Mount Etna, Catania: Address, Mount Etna Reviews: 4.5/5
Mount Etna
Mount Etna
4.5
About
Sicily's greatest natural attraction is also its highest mountain: Mount Etna, at 10,990 feet, is the most active volcano in Europe and the oldest recorded active volcano in the world.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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The area
Best nearby
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4.5
12,012 reviews
Excellent
8,604
Very good
2,509
Average
619
Poor
180
Terrible
100
364tilley
Newmarket, UK405 contributions
Well it was discharging.
Oct 2021
Arrived by coach at a fairly tacky arrival centre .We went no further as the only way to get nearer was another coach as the ski type lift was out of order and we had no appetite ,or time, for a 4x4 bike. Ho hum reallt go to Yellowstone or NZ for real drama.
Written 11 November 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Marie W
Freehold, NJ1 contribution
Beautiful Mt Etna experience marred by cricked ticket agents
Oct 2021 • Couples
We enjoyed the cable car ride With a 4x4 ride then a mini included tour around where bus brings you by a wonderful guide It was an amazing experience !!!However everyone please be aware the ticket sellers will cheat you !! I paid for 2 round trip tickets which I was told was $134 euros (There isn’t any pricing signage and I saw different prices on internet so not even sure if that is correct ) I gave the young guy $200 he gives me some coins and 3 $10 bills and he walks away quickly !!! I was a little confused at first and it was crowded and I almost just threw my change in my purse as to not hold up line but realized he short changed me by a lot I’m trying to call for him and the girl nxt to him says what’s wrong I said he short changed me She smirks and says he’s going to get you change Hmmm really he has a draw full of money He comes back (Without change ) asks what’s wrong I tell him and show him what he gave me he doesn’t even make excuses takes my $30 back and takes a $50 and $10 out of draw and says ok It was bluntly obvious we all know exactly what he tried to do… After our tour I then realized he also cheated me out of coins he gave 3 $ 1 euro pieces instead of 3 $2 euro pieces I’m not letting this slide I go back drop the 3 pieces down and say you needed to give me 6 euros not 3 doesn’t question takes coins hands me $5 bill and $1 coin I say I’m positive now you scammed me it wasn’t an accident the girl nxt to him smirks and says let it go it’s good now…. I want a manager they laugh and There is no manager( after I try to explain what a manager is ) Just then another customer comes to say guy cashier and starts yelling at him she paid for 22 tickets for a group and he only gave her 21 answer sorry it was a little mistake !yeah right So my advice is count money very carefully make sure you have the right number of tickets and that they are return tickets . If 2 people were cheated by same guy in a few hours (and they are all glib about it ) I’m pretty sure this is some racket going on
Written 10 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
DAN
Massapequa Park, NY12 contributions
day trip from Taormina
Sep 2021
Traveled to il Rifugio della Sapienza with Corrado Tancredi as a guide. Learned so much because of his knowledge and ability to share in English. This is a must-see because of the volcano's importance and impact to this part of the world.
Written 19 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
travelclimbexplore
Portland, OR8 contributions
guided volcano excursion was worth it for me
Sep 2021
I did the guided volcano excursion on Sept 12, 2021. I had originally been hoping to go to the summit of Mt Etna, or at least the summit crater region, but when I got to the Rifugio I learned that this was not possible -- no one has been allowed to up to the summit area since February, due the heightened volcanic activity. I decided to go on the excursion anyway, and was glad that I did.
