"Hey, Tom! Thanks again for a really terrific trip. I think I can easily say that it was the most memorable trip of my life! If you ever need anyone else to give a recommendation, feel free to call on me." (Steve L., Chicago)
Observing volcanic activity from Stromboli´s summit
Descending along Etna´s steep ash slopes into the Valle del Bove
From Stromboli to Etna
9-day walking & study tour to Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano and Etna with our expert volcanologist
Tour type
Walking & study tour: active volcanoes - geology & volcanism - nature & culture
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate
Duration
9 days / 8 nights
3-11 May 2025
4-12 Oct 2025
A classic among our volcano adventures, this tour takes you to some of the most active and interesting volcanoes in the world: Etna, the giant ever-changing volcano that dominates Sicily; Vulcano, in the Ancients'belief home to Vulcanus, God of Fire; Lipari with its spectacular obsidian and pumice deposits; and Stromboli, "Lighthouse of the Tyrrhenian Sea", the permanently active volcano that gave its name to the Strombolian type of volcanic eruptions
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- Active volcanoes Etna and Stromboli
- Travel in a small international group
- Good balance between physical effort and relaxation
- Expert volcanologist tour guide
- Delicious south-Italian food and wine
- Nice beaches and great accommodation
- Varying scenery and beautiful landscapes
Itinerary 9 days
Day 1: Arrival in Catania, Sicily
Arrival at and pick-up from Catania airport, transfer to a hotel in the old city center
Day 2: Transfer to Vulcano island and La Fossa crater
Boat transfer to Vulcano island to visit the warm fumaroles on the beach, climb the volcano´s active La Fossa crater and optional swimming in the volcanic mud pools.
Day 3: Transfer to Stromboli and hike to Sciara del Fuoco
Morning transfer by boat from Vulcano to Stromboli, evening hike to the Sciara del Fuoco viewpoint
Day 4: Stromboli volcano: volcano watching
Free morning before we set off on a late afternoon climb as high as allowed to the best viewpoint to watch the mesmerizing eruptions at night.
Day 5: Boat trip around Stromboli island
Morning boat trip around the island and visit of the village Ginostra and lunch. Afternoon and evening free to relax and/or undertake an additional climb to the summit craters, hike to the Sciara del Fuoco,...
Day 6: Lipari island - history, obsidian flow and pumice deposits
Transfer to Lipari island and visit of the castle and archaeological museum followed by a hike to the obsidian and pumice deposits and afternoon transfer to Etna
Day 7: Excursion to Etna's summit craters
Full day excursion on the summit region of Mt Etna to observe its smoking craters, volcanic phenomena and moonlike landscapes (weather and volcanic activity permitting)
Day 8: Etna excursion to the Valle del Bove
Second full day excursion on Mt Etna which focuses on a spectacular hike into the giant Valle del Bove depression on the volcano´s SE flank.
Day 9: Tranfer to Catania - end of tour
Transfer from Etna to Catania and end of tour with drop off at the airport or own extension program
Note:
Due to weather conditions and volcanic activity, the exact itinerary might vary slightly.
Arrival info:
The tour starts and ends in Catania, Sicily´s second largest city, which is easily reached by plane or train from Rome or other large Italian cities.
Rome has 2 airports, but all significant connections are through the main one, definitively to be preferred, Fiumicino (FCO), the other one (Ciampino) is only used for some low-cost carriers offering flights from typically secondary European destinations I believe. There's a bus or train connecting the two and the city center, but don't worry about Ciampino, just use Fiumicino airport that has all connections.
If you prefer to take a train from Rome to Catania:
It's a 30 min train from Fiumicino to the main train station (Roma Termini), from where you can take direct trains to all significant Italian cities, including the night trains to Catania. The trains go every 20 minutes or so, so by the time you get your luggage, you have to walk 5-15 mins following the indications to the airport train station and then wait max 20 minutes for the next train to leave from there. In other words, to be on the safe side: allow 1 hour to get luggage and out of the internal airport area, and 1 hour or so to reach the central train station. To be safe, add 30 minutes and possible flight delay times.
You should count a total of 2-2.5 hours from landing time to a train departure at least. Add more if you want to account for flight delays.
