Breathtaking Etna & Alcantara Gorges: Taormina Exclusive

Take layers to wear as weather unpredictable on Etna. Take snacks and a drink as very little time to stop for a break. Quite rushed. Should not need to pay for entry to Alacantra gorges.

A great experience with driver Massimo and tour guide Maria (I think). It was very exciting, interesting and well organised. A really great driver and well informed guide.

The trip was itself very good ,organized well and managed well The guide according to my adult daughters could do with talking a little less But the trip itself the transportation the gorge and the Mount Etna at the top itself was amazing It is an expensive experience to do the whole trip to the top but given the amount of time it takes to get there and also at the top the amount of transport and guide they provide on the Mount Etna peak itself the price makes sense The pick up and drop off was done in a timely fashion The trip for an hour on the Circumetna was just enough it’s a tiny train . I am glad we all did it My two adult daughters also enjoyed the experience itself Be prepared for the severe cold on the top and the coats they offer for rent are not warm enough You will need warm coats layers hat and mittens at least in May and earlier Have fun !

Getting into a double decker tour bus and travelling through the narrow country lanes on the lower slopes of Etna is an adventure unto itself! The Alcantara Gorge was our first drop off. The water was frigid, yet refreshing. The twisted rock structures Then we boarded a wee train for an hour-long trip through some amazing lava flows and farmlands. After that, we jumped back on the bus and wound our way up the eastern slopes of Etna to the tourist hub (restaurants, shops, etc). Our journey continued with a cable car ride further up the mountain, where we jumped on a 4WD bus thing which took us up a dusty track to around 3000 metres. We finished with a trek around a recent spatter cone to look at a pretty impressive lava flow. This was an excellent trip with a multi-lingual guide and a range of different and amazing experiences. Highly recommended!

the train was warm the top of etna too cold to get to top guide was very helpful big effort to get to start pick up with many people not sure if they were in the correct place ray

We really enjoyed the trip to Mount Etna and Alcantara gorges from Taormina. Our guide and driver were both super knowledgeable and professional. It was a great experience to be able to go up Mount Etna via tram, truck, and foot to the 2920 mtr level. Alexandra made sure to get us where we needed to be on time and safely. Quite the impressive and enjoyable guide.

We chose this trip as we wanted to see Etna and the gorges. We were picked up at 7 am and spent 45 mins collecting everyone for the trip. This was ok but this added up with the long waits throughout the day. We then went straight to the gorges. It would have been helpful to know the correct footwear for this. As this is a trip to see the gorges we would expect the price to include this. It was €9 each which isn’t much but this adds up as the trip price was expensive. It was lovely down there so I would recommend going down! Then to the volcano! We thought… after an hours ride, we came to a train station. And got straight onto the train. This was at 12 - so you can imagine we were getting hungry. We were told there would be a lunch spot so assumed the train was taking us there? After 1-1.5hrs on an average train. We arrived at another train stop. We were told after that the ride was to see the pistachio trees. It was interesting to see where the lava had been but this long train was a waste of time. After coming off the train, and thought it was time for lunch, we were greeted by the bus again! We were then told it was 1.5hrs to Etna! We arrived at Etna and had paid for the cable cart up so straight up we went. It was a great experience going up and we hear eruptions! We then came back down, had a food and a drink and then went home. Another 1.5hrs. Luckily we were the first to be dropped off! The gorges and volcano was a good experience and I would recommend it. But the long journey to get there made it more unenjoyable. The day wasn’t clear. If it was we would have packed food with us. If you have a car you can take yourself to these places to cut costs. We did but was never told this. I think it is very misleading that it had the forges in the ticket but yet it is not included in this price.

We spent a very beautifull day with the compagnie of Alessandra , a very goed guide and Tony, the very professionel bus conductor! The stop at the Alcantra river was very refreshing (water at 8 degrees! ), the one at Bronte village was the discovery of the best pistachio ice- cream we have ever eaten! The escalation at the Etna craters were quite impressive.

Two of the reasons for going to Sicily was to see Mt Etna and ride the Ferrovia Circumetnea Railway, I found this trip which allowed us to do both. I had an issue with booking on line and had to email the company expecting the usual week to wait for a reply which seems the post pandemic norm, but no 10 minutes after sending a reply was received and we conversed throughout the day to resolve my payment issue nothing being too much trouble. Anyway back to the tour. The tour was excellent and ticked all our boxes we were picked up at 7.40 am thankfully near to our Hotel on a modern clean coach driven by Enzo and our guide was Alexandra at the time stated. First stop was the Alcantara Gorge and it is optional to pay and go in as this entry is not part of your ticket for the few € cost it is worth it and there’s a lift that takes you down to river level. Next stop is Randazzo Railway Station after a short stop to let you get photos of Mt Etna. On the station is a oldy worldy cafe where you can get a coffee and bite if you have time. Here you board the train and you enjoy the views as it winds its way around the base of Mt Etna and Alexandra pointed out things of interest like the massive expanses of pistachio trees. After about an hour you rejoin the bus and it takes you to Mt Etna. Here you stay at the lower level where there are bars and shops where the food and drink is reasonably priced and have plenty of time to wonder round or if you paid to go up (well worth doing) you join the cable car. Once up you are met and put onto 4x4 trucks and driven further up the Volcano where you meet your guide. They then take you on foot up the volcano stopping at points of interest and to allow people to photograph and catch up. It is recommended to take a jacket but more for the wind than cold for me and sturdy flat soled shoes these really are a must, trainers are ok. Once down there’s time for a coffee or beer before the coach takes you back to your pick up point. All in all a long but very good day well run and informative, never felt rushed like on some previous tours ample time to wander and see things in the various stops. Well worth the money

Wonderful ! the day was fantastic from the pick up onwards. Giuseppe just wow! So knowledgeable and so informative about the history and information as well as added culture and insights. He and our fellow companions Tyler and Lyndsey just made such an amazing trip. We hiked the craters even though the weather and our fitness were not ideal. We shared food stories and laughter . We cannot thank Giuseppe enough for his generosity of time and wisdom. The company should be praised for such an amazing talent.