Mount Etna Day Trip from Taormina
Description
Visit Sicily’s famously fiery volcano, the magnificent Mount Etna, on a day trip from Taormina. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mount Etna is Europe’s tallest active volcano, and views from it over Parco dell'Etna (the national park) are breathtaking. Explore the foothills around the base station on a 3-hour independent hike, or optionally upgrade (extra) to include transport by 4x4 vehicles to Mount Etna’s upper area and an escorted walking tour with Mountain Guide service. Main departure point is from Taormina Bus Terminal. Alternative pick-up points are available along the route only on request by providing the full address.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Pick up point only on request.
Visit Sicily’s famously fiery volcano, the magnificent Mount Etna, on a day trip from Taormina.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Warm clothes and comfortable shoes are recommended
- The high-altitude ascents are not indicated for heart passengers, asthmatics and pregnant women.
- Please note that for your safety, all excursions to Etna do not reach the edge of the main craters and customers are always kept on a safety zone.
- The cost of the excursion to Etna, ascent inclusive, has a special price valid only with advance reservation. When buying the ascent on board, the cost will be higher.
Reviews(274)
One of the best experiences ever. Our Guide was so enthusiastic and fun. You could tell he loved what he did. Recommend this to everyone but take the trip up to the crators. I will never forget this experience. We loved it.
I purchased the experience to include the cable car ride and the Jeep ride to the top of Mt Etna. Once on the bus, the tour Director never mentioned the cable car ride. When I inquired, she said the decision was made to go to the other side of Aetna and not include the cable ride. Since we purchased the cable car ride we were very much looking forward and were disappointed. I reached out to Viator and after two reviews, they feel satisfied that they took me up on the bus to meet the Jeep. I never received any notification that the cable car portion was not going to happen. So with Viator, you DON’T get what you pay for and you don’t get any kind of reimbursement when they remove portions of your tour without notification. The local tour representatives were very good. Book your tour directly with the operator.
Destination change from Etna South to Etna North right after the free cancellation has expired. Reason "long queues". The advert didn't match the reality which was just a travel with a bus with a guide telling stories and leading to a destination not that impressive. Just a parking really with no view, no caves as per the advert and no hot lava. Don't get me wrong, I would recommend visiting the place, but I would avoid paying this company all these money to bring you there. Better hire a car and travel on your own terms.
Dear Customer, the day before we have sent you a message informing you about the following: "Tomorrow we go to the Etna NORD, the decision is due to the long queues currently present on the southern side and due to the running-in of the cable car, after the closing for maintenance. Therefore, in order to offer the best possible service and experience and due to security reasons, our agency reserves the right to change the itinerary, in accordance with our general travel conditions. We consider this opportunity an upgrade for the tour especially for the skip-the-line service. Just for your information: there is no cable car on the North side. The ascent will be by jeep TORSUS 4x4." Please note that there is no difference between the two sides of Mount Etna, only that on the South you have the cable car and very often long queues. SAT Group's aim is to improve the quality of the service, always. We really do not understand your comment. Your cancellation would have been accepted, we are sorry you did not ask. Hot lava is not visible on both sides and especially during the day. We hope for next time! Regards, SAT Group Customer Care Manager
My wife and I went on this trip to Mount Etna from Taormina with friends and had a great day. The whole experience was really well organized, from the pickup to the return, and it made visiting Etna easy and stress-free. Going up the volcano and seeing the different landscapes and lava fields was genuinely impressive and something you really can’t appreciate fully without going in person. The guide was knowledgeable and did a good job explaining what we were seeing in a way that was interesting and easy to follow. The pace was comfortable, with enough time to explore, take photos, and enjoy the scenery without feeling rushed. Overall, this was a highlight of our time in Sicily and a great way to experience Mount Etna. I’d definitely recommend this tour to anyone staying in Taormina who wants to see the volcano up close.
Hello, such a beautiful and rewarding review for our company and all the staff. We profusely thank you for having well described the whole tour besides your feelings during the experiece. We are so glad to leave good souvenirs to our guests. That is exactly our goal! Warm regards from Taormina. SAT Group Customer Service Manager
This was a once in a lifetime experience that I would highly recommend to anyone! The tour company were amazing- they picked us up from a bus stop very near to our hotel and took us directly to Mount Etna and also dropped us off after too! We chose the cable car and jeep option which is a must, as you get to go very close to the summit of Mount Etna. It is worth it for the extra cost! Every second was absolutely breathtaking!
Good tour of etna with a very informative and helpful guide. We visited the top and used the cable car which was well organised and easy enough. Need to wear appropriate clothing, it was cold and very windy at the top. The ground is obviously steep and unstable so good footwear is also advisable. We wore long walking trousers, windbreaker jackets and walking boots and we were very glad we did. The only slight downside was that we hadn't understood or it hadn't been explained very well that once at the top you just have to go with any group together with a volcanologist to the top not necessarily your own tour group. This meant we waited around for a bit expecting her to point us in the right direction before realising that we would just have to follow other groups. We did miss some information from the volcanologist because by the time we had realised, we couldn't get close enough to hear what was being said! Overall, a very good experience!
Great communication, comfortable transportation, very good experience overall. Pickup within 5 minutes walking distance of Airbnb. I definitely recommend to take the cable car and 4x4 to higher elevation. Very windy and cool at top on day of our trip, Bring a jacket and you will be good. It was slightly difficult to hear the guide at top near craters due to the wind, but he was doing the best he could under the circumstances. It would be nice to see volcanic activity but this tour is very good for those that may not be as adventurous.
We had a wonderful time visiting Etna! The travel time from Taormina was about 1 hour. They offer hotel pick ups, so be prepared for a few stops on your way out and back in. We would highly recommend paying extra to visit the craters near the top! The gondola and jeep transport truly allow you to get up and close to the peak with some great views. The walk to the craters is maybe 10-15 minutes. It is not too difficult, but there is definitely an incline and recommend that you bring some sneakers or light hiking boots. Overall it was a great trip!
The excursion is spectacular, the guides good and the organization lousy, especially in summer. I was called before 9:30, but we didn't start before 11 because we had to wait for a group... queues for everything...
Everything was perfect! Our tour guide was very kind and helpful, pick up was avalaible near our accomodation. I definitely recommend the upper crater tour, there is plenty to see.
