselves at lower levels as we had to wait for our transport which had factored in the 5 hour tour
We were fully aware that the original tour required payment of 65 Euro for transport up but were surprised that payment was only accepted in cash , hence the need to locate an ATM at short notice
No doubt the tour is a fantastic experience , I just think that the marketing could be more specific if customers are going to assessed on arrival so it doesn’t become a wasted trip
Serena_S, Jun 2025
Our guide Marco was amazing. This hike is not for the faint of heart but he made sure the pace was doable and everyone felt safe and comfortable. This is a once in a lifetime experience I recommend for anyone!
PIERGIORGIO_P, Apr 2025
Is a bit physically demanding but the guide was supernice and the hike beautiful. I suffer a bit the heights but the guide (Vincenzo) helped me to get down from there…a supernice guy
Alexandra_D, Feb 2025
What an Incredible experience, Marco our guide did a phenomenal job, Informative, Super nice, and so passionate in what he does, did a great job keeping us safe, Thank you again Marcos! It truly it was definitely the most physically challenging experience I have ever done in my life, so do HIGHLY recommend to PREPARE PHYSICALLY as it it physically demanding but worth seeing!!
Mount Etna was magnificent and the view point breathtaking and being above the Clouds and seeing Lava just stream downhill what an experience, overall HIGHLY RECOMMEND it is something you can’t go without seeing at least once in your life!
Ilinka_A, Dec 2024
The experience was planned as family adventure, however, it was not suitable for children under 12 and under our guide advise I was left behind with our toddler. Although, the website did not advise on participants age and there was no information about children when we were booking the trip. We paid for the whole family and only when we were at the volcano meeting point the guide looked at us unbelievable that we were bringing our toddler along.
So please do your separate research from the website info, for the trip you are booking.
Nevertheless, I had to stay at the meeting point with our toddler for over 5 hours waiting for the rest of the family to enjoy the hiking trip. If I knew, I could have planned my day better :-(
The rest of the family had a lovely time on the trip and really enjoyed the hiking although they said was quite difficult for untrained people like them, and they would recommend it.
At the end, I was also happy with Viator, because they refunded us for two people (me and my toddler) not attending the hike, which was not cheap for my family. Thank you.
Bas_H, Dec 2024
in spite of the restriction of 3k altitude (placed upon all tour groups) nino (our guide) managed to show us many interesting things and made sure it was a great experience
Michael_B, Oct 2024
We had a clear day on Etna and a very good guide, Vincenzo. A very impressive 4 hour walk from 2500 meter (upper station of the funicular) to 3000 meter and back. Along beautiful craters. Vincenzo told us a lot about Etna and vulcanology. An unforgettable experience. Good to know that the price of the funicular (50 euro pp) is not included. The walk is not very entiring, but you experience the altitude. The guide looked very well after the group.
Pam_E, Oct 2024
Our guide, Fabio was great! Very knowledgeable. Kept the pace well for the group. Keep in mind this is a long and sometimes strenuous hike! Beautiful scenery. Cable cars are extra.
Simon_M, Sep 2024
We loved to be lead by our guide Simone. Very considerate and one could see that he is really engaged by his profession and eager to answer any questions, definitely not someone who just does his job but burns for his profession. The group dynamic was good, the equipment available was appropriate and uncomplicated to obtain as well to return. Last but not least, the tour itself was breathtaking, offering stunning views at the steaming mountaintop of mount Etna. We were very fortunate to get some beautifull weather on the mountain, as it was forecast to be much worse the day before.
Tom_N, Sep 2024
We were very lucky in as much as Etna actually erupted 2 days after we stood on the top looking down into the crater.
An absolutely amazing experience and box ticked for sure.
Hayden_A, Jul 2024
Truly a breathtaking experience. Due to activity, we weren’t able to go to the very top of the volcano, but our guide Massimo made it a very worthwhile journey.
Lucie_G, Jun 2024
Amazing mind-blowing experience. Our guide Mario was very caring and good at setting the pace during different moments. Highly reccomend!