Cost for the excursion was 75 euros (after driving a rental car to Rifugio Sapienza and paying 6 euros for all-day parking). I didn't pre-book the trip, since my schedule was a bit flexible and I wanted to wait until there was a day with good weather. After parking (at around 9am) I first went to the Guide Alpine Etna Sud hut and bought the first part of the excursion ticket for 30 euros. They told me to go up to the cable car station and buy a cable car ticket by first showing the excursion ticket at the cable car ticket window. Then instead of getting on the cable car right away, I had to bring the cable car ticket back to the hut to wait for the guide and the rest of the group. The cable car station was only 2 minutes up hill, but it took about 10 minutes of waiting in line to get the ticket. This second ticket cost 45 euros (which I think was discounted for being part of the excursion). Back at the hut I was given a helmet to take with me (required to be worn on the upper portion of the hike) and picked out a pair of loaner hiking poles (there were also hiking boots, socks, and jackets available to borrow, which I would have needed if I hadn't brought my own).
By around 9:30am there was a fairly large group of people ready to go on the excursion. They divided us into groups of about 20 people per guide. Our group was about half English speakers and half Italian speakers. During the excursion our guide would alternate between English and Italian descriptions at each of the stopping points. We first took the cable car up to 2500 meters, and then took 4x4 busses up to probably around 2700 or 2800 meters. And then as part of the excursion hiked up to around 2900 meters.
During the various stops the guide showed us lava formations from several recent eruptions, including 2001/2002, 2017, and the most recent eruption from just 2 weeks ago (which had lava rock that was still warm to the touch). We hiked up through a lava channel (like a lava tube, but with an open top), looked at several craters and cones, stopped by a snow pocket, and then on the way down stopped by the Belvedere clifftop viewpoint looking out over Valle Del Bove and all the way out to the coast line with amazing scenery. The hike down did not include another ride in the 4x4 busses, and instead finished with a steep down hill section on loose volcanic soil that brought us back to the cable car station. I arrived back at the parking lot around 2:45pm, for a total excursion time of a little over 5 hours, including a break for lunch near the top that lasted around half an hour.
Even without being able to reach the summit, I thought the excursion was a worthwhile experience, with interesting insights into Etna's volcanic history, and unique and beautiful scenery.
Cost for the excursion was 75 euros (after driving a rental car to Rifugio Sapienza and paying 6 euros for all-day parking). I didn't pre-book the trip, since my schedule was a bit flexible and I wanted to wait until there was a day with good weather. After parking (at around 9am) I first went to the Guide Alpine Etna Sud hut and bought the first part of the excursion ticket for 30 euros. They told me to go up to the cable car station and buy a cable car ticket by first showing the excursion ticket at the cable car ticket window. Then instead of getting on the cable car right away, I had to bring the cable car ticket back to the hut to wait for the guide and the rest of the group. The cable car station was only 2 minutes up hill, but it took about 10 minutes of waiting in line to get the ticket. This second ticket cost 45 euros (which I think was discounted for being part of the excursion). Back at the hut I was given a helmet to take with me (required to be worn on the upper portion of the hike) and picked out a pair of loaner hiking poles (there were also hiking boots, socks, and jackets available to borrow, which I would have needed if I hadn't brought my own).
By around 9:30am there was a fairly large group of people ready to go on the excursion. They divided us into groups of about 20 people per guide. Our group was about half English speakers and half Italian speakers. During the excursion our guide would alternate between English and Italian descriptions at each of the stopping points. We first took the cable car up to 2500 meters, and then took 4x4 busses up to probably around 2700 or 2800 meters. And then as part of the excursion hiked up to around 2900 meters.
During the various stops the guide showed us lava formations from several recent eruptions, including 2001/2002, 2017, and the most recent eruption from just 2 weeks ago (which had lava rock that was still warm to the touch). We hiked up through a lava channel (like a lava tube, but with an open top), looked at several craters and cones, stopped by a snow pocket, and then on the way down stopped by the Belvedere clifftop viewpoint looking out over Valle Del Bove and all the way out to the coast line with amazing scenery. The hike down did not include another ride in the 4x4 busses, and instead finished with a steep down hill section on loose volcanic soil that brought us back to the cable car station. I arrived back at the parking lot around 2:45pm, for a total excursion time of a little over 5 hours, including a break for lunch near the top that lasted around half an hour.
