15 Volcano Hikes and Treks in Catania to Build a Day Around

1.Mount Etna: Guided Trek 3,000 Meters to the Summit

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,407 reviews · from $113Our pick

Join Etna Est for a six-hour guided trek from La Terrazza Dell’Etna to 3,000 meters. Guides such as Luca and Marco lead you across lava and ash, explain Etna’s geology, and adjust the pace for mixed groups. Bring warm layers, water, lunch, and face protection from ash.

“a wonderful and very emotional experience and adventure and the top leader of the Lucca group who passed on a lot of knowledge and information and care for all of us. The path is instructive, wonderful views of the craters, I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about volcanoes and especially about the waters of Lucca”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Etna Sunset Tour: Volcano trek, Cave & tasting from Catania

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,290 reviews · 5 hours · from $70

Travel from Catania to Mount Etna with a guide such as Salvatore Mario, Lorenzo, or Eduardo. Taste honey, olive oil, wine, and local foods, enter Grotta dei Tre Livelli, then walk across craters and lava flows near 1,910 meters. The walk is manageable, but sunset and clear views depend on weather.

“The tour was great and Stefano was a great tour guide too! We really enjoyed it, highly recommended.”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Catania: Mount Etna Adventurous Hiking Tour with Equipment

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 784 reviews · 7 hours · from $88

Join Etna Guide Tours for a seven-hour hike from Catania to Mount Etna’s Barbagallo Crater, reaching about 2,400 metres. Guides such as Alessandro, Alessio, Julian, and Ernesto explain the volcano, provide shoes and jackets, and lead you through a lava tube and volcanic sand channels.

“Amazing day with guides Alessandro, Alessio and our group. Guys perfectly accommodated capabilities of our group. It was an excellent hiking trip, learning experience and much fun- all in one. Highly recommended for anyone who appreciates nature!”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.From Catania: trek on Mount Etna, Lava Cave & tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 563 reviews · 7 hours · from $68

Spend seven hours exploring Etna’s extinct craters, recent lava fields, and a real lava cave with a guide such as Lorenzo or Carmelo. Round-trip transport, cave equipment, and tastings of honey, olive oil, and Etna wine are included. Higher cable-car and 4x4 options cost extra.

“It was a very enjoyable and informative trip. The guide, Stefano was very professional and he did a great job, making it a great experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Etna Volcano: South Side Guided Summit Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $78Top rated

Meet at Rifugio Sapienza for a six-hour guided hike with Ashàra’s volcano guides, including Antonio, Max, Fabio, and Massimo. A cable car and 4x4 ride, costing €65 extra, take you near 2,900 meters before a strenuous walk to Etna’s summit craters, weather and volcanic activity permitting.

“Great experience... guide was very knowledgeable and kept us safe. Would recommend this tour to others.”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Mount Etna: North Upper Craters Guided Tour by 4×4 with Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 243 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $94

Meet your Alpine Guide at Piano Provenzana for a 4x4 ride up Mount Etna’s north side. You’ll visit the Umberto and Margherita craters, hike to Pizzi Deneri at 2,818 meters, and view lava flows from the 2002 eruption. Guides speak English, Italian, and French.

“Hade beställt en engelsk tur, men fick en bland tur. Svårt med barnen. Väldigt torftig information från guiden. Turen var knappt 2 timmar. Var inte uppe vid observatoriet som det stod. Vackert men gick inte det som utsades.”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Catania: Mount Etna Sunset Trekking with Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 140 reviews · 6 hours · from $81

Join a small group of up to eight from central Catania or Trecastagni for a six-hour Etna outing with guides Renato or Antonio. Expect easy walks across old lava, crater views, a lava tunnel, coastal panoramas, and local wine with Sicilian snacks at sunset.

“The tour was amazing. Our guide Renato told us very interesting facts and stories about Etna. He was very friendly and communicative as well, telling jokes, taking photos of us. We had a lot of fun!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Mount Etna: Hike to the top 3350mt from the North Side

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 51 reviews · 5 hours · from $77

Start at Piano Provenzana, ride a 4x4 to 2,825 metres, then hike toward Etna’s summit craters with certified guides such as Massimo, Antonio, or Raphael. Expect volcanic ash, lava flows, sulfur colors, strong winds, and about four hours on uneven ground.