You can check (and book) from www.trenitalia.com directly (including a connecting train from the airport Fiumicino); we recommend choosing the higher category of an own sleeping compartment.
Travel arrangements to and from Catania are not included in the tour package in order to give everybody maximum flexibility to plan his/her trip. Please let us know if you like any assistance with your international travel to Italy and/or Catania - we will be happy to help.
Tour guide
Since we started organizing this tour in 2002 it has been guided mainly by volcanologist Dr. Tom Pfeiffer or astronomer Dr. Marco Fulle, and occasionally by geologist Yashmin Chebli from the VolcanoDiscovery team, who many will know from our volcano expeditions in Vanuatu and on Hawaii.
These long-term friends are volcano photographers who frequently traveled to Etna, Stromboli and many other volcanoes when they erupted over the past two decades. They both know Etna and the Eolian Islands very well - including the best local restaurants and nicest hikes!
Physical requirements
Good general physical condition and hiking experience on loose ground are required, participants should have no difficulties to hike 5-10 km or climb up to about 1000 m in a single day. The time spent on individual excursions ranges from about 1 to 7 hours, but may become (much) longer in case of unexpected volcanic activity that is worth the effort of an extra hike and/or extended observation of the eruption in the field.
Day 1
Arrival in Catania, Sicily
Sunrise over the bay of Catania seen from the snow covered slopes of Mt Etna
Narrow streets in the old center of the town
View of Mt Etna and a small ash cloud from Catania
Upon your arrival, you are picked up from the airport and transferred by taxi or private minibus to our first night's accommodation in the old center of Catania, one of Sicily's famous cities and Italy's most beautiful towns. Depending on your arrival time, you can use the afternoon to stroll through the historic center of the town and explore ancient Greek and Roman ruins, medieval castles, baroque palaces, churches, museums, lively markets, nearby beaches... In the evening the group meets up for an evening walk through the narrow cobbled streets and a welcome drink at a local bar followed by a first delicious Sicilian dinner.
Day 2
Transfer to Vulcano island and La Fossa crater
View across Vulcano´s active "La Fossa" crater
Volcanic "spa" (warm mud pools) on Vulcano Island
Sulphur deposits on the rim of "La Fossa"
We drive with a private minibus to the port of Milazzo and get on board of a hydrofoil that takes us to the volcanic island of Vulcano. Our accommodation here is a comfortable hotel directly on a volcanic fine black sand beach. The afternoon is free to relax and discover at your own pace: you can enjoy the beach, shop for souvenirs in the village, and explore the warm, bubbling volcanic mud pools and sulfurous steam vents just a few 100 m away from the beach. For a magnificent sunset and view over the Eolian archipelago, we set out to climb the active crater (300m high, ca. 1h hike) "La Fossa del Vulcano" ("The Mouth of the Volcano"), which last erupted in 1888. After nightfall, we return to the hotel where we enjoy a delicious dinner with Eolian specialties on the terrace right above the waves.
Day 3
Transfer to Stromboli and hike to Sciara del Fuoco
Stromboli volcano seen while approaching the island from the sea
Watching the sun set over the Eolian islands from the Sciara del Fuoco viewpoint
Activitiy at the summit craters and trails of glowing bombs rolling down the Sciara del Fuoco
In the morning we travel by speed boat to Stromboli where small 3-wheeled motor vehicles bring us to a comfortable hotel on the beach. The rest of the morning and midday are free for you to relax, swim in the sea or explore the unique ambiance of Stromboli.
In the afternoon we hike to a beautiful viewpoint on the Sciara del Fuoco from where we have a good view towards the active craters and large ash slope along which glowing blocks can roll down into the sea. We conclude the day with a dinner nearby at a uniquely located pizzeria from where the eruptions are still visible.
Day 4
Stromboli volcano: volcano watching
Your hotel on Stromboli is build atop steep lava cliffs and has a small private beach
Hiking up to the summit of the volcano
High activity with simultaneous explosions from different summit craters
After breakfast you have the morning and midday free to swim, relax or stroll around in the picturesque village of Stromboli.
In the late afternoon, equipped with sandwiches for the evening, we set out to climb as high as allowed to reach the best viewpoint to watch the fireworks of the volcano.