Hubertus_M, May 2024
My wife and I enjoyed the trip a lot! Our guide, Simone, was very engaged and took care of all member members of our group. So the pace was quite slow, but ideal for a family with small kids who also joined. Also you get all relevant equipment like shoes, jacket and a backpack, if needed.
BUT as most other companies the information for this trip is really lacking:
1) in addition you have to pay for the cable car and 4x4, which are obligatory 60-78 Euro per person! This should be mentioned before
2) They should mention that a typical ffp2 mask is recommended due to the gas on top of the mountain
3) you get informed half a day before to bring cash for the cable car, but you don’t get any receipt
At the end the trip was worth the money, but it felt kind of a ripoff to get informed about the additional cost right after the free cancellation period
Neil_B, Apr 2024
It was a fantastic adventure, great guide who was brilliant with our 7 year old. Downside, this is proper hiking, and while the boots and jackets were ok, there needed to be more information on the likely conditions and terrain as we would have come better prepared.
Irena_P, Nov 2023
The guide was very knowledgeable, the tour was well paced and very interesting. I really liked the entire experience. If you want just to hike around the mountain it is free to a certain point, and you can do it on your own. But in order to go to the crater this can only be done via a tour. And I would say that you shouldn't underestimate that this an active volcano. So there are no regular "mountain paths" and marks to follow. When there is an eruption only the guides would know where to pass, etc., and everything changes so I would definitely take a guide if you want to go to the top.
nilam, Oct 2023
Our guide Giuseppe had a lot of knowledge and he enjoyed with the whole group. The hike can be described as difficult/hard for someone who is not used to climbing mountains. As an inexperienced mountain climber, it was difficult for me sometimes so it would be wise to do research before you sign up for this tour(I had done the research and I am a reasonably fit person so i had considered the possibility of being unable to do it). With a little bit of support from Giuseppe and our group, I was able to make it up to the summit and down in one piece. The one star less is because they didn't mention to bring a mask to protect yourself from the gas emissions. You could put a hand on your mouth but that makes breathing difficult than it already is that high up. Bring enough food and water as it takes 5-6 hours for the whole hike. I would also recommend to stay in a hotel nearby the meeting point so that your body has a chance to adjust to the high altitude before your tour.It was an amazing experience and definitely not to be underestimated as a normal hike.
Lucy_S, Oct 2023
Our hike was nice and we saw lots of activity at the craters. So that part was great and I would recommend it based on this. However this tour description could prepare you better for the day in several ways.
- the cable car and 4x4 are not optional and cost €78 per person. While the description mentions an extra cost, it doesn’t say how much and €78 each is a lot!
- in some parts the gas was strong and it gets in your throat which is uncomfortable. At this point the guide told us to put on a buff or mask, but we had not been told to bring those. So tell people to bring this.
- it was supposed to be 4.5h hike, so we brought some snacks but not a whole lunch. By the time we finished it was over 6 hours. You should tell people to bring full lunch with them, we had not brought enough food.
- this is not an easy hike and several people in the group found it too hard and stopped. You need to be fit to do this.
Phil_S, Sep 2023
Davide is a very helpful, knowledgeable, safe and experienced guide. We all benefitted from his 20+ years of experience guiding on Mt Etna.
Michele_M, Sep 2023
The excursion was challenging but not too difficult. Everyone enjoyed the experience, especially jumping down the steep hills during the descent.
Jeremy_B, Sep 2023
What an awesome tour!
Marco, our guide was really good. He was informative, jovial and patient and clearly knew how to wait for the whole group without making the slower ones feel awkward.
The actual volcano was brilliant and an experience myself and my whole family thoroughly enjoyed.
It wasn’t cheap but then ‘you get what you pay for’
Justin_P, Aug 2023
The tour itself was magnificent. The tour company & guides were superb in every way. What could have been clearer on the Viator website was the costings for the additional cable car & 4x4 ride. This was an extra €200 & that should have been made clearer on the Viator booking procedure.
