Private And Guided Tour On Etna With Wine Tasting Included

Manuel was our guide today and we had the best day on Etna and at Gambino winery with stops at a honey farm on the way! We left and thought it might rain but avoided the sprinkles until the end! Highly recommend this tour the wine at the end was amazing!

We had a great day with our guide Roberto. We were just two people and had a large, comfortable van all to ourselves. Roberto was easy to understand and informative without being intrusive. He gave us options on what we wanted to do on Etna e.g., different levels of hikes or go to the top via the cable car or off-road bus. Etna is beautiful and very interesting. There are hikes for all levels of interest, ability and adventurousness. We ended our day at Gambino winery which was terrific. The grounds are very pretty and the wines excellent. We expected the included snacks at Gambino to be just a charcuterie board but it turned out to be a very substantial charcuterie board, plus an entree, plus dessert, all of which was a nice surprise as the wine tasting pours are much more generous then we ever recall getting at another vineyard, bordering on full glasses, so it was good to have a bit more substantial lunch.

Overall, the one-day excursion around Mt. Etna was excellent. We visited a couple of sites around Mt. Etna, including the Silvestri Craters and a winery. Manuel, our driver, interacted with us in a very balanced and comfortable way — neither too much nor too little — which allowed us to enjoy a relaxed and private atmosphere. He was also flexible with the itinerary. Due to availability issues at Gambino Winery, he took us to an alternative winery where we enjoyed a more intimate setting and a delicious lunch. The excursion started at 8:30 a.m. and finished around 3:00 p.m. in Catania. Driving around Catania can be challenging for travelers, so we highly recommend this private tour.

The transfer to the south side of Etna was fine we saw the shops and Gabrielle assisted with our chair lift tickets . We had no guided tour of Silverstri craters At the south side, it wad however not explained about the bus nor the 2 km walk beyond that , you should update the tour description to make that clearer. We always knew we had to pay for the chair lift but we did not even know about the bus which was a highlight we ended up paying more for , just make it clearer so people u deter and what is on offer There was little to no commentary on the history of Etna which was disappointing and what little commentary was provided eg 1991 eruption was provided competing with music that was to loud The schedule was to include Valle De Bove which did not occur We declined the admission to Oro d’erna The lunch at Gambino was great - five stars for this part Eratic driving on the way back also made me quite nauseous after lunch The other thing that was not explained is tour description mentioned an optional visit to Taormina but nothing on those optional logistics was mentioned and should have been given the winery seemed quite close to Taormina Overall a rating of 3

We had a fantastic time and visited some great sights! It was a personalised experience rather than a group tour, which was great also. Thank you for the super experience!

The olive oil & honey from Mt Etna are INCREDIBLE because of incredibly fertile volcanic soil & the region's unique climate, which provide perfect conditions for olive trees & diverse flowers that feed the the bees. This combo produces crazy distinct & intense flavors for oils and honeys and omg it was just wow. This tour gives you a taste of all of it. What a joy it was. Thank you Manuel for a wonderful day!!

We had a wonderful day with our guide, Sandra. She was very knowledgeable and enthustiasric! We got to see Etna, try amazing wine, and more. Our feeling was that we got to see a lot during the day without feeling stressed, and with a comfortable ride.

Our tour guide Gabriele was very knowledgeable and pleasant. He was very accommodating to 2 slow moving seniors. He provided a great tour of Mt Etna. Our tasting and lunch at Gambino Vini was very good, most enjoyable. We would use Gabriele for tours in the future.

Wonderful day seeing Mt. Etna. Wine tasting was great. Good wine and lots of tasty food. Manual was a great guide throughout the day. Highly recommend.

This was a highlight of our Sicily trip. Gabriele (our driver and personal tour guide) couldn't have been more amazing. We were taken up to Mount Etna via a lovely honey farm and some great viewpoints! Gabriele knew everyone and everywhere to go. He got us good discounts, past queues of tour groups quickly and gave us lots of information in a relaxed manner. The winery was excellent (too much wine!) and Gabriele waited while we indulged. Our only complaint was that we couldn't spend more time with him on our trip (he was also available for Montalbano tours). 100% recommend this experience.

