Etna Volcano: South Side Guided Summit Hike

Wow, what an unforgettable life experience! Pepe was a fantastic guide, happy to share his ever changing knowledge of the region. The hike was challenging but comfortable. Reaching the rim was an unforgettable experience, breathtakingly beautiful, adrenaline was pumping as it was very windy but at all times I felt safe. Thankyou for such a rewarding day!

An annoying start that ended very well. Booked with Viator in January to do a south summit hike on 21 June and booked accommodation nearby. The day before the hike we received an message from the tour operator to say the south summit tour was not possible and we should get to meeting point at 8am on the North side for 8 am which was an hour and 15 mins away. We got up very early to be there on time. However on speaking to the guide on arrival and although we were the first to arrive the group already had 10 people so we had to join another group with a different company which wasn’t leaving until later! However this turned out to be a blessing in disguise! Not only was the North side less touristy and pristine, but we also got to ride in a very cool 4x4 bus accompanied by a great guide Vincenzo from AITNE who took us on the hike up to two craters. He was very knowledgeable and we felt very safe. We are used to hiking in mountains so this was not hugely challenging for us but it’s soft underfoot, like walking up a sand dune in places and some parts were quite steep and the air is thinner. It was great they provided good quality comfortable hiking boots and poles. Be warned, you need a reasonable level of fitness to do the hike. An inexperienced couple half our age were struggling and were encouraged thankfully to turn back, which they eventually did, with another guide. so the rest of us could do the full tour at a comfortable pace.

Our guide Giacomo did a fantastic job to get us to the summit craters and back.

Amazing experience, really well organised and the guides were really knowledgeable and passionate about the volcano and the underlying geology, highly recommended

The guide, Simone, was very well informed and in fact passionate about volcanoes. It was very interesting to listen to him and he handled questions well. He was also very attentive to the needs of the group. It was a very positive experience. The group size and logistics were all well-organized. We were pleasantly surprised that hiking boots were provided; that was super helpful. Knowing that in advance would be great. The tiny complaint I have is that the trip is advertised and sold as a summit trip, but they did not at any point consider taking us to the summit, due to snow bridge conditions. If this was communicated from the outset, it would eliminate any feeling that we did not get what we signed up and paid for. We understood that the weather conditions made summit hikes unsafe, but this was not a situation that was changing day to day. It should just be sold as is. All that said. I would do it again and recommend it, especially if you want the really interesting information from a professional. Simone was an expert, and we were fortunate to get to experience Etna with his guidance.

Loved it! A fascinating experience. We were a little disappointed that we couldn’t go to the summit because of unsafe conditions (too much vapor and gas coming out of the main crater), but there was still a lot to see elsewhere on the mountain from past erruptions —craters, lava flows, lava lakes, lava tubes, lava bombs, spatter cones. António was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable about volcanology. We covered about 10 km on foot, a lot of it on uneven ground, so you definitely need to be ready for some hiking.. I highly recommend this tour.

Fantastic! Our guide Max was very professional and engaging taking us to the summit craters and explaining history and geology of the volcano, all while keeping us alert to the dangers of an active volcano. The hike is strenuous going up so you need to be in somewhat good shape. It’s more challenging on the decent as the soil on the trail is slippery, maybe approx 8 km in total. You will experience an active adventure most people will never see in their lives.

If you want REAL Etna experience and not just to check the box in your bucket list - these are the guys you must stick with :) There is so much advantage of hiking in a small group with experienced guide versus wandering around in big a touristic groups and missing out all the real fun Etna can give. We were happy to get Massimo as a guide, who not only lead us through the most amazing paths of Etna and got us as close to the summit as it was possible, but also was very insightful all the way. As a curious person I was glad to know so much about volcanism, geology, tectonic process etc. during our hike. As a bonus Massimo also made a lot of pictures and fun videos which he gladly shared after the hike. 10000/10!!!! Tania

With the organized excursion it is relatively easy to get there but it is too hot! About 70 minutes from Taormina. In the middle of nature there is "iddu" (that's what the Sicilians call it)

We booked the night before and the company was very communicative with us. We started after 8:30am and got back before 2pm. Antonio our volcano tour guide was great. Set a nice pace for everyone.Moderate difficulty.

Great tour, very informative, great views. The tour guide was super friendly and funny, we had a great time. Only accessible by car. The organiser picked us up personally from our apartment, since we had problems with our rental car for a charge of 80€ per ride. Also a AST bus runs between Catania Centrale and Refugio Sapienza twice a day. Sadly, since a few years they decided to not hike up to 3400m due to security reasons, but on getyourguide it is advertised that the tour is up to 3400m.