“Got message day before to say change of plan to South side start ( including cable car). Initially we were disappointed but it turned out well. Amazing weather and views. Great guide with good English and lots of info.”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Catania: Etna Morning or Sunset Trek with Lava Tunnel & Gear

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $70

Meet your guide in central Catania for a 5.5-hour Etna outing. Walk among recent lava flows and secondary craters, learn about Etna’s plants, animals, and eruptions, then enter a lava tunnel with a helmet and flashlight. Guides including Andrea and Christopher lead tours in English or Italian.

“The tour was great! It was a comfortable meeting place and ride to the start point of the tour. The guides were really nice and involved. They gave us special tracking shoes and didn’t charge for them, so I guess it was included in the price, that makes it even cooler, cause we really needed it At the highest point of this tour it was pretty cold without the wind, so it is better to take even the warm hat with you We were lucky to see the beautiful sunset, and I think I can say it was one of the best I’ve ever seen. Thank you very much for…”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Special trekking on the most authentic and wild side of Etna

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 17 reviews · from $62

You’ll ride a rugged 4x4 from 1,800 to 2,800 meters, then walk Etna’s north side with an authorized volcanological guide such as Ciccio. Expect crater rims, lava fractures, old flows, a volcanic chimney, and views toward Taormina and the Aeolian Islands. The route changes with safety rules and weather.

“An amazing experience! The tour company provided rain jackets and hiking boots. The transportation to 2800 m was provided via terrain vehicle to negotiate the extremely rough landscape. During the ~4h descent to the starting point, done by foot, our guide (Ciccio) provided a plethora of scientific and historical information. The hike included a stop in a vulcano cone, allowing Ciccio to carefully explain the eruption mechanism. Overall it was a great experience, unforgettable and highly informative!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Mount Etna South:Summit Craters Tour in Cable Car & 4×4 Jeep

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 15 reviews · 5.5 hours · from $53Best value

Ride from Rifugio Sapienza to 2,920 meters by cable car and 4x4, then hike toward Etna’s 3,400-meter summit craters with a certified guide. You’ll see lava channels, 2002 craters, the Valle del Bove, and wide views across Sicily. Guides include Luca, Claudio, Basilico, and Massimo.

“Wenn ihr auf Sizilien seit - macht es! Höchster, aktiver Vulkan Europas - Check”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Mt. Etna Summit: Official box-office for Ascent to the Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $81

Meet at Piano Provenzana on Etna’s north side for a 4x4 ride from 1,800 to 2,850 meters. With an Italian or English-speaking mountain guide, walk around the Umberto and Margherita craters, visit Pizzi Deneri Observatory, and see the 2002 eruption site.

“We had a very knowledgeable guide who spoke multiple languages. The bus was comfortable and the ride was great with thanks to the driver. This experience was a highlight on our holiday.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.From Catania: Mount Etna Trekking Private Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 11 reviews

Join an English or Italian-speaking nature guide for a private Etna trek from Catania. You’ll hike for 5 to 6 hours at 2,000 to 2,300 meters, visit a volcanic cave, see recent lava flows, and eat a packed lunch. The route changes between Etna’s northern and southern sides with the weather.

“we had an Amazing walk. out a touristic path. grazie to manuel our guide who is very an volcan expert and learn us so much ! i wish i Can come to do it again. so nice. i recommand with no hesitation”

Check availability →Read our full review

14.Etna: Trekking to the summit craters at 3340 meters

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 10 reviews · 6 hours · from $77

Start at Rifugio Sapienza, ride the cable car and 4x4 to 2850 meters, then hike to Etna’s summit craters at 3340 meters. An expert volcanology guide leads you past fresh lava, Barbagallo Craters, a lava channel, and Valle del Bove. Expect steep, sandy ground and fast walking.

“Strongly recommend! The guide was knowledgeable, and we hiked all the way to the summit. The view was stunning! The only improvement point is that we were hiking very fast with little breaks, and only time to appreciate the view was at the summit, even though the entire hike was stunning! I would've liked a little more time on the way too. We finished the tour 1 hour earlier than stated. I recommend participating if you're confident that you're in good physical fitness and have good knees.”

Check availability →Read our full review

15.Etna North Sunset: Summit area & Craters of 2002

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 5 reviews

Start at Piano Provenzana and ride a rugged 4x4 toward Etna’s North East crater and the 2002 eruption zone. Walk about 300 meters over volcanic scoria to a high viewpoint, then watch the sunset over Sicily. English and Italian guides lead this three-hour outing.

“Super Tour mit sehr geländegängigem Bus. Sehr holprig und nichts für Leute denen rasch übel wird. Dafür super Erlebnis an den Kratern”

Check availability →Read our full review