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Note:
In the (unlikely) case access to Stromboli's summit is again allowed, we will climb the volcano's summit with one of the local mountain guides in a private group.
Day 5
Boat trip around Stromboli island
Strombolicchio, the volcanic neck from Stromboli´s predecessor
Stromboli´s large collapse scar below the active crater terrase, the Sciara del Fuoco
Lunch on the Eolian islands can be a real feast!
After breakfast we embark on a scenic boat tour around the island (ca. 3 hours). We first take a closer look at Strombolicchio, the tiny islet of vertical rock cliffs that is all that remains of the volcano that was the predecessor of Stromboli. We then visit the secluded village of Ginostra on the opposite side of the island before continuing our around-the-clock round trip and sailing right in front of the Sciara del Fuoco.
After a light lunch in the village of Stromboli you have the rest of the day free. Besides swimming, relaxing and enjoying the village atmosphere your options include a second climb to the summit craters, a hike to the viewpoint at the Sciara del Fuoco, ...
Day 6
Lipari island - history, obsidian flow and pumice deposits
The colorful old town of Lipari
Obsidian with spherolites from Lipari´s historic lava flow
View onto pumice cliffs and old quarry
After breakfast we take a speed boat to Lipari Island, where we have an extended stop over on our way back to Sicily in order to visit the historic castle with its archaeological museum and hike to the world-famous obsidian and pumice deposits. In the afternoon we continue our journey by boat to Milazzo from where a private minibus brings us directly to Mount Etna. The next 3 nights we will be lodging in a comfortable hotel high up the volcano´s slopes at ca 1900 m a.s.l. with great mountain views of Catania.
Day 7
Excursion to Etna's summit craters
At the crater of Bocca Nuova (one of Etna's summit craters)
October 2013 view onto Etna´s summit area with different craters and an only 3 day old lava flow coming down in between
Descend through a volcanic moonscape of ash, scoria and cinder cones back to the hotel
After a copious breakfast from the buffet we gather at the reception for a long day of hiking. We start our ascend with the cable car and then take special jeeps to quickly reach about 2700 m elevation before we continue on foot. Weather conditions and volcanic activity permitting, we can climb one or several of the summit craters of Etna, explore there fumaroles and sulphur fields and stare down into the smoking vents. From the summit craters we make our way back to the hotel on food, descending along a variety of unique landscapes and vegetation as well as interesting volcanic features, for example the cinder cones that formed in single eruptions in 2001 and 2002-2003 and old lava flow channels. Back at the hotel we restore our energies with a delicious 3-course dinner and local red wine.
Day 8
Etna excursion to the Valle del Bove
View down into the Valle del Bove from Etna´s summit area
Descend into the Valle del Bove along a steep ash slope (this is great fun!)
Sunset view across Etna´s lower slopes with cinder cones and the Bay of Catania in the background
This day could be exchanged with the previous day and is again fully dedicated to Etna's upper region and sites of possible volcanic activity (if accessible). Normally this day will be used to discover one of Etna's most spectacular features: the Valle del Bove, a giant depression formed by repeated flank collapses of the volcano. From ca. 2500m altitude we descend into the Valle del Bove, along an extremely steep but soft sandy slope where we can run or slide down as if skiing (great fun and not dangerous!) in order to descend about 1000 m in less than 15 minutes. At the bottom of the giant depression an almost alien and rarely visited landscape awaits us... Surrounded by magnificent volcanic dikes and steep walls of ancient lava rocks, we are on the vast lava fields from the 1991-1993 eruption. Along an unmarked but easy trail we cross the Valle del Bove until we reach one of its lowest points of the SW border where we can easily climb out. From there we take a path downhill through forests, along a giant vertical basalt wall and to one of the very few springs at Etna before arriving at the road from where we are transferred back to the hotel. This evening there we will drive down to the lively village of Nicolosi for an aperitif in a local bar on the lively piazza before having our well-deserved Sicilian dinner in a busy garden restaurant.
Day 9
Tranfer to Catania - end of tour
There are small markets and stalls all over the city of Catania
Etna´s eruption and lava flow seen from Catania mid June 2014
The tour ends today with a transfer to Catania airport according to your departure time. If you have some time it is definitely worth to explore the lively city of Catania itself as it offers more than enough to visit: the famous local market (especially the fish-market is spectacular!), numerous Ancient relics, baroque architecture, or simply enjoy its buzzing charm from one of the plenty street cafes.
