Private and Guided Tour on Etna with Wine Tasting included
Description
Visit Europe's highest active volcano, Mount Etna, walk over extinct craters, enjoy the breathtaking views from 2000 meters above sea level and end the day tasting delicious volcanic wines paired with local delicacies! You will be picked up from your Hotel or Accommodation and from there you will start your adventure! We will drive up to 2000 meters above sea level to reach the Silvestri Craters, from which you can observe a breathtaking view of Mount Etna and the city of Catania. After discovering some interesting facts about past eruptions, you will descend to Zafferana Etnea to start your wine experience. Once you arrive in beekeeping, you will have the opportunity to taste some typical flavors and products of Etna, such as olive oil, wines, olives and honey. Finally, the experience concludes with a tasting of 4 Etna wines accompanied by a rich platter with typical products such as local cheeses and cold cuts, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplants etc.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will reach the south side of Etna reaching an altitude of 2000 meters, where it will be possible to walk on the now extinct silvestri craters and admire the breathtaking view offered by that altitude, there are also bars, restaurants and souvenir shops to take with you a memory of the mountain
The Valle del Bove is a large basin located on the eastern side of the volcanic building of Etna, within the protected area of the Etna Park.The formation of this depression is traced back to 64,000 years ago due to the collapse of the eruptive centers of Trifoglietto I and Trifoglietto II, predecessors of Etna. The sinking of the two craters formed a caldera 1 kilometer deep and 5 kilometers wide.
Zafferana Etnea is also called the city of honey, it is no coincidence that we can visit Oro d'Etna, the best company that produces honey in the area, and it will be possible to have a free tasting of honey, typical products, olive oil and wine.
Finally, we will reach Gambino Vini, one of the most renowned wineries in the Etna area, their fine wines will make your experience on Etna end sweetly by letting you taste their best wines, combining them with good food, typical local products and at km 0.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The pickup is scheduled from the areas of Catania and Taormina, in case of uncertainty about the pickup location it is possible to book and specify it later. If your group consists of more than 3 people, please contact us to find a convenient solution.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(66)
We had a great day with our guide Roberto. We were just two people and had a large, comfortable van all to ourselves. Roberto was easy to understand and informative without being intrusive. He gave us options on what we wanted to do on Etna e.g., different levels of hikes or go to the top via the cable car or off-road bus. Etna is beautiful and very interesting. There are hikes for all levels of interest, ability and adventurousness. We ended our day at Gambino winery which was terrific. The grounds are very pretty and the wines excellent. We expected the included snacks at Gambino to be just a charcuterie board but it turned out to be a very substantial charcuterie board, plus an entree, plus dessert, all of which was a nice surprise as the wine tasting pours are much more generous then we ever recall getting at another vineyard, bordering on full glasses, so it was good to have a bit more substantial lunch.
Overall, the one-day excursion around Mt. Etna was excellent. We visited a couple of sites around Mt. Etna, including the Silvestri Craters and a winery. Manuel, our driver, interacted with us in a very balanced and comfortable way — neither too much nor too little — which allowed us to enjoy a relaxed and private atmosphere. He was also flexible with the itinerary. Due to availability issues at Gambino Winery, he took us to an alternative winery where we enjoyed a more intimate setting and a delicious lunch. The excursion started at 8:30 a.m. and finished around 3:00 p.m. in Catania. Driving around Catania can be challenging for travelers, so we highly recommend this private tour.
The transfer to the south side of Etna was fine we saw the shops and Gabrielle assisted with our chair lift tickets . We had no guided tour of Silverstri craters At the south side, it wad however not explained about the bus nor the 2 km walk beyond that , you should update the tour description to make that clearer. We always knew we had to pay for the chair lift but we did not even know about the bus which was a highlight we ended up paying more for , just make it clearer so people u deter and what is on offer There was little to no commentary on the history of Etna which was disappointing and what little commentary was provided eg 1991 eruption was provided competing with music that was to loud The schedule was to include Valle De Bove which did not occur We declined the admission to Oro d’erna The lunch at Gambino was great - five stars for this part Eratic driving on the way back also made me quite nauseous after lunch The other thing that was not explained is tour description mentioned an optional visit to Taormina but nothing on those optional logistics was mentioned and should have been given the winery seemed quite close to Taormina Overall a rating of 3
We had a fantastic time and visited some great sights! It was a personalised experience rather than a group tour, which was great also. Thank you for the super experience!
The olive oil & honey from Mt Etna are INCREDIBLE because of incredibly fertile volcanic soil & the region's unique climate, which provide perfect conditions for olive trees & diverse flowers that feed the the bees. This combo produces crazy distinct & intense flavors for oils and honeys and omg it was just wow. This tour gives you a taste of all of it. What a joy it was. Thank you Manuel for a wonderful day!!
We had a wonderful day with our guide, Sandra. She was very knowledgeable and enthustiasric! We got to see Etna, try amazing wine, and more. Our feeling was that we got to see a lot during the day without feeling stressed, and with a comfortable ride.
Our tour guide Gabriele was very knowledgeable and pleasant. He was very accommodating to 2 slow moving seniors. He provided a great tour of Mt Etna. Our tasting and lunch at Gambino Vini was very good, most enjoyable. We would use Gabriele for tours in the future.
Wonderful day seeing Mt. Etna. Wine tasting was great. Good wine and lots of tasty food. Manual was a great guide throughout the day. Highly recommend.
This was a highlight of our Sicily trip. Gabriele (our driver and personal tour guide) couldn't have been more amazing. We were taken up to Mount Etna via a lovely honey farm and some great viewpoints! Gabriele knew everyone and everywhere to go. He got us good discounts, past queues of tour groups quickly and gave us lots of information in a relaxed manner. The winery was excellent (too much wine!) and Gabriele waited while we indulged. Our only complaint was that we couldn't spend more time with him on our trip (he was also available for Montalbano tours). 100% recommend this experience.
We had an amazing day with Manuel! He picked us up close to our hotel and we headed off for Mount Etna! Along the way we stopped at a honey farm where we were able to taste different flavors of honey. Also, We were given an education about the bees! A quick note: this was the most economical place to purchase the honey. We continued our journey, stopping along the way in a quaint town, where we visited that beautiful cathedral. Then we headed to Mount Etna! The views were breathtaking! Manual took pictures of our group at all of our stops, he was very very kind. We stopped at a restaurant on the mountain and we enjoyed chocolate tastings and some of creamier alcoholic drinks that are sold all over Sicily. Both were delicious. It was nice to be able to sample the products. We then went off the beaten path to enjoy a stunning area in a private serene place. He taught us all about the chestnut trees, the volcano, and the history of the area. We ended our tour at the famous Gambino winery. I can’t say enough good about this place. It was beautiful and the wines were outstanding. We had a pairing with many different foods and many different wines! You will not leave hungry! Each table was appointed, an educator about the wines and the food -which were all local to the area. The 2015 Etna wines were our favorite! He delivered us back to our hotel! Safely (you will know what that means when you get here-lol). Manuel made this a very special day for our vacation here in Sicily with our friends.
