5 Volcano Hikes and Treks in Sicily to Build a Day Around

1.Etna excursion 3000 meters with 4×4 cable car and Trekking

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 504 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $66Our pick

Ride from Rifugio Sapienza to 2,500 meters by cable car, continue by 4x4 to 2,850 meters, then hike around Barbagallo Crater near 3,000 meters. Alpine guides such as Pepe, Nino, Fabio, and Antonio explain Etna’s eruptions. Expect cold, wind, loose volcanic sand, and narrow crater ridges.

“A great mini adventure! Antonio (our guide) was brilliant and we learnt so much. Would highly recommend.”

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2.Mount Etna Adventurous Hiking Tour with Equipment

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 439 reviews · 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $90

Join guides such as Ernesto, Alessandro, Alessio, or Giuliano for a six-hour hike across Mount Etna’s Valle del Bove. You’ll walk volcanic ash and gravel, reach quieter areas near the smoking craters, and use supplied boots, poles, helmets, and windbreakers. Transport from Catania is included.

“A trip where you actually trek! We did about 6-7km and got up to 2500ft... it was a gorgeous day and a lot of fun. Very doable with decent fitness.. the group goes at a reasonable pace with lots of check ins to make sure everyones ok. For reference I am 38, exercise regularly and found the difficulty 4/10. With few challenging bits and I could have slowed without issue at any point. The terrain was like another planet.. really cool to see. Ernesto as a guide was fantastic. Very much enjoyed his stories and company.”

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3.Etna – Trekking to the summit craters (only guide service) experienced hikers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 286 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $139Top rated

Join guides such as Nikos, Daniele, or Poldo for a small-group climb from Piano Provenzana to Etna’s upper craters. A 4x4 ride reaches about 2,960 meters, followed by a demanding hike through ash, lava, wind, and high-altitude volcanic ground. Extra transport costs apply.

“Highly recommended tour, where you have a chance to reach the 3300m and see more than in many of the other Etna tours. We had a good weather, so the views were fantastic and our volcanologist guide was very knowledgable and passionate about the volcano. We walked around 10,5km and almost 5h in the mountains. Would recommend wearing sports clothes and long pants as you will get some sand in your shoes on the way down, but it's lots of fun as well.”

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4.Etna, Summit Craters

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 272 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $84

Start near Nicolosi and ride the cable car and 4x4 to 2,900 meters. Then hike toward Etna’s central craters, including Bocca Nuova and the North East Crater, with boots, jacket, helmet, and a guide such as Marco, Vincenzo, or Simone. Expect a demanding day at high altitude.

“My wife and I enjoyed the trip a lot! Our guide, Simone, was very engaged and took care of all member members of our group. So the pace was quite slow, but ideal for a family with small kids who also joined. Also you get all relevant equipment like shoes, jacket and a backpack, if needed. BUT as most other companies the information for this trip is really lacking: 1) in addition you have to pay for the cable car and 4x4, which are obligatory 60-78 Euro per person! This should be mentioned before 2) They should mention that a typical ffp2 mask is recommended due to the gas on…”

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5.Summit Etna North 3380mt: 4×4 and trekking

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 98 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $78

Start at Piano Provenzana, ride a 4x4 across Etna’s north slope, then hike from about 2,960 meters toward the summit craters. Guides such as Francesco, Vincenzo, Andreo, and Nikos adapt the route to volcanic conditions. Expect cold, gas, loose scoria, and a demanding climb.

“Si vous êtes à la recherche de l'expérience la plus accessible et gratifiante afin de monter le Mont Etna, ne cherchez pas plus loin! J'ai fait énormément de recherches afin de trouver la meilleure manière de monter en haut du volcan, et je suis tellement heureuse d'avoir arrêté mon choix sur cette organisation. Ce fût le highlight de notre voyage en Sicile! Premièrement, le côté Nord du volcan est beaucoup moins touristique. La majorité des gens montent du côté sud avec un cable car et un 4x4, restent 15 minutes en haut et redescendent. Avec Guide Vulcanologiche Etna Nord, après avoir débuté l'ascension jusqu'à 2900mt en autobus tout-terrain, on saute…”

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