SICILY · HIKING & TREKKING
Good hiking & trekking tours fill up weeks ahead; the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Cable car up Mount Etna, then a guided hike to the summit craters and Valle del Bove, with volcanic views and a small-group pace.
“Jaccopo was an absolute delight to have as a guide, he was informative, humorous, and very assistive. If you can request a guide, choose Jaccopo for the best experience. Mt. Etna is spectacular and every view is breathtaking.”
Cable car and 4x4 to 2,800m, hike to 3,000m on Etna. See craters, lava flows, and a lava channel with a guided group.
“Marco is fantastic, passionate & very friendly. Great excursion! Must do in Catania :)”
Guided hike on Etna’s south side: cable car to 2,500 m, rim walks over active craters, lava channels, and geology with an Alpine guide.
“The Etna tour was awesome! The only minus was that we weren’t allowed to reach the top because of the eruption warnings. Safety first and the guide Marco took us to other places of interest instead. Guide was very pro, he spoke fluent English and his knowledge of vulcanoes was super. Much more interesting to hike with the guide and hear about the eruptions, calderas, soil, rocks, heat, flora and fauna.”
Sunset trek on Stromboli’s Sciara del Fuoco, guided and equipped, to watch volcano eruptions as the Aeolian Sea turns red.
“Great tour, excellent guide, and plenty of time to admire the eruptions against the dark sky.”
Off-road Mount Etna trekking from Catania: Valle del Bove, lava caves and Silvestri Craters with a naturalist guide, gear, and pickup.
“It was very good. Antonio and Veneto were both great guides! The tour was the perfect size, we had two vans so we sat comfortably. They were accomodating to any requests, they provided all the equipment needed too! I would highly recommend this tour :)”
Small-group Mount Etna tour from Taormina: crater hike, Grotta dei Tre Livelli lava cave with helmet, and honey and wine tastings.
“We had a nice hike on Etna and learned a lot about the geology and history of the area. Both guides were great, very knowledgeable and friendly. I liked the direct pickup from our AirBNB. We went in January and it was not surprisingly very cold. What we didn't know is that it can also be very windy. I recommend to bring extra layers, a wind breaker, and have a hood or hat if going during the winter. The tasting experience was good. I will warn, when they start they bring out the tiniest tray you have ever seen, and ask if anyone wants to order more food. We all…”
Etna 3000m by cable car and 4x4, then trek Valle del Bove and Barbagallo crater. Gear and guides included on Sicily’s volcano.
“Can be arduous. Be prepared. Select your options carefully. Team very experienced. All gear included”
Half-day Mount Etna trek from Taormina with a volcanology-trained guide, crater-ring hike, lava cave visit, and winery lunch with wine.
“Had an amazing tour of Mount Etna! Claudio was a fantastic guide, sharing great insights and making the experience unforgettable. Highly recommend!”
Catania’s Etna nature tour hikes to Silvestri craters, enters a lava cave with helmet and headlamp, then tastes honey, olive oil, and wine.
“Giuseppe (out tour guide) was very knowledgeable, friendly, and made the trip absolutely amazing. He was prompt at the pickup point. We also had choices as to how far we wanted to go up Mt Etna. He made the arrangements for us. He then took us to a fabulous restaurant/winery after. I highly recommend this experience. We had two other couples from other parts of the world that we spent the day getting to know as well.”
Small-group hike on Mount Etna’s Valle del Bove, gear included, English guide, round-trip transport from Catania.
“A brilliant hike with a knowledgeable guide. A great way to see Etna! This is a hike and it doesn’t involve the 4x4 or cable car as some trips have and this was most definitely a better way to see the different elements of the landscape. Thanks Alessandro for a great day!”
A guided Mount Etna South-side summit hike with a volcanologist. Gear is included, views are serious, and the volcano controls the plan.
“The practical side of the hike and the tour guide’s (Fabio) knowledge & attitude were excellent but the tour logistics were awful. After booking, we received a WhatsApp message with all the details and arrived early (after a very long journey). We were then told there wasn’t enough space with the tour company (Ashàra) so they had outsourced our booking to another company (Aitne) for a later tour. When we tried to discuss this with Aitne, they said it was”wasn’t their problem” as we hadn’t booked directly with them.”
Guided Etna summit craters hike from Piano Provenzana, north side. 4x4 drive, crater-edge views, tough descent, included gear.
“Amazing adventure to the top of Mount Etna. Our guide Daniele brought us to the height limit and very knowledgeable. Lots of interesting facts of the volcano and wonderful view of the city. Really recommend it if you visit Catania. We had a good size of group with different age group and we all managed it. Make sure you have got the right gear.”
Hike Mount Etna to active craters with a guide, cable car ride included, plus brioche and water. Great Sicilian volcano experience.
“An incredible day! I cannot fault anything about the trip: communication beforehand was excellent and our guide on the day, the organisation of the day, and the pace... were all fantastic! The views were spectacular and we felt safe and well informed the entire time! I would 100% book this trip again if I revisit the area and have already raved about it to friends and family!”
Stromboli sunset trek to Sciara del Fuoco for up-close lava views, craters at 400 meters, and night eruptions with headlamp and helmet.
“This hike was everything and more!!! The guides were caring and informative. Perfect pace! The sunset and volcanic eruption was breathtaking!!!!”
Half-day guided hike on Mount Etna from Catania, visiting craters, a lava cave, and the latest eruption site, with tasting and transfers.
“This was by far one of the best highlights of our trip! It was a last minute decision and I am so glad we did it. Even if the weather didn’t 100% cooperate, it was such a unique experience and I 100% recommend it. Our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and happy to answer any questions we had.”
Every kind of day out on the island, and the best of each.
