Etna Morning Tour From Catania

The temperature change is huge. Up there on the Etna tourists platform, the temperature was 7 degrees celsius. This must be informed more clearly in tour info.

Excellent your loved mt Etna tour guide was awesome & informative. This excursion requires a lot of walking on different surfaces so make sure you wear sneakers or hiking shoes. Walking in old lava was an amazing experience.

What a great tour, the history of Etna, its recent eruptions and the geology. The guide was knowledgeable on the many facets of vulcanology. Beware the climb is steep and like walking in sand. Don't miss this tour.

Had a wonderful tour with Paulo. The tour was at a good pace and not rushed. The initial trek was a little steep but the views made up for it. We were lucky to have clear skies, although a little windy (wear sunglasses to avoid ash in your eyes).

Our trip to Mt Etna was so worth it! Amazing views , our guide (Marina- close to her name but not sure if I have it right) was exceptional! She took her time with us and explained everything!!!

We had eight people in our group which made it a nice small number so we were able to see everything well. We drove about an hour up to Mount Etna. Our van was an eight passenger van, so it was smaller than your typical tour bus. We were able to see many of Mt. Etna's sights including a lava tube. Paolo, our guide, was the reason I gave this tour a five. He was so knowledgeable and so much fun.

This was a worthwhile tour, with a great guide! Paolo provided excellent information about Etna and the culture of the surrounding area! The only negatives were that the van was a bit crowded for the number of people and was not a comfortable ride and there was also confusion about the pickup location. While the hiking was not a long distance, it was steep and I would classify it as more of a moderate, rather than an easy hike. It was also difficult to climb down into the cave. Paulo did give us a great recommendation of where to eat when he dropped us back in Catania.

Marilena picked us up from a piazza near our AirBnB. We were a group of six. The van was comfortable and air conditioned. Marilena was personable, and knowledgeable. The tour was fairly quick, but that’s what we opted for as we didn’t want to spend the entire day on the mountain. We did stop twice where there were vendors selling wine, olives, and honey. No pressure to buy . Lunch was not included . I would recommend this tour to experience being on the volcano.

Paolo was a great guide! Very informative and knowledgeable. The pickup location was confusing and pickup wasn’t on time. The van ride was very bumpy; not a luxury ride.

Giovanni was a spectacular tour guide. Very knowledgeable and funny as well. Hike was a bit strenuous in parts but so worth it.

Our guide Zelia is informative, friendly and professional driver for our trip. Her knowledge helped us learn a lot of things regarding the Mt. Etna. Tour consists of several stops including hiking, cave exploring, sightseeing and local shop visit. Bring comfortable and hardy shoes for it. I have participated this tour with my 1 year old baby. Hiking was challenging but it was worth it. However, forget the stroller; it is steep and spiky-rocky.

Anyone contemplating a trip up Etna needs to do their research. Some trips, including this one, takes you two thirds up Etna to 2000 metres. If you want to go closer to the summit your trip needs to include the cable car and 4-wheel drive vehicle. On this trip at no point to you see the summit of Etna. We were on a volcano tour of Italy comprising of Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius. We should have looked at the Etna excursions in more detail as we were quite disappointed with this one. Fortunately, the other two did not disappoint.

This review will probably be unlike most others you’ll read. Paolo was our guide and did a great job explaining the hike to us. Unfortunately, minutes into the hike my girlfriend fell and broke her arm. (Purely accidental. Not in any way the tour guides fault.) He allowed the other hikers to meet up with another tour group and accompanied us to an emergency aid station and waited with us until the ambulance arrived to take my girlfriend to the hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital, another gentleman named Sebastian met us there. He also works for the tour company and refused to leave our side until my girlfriend was discharged from the hospital. He helped us get our luggage. He helped us find a new hotel and transported us there when the volcano eruption canceled our flights. He stayed with us until 9 pm . Paolo texted several times checking in.. The level of support, compassion and empathy is rare and refreshing. If you want a company that stands by its customers, this is the tour provider for you.

