Etna Summit Craters: Trek to the Top of the Highest Active Volcano in Europe
4.9
216 Ratings
Città metropolitana di Catania

Embark on a thrilling trek to the summit of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. Experience the awe-inspiring power of nature as you listen to the mountain’s breath and witness the impressive Bocca Nuova crater.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mount Etna - The journey to the summit begins with a ride on a cable car and a 4 imes 4 minibus to the Torre del Filosofo area at 2900m. From there, a trek of approximately 1.5 hours uphill brings you to the brink of the central Crater, where you can gaze upon the Bocca Nuova (3250m), which emerged in 1968 and is likely the most magnificent of the craters.

Circling the Bocca Nuova, you arrive at the rim of the Voragine, the pulsating core of the Central Crater. Ascending a steep yet brief incline leads to the North East Crater, established in 1911, which stands as the true peak of Etna at 3329m. At this pinnacle, a panoramic view unfolds in every direction, and on clear days, the Aeolian Islands are visible to the north.

The descent commences from the summit, down a sharp yet manageable slope of volcanic ash and cinders, cutting through the grand volcanic basin known as the Valle del Bove. This impressive caldera stretches 8km in length and 4km in width, leading back to the cable car’s arrival station at an elevation of 2500m.

What's Included
  • Price includes guide and equipment (trekking boots, jacket, felt hat, helmet).
  • Round-trip cable car and jeep up to 2900 meters not included in price.
What's Not Included
  • Private transportation
Additional Information

A journey that leads us to conquer the summit of Europe’s tallest active volcano and experience the stir of a vibrant mountain. The climb is facilitated by the use of cable car and 4 × 4 minibuses, taking us up to an elevation of 2900m, in the vicinity of Torre del Filosofo. Subsequently, an approximately 1.5h uphill hike will lead you to the brink of the central crater, allowing you to witness the awe-inspiring Bocca Nuova (3250m), formed in 1968 which is likely the most striking crater. The route may be altered due to volcanic activity or weather circumstances.

  • Not recommended for those with asthma problems
Location
La Terrazza Dell'Etna
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(216 Ratings)
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Nathan
Jul 31, 2024
Excellent adventure - Very impressive scenery. Guide at the top, very cheerful and explains well what we see, speaks French English as Italian (and maybe others), extremely practical. I highly recommend to anyone, especially the session for sunset.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Anthonycp9643bi
Jul 21, 2024
Nice experience - Massimo introduced us to Mount Etna , using family friendly paths, and lots of explanations. Massimo is very friendly
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hayden_a
Jul 7, 2024
Truly a breathtaking... - Truly a breathtaking experience. Due to activity, we weren’t able to go to the very top of the volcano, but our guide Massimo made it a very worthwhile journey.
Review provided by Viator
Joaquin
Jul 2, 2024
Excellent experience. - Excellent tour, ideal to spend a different day with amazing scenery. My guide, Mario, was super trained and gave a lot of information in great detail and kindness. Highly recommended experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lisabn7713ch
Jul 2, 2024
Unique experience - Excursion to the summit craters accompanied by Massimo. Beautiful experience, we were lucky enough to see the volcano in activity. Massimo guided us with professionalism and safety.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lucie_g
Jun 16, 2024
Mount etna summit hike - Amazing mind-blowing experience. Our guide Mario was very caring and good at setting the pace during different moments. Highly reccomend!
Review provided by Viator
Antonin
Jun 4, 2024
Excellent tour, top Orga - We went for a tour with the Aitna group, and had Simone as a guide. The staff: Sympathetic and very quick to answer questions and requests, organised and reliable, everything you wish for when climbing an active volcano. The guide: Taking his time to explain, to help, to answer questions, professional and Sympathetic too. The gear: We got hiking boots, and helmets, the rest we already had. Quality was good and enough for the climb. The tour itself: A long ride with cable car, followed by 4x4 busses, until reaching higher ground, and starting the hike. The hike itself goes 500m up, and is steep, a bit of condition is required, although the guide checks regularly on everybody, gives hint, and adapt the pace depending on needs. Once on the top, not going to spoil anything you'll see by yourself :) and the going down part was fun, due to the consistency of the path itself. Thanks a lot to Simone and his colleagues for a great discovery and cheer up guys! 5 stars deserved :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rkwok68
May 27, 2024
Excellent! Informative and safe! - Highly recommend! AITNE tour, and SIMONE did a fantastic job! We saw all the major craters on top of Etna, and most importantly, they kept our safety the first priority. It was a great deal, about $65pp, which included the full guided tour. The gondola (up/down) and the 4x4 (saves quite a bit of time) for up only was €60 extra, payable in cash. Simone was very knowledgeable and certified volcanologist, giving us both Etna historical information and generic volcano knowledge. Spoke great English. Definitely do this tour, you won’t regret it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Eric
May 24, 2024
If you are in good shape… GO - We trekked Etna with our guide Massimo. Excellent guide who adapts to his group, gives good explanations and above all is very friendly. The hike will last 5h30 in total. Definitely not for everyone. We were in average shape and we pushed our limit. If you have the fitness to do it, don't hesitate. Breathtaking landscape, it’s impressive.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hubertus_m
May 27, 2024
Great trip, but information is lacking - 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 top of the mountain 3) you get informed half a day before to bring cash for the cable car, but you don’t get any receipt At the end the trip was worth the money, but it felt kind of a ripoff to get informed about the additional cost right after the free cancellation period
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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