If you have more days to spend, we recommend you extend your stay in Sicily or on the islands as options of things to do and see are nearly unlimited!
Note:
Due to weather conditions and volcanic activity, the exact itinerary might vary slightly.
"Again, a great trip that gave me an intense and rich experience" (Stromboli to Etna tour)
"Dear Irina,
I came back very happy from the trip: I found it great value.
It was very well organized: all ran like clockwork. The quality of the accommodations was above my expectations and food was good too.
At nearly 77 the trip was at times a bit tougher than I expected. I had imagined thew trail to be well defined which was often not the case. Yasmin was considerate helping me and one or two others to deal with tougher sections.
As a guide he is a kind man, who wisely treats the group as adults. His enthusiasm for volcanism is infectious.
...
Again, a great trip that gave me an intense and rich experience in a relatively short time!
I hope this is helpful,
Frederik " (F. B., Netherlands about the Stromboli to Etna tour)
"It was a wonderful experience"
Dear Tom,
I have not written you before because I came back home last Sunday.
IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPRECIENCE. Yashmin is am absolute incredible person, so helpful and patient and overall full of knowledge.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE GIVEN US."
(Guillermo R., from Mexico about the Stromboli to Etna tour)
"it was great to have a guide who was so knowledgeable and competent"
"Dear Tom,
Just a quick note to say how much Gwyneth and I enjoyed our first tour with you: I don't think it will be our last! A very impressive 'product'.
Yashmin was very solicitous of my mobility problems and I managed to achieve more than I thought. Everything was organised very smoothly and it was great to have a guide who was so knowledgeable and competent.
Many thanks,"
- Dave E. (UK) about their From Stromboli to Etna in May 2018
"It surpassed everything we were expecting" (Stromboli to Etna tour)
"Lieber Tom!
David and I apologize profusely for the delay in sending this thank you note for an amazing and memorable trip last month.
It surpassed everything we were expecting, and much of that was due to you — not just your superb knowledge of the subject matter, but your patience, generosity, and your ability to manage a very diverse group of people so effortlessly.
It was, without a doubt, one of the best adventure trips we have ever taken, and that is saying A LOT. ...
Thank you so very much, Tom, and we hope we will have a chance to take another trip with you soon. Just let us know the destinations, and we'll do our best to join! (The only place David is not keen on going to is Ethiopia, as it is too close to Somalia and Ethiopians don't make red wine or cannolis!)
Ingrid — our deepest thanks to you as well for your assistance and help in organizing the trip. Everything was perfect!!! Hope we get a chance to meet you as well.
...
Take care and speak to you soon! Please give Barbara in Stromboli our best regards, too, would you? Thank you!
Warmest regards,
Alisha and David"
(Alisha + David (USA) about the Stromboli to Etna tour in Oct 2016)
"This trip was the most awesome thing we've ever done!" (Stromboli to Etna)
"Hi Tom!
We hope you got back ok. How was that trip up on the last day? Any good views? I was just dying to stay one more day and go back up the mountain again, but it would have been too hard to change the planes at the last minute. We were watching the mountain while waiting for the bus and actually saw a couple of big red explosions. Mount Etna is in today's news here - they are showing videos of it erupting again! We're so lucky to have seen it!
Just wanted to say thank you again for everything - that we are so happy to have met you. This trip was the most awesome thing we've ever done! Saw things that only a relatively few people have ever been able to see, and we'll always remember it (and you, and Bea and Reto).
We'll, have to unpack now and get back to the old routine again. Talk to you soon,
Love,
Carolynn and Ronnie
...
Hi Tom,
Thanks again! Certainly you can use the comments however you like. I've been telling everyone here about the trip - still can't stop talking about it, LOL!
Carol"
(Carol & Ronnie, Massachusetts, about the Stromboli to Etna tour)
Tom on Stromboli
"Hi Tom,
Many thanks again for a very memorable trip that has whetted our appetite. Here's your picture on Stromboli. Apologies that it took me so long to get around to sending it.
Best wishes,
Robert and Aneta."
