Etna summit craters with a volcanology guide
5 h 30 · 8 kmFit people, from age 7Depending on volcanic activity and weather
Trekking · 5–6 h · 8 km · From €130 · Very demanding
From €130
See the activity
Stay2–3 nights
Best timeApril, May, June, September, October
RegionSicily
What to do
What to do in Etna
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Etna cable car and 4x4 ride up to 3,000 metres
2 h 30All agesAll year, weather permitting
Cable car and 4x4 · 2 h 30 · From €54 · All year
From €54
See the activity
Silvestri Craters, next to the Rifugio Sapienza
45 minEveryone
Cones from the 1892 eruption at about 1,900 m, next to the Rifugio Sapienza, which you can walk round in 45 minutes; free and no guide needed.
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Etna, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Etna
From April to June and in September and October, with mild temperatures below and the summit clear in the morning. In winter there's snow up top and the cable car climbs with snowcats.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
Etna your way
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
Fly to Catania and hire a car to the volcano
Catania is the gateway to Etna: there are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Seville, and the airport is at the foot of the volcano. From there, the Rifugio Sapienza and the south-slope cable car are about 45 minutes by car, and Linguaglossa, on the north slope, about 40 minutes from Catania on the motorway towards Messina.
- Getting thereCatania Fontanarossa (CTA), south of…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to sleepRifugio Sapienza, at 1,910 m…
- ServicesAST bus from Catania to…
Getting there
- Catania Fontanarossa (CTA), south of the city, the airport closest to Etna
- AST bus from Catania to the Rifugio Sapienza: leaves at 8:15 from Piazza Giovanni XXIII and returns around 16:30
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: it is the way to combine the south slope, the north and the wineries on one trip
- Circumetnea train around the volcano, Monday to Saturday, for Randazzo and the northern villages without driving
Where to sleep
- Rifugio Sapienza, at 1,910 m, to start the day at the cable car
- Shalai, in Linguaglossa, for the north slope and the wineries
- Case Perrotta, in Sant'Alfio, about 40 km from the airport
Services
- AST bus from Catania to the Rifugio Sapienza, with tickets at the ticket office or on board
Who you're with
Etna for whoever you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
Etna with the family
Children understand a volcano when they step on lava. With them, the southern slope is the easiest: the Rifugio Sapienza has extinct cones next to the road and the cable car goes up without any walking.
- What works bestThe Silvestri Craters, free and…
- Where to sleepNicolosi, half an hour from…
- Where to eatArancini and granita in Catania…
- Keep in mindIt is cold at the…
What works best
- The Silvestri Craters, free and in under an hour
- The cable car and the Tour 3000, to see the upper part without a long walk
- The Circumetnea train, to go round the volcano among villages and pistachio groves
Where to sleep
- Nicolosi, half an hour from the Rifugio Sapienza
Where to eat
- Arancini and granita in Catania; pistachios from Bronte
Keep in mind
- It is cold at the top all year round: warm clothes for everyone
- The crater excursion has a child price for ages 7 to 14, but it is very demanding
What to do as a family
Etna for teenagers
An active volcano with fumaroles is a plan that convinces any teenager. If they are fit, the climb to the craters is the experience; if not, the Tour 3000 stays close.
- What works bestThe summit craters with a…
- Where to sleepNicolosi, to set off early
- Where to eatA sandwich for the summit…
- Keep in mindThe climb to the summit…
What works best
- The summit craters with a guide, at more than 3,300 m
- The Tour 3000, by 4x4 or snowcat
- The Valle del Bove, to walk inside the caldera
Where to sleep
- Nicolosi, to set off early
Where to eat
- A sandwich for the summit; arancini on the way back
Keep in mind
- The climb to the summit takes five or six hours at high altitude
- It can be cancelled because of volcanic activity: have a plan B
What to do with teenagers
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Shalai, hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant in Linguaglossa
Why we like it: 19th-century palace in the centre of Linguaglossa with 13 rooms, a private spa and chef Giovanni Santoro's Michelin-starred restaurant.
Rifugio Sapienza, hotel at 1,910 metres beside the Etna cable car
Why we like it: Mountain hotel with 20 rooms at 1,910 m on the south slope, on the esplanade of the cable car and the guides: sleeping here means being up there before anyone else.
Case Perrotta, organic farm stay in Sant'Alfio, on Etna's east slope
Why we like it: Organic farm stay at about 800 m in Sant'Alfio, in a former convent and its 19th-century winery, with ten rooms and a restaurant serving Etna cooking.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Etna
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
Cave Ox, restaurant, pizzeria and wine cellar in Solicchiata
What to order: the fusilloni with Bronte pistachio, the Etna bistecca by weight or a pizza from the wood-fired oven, with an Etna red from its cellar.
Ristorante Veneziano, mushroom and black pork cooking in Randazzo
What to order: the Delizie dello Chef, twelve small starters for €22, and then the mushroom soup or the tagliolini alla boscaiola.
Case Perrotta restaurant, Etna farm-stay cooking in Sant'Alfio
What to order: the house delights with fried items, the maccheroni al ragù with aubergine and baked ricotta, and the grill served on a roof tile.
Nearby
Near Etna
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Go up in the morning
Clouds usually cover the summit from midday.
- 2Bring a jacket even in summer
At 3,000 m it's cold and windy.
- 3Leave a spare day
If the summit is closed because of activity or wind, you can try another day.
Climbing to the craters on your own
Access to the crater zone is restricted and made with authorised guides. As well as dangerous, it isn't allowed.
How do you get there from Spain?
Fly to Catania, with direct flights from several Spanish cities. The airport is at the foot of the volcano: from there it's under an hour by car to Nicolosi and the Rifugio Sapienza, on the southern slope.
How do you get around?
By car, mostly. Etna has two main access points: the south, via Nicolosi to the Rifugio Sapienza and the cable car, and the north, via Linguaglossa. The Circumetnea circles the volcano by train from Monday to Saturday and lets you see the villages on the west and north slope without driving.
What do you need to book?
The excursion to the craters with a guide and, in season, the cable car. The wineries receive visitors only by reservation. Bear in mind that everything above 2,500 m depends on the weather and the volcano's activity: don't leave it for the last day.
Where to sleep and eat?
Three bases of different character. On the southern slope, the Rifugio Sapienza is a 20-room hotel at 1,910 m, on the same esplanade as the cable car and the guides. On the eastern slope, Case Perrotta is an organic agriturismo in a former convent and its wine press, in Sant'Alfio. On the north, Shalai is a 19th-century palace in Linguaglossa with a spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant.
For eating, Cave Ox, in Solicchiata, combines Etna cooking, wood-fired pizzas and a wine cellar among the northern vineyards; the Ristorante Veneziano, at the entrance to Randazzo, is a family house of mushrooms and black pork; and the restaurant at Case Perrotta serves the long weekend meal with produce from the estate.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you climb to the summit?
Yes, with a guide. The excursion to the summit craters costs from €130 and takes about five or six hours.
How much does the cable car cost?
€54 return to 2,500 m, or €82 with the 4x4 and the guide to near 3,000 m.
Is there anything free?
The Crateri Silvestri, next to the Rifugio Sapienza, can be walked round on foot with no entry fee.
Does the Circumetnea train run on Sundays?
No. It doesn't run on Sundays or public holidays.
Where should I stay?
At the Rifugio Sapienza, at 1,910 m, for the cable car and the craters; in Linguaglossa, at Shalai, for the northern slope and wineries; at Case Perrotta, in Sant'Alfio, for the eastern slope; or in Catania if you don't have a car.