Be prepared to walk on uneven ground and sometimes at steep inclines. Enjoy the experience as well as the other people in your group.

the access to the cave is slightly treacherous for seniors or people with bad knees. the hike, view, caves all molto bene

We were a 3 generation family. Ages 15, 18, 40s and late 70s. Fantastic tour with Daniele, a very knowledgeable and friendly guide. The climb to the crater was fairly strenuous for thosrewho were not fit. Climbing down into the lava cave was a great experience. Loved the views of the lava flow and the Daniele really explained the geology clearly and simply. Would definately recommend this tour.

The sights we saw were amazing. The hike, the stop to see the lava cave then lava flow, all while Mt Etna was having a spectacular eruption was a once in a lifetime experience. We also enjoyed the food stop too. Costanza is a great guide and she’s funny! Thank you for a wonderful time in Catania!

The tour description is misleading when it says it's suitable for "all types of customers... as it is of an easy level." The hike starts at 2,000m (6,561ft) of elevation, and climbs roughly 152m (~500ft) over loose, rocky/sandy terrain — not easy for everyone. My wife got an altitude headache almost immediately at the parking lot and had to turn back to the staging area about 15mins into the hike. Lunch isn't included (that part is clearly labeled), but the guide did not mentioned buying food at the staging area. With an 8:30am–2:30pm runtime, we were starving by the final stop. That last stop, the "tasting of typical products" in Zafferana, felt like a tacked-on commercial detour rather than a meaningful part of the tour — though the free bread and olives were a welcome relief given how hungry we were by then. Finally, the tour felt more like a private excursion for four Italian-speaking guests than a group experience. They took up most of the guide's attention throughout the hike, and much of the commentary ended up being in Italian, leaving myself and two other English-speaking participants largely on our own. This was probably just the luck of the group mix that day rather than a regular issue, but since the tour is offered primarily in English, it'd be great if guides could keep an eye on balancing their time and language across the group. The scenery was worth it, but the mismatch between the "easy for everyone" and the actual physical demands, plus the language/attention imbalance, kept this from being a higher rating.

Really smart and knowledgeable tour guide. About 1-2 miles of hiking/walking with interesting stops. Felt like just the right pace.

We had a great tour. Our guide Zelia was very informative about the history of the region and area. She was a treasure trove of information and was very personable throughout the whole day. She was great with pick up and drop off as well.

Great experience! The tour guides were great with my 2 year old. But if doing this tour with kids be prepared to carry them if they can’t walk or get tired easily. My son walked half and needed to be carried the other half. No way you could use a stroller on this tour.

It was a little more challenging than anticipated for older adults. The people in their 30's handled it well. Being older I was able to walk up the side of the craters but more work than thought. What really made out trip was the tour guide who Americans call Connie. Great personality and very caring with a sense of humor!

Our guide was Paolo. He was fantastic! Explained everything in simple yet technical language and we left the tour having a better understanding of volcanoes in general and especially Etna. Highly suggest this tour for everyone interested in volcanoes. It is to walk up to see the craters for everyone. Just wear sensible clothes and shoes.

A wonderful half day seeing Etna, a lava cave and wine and olive oil tasting. We were traveling with our 8 month old baby and our guide and group were very nice and accommodating. The walk up on Etna was a little more hike like than expected, so it was good we had our baby carrier with us!

This excursion was disappointing for several reasons. First, myself and another person in our group of 8 was uncomfortable climbing to the upper slope of Mt Etna because of the height and narrow trail we were expected to climb. We had to drop out and wait an hour for our guide and the others. The cave experience was quite limited and seemed much less significant a cave than friends on another tour explored. We were also taken to a scenic overlook and an olive oil shop which seemed intended for the benefit of our guide. Paulo, the guide and driver added very little to my understanding of volcanos and mostly chatted with the couple sitting with him in the front seat of the van. The van itself was tired and required a bungee cord to hold the middle row seat in a position to allow exit from the rear seat. All in all, this was a disappointing experience.