(from the Netherlands, Stromboli to Etna trip in May 2013)
...something I have wanted to do for 45 years and finally got the chance...
"Hi Tom,
I have returned to Australia after 30 odd hours on the plane trail. I had to be back at work in 6 hours so I have only just had time to reflect and look at photos. Attached are 3 from Stromboli after our first ascent, the pictures from our second were interesting but less spectacular.
I give my best thanks to you and your team, Marco in particular for making it such a worthwhile and exciting time. It is something I have wanted to do for 45 years and finally got the chance.
Best regards,
Alan" (Stromboli to Etna trip)
"Rain or shine what an absolutely fantastic time!" Stromboli to Etna tour
"Hello Tom,
Your company name is so perfect! I was awed by the sights, information and experiences of our recent trip - layers and layers of discoveries about volcanoes (for certain) but so much more ... the different regions, the cuisine, the wonderful people.
My senses were definitely on high alert. Rain or shine what an absolutely fantastic time! I look forward to more Volcano Discoveries in the future. Have a "supa" trip to Ethiopia.
Warm regards, Eileen" (San Francisco)
"Hello Tom, Ines, Nicola, James, Steve
Time passes by very quickly...
but i managed to sort out the highlights of my 650 photos of our trip
in Sicily and the Eolian Islands.
Here it is:
http://picasaweb.google.ch/daniel.reutlinger/VolcanoDiscoverySicilyEolianIslands#
It was really a pleasure to travel around with you and watching all
those photos reminds me of those great days.
Hope to see you some day on a Volcano or in Switzerland or somewhere
else on this beautiful planet...
Daniel" (
Stromboli to Etna tour Oct 08)
Inès on Vulcano's crater
"Kære Tom
Tak for en skøn uge i det eoliske øhav og på Etna. Dejlige vandreture med
gode guider, smukke omgivelser og godt selskab, det var lige det jeg ønskede
mig. Vulcano, Stromboli og Etna er de første vulkaner, jeg har oplevet, og
det var helt fantastisk. Etna var virkelig storslået. De øde lavalandskaber
og alle de fine sten bjergtog mig helt og aldeles. På Stromboli var det fascinerende at se ned i krateret og se de små luende flammer og fontænerne
af ild, der skød op. Men de små fulmaroler på Vulcano med deres svovldampe betød noget helt særligt, fordi det er den første vulkanske aktivitet jeg nogensinde har set. Dette er steder, jeg gerne vender tilbage til.
Inès,
Stromboli to Etna, Oktober 2008" (Ines K., Denmark)
"Just to say what a great trip to Etna and thanks to Rosario for showing me such wonderful sights. It was fantastic!" (T. Salt, UK) (
Etna Private Tours)
"Etna, 15th August 2008 Thank you, it was a great experience, and we looked differenly at all the Volcanos in the Eoliennes, specially Etna. Roberto is great guide, as he could share his passion and knowledge with us,and give so much explainations." (Patrick de la Chesnais, UK). See Patrick's photos from this excursion on this page.
"Hello Tom,
We're now back from another great week on Etna.
We very much enjoyed our day out with Marco on 5th June (Rosario had to lead a group that day) which Steve Banfield joined us for. We visited the 'Bottoniera'to do some filming/photos for a few hours, returning down the usual pleasant descent route around Mte. Montagnola.
We undertook numerous other walks on Etna during the week – some of which we had not done before - including a return to the current eruption site at the 'Bottoniera', when the activity had changed to more random and sporadic explosions from the upper vent, some of which were quite violent, although activity from the lower vent remained relatively predictable. We got some good night-time video footage of the active vents and lava flows from the Schiena dell'Asina on one of our evening excursions. On our last day, we got excellent views (and, luckily, some more good video footage – for once the Valle del Bove was mainly clear of clouds!) of the advancing active lava front between Mte. Simone & Mte. Centenari from the ridge above the Serra del Concazze; the eruption was clearly continuing in similar style to the previous days, although there were far less ash emissions as the upper vent was exhibiting more Strombolian-type activity." (Niki, UK, custom Etna tour)
"Hi Tom, Just a quick note to fill you in on what we did after leaving you on Etna...we think we used our time wisely, we saw lots, and we had a very good time. Thanks for all the good advice, it was very useful to us.
We had such a good time on our expedition with you! It was more strenuous than I expected, but also more rewarding and more fun! I could hardly wait to get back to show pictures to my friends and brag on our exploits! One other unexpected plus--despite the mass quantities of delicious food, I actually lost a couple of pounds--my trainer at the gym was impressed! Thanks for being such a thoughtful, knowledgeable and food-oriented guide.
We loved our trip!Regards, Linda K." (Linda K, Washington,
Stromboli to Etna trip April 08)
"Hi Tom and Tobias, I just wanted to tell you what a nice job that Marco did on our volcano tour last month. I had originally asked for Marta because I thought she would be great with the grandchildren. Marco did a fabulous job with both children-the eight year old grandson especially enjoyed Marco. They were great friends by the end. ...
Thanks again for a great volcano tour, Terry" (Terry D., Coloroado,
Stromboli to Etna trip May 08)
One word that describes Etna is 'awesome'and one word that describes Rosario's skills as a guide 'outstanding' ! (Etna tour - Kamal M., UK)
Hi all, Sorry about the late reply, just getting back in the swing of things at work. We climbed Etna as planned, although you do not appreciate the grand size of it until you are there. Etna being over 3 times higher than any mountain in Ireland. We met our guide at the top of the road near the excursion centre by the cable car. After he had sorted us out with gear we headed off up the cable car and trekking across the snow. i must admit that i had never trekked in snow before nor had any of my team. (We hardly get any snow in Ireland only rain). After hiking for about 4-5 hours and lots of breaks we got to the cabin at the top with in about 30 - 45 mins from the main cones.
It is hard to describe the mountain. it was total covered with snow and was a small bit cold but once you keep moving you don't really feel it, a clear blue sky since we were above the clouds and total quite not a person for miles. Peaceful a bit different than my job.
After the guide digging out the snow from the cabin door we ventured in to get some much needed food and hot drinks which we had carried up the mountain. after resting at the cabin it was decided to head back down, as one of the teams old back injury had came back to haunt him. On the way down we looked at some lateral craters and vents. We later headed back down the cable car and to the excursion centre.
This trip was well worth going and i would recommend it to any one traveling to scissile to attempt this trip. Who knows I may come back and attempt it again myself one day, when I am a bit fitter I think.
A special thanks to the guide for staying with us and showing us the beauty of the mountain. I am sure he could have climbed the mountain in the half the time it he wanted to. (lol). And to all the staff of Volcano Discovery for making this trip one of the best trips i have been on.
Yours sincerely
Christopher Corbett, Igor Kendrinkski, Paul Doolan, Marco (Ireland)
Tom,
I am writing to you to
thank you for a wonderful tour.
Both yourself and Rosario provided a fantastic service from the moment we enquired to the moment we arrived back at Rifugio Sapienza. Rosario was a great guide and he helped us to get much more out of our trip to Mt Etna than we could have hoped for and truly made it a trip to remember.
Should you ever need a reference, I would be more than happy to oblige. As soon as I can, I will be putting some photos on our website of Rosario and our trip. Should you want a copy of any of them, just let me know. I will let you know when I have published them. It will probably be at least a week though.
Many thanks once again, Daniel & Julie
http://www.danielandjulie.co.uk/ "Tom, Had a great tour, Etna was more than impressive, just fantastic - like a moonscape up there. ..." (J Perston, UK)
".. Just got back from Sicily. I had a very enjoyable time even though Etna has been shy and did not want to put on a performance. On the Monday I went round to the North side visiting the Grotta del ghiaccio, first time wearing crampons. The second day was spent in the Valle del Bove. The third day spent at the summit craters. The fourth day I joined Marta visiting the Alcantara Gorge, Taormina and spending the evening and next day in Catania.
