Half or full day trekking on Etna with private guide

Recommended by 98% of travelers

Sicily, Italy

3 to 7 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore Europe's largest active volcano on foot and discover its most fascinating craters and panoramic slopes with this full- or half-day guided excursion. Board a 4x4 at the meeting point and set off to take on medium to challenging trails as you learn about the mountain's history and geothermal activity along the way. Visit a lava cave (full-day hike) or relax over a tasting of local specialties (half-day hike).

Hike Mt. Etna with a guide to avoid losing your way on the lava fields
Sweeping vistas from the upper-altitude craters across the valley and coast
Choice of medium-level half-day hike or challenging full-day hike
Hiking gear available to rent and option of pickup in Catania (extra charge)

What's Included

For Half Day: trekking about 5 hours
For Full Day: trekking about 8 hours + visit volcanic cave
Authorized Volcanological Guide or Qualified Naturalistic Guide

Trekking equipment rental (shoes, jackets, poles, baby trekking backpack) available for hire
Transfer an DAta and back Catania, Piazza Cavour (from 20€/person). Subject to availability
Lunch or anything that is not included in the program

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to your preferred meeting point, or request pickup.

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Generally if participants have their own car they can reach, at no extra cost, a convenient free parking at our meeting point - starting point. If guests do not have a car we can arrange a pick up from a meeting point. Roundtrip pick-up service costs: DA Catania DA 1 to 4 people : 80€ DA 1 to 4 people. DA 5 to 8 people: 20€ per person. DA Acireale/Giarre DA 1 to 4 people: 100€. DA 5 to 8 people: 25€ per person. DA Giardini Naxos/Taormina. DA 1 to 4 people : 160/180€ DA 5 to 8 people : 200/220€.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.8:30 am

Itinerary

Mount Etna

4 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Valle Del Bove

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

MontataGrande - AgricolTour & Gusteria dell’Etna

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
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
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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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

Eva_H

We enjoyed the hike very much and appreciate the guide sharing his knowledge about vulcanos with us. We learned a lot and can highly recommend the hike. We would do it again, if back in Sicily!

Reviews

4.9

based on 53 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

NO ONE WILL GIVE YOU AS MUCH AS WE CAN PROMISE!

David_H, Mar 2024

A common tourist trap and a huge disappointment. The company advertises a trip to the crater, which is also the ONLY reason to buy the guide's services. If you want to trek to Etna, guys, buy a return bus ticket in Catania for 6€, a cable car ticket for 50€, and you can climb up and down Etna all day. A guide only makes sense if you want to get up to the crater, where climbing on your own is forbidden. This was also the reason I bought the services of this company. The only decent and good person is the driver, who told us in the morning that we were not allowed to go to the crater because of the weather conditions and that we would therefore just go for a hike halfway up Etna. Of course I didn't want to do that, I wasn't going to give 200€ for that and I wanted a refund. "What's the difference between going free myself and going halfway up Etna with your company? Where is the added value?" "Well... we take a different route through a stand of dwarf trees..." And that's the difference? That's all of it? For €100? A hundred euros? A hundred euros for a different route halfway up Mount Etna?! Of course, there was no refund and my girlfriend and I were so disgusted that we wanted nothing to do with the company and just wanted to go our own way. Our trust was irrevocably gone. So I told the driver to take us to Refugio Sapienza, that we'd buy a cable car ticket there ON OUR OWN, climb part of Etna and he'd wait for us and drive us back to Catania. Yes! We got the most expensive ride from Etna to Catania for the price of two round trip fly tickets Prague - Catania. Careful, guys. There is no ascent to the crater! It's a hike up half of Mount Etna, which you can do on your own and completely free of charge. I wouldn't do anything else with this company even if it was my mother's dying wish. Never, niemals, jamais, mai. One single company and it can ruin your whole vacation.

Etna Trekking Adventure

Juan_H, May 2023

Favio was a great guide. He was very accommodating, going as far as driving us to a bakery to get lunch for the trekk! We were always in control of what we wanted to do and he delivered spectacular views and an off-the-beaten-track path we asked of him. We had an excellent time and loved Etna.

Response from Host, Jun 2023

Fabio thanks you!

A great hike!

Eva_H, Nov 2020

We enjoyed the hike very much and appreciate the guide sharing his knowledge about vulcanos with us. We learned a lot and can highly recommend the hike. We would do it again, if back in Sicily!

Amazing!

Brooke_G, Aug 2019

Absolutely Wonderful! My boyfriend and I loved it, and would love to come back again! We loved getting to see so much, and our guide was fantastic!

Anspruchsvolle und auf die Wanderung konzentrierte Trekking Tour ohne viel Drumherum

Robin_A, Jul 2023

Hallo zusammen, wir haben die Ganztagestour gewählt und waren überzeugt. Es gibt allerdings auch Kritikpunkte. Aber von Anfang an. Der Treffpunkt war mit Google Maps gut zu finden und zu erreichen, auch wenn die letzten Meter etwas steinig waren. Vor Ort hätte ich mir etwas mehr "Einführung" gewünscht. Wir liehen uns Wanderschuhe aus und dann ging es los (also unbedingt genügend Wasser und Essen mitnehmen! Es ist nichts eingeplant). Da wir mit Anfang Juli schon recht spät dran waren, waren meine Freundin und ich alleine für die Tour da. Das 4x4 Fahrzeug mit dem wir an den Start der Tour gebracht werden sollten, entpuppte sich als ur-uralter Fiat (ist nicht schlimm, sollte aber erwähnt werden). Unser Guide Fabio war sehr nett und herzlich und kannte sich super aus, sein englisch war allerdings eher rudimentär. Wiederum nicht hinderlich aber für diejenigen die sich mit einem Mix aus italienisch und englisch schwer tun, nicht zu empfehlen. Zur Tour: Wenn man die "anspruchsvolle Tour" über den ganzen Tag gebucht hat, sollte man besser echt fit sein. Uns hat es im zarten Alter von 30 (beide mehrfach die Woche sportlich aktiv) schon an unsere Grenzen gebracht. Wir haben in 5 Stunden ca 23 Kilometer abgerissen (einiges davon wirklich quer Feld ein) und fanden das wirklich hart. Das ist keine direkte Kritik, da wir diese Tour ja auch haben wollten und das Wandern abseits der ausgetretenen Wege sich wie ein echter Benefit anfühlte. Außerdem wird die Route sehr ans individuelle Leistungsniveau angepasst. Dabei erwies sich die Natur rund um den Ätna als viel abwechslungsreicher als gedacht: Von europäischen Wäldern, über grüne Wiesen bis hin zu geröllumgebenen Kratern war alles dabei. Wir hatten wirklich tolle Panoramen zu bestaunen! Zudem zeigte Fabio uns zwei Höhlen, in die wir sogar hinab gestiegen sind. Nach der Tour sind wir noch ein Bier trinken gegangen und hatten eine leckere Arancina. Unterm Strich also eine Tour, die sich sehr auf die Basics konzentriert: Anspruchsvolle Wanderung auf Pfaden für die ein erfahrener Guide wahrscheinlich notwendig ist. Nicht mehr und nicht weniger. Ob der durchaus hohe Preis dafür gerechtfertigt ist, bleibt Geschmackssache. Im Nachhinein hatten wir 70-80€ für fairer gehalten. Dennoch empfehlenswert!

Captivant

Franck_M, Apr 2023

Très belle expérience, notre guide Horacio est un vrai conteur, il a partagé des données scientifiques et des récits mythologiques, c'était captivant!