Even without being able to reach the summit, I thought the excursion was a worthwhile experience, with interesting insights into Etna's volcanic history, and unique and beautiful scenery.
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Penny S
1 contribution
100% recommend
Sep 2021 • Couples
Thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Vincenzo was our guide for the 3 hour hiking experience. He was very insightful, accommodating and even went to retrieve a person’s hat after it blew off into a crater! Well worth the money.
Written 3 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Blue J
Havre de Grace, MD789 contributions
Great experience without going to the summit
Jul 2021
We had planned to take the cable ride and vehicles up to the summit, but realized that 5 or 6 hours of investment plus $60 per person was not going to happen. So, we went to the parking area and hiked a few of the cinder cones to get some feel for Etna.
There are several pull offs on the steep road up to the parking area where you can get some incredible pictures of the extent and damage of the lava flows. We stopped several times for pictures.
This is a very touristy area and there are a lot of people trying to sell tacky cinder block art creations. The restaurants here are not very good so expect watered down tourist food.
We were here in July and even at the parking area it was windy and chilly so be prepared for the weather.
Did we regret not going to the summit? No! We had a great time without spending 300 euros for views that were probably just as good as what we had at the lower level cinder cones.
There are several pull offs on the steep road up to the parking area where you can get some incredible pictures of the extent and damage of the lava flows. We stopped several times for pictures.
This is a very touristy area and there are a lot of people trying to sell tacky cinder block art creations. The restaurants here are not very good so expect watered down tourist food.
We were here in July and even at the parking area it was windy and chilly so be prepared for the weather.
Did we regret not going to the summit? No! We had a great time without spending 300 euros for views that were probably just as good as what we had at the lower level cinder cones.
Written 7 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
arturo
Turin, Italy5 contributions
you won't forget it
Jan 2021
eighty euros cost this trip and its definitely worth it. healing air and nice views will make you happy
Written 4 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MEL
1 contribution
No summit trips available for almost 3 years - and they are not transparent about it (!!)
Jun 2021 • Couples
For those who want to go to the top of mount Etna: BEWARE!! The summit trips have been closed since 2018 (!!) due to volcanic activity so you can only get to 2750 meters. This is extremely hard to find out before you get there on the day that you plan to summit, but the travel agencies and people working on Etna on a daily basis know this. They just try to make you pay for the guided tours and lifts anyway.
Not saying that a trip to 2500 meters or even 2750 meters is worthless. But - I am saying that they should be much more transparent about the summit restrictions at an earlier stage.
Not saying that a trip to 2500 meters or even 2750 meters is worthless. But - I am saying that they should be much more transparent about the summit restrictions at an earlier stage.
Written 25 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Vik
8 contributions
Wonderful north side
Jul 2021 • Family
We had amazing time! We visited Etna nord , because there aren’t any tourists there and the are some plants , trees.
We started our trip at 7am by car, at 8am we’ve been in the parking lot, we climbed the mountain in the north. There aren’t any cable cars , so you can take jeeps or climb. It is quite a challenging expierence even if you are doing sports thanks to aclimatization(less O2) . If you don’t have any endurance, it’s better to do it with vehicle.
We climbed 6km and didn’t reach the peak, because we wanted to visit other sites that day, but it was fantastic. We reached the parking lot at 11.15. I really recommend this experience!
We started our trip at 7am by car, at 8am we’ve been in the parking lot, we climbed the mountain in the north. There aren’t any cable cars , so you can take jeeps or climb. It is quite a challenging expierence even if you are doing sports thanks to aclimatization(less O2) . If you don’t have any endurance, it’s better to do it with vehicle.
We climbed 6km and didn’t reach the peak, because we wanted to visit other sites that day, but it was fantastic. We reached the parking lot at 11.15. I really recommend this experience!
Written 6 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Andrea
Milan, Italy239 contributions
Fantastic
Aug 2020
Must-see in Sicily. The whole area is fantastic! I'd highly recommend to take a guided tour there, there is a lot information about the volcano and area around. A great place where you immediately understand the greatness of nature. Pictures are also great!