As usual, Marta maintained the professional standards I have come to expect from the "Volcano Discovery" team, and I expect the three other clients felt the same way." (S. Banfield, UK)
"Hello Volcano Discovery and especially Marta, I just wanted to let you know how much we all enjoyed our tour with Volcano Discovery... For me personally the whole trip was fabulous from the hikes to the boat trips on the Mediterranean. There is not a single thing I would change for myself. Marta-You did a nice job, the ladies all loved you. .. Terry" (Colorado, USA)
"This is a note to say that we enjoyed the climb and you made it
successful, interesting and informative. Thank you very much for being an excellent guide. I attach two of our photos, one taken at the crater rim - and one of you! ... Thanks again Rosario!" (T Ecott, Etna private tour, May 07)
"Just a quick email to say what an amazing time I had hiking up Mount Etna last Thursday. It was an
amazing experience I shall never forget, much thanks to our guide who was
informative, safety conscious and extremely patient! Regards, Francoise J." (Etna private tour, May 07)
"... I just wanted to thank you for another nice trip. I'm sure it won't be the last. ... You seem to choose your people well...Marta was quite knowledgeable and very enjoyable to be with..." (Stephen, USA)
"Having been back from Italy for a week, just a few lines to say what a great holiday it has been. I thought that Marta did a brilliant job as tour manager, up to volcano discovery's usual high standards, if like the rest of the group, it had of been my first time travelling with the company i would have been very impressed..." (Steve, UK)
"Dear Marco,
We want to thank to you for your very kind guide in Italy... Hiromi asks me for saying thanks to you and Tom. She is also impressed by the beauty of the eruptions and volcanoes and is
very satisfied for your guide... Kind regards, Seiji" (Japan;
Stromboli tour Sep 2006)
"Buenos Dias Marco, It is really great hearing from you. How was your last tour? Not as good as us, right?! I really wanted to thank you for being such a wonderful guide. I
had a wonderful time. Believe it or not, I really want to go back already. Someday, maybe I will move to Italy, who knows. For now, I am preparing to move to New York. I will continue to practice my Italian and perhaps I will see you again at another volcano. All the best, Sedelia" (NY,
Etna-Stromboli tour May 2006)
"Hi Tom - Hope you are well.
Thanks again for a great trip - really enjoyed it - particularly the second climb to the craters. Had a good time - helped by the weather and a good group. - Well organised! ... Andy" (
Etna-Stromboli tour Oct 2006)
"Tom, I just wanted to say thanks for arranging such a great trip.
It was everything I hoped for and more. Marco was great, as was Rosario, and stromboli was absolutely stunning. I also wanted to confirm you were ok...we were all quite concerned considering you were right in the center of all the trouble over there. Please let me know if everything worked out. I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship, and fully intend to use your services again in the future. With warm reguards, Stephen Hunt" (
Etna-Stromboli tour May 2006)
"Tom... really enjoyed the day. Because of the amount of snow, we had to walk from the top of the cable car, and that made it a very long day but all the more memorable.
The visibility from the top was very good, and we could clearly see the Aeolian islands, although it was very hard to see into the crater because of the clouds of gas. We had some walking equipment, but the snow shoes Rosario brought were very useful, if a little difficult to get used to.
Rosario was great, with a very good knowledge of the mountain, volcanos, and good English (even if he didn't think so). We would certainly recommend yourselves and/or Rosario to anyone else visiting Sicily who wanted to go on Etna (or any other volcanos). Mark & Sarah (Scotland)"
"Salut Tom!
Nous sommes bien rentrés en France ce soir, la tête pleine de merveilleux souvenirs... Ce voyage restera inoubliable pour moi, et je garde plein d'images fabuleuses de tous ces moments magiques que nous avons vécus... Merci pour toute ta gentillesse et ta générosité, je suis vraiment heureuse de t'avoir rencontré!
A bientôt! Alix"
"Un petit aperçu photographique pour encore une fois te remercier pour ce fabuleux séjour. Je t'envoie le tout sur CD ou DVD le plus vite possible. A+ Marion et Eric"
"Having visited Etna independently on 2 previous occasions, I wanted to join a small group so that I could hike to the main craters. I found the trip with Tom in July 2004 well organised and informative. Tom and the Etna guide that was with us for our 3 day trip took us to parts of Etna that no other tourist would probably know of or could visit safely. The hiking was long and fun. The visit to the main craters was fantastic and allowed us to see Etna in all its glory.
I will definately be joining Tom again later this year to visit Java and woud recommend Volcano Discovery to anyone with an interest in hiking volcanoes." (Andrew Jackson, UK)