Really nice and experienced guide. It was communicated before that due to the volcanic activity, we couldn’t go to the top crater. We still went as high as possible and had a very safe guide. We also escaped the fog and came down early. Best hike possible for these weather conditions.

Don't be fooled! This is not a legitimate company, they do not answer phones and will decide if the weather was bad and if you do, it's on you. They do not have change at the top for the "€52 "tram ride". Do not utilize this business, you've been warned.

The guide Sammy was awesome and so informative. He answered every question and was so much fun!! He was patient during the tour and did not rush through it at all. I HIGHLY recommend this tour to get the full Momma Etna experience!!

Could not have asked for more — a very professional organisation crowned by a guide absolutely passionate about what he does: Thank you Mary! The way he paced the group for four hours, showing us breathtaking views but avoiding unnecessary risks, all the while dousing us with interesting historical and geological information was, simply remarkable. And if this was not enough, he went out of his way to show us a sample lava tunnel *after* the trek was over and we were back in the base station: He jumped in his personal car and had all the group members follow him in their cars to drive down the mountain to a lava tunnel spot, which, otherwise would remain unknown to us.. Thank you! They provide walking sticks and shoes if you need them. Will definitely do it again.

Antonio was an excellent guide blending knowledge of vulcano science with a great tour of the landscape and Etna history. He had great energy and was fun to be with. Highly recommended

Had an early 8am meet with Nino which was ideal as we were first on to the mountain and beat the crowds. Thoroughly enjoyed it and had picnic lunch at the best spot with the best views in Sicily... Due to ongoing Yellow Warning following July 4th eruptions we didn't make it to the very top but got close and still very worthwhile. Highly recommend a guided tour.

We are very glad we signed up for this tour of Mt Etna. Our guide, Antonio was a knowledgeable, energetic geologist who was very respectful of the power of Mt. Etna! He clearly conveyed the dangers of this active volcano and detailed the benefits of the volcanic soil for the region. The tour was a rigorous climb, but we took frequent breaks and hiked slowly up the black soil landscape. (Be sure to wear dark colored clothing!) It was fun meeting all the other tourists from all over the world! It was a fun group!

This was a wild adventure. Absolutely loved it. Highly recommend. Tour guide was amazing. Even without getting right to the summit or seeing lava, this tour is a solid 10/10 must do. You’ll have a blast. Surprised is wasn’t as intense of a challenge physically as I expected. But bring a good lunch, lots of water, good windbreaker, long pants, tall socks, a neck sock or scarf, and a thin hat. Thin gloves too if you’re a bit of a wimp like me. And solid big shoes. The wind is insane and you’re walking in a lot of deep sand and gravel.

The summit was not opened due to activity but they still brought us up to nearly 3000m. The experience was very nice. The price includes everything, including hiking shoes and even hiking clothes. We didn’t really need those but it was very nice. The guide is very caring and the explanations are clear in both English and Italian. We started with a rough weather but then the sun came out later. It was overall a great experience, definitely recommended.

Our guide was great. Very knowledged and a good sense of humor. The option to get boots was very helpful. Everything was well organised. Thank you!

The practical side of the hike and the tour guide’s (Fabio) knowledge & attitude were excellent but the tour logistics were awful. After booking, we received a WhatsApp message with all the details and arrived early (after a very long journey). We were then told there wasn’t enough space with the tour company (Ashàra) so they had outsourced our booking to another company (Aitne) for a later tour. When we tried to discuss this with Aitne, they said it was”wasn’t their problem” as we hadn’t booked directly with them.

The day before the hike they sent me a text indicating the time, location, and what we needed to bring, and they where avaible for any question. We started at 8am to " check- in" and briefing, so we were ahead of other organizations . It was organized . It has free parking there. Our guide and geologist (vulconist) was Giovanni. He was excellent!!! The explanations were interesting and concise! Passionate and very aware of the safety issues and procedures! Because of the yellow risk in this moment, we weren't able to climb to the main crater yet the tour was non stopping, we acrossed diferent beautifull sceneries. Very easy to do the hikes, really like in vacation mode. And we almost always dodged others tour groups, so it was better! The climbing (upper) was basically done with the telepheric and the bus. The team was amazing!!

Great hike with Fabio! He likes to share information and is a good teacher. He was also very responsible in terms of taking care of each member of the group, which was important on such an extraordinarily windy day.

Omg one of the best the best experience I’ve ever had in my life ! If you are in Sicily please join this group to see the beauty of ETNA mountains.. One of the best ! 5/5

Great hike with super professional guide. He took care of all of us, paced professionaly with lots of small stops filled with lots of nice information about vulcanos in general and Etna in particular. Our guide was Giovanni - great guy

We had the most AMAZING hike up to Mount Etna with Fabio yesterday where we saw a VERY active Etna with multiple explosions included. Simply awesome and unforgettable. Fabio’s passion for the subject matter as a geologist was self evident and he was particularly caring, searching out and helping my husband when he was struggling on a slippery downslope portion, taking multiple photos of us, and providing several well-timed rest breaks. Apart from 10 minute warmup stair master sessions at the gym, I am no hiker so we were nervous about our ability to do it. I take exception to some recent comments that may scare people away from this once in a lifetime experience. It can most definitely be handled by someone that is reasonably fit—the hardest physical exertion was actually the first five minutes and then the pace improved. With respect to the comment about hiking boots, OF COURSE! Why didn’t you mention that everyone is provided boots at the start? If you refused them, that’s on you. I found the tour to be well-organized and informative, but most importantly, I can assure everyone that anyone traveling thousands of miles to get to Sicily should not half-ass Etna because the true jaw-dropping power of this volcano is at the summit. Simply unforgettable and thank you to Fabio for the amazing tour.

Fabulous trip. Fantastic guide Giovanni led us in easy pace to top of the Etna, knew and told a lot of interesting info on the Etna volcano. A magnificent experience you must take when on Sicily.

beautiful environment with a competend guid. A good fitness level is required but other wise a simple walk

I don't get the raving reviews. The check-in was messy and all the advantage we would have by having a meeting point at the refuge near the volcano was lost due to the inefficiency at the start of the tour. The same guy giving out information (to each small group instead to the everybody at once), was the guy receiving payments for the cable car and handing in the equipment. There were 3 groups, around 60 people, and it took well over 1 hour for it to be finished, time enough for all the groups coming from the city, big buses included, to arrive and for the clouds to cover the mountains. Such a waste of vacation time. Unfortunately the rest of the excursion didn't make up for it's unorganized beginning.  The information given by the guide was not specially interesting and he was giving it in two languages, English and French, and he had no good level in either. Part of the hike was covered in snow, but walking sticks were not distributed, and the hike felt a bit insecure, with the ice and strong winds. As a matter of fact, a girl in front of us at the check-in line asked for it and was discouraged to take one. Later, the guide that had discouraged her was using one himself, as well as the other guides, what I thought was a bit disloyal. We ended up with the impression they had not enough sticks for everyone. All in all, not an excellent tour.

A little strenuous but worth the effort! Read the descriptions and listen to the excellent guides. The walk meets at the bottom of the lift at Rifugio Sapienza. There is time to buy breakfast at the local cafeteria and stock up on food and water if you have forgotten. You can then collect kit, helmets, jacket, boots and walking poles (all advised). The lift takes you to approx 2500m. The advice was you are walking at altitude and up at least 500m in soft ash. Consider this carefully before booking. Our guide, Marco, doesn't like having to give walkers the advice on the easy route down because they have found it difficult. Marco was an excellent safe informed guide giving details in English and French. He took us off the well worn, well populated track and gave us an excellent experience. Whilst we didn't, as informed, reach the summit, stopping at 3000m he gave us what we needed including a snow filled lava tube.

This was an amazing trek. The staff at Ashàra looked after everything from picking me up at my door in Catania to bringing me back at the end of the day. Ashàra’s professional service was outstanding. All I needed to do was be present in the moment and enjoy the experience. Marco, our guide on the hike was extremely knowledgeable about the mountain and you could certainly see how passionate he was about what he did. He went the extra mile ( kilometre) to ensure we were all safe and learned as much as we could while we were with him on the mountain. While conditions were extremely windy on the day and it wasn’t going to be safe to reach the summit, the entire experience is one I won’t soon forget. So thank you to everyone at Ashàra and Marco for helping an old guy from Canada check off a bucket list item!

It was a unique experience but one has to know that you won't see lava or the 'boiling' crater with magma inside. One should be lucky to see fresh lava so don't be mislead by the pictures. Still, the views are quite impressive and you'll get pretty close to the active craters to see them in motion throing stones and steam. Up the mountain it is quite windy, be prepared. The company provided trekking shoes, these are a mist for the hike. The guide was knowledgeable and attentive to all participants.

We drive up to Mt Etna in the early morning not wanting to miss our 8.30am start time. The weather was just perfect. Met the team and checked in easy and smooth process. Off on the cable car to start the walk. The guide bought his wife along to translate to English and thier eight year old son, who actually led from the front all day. Great guides lots of information about Etna. Missed the 3000mt mark by 45mt but not to worry the views of the active caters was amazing. We stood inside a crater with steam pouring from vents in the rocks. Walked fresh lava fields and walked on moon scapes. Tough day up and down but so worth it. Recommend this company for sure .