Harder to climb than advertised and walking shoes should have been mentioned as trainers are slippery. The guide was great though.

Beautiful drive from Catania and interesting tour and sights at Mt Etna. Highly recommend. Good for groups or individuals.

Incredible tour guide! Zelia made our day. She made the information about Mount Etna volcano interesting. She fully engaged with our group and had everyone laughing and paying attention to all the information. She’s a pro!

This adventure up Etna exceeded my expectations! The meeting spot for all Etna tours is a bit chaotic so be prepared for that. Our guide Francesco picked us up and safely conducted our group up Etna, into a cave on the mountain side, and to a beautiful winery and apiary for a well rounded tour. Francesco was very knowledgeable about the mountain, volcanoes, rock formations, timelines, and so much more! He went up the mountain at a perfect pace and gave us ample time to soak in the incredible views. My only recommendation is to dress in layers, as it was about 25-27C at pickup location, and maybe 20-23C up the mountain. My partner previously did a tour with a cruise ship and it is similar in the climbing and winery but this one has the added bonus of the cave and a gorgeous lookout point at a volcanic desert! If you are trying to compare between booking with your ship and booking this, this is definitely worth your time!

Very amicable. Very humorous. Very knowledgeable. Paolo speaks very good English and he treats his customers like family. He has researched a lot about volcanology in general, and Mt Edna specifically. Grazie mille, Paolo!

Great experience! We had a great time visiting Mt etna. The tour was just as described. The tour guides were great and kept us on itinerary. The hike can be steep and slippery with the loose rocks. Wear good gripped shoes and bring a jacket. The guides had extra jackets too which was perfect! The massive scale of this active volcano is amazing and so fun to see the lava caves too! The taste testing of local goods was a great addition. The roads are windy and might need motion medication or bring some ginger chews. We had a person in our van get quite sick.

Excellent sight to climb part of Mt. Etna, go to a lava tube/cave, and a honey place in a cruise excursion. Could have used better communication before and during the tour… Our guide rode in a van with other guests, so guessing they had more explanations along the way. Our driver spoke no English, so we had no explanations during the drive to or between the sights. Once at Etna, our guide did a decent job of explaining things but did not gave great English skills and did not tell us what to expect during the day. The sights themselves were good. Be sure to take something for motion sickness if winding roads bother you. Have sturdy walking/hiking shoes, preferably in a dark color… the black volcanic soil did not look good on the many pairs of white tennis shoes that people wore. Bring a layer for the chilly temps and water for the hiking at higher elevation. Great sights to see!

Great experience—saw many aspects of an active volcano, including hiking a bit (easy to do) exploring a lava cave and some great vistas. Overall a great experience!

Giovanni was very knowledgeable and friendly. This is a great experience if you visit Catania. I definitely recommend it!!!

Giovanni was our tour guide and I can say confidently that Giovanni went above and beyond in providing exceptional care and attention to my wife and me. He is a professional driver, friendly, knowledgeable and overall an amazing guy. Giovanni, you made our day memorable and unforgettable. We hope to see you again my friend!

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about all things volcanic. There is a somewhat steep climb on volcanic gravel to be able to view the craters on the side of the mountain. The visit was fascinating and well worth doing. The wine and honey tasting stop was okay.

Must be fit for the walk on Mt Etna.It would be good if the description of the tour included how strenuous this section of the tour was and what options could be taken if not engaging in this part of the tour which I had to find out independently.The stops on the tour were great and extremely scenic.I would recommend to others as I now know what was involved as a result of experiencing but would not recommend just from the blurb that is provided by the tour operator.

It was a great experience to make a trip to the Etna. Paolo was a excellent guide...he told us a lot of interesting things and was friendly and funny... And he had a great voice... We appreciated the song he sang during the drive

Paolo was very good. Safe driving in Sicily, very knowledgeable about Etna as a local, and friendly to talk about many facets of Sicilian culture. I would highly recommend him.