We had an amazing day with Manuel! He picked us up close to our hotel and we headed off for Mount Etna! Along the way we stopped at a honey farm where we were able to taste different flavors of honey. Also, We were given an education about the bees! A quick note: this was the most economical place to purchase the honey. We continued our journey, stopping along the way in a quaint town, where we visited that beautiful cathedral. Then we headed to Mount Etna! The views were breathtaking! Manual took pictures of our group at all of our stops, he was very very kind. We stopped at a restaurant on the mountain and we enjoyed chocolate tastings and some of creamier alcoholic drinks that are sold all over Sicily. Both were delicious. It was nice to be able to sample the products. We then went off the beaten path to enjoy a stunning area in a private serene place. He taught us all about the chestnut trees, the volcano, and the history of the area. We ended our tour at the famous Gambino winery. I can’t say enough good about this place. It was beautiful and the wines were outstanding. We had a pairing with many different foods and many different wines! You will not leave hungry! Each table was appointed, an educator about the wines and the food -which were all local to the area. The 2015 Etna wines were our favorite! He delivered us back to our hotel! Safely (you will know what that means when you get here-lol). Manuel made this a very special day for our vacation here in Sicily with our friends.

We had a very enjoyable trip through the Mt Etna region with Manuel. He took us to various points of interests along the way. It was a great day with him. He took us to places off of the beaten path that we would never had found along the way. He is so flexible and a accommodating. He allowed plenty of time to enjoy each stop. His English is excellent.

Had an enjoyable day out exploring Etna and wine tasting at Gambino Winery with our tour guide Gabrielle who was super friendly & knowledgeable - the day was not rushed we felt we had a good insight into the history of Etna and the visit to the Winery for a tasting and lunch is a must do!

We had a great day out visiting Mt Etna, a local honey farm and the Gambino Vini winery. This was a private tour for my wife and me, not cheap, but worth every penny. The guide was great, car was comfortable and clean. His knowledge about Etna, the local region and wider Sicily was excellent. We went to 2000m on Etna, however, due to the amount packed into the day there was not time to go on the cable car, but we did not feel that we had missed out as we had such a rounded experience, visit to a lava flow, a lovely panoramic view across a valley, visit to the Oro d’ell Etna honey farm and finished off with a wonderful wine tasting visit to the Gambino Vini winery, where the wines and food were fabulous. It was a full day, pickup from the hotel at 9:30 and arrive back at 17:00. Highly recommended!

Manuel was an excellent guide for our day through Sicily. We arrived in Messina on the Disney Dream and easily found him. Our kids (9 and 11) loved eating granita in Zaffarena. We visited a honey farm and a lava flow. The two highlights were our very windy walk around Mt. Etna and lunch and wine tasting at Gambino. Manuel had us back at the cruise ship with plenty of time. He was very knowledge and enjoyable to spend a day with. We highly recommend him!

The driver was OK. He was mostly a driver not a tour guide. The car he picked us up in was a very old and damaged car. Not our standard! He kept asking us what we wanted to see! Definitely not worth the price of $406.00. Not a good experience. Booking.com has MUCH BETTER experiences! Not sure if we will use Viator again?? We wasted our money on this tour!

First stop in Zafferana Etnea. Not sure the value in stopping here as we just walked to town square and in a church. Believe reason for stop was because it sounds good for agenda, although my guess is just because it is on the way to Mt. Etna, and sound good on website agenda. Second stop gift stop Mt. Etna gift shop to sample liquor. Again, not sure value of sampling liquor instead of true value would be more time on Mt. Etna. Third stop: short walk out of car to look at Mt. Etna. When driver heading back to car, asked if we could take a short hike, which he did say yes. Driver headed back to car while we walked around a crater. Once back at car, driver was ready to leave Mt. Etna. We asked if we could do another hike, and driver said no as had to get to winery before they close. Did not understand this comment, as agenda said 2 hours for Mt. Etna PLUS 2 hours for Mt. Etna Tram. Mt. Etna Tram option was never offered to us. It was a somewhat cloudy day and Tram was running, so did not understand why we could not do other hike, as 2 hours were stated on agenda for Tram. Fourth stop: Bee Farm. Not sure why they list this as a bee farm, as the only bees you will see are bees flying into and out of a small wooden box (like a shoe box) in the driveway of the Bee Farm Wine Tasting Room. Wine tasting a joke, as they only give you an extremely small taste they pour in a plastic cup the size of a thimble. Also, tasted honey samples. Last stop: a winery other than Gambino Winery listed on the agenda. Asked why we were not going to Gambino Winery, and driver (believe name was Manuel) said because that day they could not get us into Gambino Winery, and this winery we went was a favorite of his. The winery was nice and sampled wine with a meat and cheese tray. There is no tour of winery or really anything other that stopping a winery restaurant and tasting wine and sample meat and cheese tray. Total time from pick-up to drop off was approximately 5 hours. Again not sure why we could not spend a few more minutes walking around Mt. Etna. And when driver said we had to get back to winery before close . . . not sure on this one, as can google winery and see when they close . . . which was much later than when we arrived . . . as driver dropped us off back in Taormina shorted after 2 p.m. Would not suggest this tour, as much different than listed on website.