We had 2 false starts due to the weather. The first time they let us kn ow the day before and for the second one we waited at the cable car base. There was no doubt in my mind that their decision was correct. Third time lucky. We were supplied any additional equipment we needed free of charge and our guides set off. Mauro (english and german) was excellent, paced the route well and was very informative. I was confident in his knowledge and skills at all times even when we were walking next to the 13/08/23 eruption. He was also very supportive. Even walkers half my age commented that it was much harder than they expected so I was over the moon when he got me to the highest point. I would recommend them without reserve, but trekking up Etna is not for the faint hearted.

Mount Etna in itself is a spectacle to behold. A magnificent natural landscape that I would highly recommend visiting at least once. Maybe the closest you will get to going to the moon. As for the tour company, well, they are just adequate. They process you through the system with barely a smile. A word of warning. You have to be fit to do this walk. This is not a casual stroll. And the tour guide or should I say taskmaster, Giuseppe does not let up for a minute. His scientific explanations were mildly interesting. One interesting aspect is that the tour guide leads from the front as you would expect but no one is at the back. Slower members of the walk trailed behind, increasingly as the walk went on so much so that I wonder what would happen if someone injured themselves, became unwell (think altitude sickness) or got swiped by the mythical Mount Etna Lava Monster. He was so far up front, he wouldn't notice for a long time. Could be so much better.

Giuseppe was an excellent guide, he was really knowledgeable, he didn’t rush anyone and gave us time to look at Etna and take photos. The information was really well spread out, so you didn’t feel like you were stopping too much. The whole trek was well organised and really easy to book. It was a challenging but enjoyable trek, we got to see everything even though the main summit was closed due to volcanic activity which was well explained. Thoroughly enjoyed the decent down and the view at lunch. Would recommend to anyone as a great way to see and learn about Etna from a terrific guide.

Great tour, well organised, extremely interesting and great views. Hike pace was good, steady with plenty of stops. My only criticism is that the tour was advertised as English speaking. The tour was actually in 3 languages which would have been ok, but the guide’s English was not very good.

Today we had a hike with our guide Guiseppe. Hike was great and Giuseppe told us many interesting facts about Etna. I recommend 100%. Thank You for amazing experience!

The trip to the summit of Etna was very interesting. We hiked with Giuseppe mountain guide, who were a very intelligent guide, explaining the history of the Etna. He guided us on the beautiful landscapes of the Etna

Very good guide. Right amount of stop and information about Etna. Borrowed shoes very good and comforrable. We Will defently use the Company again

This volcano is unbelievable, Our guide showed how a paper napkin burned up under a stone, you can feel steam from a place and it’s just unbelievable big’ I recommend this trip if you are close to Catalina/touremina ☺️

We couldn‘t go all the way up due to activities in the upper craters. Still our guide Giuseppe managed to make made an awesome tour with us. It was informative, scenery was breathtaking and the group was fun to hike with. Taking the cable car was IMO quite expensive (50€ pP) but out of control of Ashara. Just keep this in mind when booking this tour.

Great way to experience Etna. We signed up for summit craters buf that wasn't possible due to recent activity. So we ascended c 350m ftom top of funicular to walk round two craters just below 3000m, taking in a lava tube and fresh pile of lava two weeks' old en-route. Pace was steady - my knees are worn so I needed poles. We were very lucky with the weather. I felt I learnt quite a bit but my wife had questions that were't answered adequately eg about th different colours of rock and lava and what that meant. Guiseppe is a proper, qualified mountain guide rather than a geologist: he looked after our diverse group of 16 people, keeping us safe and well-informed and also shared his enthusiasm for the mountain and his delight that the weather had improved so much that we got great views. Good value and a highly memorable trip: you can't go here without a guide. Good communication beforehand too, from Mary. Thank you.

It was amazing to be a part of that experience. Our guide Giuseppe was an excellent professional at all times during the walk. Guiding us and explaining each trajectory of the course. I highly recommend this experience.

Very exciting trekking tour through changeable weather conditions. Giuseppe is a very knowledgeable guide who gave detailed explanations about diverse crates, volcanic eruptions, lava flows, or rock composure. We also went near areas with higher volcanic activity, where one could feel the heat of the rocks. Special equipment was also provided: trekking shoes, extra jacket in case you don't have one, even trekking poles on demand. Overall a very enjoyable experience which I highly recommend!

Giuseppe was a great guide, we kept a quick pace due to concern for bad weather, but it was still an amazing experience. Giuseppe stopped us to point out various areas of interest along the way. It would have been better for me to have hiking poles.

We had a very favorable experience. The guide did a great job leading us and the company provided us with all of the extra equipment we needed.

Giuseppe was our guide on May 25. We recommend him and this tour. Very knowledgeable and helpful and safe. He made sure the group went at the appropriate speed and no one was uncomfortable. He also gave us his gloves and hiking poles as it was cold and snowy.