Etna Alcantara tour: the majestic lava landscape

We were originally booked for a longer Mt. Etna hiking excursion, but when not enough people signed up for our date, Discover Messina reached out well in advance to offer a switch to the Mt. Etna/Taormina tour. We agreed and were not disappointed! We took this as a port excursion from our cruise ship, and our guide, Carmelo, was one of the most passionate guides I’ve ever had. He was absolutely excellent and shared so much local culture, history, personal experiences, and even some culinary treats. Our first stop was Mt. Etna, which was beautiful. There wasn't a significant amount of walking, but the elevation and volcanic terrain (though mostly well-established trails) might not be suitable for everyone. It’s highly beneficial to dress in layers. We were there in late May and there was still snow at the top (apparently atypical for this late in the year!), so having pants and a jacket was a lifesaver. Before leaving Etna, we enjoyed a lovely food and drink tasting at a local shop. A quick tip on transit: The drive up is quite winding. I’m prone to motion sickness but felt fine because our driver handled the roads so well. However, if you suffer from it, definitely come prepared with ginger or medication just in case. Our final stop was Taormina, a stunning coastal town sitting high on a bluff, packed with high-end boutiques and restaurants. It is significantly warmer here than at Mt. Etna, which is where those clothing layers come in handy again! You get about 2 hours here. We tried to do a sit-down lunch and see the sights, but felt a bit rushed trying to fit both in. If we could do it over, we would grab a quick bite from a bakery instead to maximize our sightseeing time. Carmelo got us back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this tour!

We were picked up on time and had a very nice Mercedes van which was comfortable. Carmelo talked on the way to Mt. Etna and was very informative. We enjoy our walk through Taormina and had the best Cannoli and granite. We recommend this tour

Beware, particularly if you are visiting on a cruise. Booked this tour, including pickup at the ship at the 8am slot. Got a message the day before arrival that pickup location had changed, and would not be at the ship, but rather now outside the port at another location. Since disembarking that day was at 8am, the same time as the pickup time, the vendor stated they would not wait any extra time and would leave the new pickup location promptly at 8am without us if we were late. Apparently there were just not enough cruise passengers taking their tour that day to make it worthwhile for them to enter the port, so they just sacrificed us rather than come to the ship. After a couple calls, we were eventually able to get a refund.

The 2 tour guide did a very good job mt Edna was a great place to visit the driver 2as also very professional

Unbelievable! Fantastic! Wonderful. Our guide Carmelo and driver Giuseppe were knowledgeable, warm, friendly. Gave us the best service and on time pick up and delivery. Great recommendations to see on and off the tour. They were open and approachable. The treats at Caffe Cali were delicious!!!! Mount Etna is majestic, awe inspiring and beautiful. We LOVED the experience and highly recommend this trip and these guides. Volcanoes are soooo cool. The ghost forest was a special bonus. Alcantara gorge was extraordinary but way over populated with tourists like ourselves. Be sure to bring water shoes or be prepared to pay for some if you want to brave the throngs of people. Carmelo and Giuseppe made us fall in love with Messina and Sicily.

Our tour was only four people which was amazing. We were picked up easily at the port in Messina and drove towards Mt. Etna. We stopped at a bakery for an included breakfast. I didn’t know this was part of the trip but we were able to get a cafe and your choice of baked items: croissants, cookies, cannolis or arancini. Then we continued to the base of Mt. Etna trails. Because this was a small group we were able to get to an area that the big tours aren’t so as a result our experience was very private. It is a very beautiful and different experience. It reminded me a little of climbing dunes as the lava rocks were kind of like sand. I learned you can’t go to the summit without a geologist or volcanologist so you only go to the lateral craters about 8500 feet. It is cool and windy so be prepared even in hot July. After our hike we were brought to the natural river park. I didn’t know that was part of the trip. We were able to buy lunch there. The food options were good but not as amazing as the bakery from the morning. It was a cloudy afternoon otherwise you would want to pack a swimsuit, water shoes and towel to enjoy this park to its fullest. Our driver took us back to the ship without any issues.

We really liked our Tour guide, Claudia, and the tour was small and intimate. The hiking of Mt. Etna was very beautiful and informative and we had delicious cannoli and arabcini! The second half of the tour, at the Alcantara gorge sight was a bit bizarre. We had a hard time trying to figure out why these two activities were paired together. It was unclear in the description that this was a swimming event, so everyone in our tour was unprepared. It would have been very cool to trek through the gorge, but the tour doesn’t provide the time for that. We would have either preferred to hike more of the Etna trails or do a different activity other than the Alcantara Gorges.

Claudia and Andrea made this Mt. Etna tour very enjoyable and memorable despite the less than perfect weather. We would gladly tour with them again when we get another chance!

Hiking Mt. Etna with my family. Sara was wonderful and even took us to a cave. We would highly recommend this tour. Be sure to be ready for a hike and bring water shoes for the gorges because the rocks can hurt your feet. Sara made the most of our time there and it was definitely a high light of our trip!

This tour and our guide Sara did a wonderful job. We highly recommend her and the company used. It was our most comfortable transport and knowledgeable/personable guide. We enjoyed the volcano and the gorge. Some improvement areas would be a standard checklist to let guests know what items they need to bring with them (we were unaware of needing water shoes and had to purchase them at the gorge site). Very happy overall - thank you.