Written 16 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
DeniseSR
Sicily, Italy
Salve giorno 20 Dicembre 2021 dovrei recarmi da Nicolosi al rifugio Sapienza, mi è possibile arrivarci con i pneumatici invernali o devo avere per forza le catene?
(Ho una Ford fiesta.)
pinoM67
Vasto, Italy130 contributions
Da quello che mi risulta non ancora vi è neve sull'Etna quindi con le invernali potrebbe andare tranquillamente, salvo cambio condizioni meteo.
Maurizio B
1 contribution
abbigliamento il mese di novembre
Dreamer
Italy669 contributions
Invernale tassativamente
MartaEnne
London, UK8 contributions
Salve, vorrei scalare il Monte Etna e raggiungere la vetta a 3300 metri, per la quale è necessario avere una guida se non ho capito male.
Qualcuno può gentilmente darmi qualche nome di guide alpine specializzate e che offrono questo servizio?
Grazie anticipatamente.
M
giovy746
Reggio Calabria, Italy1,266 contributions
Le guide alpine le trovi appena sotto l’ingresso della seggiovia. È tutto segnalato
Ummy
Floridia, Italy4 contributions
Buonasera, domenica vorrei fare una passeggiata con la mi famiglia ( 8 anni e 4 anni). Una volta arrivati al rifugio Sapienza , da lì, é possibile fare una passeggiata verso i crateri? Sono molto distanti o é fattibile a piedi? Grazie
quadro79
Forte Dei Marmi, Italy207 contributions
yes it is possible there are several craters also near the road
Hi! Where can I buy tickets for the cable car that takes you to the top of mount Etna? I'm also wondering what is the price of the cable car?
Monica C
Porto Empedocle, Italy43 contributions
Buon giorno vorremmo visitare Catania e il monte Etna tra qualche settimana, sarà possibile prendere la funivia o le attività recenti del vulcano lo impediscono?
orsetto
Rome, Italy99 contributions
Non posso saperlo; provi a chiamare direttamente la funivia
Ist es zur Zeit möglich die Seilbahn vor Ort zu buchen? Beim Vesuv war das Ticket nur online buchbar auf Grund von Corona.
Switzerland Travel Family
Lucerne, Switzerland18 contributions
Seilbahn habe ich kein gesehen, es geht bergauf mit dem Jeep. Grüss
Roam40329881449
Tychy, Poland
As of now, is it required to have a guide to get to the Cratere Centrale?
Elvira P
Naples, Italy1 contribution
Ciao.
Per raggiungere i crateri sommitali ho letto che consigliano l'escursione composta da: cabinovia, jeep per arrivare alla Torre del filosofo e percorso a piedi. È possibile invece evitare di prendere la jeep e dopo la cabinovia salire fino in cima unicamente a piedi?
Grazie a chi risponderà (:
Evelyne
3 contributions
Salve, io sono arrivata in cima, camminando. La salita è piuttosto ripida e non la consiglio a chi, come me ha problemi alle ginocchia. Arrivata in cima credevo si fosse rotto il menisco, ma una guida mi ha detto che è frequente questa sensazione, poiché la salita in un terreno non duro, provoca forti infiammazioni alle articolazioni. A parte questo, da lassù, a mio parere, se il tempo lo consente, è stupendo e direi surreale. Lo rifarei, ma in jeep stavolta.
Adventure623165
Siena, Italy
Ciao, arrivati al rifugio speranza è possibile acquistare in loco i biglietti per l'escursione ai crateri sommitali (funivia+jeep+guida)? Se si, qual è il costo? Grazie
Flavio T
Trento, Italy7 contributions
Si si possono acquistare i biglietti in loco, però, visto il periodo (🤑) io proverei a chiamare preventivamente il rifugio per essere sicuro magari, ora, per mantenere le distanze i posti sono limitati.
