Conquer Etna: Exclusive Summit Trek to Fiery Craters
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Trekking in small groups Ascent by off-road vehicles along the panoramic northern slope up to 2,825 meters. From there, the hike continues on foot through volcanic scoria and lava bombs, with a 500-meter elevation gain, reaching the rim of the Central Crater at 3,380 meters. After a stop at the summit to observe the volcanic landscape, the descent is on foot down to 1,800 meters (approx. 7 km), crossing large gullies filled with soft volcanic sand. Main data: • Total distance (round trip): 12 km • Maximum altitude: 3,380 m • Minimum altitude: 1,800 m • Ascent: +500 m • Descent: -1,580 m (the long downhill section may be more demanding than the climb) • Difficulty: Suitable only for experienced hikers Note: Participants who decide during the excursion to return by bus from 2,850 m to 1,800 m must pay €70 instead of €50.
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Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
CoraJPC, 10/13/2025 2:58:26 AM
Great guide. Great trek. Great weather. Stupendous views. Stood on the edge of crater issuing clouds of steam. Amazing experience. A very early start, just what you want on holiday but OMG was it worth it! Price included boots, coat, poles and helmet which were sorted efficiently by helpful staff. First part was in a rugged truck to drive 40 minutes up to 2800m over a lumpy road across the lava watching the view expand under the clear blue skies. Trekked up black rock with patches of pristine, white snow until we reached North crater with steam issuing from fissures under our feet at the crater rim. Climbed more steeply up to NE crater with steam forming a huge cloud above and around us. Down the other side was loose cinder making an exciting decent. Lots of information about the history, chemistry, recent activity and impact of the volcano on Sicily and Sicilians from Andrea, our passionate, knowledgeable guide. View of black peak, white snow and gas cloud, yellow sulphur rocks and blue sky was truly unforgettable. Thanks guys❤️
LouisMrgn, 7/28/2025 1:07:28 AM
Amazing experience !!! Wonderful guide very professional. We went to see the crater it was so impressive. Nice security and advice
Q3668OOalisona, 6/30/2025 11:09:41 AM
This was an excellent experience - our guide Paulo was fantastic at guiding us up and down the volanco - provided us with a lot of information. We went as a family with two teenage kids - it was the highlight of our trip to Sicily
jjk798, 6/13/2025 6:30:08 AM
The sight of immense volcanological landscape is difficult to express in words, and looking into the Nord-East crater is both terrifying and mesmerizing. Andrea, our guide, gave us lots of information and great insights, and the complete trip was very well organized. My son (who is obsessed with volcanoes) enjoyed it as much as I did. Absolute recommendation!
Mgalvin12, 5/24/2025 4:17:32 AM
This was an amazing adventure! Our guide Andrea was engaging and knowledgeable. We drove to the meeting site. Everything was explained well to ensure we had a successful trip. I highly recommend this specific organization for an adventure of a lifetime!
560danielat, 6/3/2024 2:04:18 PM
It was good and interesting, but for my opinion, a smaller group would be better, because in this group were 20 people. At the end, when we got down, it wouldn't be necessary to have a snack break, because after this, it seemed that we are in a rush.
heises, 5/30/2024 1:07:01 PM
Astonishing scenery. Very professional operation. Poldo was a great guide / and prolific linguist. My wife was nervous through vertigo and was planning to pull out but Poldo gave her enough confidence to do it and checked up on her when we got to the really hairy bit - the caldera. Amazing moonscape scenery and really unforgettable experience
SebRe, 5/27/2024 1:36:16 PM
Great tour with experienced guides. The guide explained everything in Italien, French, and English. Overall it was a fantastic experience
754lingliz, 12/29/2023 1:37:18 PM
The routes were thoughtfully designed and the view was stunning. The provider is well equipped with gears and available for those who are not equipped. Guide Danielle is knowledgeable and professional. Fully recommend it for anyone who wants a bit (but not too much) of challenges and good fun!
31ninaw, 12/11/2023 7:56:17 AM
We booked the hike to the main crater of the Etna (and back down to the parking lot at 1800m) and it was an amazing experience. We started the tour with a bigger group in the 4x4 and were then separated into smaller groups, each with their own guide. Our group had a size of 6 people which was really great. Our guide Luca was very experienced and explained a lot along the way. We always felt really safe. He lead us to different scenic viewpoints along the main crater and it was just an amazing, unforgettable experience! Even the hike down was a lot of fun. I cannot recommend this tour enough, definitely a must-do when you are in Sicily!
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- This type of itinerary, in relation to the type, is suited to people in good physical health, not suffering from particular diseases (breathing ones, or hypertension).
- The excursion could be subjected to variations at the discretion of the Guides, or it could be interrupted in case of changes of the environmental, climatic or volcanic conditions, so as to undermine the safety of the entire group.
- For the success of the excursion and for its correct carrying out, it’s good to know perfectly your health conditions and, if necessary, let the Guide know about them, in order to reduce the occurrence of any problems and to avoid any risks.
- The excursion will be carried out according to the limits established by the ordinance in force published by the competent authorities in case of volcanic explosions, the volcano guides must respect it. In this case the guides must stop where it is still safe to arrive for the safety of the entire group.
- The route consists of the ascent and the walking along the crater edges, this may cause dizziness to susceptible individuals.
- We recommend not to use contact lens, because of the exhaled volcanic gases and of ash. This last one could easily cause problems, if pushed.
- The trekking requires a discrete preparation on a physical level. Being a path that develops at high altitude, it will be easy to accuse symptoms of fatigue. It is required attention, since it is a volcanic active area, subjected to constant gaseous exhalations and composed by a soil constituted by inconsistent and unstable rocks.
- Without adequate shoes you are not covered by insurance.
- Pregnant women who have passed the third month of pregnancy are not allowed to take part to any excursion activity.
- Because of the continuous and unpredictable evolution of the volcanic activity, the excursions could undergo variations, or, in extreme cases, be cancelled, at the discretion of the guide for safety reasons.
- The excursion is not suitable for children under 12 years old
Departure point
The meeting point is located in the parking lot near the active chairlift at Eta Nord in winter. The bar is the second house of the 4 present in the parking lot. Please note that our meeting point is the "Chiosco Bar Mareneve" not the "Chiosco Bar Etna Nord".Return details
Trekking in small groups Ascent by off-road vehicles along the panoramic northern slope up to 2,825 meters. From there, the hike continues on foot through volcanic scoria and lava bombs, with a 500-meter elevation gain, reaching the rim of the Central Crater at 3,380 meters. After a stop at the summit to observe the volcanic landscape, the descent is on foot down to 1,800 meters (approx. 7 km), crossing large gullies filled with soft volcanic sand. Main data: • Total distance (round trip): 12 km • Maximum altitude: 3,380 m • Minimum altitude: 1,800 m • Ascent: +500 m • Descent: -1,580 m (the long downhill section may be more demanding than the climb) • Difficulty: Suitable only for experienced hikers Note: Participants who decide during the excursion to return by bus from 2,850 m to 1,800 m must pay €70 instead of €50.No redemption information available
24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund