" I want to thank both you and our amazing guide from the bottom of my hearth for the best expedition that we have undertaken on any of our journeys. " (Etna Summit Tour - Kasper Kuijper, NL)
Eruption at Etna
At the summit crater of Etna volcano
Itineraries on Etna
Eruption from the SE crater
Etna's lava flow late March 2017 (photo: Emanuela / VolcanoDiscovery Italia)
Watching a lava flow
Flowing lava
Hiking along the rim of Etna's Voragine Crater (photo: Emanuela / VolcanoDiscovery Italia)
NOTICE: at the moment, we do not offer this tour.
Enjoy Europe's most active volcano with one of our expert mountain guides!
Join us on a private or group tour to Etna's majestic summit reaching more than 3300 m a.s.l.
Stand on the roof of the Mediterranean and enjoy a breathtaking view around. To peer into the abysses of Europe's largest active volcano's craters is an experience of a lifetime.
In addition to our group tours and individual private day tours, we also offer special tailor made itineraries to suit your travel needs and satisfy your whishes, including accommodation of all categories and private transfers, all backed up with expert knowledge from local specialists and fully certified volcanological and alpine guides.
Depending on the chosen itinerary, these tours require moderate to excellent physical condition, adequate clothing and take between 5 and 7 hours total duration.
Note:
Access to the summit area and the craters may be restricted at any time due to the frequently changing eruptive conditions.
- Stand on top of Etna volcano - Europe's most active volcano
- Breathtaking scenery
- Great introduction to a live volcano!
- Private tours with expert guide
- Group tours to the summit
- Personalised tours to your own wishes.
Etna's summit craters from Etna South
Note:
ca. 5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900 m - visit summit area - hike back to base (Rifugio Sapienza 1900 m)
Fantastic guided day walk up to the summit craters
Etna's summit region & short mountain traverse
Note:
ca. 5-7 hrs total / Challenging
Day 1: Transfer by cable car+jeep to 2900 m (Etna S) - Visit of the Summit Craters- Descend to Etna's north side
South-to-north traverse climbing up to the top of the mountain with its 3330 meters
Group tours to the Summit Craters
Note:
5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900m- Ascent to the top - Return to the starting point
Come with us on a guided group tour to the top of Etna
Valle del Bove
Note:
5-7 hrs total / Challenging
Only suitable for people with no knee problems
Day 1: Descend into Valle del Bove, hike on 1991-93 lava flows
A great day-hike to one of Etna's most spectacular features: the Valle del Bove, a giant depression formed by repeated flank collapses of the volcano.
Schiena dell’Asino - Grotta dei Tre Livelli
Day 1: Schiena dell'Asino - Grotta dei 3 livelli
An exciting ridge walk along the southern crest of the Valle del Bove , with the visit of the longest and the most important lava tube on Mt. Etna.
Grotta del Gelo excursion:
Day 1: Excursion to Grotta del Gelo
Hike to the most beautiful of Etna's lava caves and the southernmost glacier in Europe.
Etna's summit craters from Etna North
Note:
ca. 5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900 m - visit summit area - hike back to base (Piano Provenzana 1810 m)
Meeting point at the small ski station of Piano Provenzana ( Etna Nord); transfer to the summit area by 4x4; hike to the summit craters and descent through a spectacular canyon all the way back to Piano Provenzana where the tour ends.
Eruption Tour
Note:
Currently there is NO ERUPTION.
Day 1: Eruption Tour
Experience the unforgettable - We will take you to admire the spectacular eruptions of the Europe's most active volcano
Arrival info:
Depending on the itinerary the meeting point will be at Rifugio Sapienza ( Etna South) or Piano Provenzana (Etna North). On request, we can include transfers (e.g. from Taormina or Catania) for you at additional cost.
Tour type: Short tours and excursions: active volcanoes
Difficulty: Custom (variable)
Group size: 1-20
Duration: 4-7 hours
Dates:
Custom and group dates
Price (per person): from 95 EUR p. p.
Included:
- Certified volcanological and alpine guide
- Group tour: 4x4 and cable car ticket
Etna's summit craters from Etna South |
Etna's summit region & short mountain traverse |
Group tours to the Summit Craters |
Valle del Bove |
Schiena dell’Asino - Grotta dei Tre Livelli |
Grotta del Gelo excursion: |
Etna's summit craters from Etna North |
Eruption Tour
Etna's summit craters from Etna South
Note:
ca. 5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900 m - visit summit area - hike back to base (Rifugio Sapienza 1900 m)
Start at La Sapienza mountain station (1900 m elevation), then take cable car and/or jeeps to bring you quickly to ca. 2900 m elevation. From there, climb to the spectacular and ever changing summit craters (about. 1-1.5 hrs climbing, 400 m difference). The exact route of ascent and which of the summit craters can be visited will depend on weather, fitness, volcanic activity etc.
Next visit the impressive newly formed craters of the eruption in 2002-2003, the new crater formed in the 2001 eruption and a fantastic viewpoint on the rim of the Valle del Bove.
Etna's summit region & short mountain traverse
Note:
ca. 5-7 hrs total / Challenging
Day 1: Transfer by cable car+jeep to 2900 m (Etna S) - Visit of the Summit Craters- Descend to Etna's north side
Rosario explaining the interior of Etna's Bocca Nuova Crater (photo: Emanuela Carone/VolcanoDiscovery Italia)
Starting at La Sapienza, the cable car + jeep brings you to 2900 m on Etna's South side. Climb the dramatic and ever changing summit craters from there (about 400 m climbing). After the visit of the summit region, cross to the spectacular Northern rim of the Valle del Leone (at Pizzi Deneri) and finally have great fun descending from the North or Northeast side while "skiing" down a great ash slope. A car brings you back to the point of departure on Etna South.
Group tours to the Summit Craters
Note:
5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900m- Ascent to the top - Return to the starting point
Treffpunkt im Rifugio Sapienza. Dort steigen wir mit der Seilbahn und dem Jeep auf 2900m und fahren weiter zu den Gipfelkratern (3330m).
Nach dem Besuch des Gipfels gehen wir zurück zur oberen Seilbahnstation (2500m)
bis zum Ausgangspunkt (Rifugio Sapienza 1900m).
Valle del Bove
Note:
5-7 hrs total / Challenging
Only suitable for people with no knee problems
Day 1: Descend into Valle del Bove, hike on 1991-93 lava flows
Descent into the Valle del Bove
Valle del Bove
We take the cable-car that bring us quickly to around 2500m altitude. From here, we descend into the
Valle del Bove, along an extremely steep (40+ degrees), but
soft sandy slope where we can run or slide down as if skiing (great fun!! and not dangerous), descending about 1000m altitude in less than about 30 minutes!
At the bottom of the giant depression, an almost
alien, rarely visited landscape awaits us,- surrounded by
magnificient volcanic dikes, steep walls of ancient lava rocks, we are on the vast field of lava from the 1991-1993 eruption. On an unmarked, but easy trail we cross a sector of the Valle del Bove until we reach one of its lowest points of the SW border, where we can easily climb out of the Valle in just about 30 mins. Within just another hour on an easy path downhill, through forest and passing by giant vertical basalt wall (used as training ground for advanced rock climbers), we arrive at one of the very few springs at Etna, and shortly after that at the road.
A jeep or a minibus will pick us up and bring us back to the point of departure.
Schiena dell’Asino - Grotta dei Tre Livelli
Day 1: Schiena dell'Asino - Grotta dei 3 livelli
View onto the Valle del Bove from Schiena dell'Asino. (Photo: Emanuela Carone)
After having arrived at the cable-car station (2500m), you hike along the huge ridge called "Back of the donkey", Schiena dell'Asino. This ridge has an exceptional view of the summit craters and the Valle del Bove, giant depression formed by repeated flank collapses of the volcano.
We round off the tour by visiting the Grotta dei Tre Livelli: It was the main channel of the 1792-93 eruption and with a depth of 304 m and a length of 1150m it is the deepest and longest lava tube on Mt. Etna. Reaching 40° the slope of this cave is very unusual for lava tubes. The name Grotta dei Tre Livelli (Three Levels Cave) is due to three different overlapping levels. The transfer between the levels requires a speleo ladder but the visit is possible without any knowledge of speleology. Participants must be able to crawl through some narrow and low passages. At the end a steep slope, which it could be tiring to ascend as the floor is loose scoria. These are the only difficulties of the cave exploration.
Inside the cave lives a small bat colony.
Requirements: To be in good physical shape and not suffer from vertigo and claustrophobia
Grotta del Gelo excursion:
Day 1: Excursion to Grotta del Gelo
Inside the Grotta del Gelo (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)
Early start in 4x4 vehicle to get to the trailhead near Monti Pizilli at ca. 2400 m elevation on the NE rift zone.
From there, it's a 3 hrs hike through bizarre lava fields with many beautiful structures, recent cinder cones and eruptive fissures until the Grotta del Gelo cave is reached in the late morning. Its location is one of the most remote of whole Etna!
We visit of the cave, using crampoons to get onto the ice inside which forms a small permanent glacier normally present all year.
After lunch break at the cave, we hike back (ca. 3 hrs) along a remote trail towards the NE rift zone at lower elevation and circle part of Etna's NE flank between 1900 - 1600 m elevation, gradually entering more and more into beautiful and dense pine, birch and chestnut forests. On the way, a second great lava cave can be visited, the "Grotta dei Lamponi", with huge lava channel structures.
Etna's summit craters from Etna North
Note:
ca. 5-6 hrs total / moderate
Day 1: Transfer to 2900 m - visit summit area - hike back to base (Piano Provenzana 1810 m)
Meeting point at the small ski station of Piano Provenzana ( Etna Nord); transfer to the summit area by 4x4; hike to the summit craters and descent through a spectacular canyon all the way back to Piano Provenzana where the tour ends.
Eruption Tour
Note:
Currently there is NO ERUPTION.
