Catania: tour naturalistico dell'Etna con escursioni, visite alle grotte e degustazioni

Our leader, Natasha, was so accommodating, as we were a bit late. Her driving was excellent as was her commentary in various languages. When we arrived the gondola was closed but the atv option was available. My husband would do it again even thought it was rough and quite cold. I hiked up the hill on the road that was only gravel, no snow, on a beautiful sunny day. We were lucky with weather. Try to time your tour with good weather if you can. My 1.5 hour hike alone was exhilarating and I felt safe the entire time. We all met up and we ordered lunch followed by a drive on the way back to a village to taste some local wine and treats. It was a positive experience and we are so glad we did it.

Ended up getting a private tour (since it’s the past the holidays and low season). Our guide, Andrea, was phenomenal… so knowledgeable about Etna, Catania, Sicily (in general), and volcanos! He answered all of our various questions and spoke English really well. We decided to do the cable car option ($30 each) and then trek ourselves to the crater created during the 2001 eruption (instead of the Jeeps which would have been another $38 each)… very happy with that decision since clouds rolled in blocking the Jeep’s panorama viewpoint. I am young but not the most fit, however, Andrea’s pace allowed me to ascend slowly without feeling rushed. It wasn’t the easiest but absolutely worth the views once inside the crater. The local food/wine tasting and lava tube (cave) parts of the tour are like the cherry on top of an already great day. This tour ranks as one of my favorite excursions during my month-long travel. Worth every penny and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Pick up on time and nice journey to the larva cave for a quick stop and walk in the cave. Carried on to Etna visitor centre but as the weather was really bad and the list was shut due to winds had a short hike around and lots of info from the guide. Left and stopped off at a winery for tasting. Wine, flavoured olive oils znd antipasti. All very nice and no hard sell on any products. Returned about an hour early due to weather but only nature's fault.