Had a nice day. The guide, Gabriele, was nice in time and even a bit earlier, so we could leave before all the other tourists were also leaving. That made this tour excellent as we stayed in front of the crowd. Thanks Garbriele for the nice tour and the stories you told us.

Fantastic experience! We booked the private Etna/winery tour for our honeymoon. Manuel was very a kind, courteous, and knowledgeable tour guide and driver. He also tailored the tour to our interests and was willing to adapt depending on what we wanted to do, including a visit to Oro d’Etna to taste honey, olive oil, and wine. Our tour also included a tasting at Murgo Winery, which turned out to be our favorite wine tasting of our entire Italy trip. Highly recommend!

Nice guy, very kind and enthusiastic. Made us very happy, good arrangements and speaks good English. Transportation was comfortable and clean as well.

Our driver was Gabriele, who provided a fantastic tour. He is very personable and provides a wealth of knowledge about Etna and the wine growing in the region. We had a great time, and we would highly recommend this tour. The winer also provided a great overview of the wine making process and a nice pairing of wines with some great dishes.

I paid for two cars, two drivers, two tanks of gas. One of the cars died on the way so we piled into an uncomfortable small car with 5 people. I understand emergencies and car issues but there was no reimbursement or compensation for what I paid for and didn’t get. The one driver/guide did a fabulous job, not his fault. Still waiting for Viator to reimburse what I paid for and didn’t get.

Manuel was a great guide for our trip up to and around Mount Etna. He was very friendly, professional, and informative. Gambino winery was also an excellent host in addition to providing delicious food and wines.

This tour was worth every penny. We had a fantastic guide (Manuel) who was both knowledgeable and personable, who drove us to multiple locations with ease. Manuel allowed us to explore at our leisure, and set us up for success at multiple locations. My fiancé and I had an amazing day, and would recommend this excursion to anyone!

Manuel was an excellent tour guide. He was informative, entertaining, a great driver, and patient when we took long on the wine tour. He never rushed us, and even stopped at a couple of additional places when we had the extra time. I highly recommend him!

I did this experience with my family as a gift for my dad’s birthday and it was great. We really enjoyed the the trip up Mount Etna and then the Gambino Winery was terrific - the food and tasting was fantastic and the setting of the vineyard is beautiful! The only slightly disappointing place was the honey farm, it just felt slightly commercialised, rushed and not personal at all.

Had the best day with Manuel as our driver and guide. The drive was leisurely and he was extremely knowledgeable. The wine tasting experience was very well organised and not rushed. Would recommend this trip 100%

Manuel was a great driver. Very informative, friendly and helpful. Mt Etna was amazing. We were able to spend as much time there as we wanted. Manuel took us to quite a few places, including other views of Etna and lava streams, a honey farm, and Gambino winery, which was just spectacular. Great tour. Highly recommend

Gabriele was our driver and tour guide. He was extremely entertaining and knowledgeable. He made the day very special and he took care of us very well. He told us of the best spots to go in Mount Etna and what tourist traps to avoid! Make sure you climb up to the top of the hill for amazing views All in all highly recommend this tour

Our group of 8 loved our trip to Etna and Gambino winery. Manuel picked us up at our Taormina hotel and stopped at some tastings of local honey, olive oil, and sweets as well as viewpoints from some past lava flows along the way to exploring the craters of Etna at the base of the cable car, and finally the equally scenic wine pairing lunch. We loved the friendly and knowledgeable guide who let us tailor our stops and timing to the interests of the group. Some of us preferred hiking, some relaxing and tasting, and this tour had a perfect mix. We liked it so well we ended up booking a 2nd tour with him to Noto and Syracuse, which we also enjoyed. Would recommend this tour to anyone