If traveling to Sicily, Mt. Etna is not to be missed. We arrived in Catania by cruise ship and this tour fit our port schedule perfectly. Our guide, Marilena, met us just outside the the terminal and off we went. Our hike of Etna was astonishing, mainly because it was completely covered in snow. I wish that we had been warned ahead of time by the company. So here's my warning to you: if you're going to Etna in March, be prepared to be climbing a snow covered volcano! This was a shock to us because it was warm and sunny at the port. We were a group of 8 people (4 adults and 4 teens) - two adults in our party decided not to do the climb because they weren't prepared, and were a bit disappointed. That said, the 6 of us who went were amazed and loved the adventure of it. Following our climb, we went to the lava tube. We were provided helmets and flashlights. The final was a local farm that sold honey, olive oil, and wine. At the end of the day, Marilena gave us the option of being dropped off at the pier or the city. We opted for option C: a bakery near the cruise ship terminal. There we had the best cannolis ever! So, 5 stars for our tour guide Marilena. She was excellent! Great driver, super informative, and very friendly. 4 stars for the description: it's more strenuous than suggested when in the snow. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

My daughter and I went on this tour to Mount Etna. Etna itself is stunning – however, we didn’t expect it to be covered in snow which made seeing the craters a bit difficult. You need proper walking shoes and an extra layer because it gets cold up there. The lava caves were a great experience and very interesting – our group was small so it was nice to be able to do something like this which isn’t possible with the bigger tours. The tasting place was a bit chaotic and I could have done without, but it was still nice to see and taste local products. All in all, it was a good, quick tour since we had limited time in Catania and we even got back to the port with enough time to take a quick stroll around the city centre!

My wife and I plus our daughter and our 2 year old granddaughter had a wonderful time. Perfect tour for us. Highly recommend.

This trip is a MUST DO if you are in the area. it's SO BEAUTIFUL and interesting. You have a great drive up the mountain, walk up to some craters with an amazing view, go into a lava tube, and visit a local honey and olive oil family business. We had an amazing experience with Paolo on Mt. Aetna. It actually snowed the night before and was still snowing a little bit during the day. Paolo's car had snow tires and 4WD and we were just fine. the route up the mountain was snarled and we got stuck in traffic and Paolo took charge, helped people put on chains, "desnarl" the mess and we went up. He could have quit and gone back down hill but he didn't. It delayed us quite some time but we did the whole trip regardless. He was lovely, fun, knowledgeable, and we all had a great time. You don't want to miss this.

We had so much fun on this half day trip. Giovanni did a great job of both sharing his knowledge of Mt. Etna and driving. The van seats eight people plus driver, so it was a nice sized group. The short but initially steep hiking at 2000m was enough to work us but didn’t stop us from smiling the whole time at seeing magnificent views of the volcano and its crater cones, a lava tube and the surrounding countryside of Catania. We stopped at a local farm for wine tasting, and eating olive oil and honey samples. It takes about an hour to drive from Catania but we enjoy the sights. Bonus: Giovanni had great “curiosities” to share with us. Definitely recommend!

It is very windy & cold at the craters in November. Excellent experience with snow, clouds & sun constantly changing. The lava tube was really cool! Ali was a great guide & very informative.

Excellent tour Constanza was helpful & very knowledgeable. She was very happy to answer questions. Punctual local pickup. Highly recommend

Simone was very informative! Great tour. Very patient. Bring a coat-cold at the top (he had extras, but lots of tour guides don’t). Not too strenuous and a decent pace. Mt Etna is worth the trip!

Disappointed we didn’t climb higher. I suspect it was because we had small children in our group. The guide was excellent but we didn’t get very high at all.

Our tour was fantastic. Our guide was great. He was informative and awesome. I highly recommend this.