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Hello,
Thanks for your really nice review. Of course the 200€ are not for person but for a group of 4. Thanks again and see you soon in our volcanoes 🌋
Marko_R, Jul 2023
Experience and organization was amazing thanks to our guides Marco and Massimo. They really take care of people and are really friendly. We are really thankfull and satisfied. Highly recommended to everyone.
Salvatore_C, Jun 2023
The guys, Marco Giuseppe and Umberto, was fantastic very expert and very friendly..i did in June and was cold bring hoodie and jacket...very steep up and down but worthy it.
STEPHANIE_S, Apr 2023
Our guide was AWESOME. He was so knowledgeable and brought us to some incredible spots I would never have been able to find on my own. I would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Apr 2023
thank you very much for your review. we are happy that you spent a nice day on Etna together with our guides
Cristina_B, Apr 2023
It was a great experience but they didn’t guide us to the summit as it was published in the description. After the payment they sent us a message and they informed us about the fact that “At the moment cause the volcano eruption it's forbidden to arrive to the very top so we have to stop at 3000m ( more or less). In really we climb at the altitude of 2965 m. When I asked the guide about this he said that current regulations don't allow the climb to the top. I think that it should be written on the description of the tour which is promoted as Etna -tour to the summit
Response from Host, Apr 2023
Thanks for the nice review. unfortunately the ordinances that regulate access to the crater can change at any time, for this reason it is specified in the description that the program can change based on the weather and the laws that regulate access to the volcano. Let's stay in a next time for the top
Andrew_W, Nov 2022
The tour was ok but you won't get the tour described here. Etna is on an orange advisory and has been for over a month so it's not possible to go above 3000m. Of course they don't tell you about the changes until the day before, when it's too late to cancel. They also changed the start time from 9am to 8:30. The guide provided some information but much of it was not very clear. While we did go past a sign that said you could only go past it with a guide, it's not patrolled and lots of people had gone up on their own.
Response from Host, Nov 2022
Thanks for taking the time to write the review. In the description of the tour it is specified that the tour may undergo changes due to volcanic activity and the weather. The rules governing the ascent to the top can change even from week to week but despite this we warn customers in time to give them the opportunity to cancel the tour if they want, perhaps also for this and for the high quality standard that we try to keep during the excursions we have a very high average reviews. We advanced by 30m only because in the afternoon there was the possibility of cloud cover, one of our driving tasks is also to adapt our trips according to the weather conditions in order to guarantee the best conditions for our customers. I wish you a good day
Marco
Russ_H, Oct 2022
Our guide, Simone, was excellent, very knowledgeable and personable.
However. The woman on reception was pretty unpleasant and rude. Check in was absolutely chaotic.
The itinerary was changed last minute due to Etna being active. As we only booked the day before I'm convinced that the company knew this to be the case at the time of booking.
Overall a great experience though.
Response from Host, Oct 2022
Hi Russ, we are happy that you enjoyed your day on Etna with Simone. Honestly, this is the first time we have received bad feedback on our secretariat. Our secretary has been working with us for several years and has always shown professionalism and kindness. Then it may happen that on the busiest days there may be a bit of confusion at the reception desk but I don't know that none of our staff has been rude to her and since you still had a nice day with our guide I find it incorrect give 3 stars (if you take a look at our reviews they are almost all 5 stars). I wish you a good day .
Marco Tomasello
Giuseppe_R, Aug 2022
The guides do an excellent job managing large groups of people across different languages in preparing the equipment, moving up the volcano by cable car and then by foot, and educating the groups about what they are seeing. It is an efficient and excellent operation. The volcano itself speaks for itself, no matter the weather. One cannot expect the guides to communicate with Jupiter to make the weather perfect. On our particular day it was a combination of clouds, rain sprinkles, and sun, with the wind moving the clouds and steam across the lava fields. Stunning and an incredible experience.
Yann_Q, Jul 2022
Seeing spots of high temperature from last eruption, the glacier underneath the magma, and the various craters.
Yasmin_H, Jul 2022
We had a great tour of Etna with our guide Marco. It was a very windy day but he made sure we were as sheltered as possible from the wind whilst seeing key points of the volcano. The summit was difficult at points, but Marco made sure it was a suitable speed for all of the group.
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