This was an amazing and now highly recommended tour! Manuel, our tour guide, was a pleasure to be with. He is very knowledgeable, a "local" and took us to all the cool, private spots. The pick up was easy (at our hotel) and prompt. We had a group of 8. Manuel provided educational tidbits along the drive and was accommodating to our bathroom needs. We visited Oro de Etna, a local, organic honey bee farm where we sampled honey, wine and olive oil. We headed up to the 2000 meter point on Mt. Etna for almond, pistachio and other fruit wine tastings followed by a leisurely, exciting walk through now dormant craters. How beautiful! We ended the tour at the fabulous Gambino winery with unending gorgeous views, and a delicious antipasto and wine pairing. They offer free shipping to the US and we were more than happy to order some Sicilian wines to enjoy at home. This was a memorable tour and Manuel delivered an extraordinary local experience. Thank you again, Manuel!

My wife and I had high expectations for the volcano/wine tour and they were exceeded! Manuel was a fantastic. He was very knowledgeable about all things Enta, but also gave us history and tips on other areas of Sicily we were interested in or planned to explore in the coming days. I can’t see how anyone would be disappointed with this tour.

Manuel was a great host and driver. He was flexible and adapted the tour to our wishes. We stopped a number of times to taste (and purchase) local honeys, olive oil, spices and wine. He took us to several look out points etc. Mt. Etna itself was very full and commercialized, but beautiful nonetheless. The best part was the upscale winery Gambini where we had a short tour, tasted some great wines and had a nice pairing with lunch in a wonderful atmosphere. Because we were done a little earlier than planned, Manuel suggested he show us the Alcantara river, which was also beautiful. Our trip lasted from 8:30 am to around 4 pm. We would recommend Manuel and this trip!

This was a perfect excursion and we saw all that we wanted to see. Manuel really went out of his way to ensure we had an amazing time.

Gabrielle was outstanding!!! Very nice and conversational. The Mt Etna portion was simple not strenuous. The two wine stops and lunch at a winery was excellent. Good tour if you are looking for half a day.

Manuel was a great guide for our shore excursion to Castlemola, Taormina, and Naxos. He picked us up right on time at our cruise port in Catania. He customized our day to our preferences. Took us the all of the great spots for taking in the culture and sights of Sicily. He also Recommended a lovely restaurant in the nearby town with equally beautiful views with less crowds. He even arranged for a private, guided boat cruise that we wanted to do last minute. It was a fantastic day.

Gabrielle was the perfect host during our day trip to the volcano and Gambino winery. He was knowledgeable on the volcano facts and history. It was rainy and foggy but that was not his fault. The views were limited. He made a couple stops for you to buy stuff. Not our thing. The Gambino Winery was an amazing experience. Positively wonderful. We thought there was a second winery too, but we returned straight away to Catania. Would recommend, it was worth the price to see the country side, learn and experience the wine of Sicily.

Manuel provided an excellent day. He was prompt at pickup, and took us to Mt Etna to make the most of some pretty rough weather. The craters were fascinating, and Manuel had lots of great information to share about the history of Mt Etna and the local topography. The winery provided a great experience, including very healthy pours and a great spread that was enough food for lunch.

Me and my husband picked up this tour because it was the one with winetasting included at the lowest price in TripAdvisor and also seemed a complete experience, and in fact, it was. We started from the sunny Catania and arrived at 6500 feets in the snow, while driving our guide took time to explain us the history of the volcano, the eruptions and made that very interesting and exciting adding some of his personal experiences related to it, unfortunately it was a little cold due to the snow and the altitude but they say if you come in summer there's no problem, you can just walk with a shirt and maybe just get some wind but not so bad. By the way after that we went to the winery and tasted a veeeery very fine selections of wines from Etna, made special by the volcanic soil and other factors, combined with local fresh food, I'm glad we also did that because I didn't want to stay too much in a cold environment. 5/5 Recommend it, but better to do this tour in summer (my opinion)!!