Day 1: Eruption Tour
Etna's lava flow in late March 2017
Special tours when and where an eruption takes place (such as during March-April 2017)
Etna's summit craters from Etna South |
Etna's summit region & short mountain traverse |
Group tours to the Summit Craters |
Valle del Bove |
Schiena dell’Asino - Grotta dei Tre Livelli |
Grotta del Gelo excursion: |
Etna's summit craters from Etna North |
Eruption Tour
Prices for tours at custom dates:
| Tour |
Price per person (€)
at group size of: |
SRS (*) |
| PAX |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
|
| Excursion with private guide to Summit Craters or Valle del Bove |
400 € |
200 € |
140 € |
110 € |
100 € |
90 € |
inquire |
| Excursion with private guide to Schiena dell'Asino + Grotta 3 Livelli |
400 € |
200 € |
140 € |
110 € |
90 € |
80 € |
inquire |
| Excursion with private guide to Grotta del Gelo or Traverse |
450 € |
225 € |
150 € |
120 € |
100 € |
90 € |
inquire |
| Group Summit Tour (8-20 people) every day (April-October) |
95 € |
95 € |
95 € |
95 € |
95 € |
95 € |
inquire |
|
(*) Single room supplement |
Prices for larger group sizes on request.
Included:
- Certified volcanological and alpine guide
- Group tour: 4x4 and cable car ticket
Not included:
- Arrival to departure point
- Depending on the itinerary, 4x4 and/or cable car transfers (approx. 30-45 EUR p.p.)
- Personal equipment
Add-ons:
| Private transfers from and to your accommodation |
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| Accommodation |
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Additional info:
Physical requirements:
At least some experience with hiking on unpaved trails necessary.
Climbing up and down 300 m (ca. 1000 ft) at ca. 3000 m altitude.
Walking up and down on steep, loose sandy surfaces.
No fear of heights.
No breathing or serious respiratory problems.
Arrival info:
Depending on the itinerary the meeting point will be at Rifugio Sapienza ( Etna South) or Piano Provenzana (Etna North). On request, we can include transfers (e.g. from Taormina or Catania) for you at additional cost.
Exciting and educational experience
Valle del Bove
Dear Emanuela (and Marco)
We all think that you where both fantastic yesterday and we are all very
great full for this exciting and educational experience you gave us
yesterday.
Personally I owe you both a big thank you for looking after Maria and
Rae when it went a bit downhill, Rae a lot, and Maria definitely learned
that she can enjoy things when they become a bit risky.
Marco, I think that you have helped Alex to reconfirm that Geography and
ultimately the volcano element will be a big part of his education over
the next 3 to 4 years.
Thank you so much for a great day and experience that we will all
treasure for many years.
Best regards
Steen
Hi Emanuela-
Thanks for the pictures and thanks again for hosting us in Etna- Etna turned out to be the highlight of our Italian trip Please pass our thanks on to Marco as well
Julie
(Valle del Bove)
Hi Emanuela,
Just wanted to say that Reinhard and I loved our Etna Tour and Marco was a great guide.
He really took good care of us and made it very special.
I want to thank you as well for always answering my questions in a very professional manner.
Thanks to your team for helping us make our dream come true.
Best wishes
Lori and Reinhard
something really special that we will never forget
Starting the hike to Etna´s summit area (photo - Petra)
Looking across some of Etna´s actively degassing summit craters (photo - Petra)
"Dear Emanuela
Already returned to cold Switzerland I would like to thank you for the great excursion we had last Sunday on our tour with our guide Marco Ponte. It was just a perfect day (weather and guide). We know very well hiking in the Alps but the Etna is something really special that we will never forget. Marco explained everything perfectly and was very passionate and knowledgeable about all things volcanoes!
Attached you will find two pictures of our tour.
Mille grazie e salute de
Petra
(Petra S. from Switzerland about her private Etna day hike in October 2016)
The best expedition that we have undertaken on any of our journey
Dear Emanuela,
We have arrived home again this weekend after an amazing vacation in Sicily...
... I want to thank both you and our amazing guide from the bottom of my hearth for the best expedition that we have undertaken on any of our journeys. We already knew from earlier experience that Etna is breathtaking no matter when or how you visit it, but fridays trip has amazed us beyond what we expected, and touched me personally aswell. The time we spend at the summit of the NE crater, listening to the churning of the lava lake was a moment I wont ever forget, and has made Etna leave a permanent impression on me. It was also a joy having the both of you along, with both being able to meet you in person after all the contact we had, and also because the knowledge and experience that both of you shared about the volcano added a lot of depth to the experience...
Since we visited Etna twice in the last few years we will probably try to visit some different volcanoes in the coming vacations, but I know, I will return.
Again many thanks, and kind regards,
Kasper Kuijper
also on behalf of,
Vincent van der Hulst
Daan van der Hulst
Fritsjan Bakker
"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)
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"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)
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One word that describes Etna is 'awesome'and one word that describes Rosario's skills as a guide 'outstanding' ! (Etna tour - Kamal M., UK)
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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)
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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/
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"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)
"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)
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"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)"
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"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)