We had such an amazing day on this tour, I'm so glad we booked it! Manuel picked us up from our hotel in Catania & we drove to Etna, the car was clean & comfortable & he provided bottled water. We stopped at around 1900 meters & walked around an inactive crater, here there is a few shops / cafe / toilets etc We decided at this point, because the visibility was poor to not go up the cable car & we went to a gift shop to sample some local chocolate / liquors & honey. When we exited the shop, the visibility had improved & I asked Manuel if we could please go up the cable car. He did seem a bit reluctant but he said OK, this is an additional 30 euros per person. It takes about 15 minutes each way & you will reach 2500 meters. We could see the snow about half way through the journey. At the top it was freezing, but we had brought suitable clothing. The visibility was indeed very poor, but we didn't care, we took some photos in the snow & threw some snowballs & then headed back own. There is a cafe & shop & toilets at this level & you can hire coats & hiking boots if you don't have anything suitable, but I don't think this tour would allow you much time up there. Next we went to a honey farm, Oro d'Etna, which is in a village nearby & actually we just entered the shop inside, we weren't here for very long, we sampled a few things, wine, honey, garlic (the garlic was the best we ever had & we brought 2 packs) Next Gambino winery, I was worried I was not dressed suitable for a winery as had hiking clothes on, but inside was a mixture of people dressed the same & others more smartly dressed. Manuel had said I could change clothing if I wanted but it was still quite high up above sea level & I think I would have been cold in the outfit I had brought with me, so I stayed dressed as I was for Etna. The experience here was good, we were given a small glass of wine on arrival & then seated, it was very busy & we waited quite some time to receive any more wine & food, other tables seemed to get served much quicker & were given a lot more wine than us, we struggled to hear what our server was telling us about the wine as it was quite noisy in there because it was so busy, but it was still a fun experience & we did order some wine, which will be delivered to our home UK address, the wine was more expensive to buy than I expected, but it will be lovely & a great talking point when we drink it with friends. Then we drove back to our hotel, our trip was in total of just over 7 hours, unfortunately you are in the car for several hours of the trip, but it was definitely worth doing & we liked that it was a private tour & not with a group / minibus. If we had had more time in Catania I would definitely have done a tour to Taorima, I noticed there were other tours that combined Etna, the winery & Taormina (10 hour tour) but I think this would be too much & should be enjoyed separately, especially if going in Autumn when its cold at Etna but 20+ degrees at sea level. Manuel spoke very good English & he took the time to explain to us some of the history of the villages we drove through, & we made a couple of short stops to show us some interesting things, like a house that was buried in the lava & a village that just escaped being destroyed, he told us about some of the Etna eruptions & the advantages & disadvantages of living on the volcano, he told us about the devastation it had caused over the years, he was very knowledgeable & professional & we enjoyed spending the day with him & would 100% recommend this tour to everyone.

The guide was very nice and we know now much more about the Ätna. The view from the top was great. The luch was great!

We had a wonderful experience. A trip to the crater where we saw beautiful landscapes. The winery had a delicious selection of wines. unforgettable:)

We spent a wonderful day traveling around Sicily. We visited wonderful places wisely recommended by our driver Manuel, professional, kind and knowledgeable guy on the territory of him. Experience that I recommend to everyone.

This was a lovely experience. Manuel was very nice and taught us all about mt etna. He also brought us to the most beautiful winery. Manuel went out of his way to make this the best experience ever. Thank you so much.

A very attentive and friendly team. The day was very well organized. The places visited perfectly met the description. The tasting was at the top 😋🍷 I highly recommend this activity!

We chose to visit the highest active volcano in Europe and could not make a better choice to enrich our holiday. Arrived at 2000 meters we walked on extinct craters and it was exciting, descending in altitude we reached the winery that after a presentation of its company and vineyards definitely satisfied us with different types of wines, white, rosé and red.

Competence and professionalism, from the Sea to the Punta dell'Etna, in a succession of spectacular hairpin bends, between centuries-old lavas, and the scents and aromas of Sicily. Recommended , Our guide Manuel was outstanding.

Punctual driver, comfortable and welcoming car but above all clean. Accompanied by pleasant weather we visited the wonders of Etna climbing with the cable car up to 2,500 meters. To complete the beautiful day a detailed explanation of all the landscapes visited and then visit the best places to try and buy local delicacies. Excellent lunch at Gambino with a tasting of wines of truly remarkable quality. I recommend everyone to try this tour.

Everything was perfect from start to finish, Manuel was very professional and nice, a person really passionate about his work, he transmitted to us what the Sicilian people feel about Etna and also informed us about its history. I recommend everyone to try it at least once!