# Etna cable car and 4x4 ride up to 3,000 metres Cable car and 4x4 · 2 h 30 · From €54 · All year Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sicily/etna/things-to-do/etna-cable-car-3000-tour · Revisado: 2026-11-11 Dónde: Etna It is the simplest way to see Etna from above without doing a mountain hike. It is cold at the top almost all year, even in August. ## Why go and who it suits From the Rifugio Sapienza, at about 1,920 m, the landscape is already volcanic: black flows, extinct cones and little else. But what changes the visit is going up. The cable car takes you to 2,500 m above the recent lavas, and with the Tour 3000 you continue in a high-wheeled 4x4, or in a snowcat in winter, to the highest altitude the authorities allow, 3,000 m. There you walk for a while with a guide around the Torre del Filosofo area and the craters of the 2002 eruption, with the summit smoking in the background. It suits families, older people who walk normally and anyone who wants to feel the height of Etna without five hours of climbing. It is easy in difficulty. It is not for you if you have heart or breathing problems, high blood pressure or are pregnant: at that altitude the air is thinner and the operator advises against it. ## Which option to choose Cable car only (€54). You go up to 2,500 m, take a walk around the upper station and come back down. It makes sense if you are with small children or short of time, or if the day is clear and the view is enough for you. Tour 3000 (€82). Includes the return cable car with Fast Track, the return 4x4 or snowcat and an alpine or volcanology guide. The ticket is open for the whole day, between 8:30 and 15:15, and the visit lasts about two and a half hours. The guides speak Italian, English and French. It is the option worth taking if you have come all this way. To reach the summit craters you have to do the guided walking excursion, a different and much more demanding activity. ## Getting there The cable car station is on the esplanade of the Rifugio Sapienza, in the municipality of Nicolosi, on the southern slope of the volcano. You drive up the Etna Sud road and park on the esplanade. There is a bus that goes up from Catania, with few departures a day: check the timetable before counting on it. ## When to go It runs all year, except when the wind, the weather or the volcano force a stop. In winter the climb from 2,500 m is by snowcat and snow covers the ash: it is a different excursion, just as beautiful and colder. In summer it can be hot below, but at the top the temperature drops a lot. The best thing is to go up early. Clouds tend to cover the upper part from midday, and the first hours have shorter queues at the ticket office. ## What it costs in total €54 for the cable car alone or €82 for the Tour 3000, per person. If you don't have suitable clothing, boots, windbreakers and poles can be rented at the top. Add the journey to the Rifugio Sapienza. ## If the weather is bad In strong wind the cable car stops. In that case, next to the Rifugio Sapienza you have the Silvestri craters, two extinct cones that can be walked round in a short time with no entry fee, and the road down to Nicolosi runs between lava flows. ## Paso a paso ### Getting to the Rifugio Sapienza By car from Nicolosi along the Etna Sud road, or on the bus that goes up from Catania. ### Ticket · Ticket office or Fast Track If you bought online, the Fast Track lets you skip the queue at the lower station ticket office. ### Cable car From about 1,920 m to 2,500 m, over the lava flows. Hours run from 8:30 to 16:45, with the last descent at 17:15. ### 1 h 30 · 4x4 and guided walk With the Tour 3000, a 4x4 or a snowcat goes up to near 3,000 m and the guide takes you on foot past extinct cones and fissures. ### Descent The same way back. Departures depend on the weather and the state of the volcano. ## Qué llevar - Mountain boots or closed trainers - A windbreaker and something warm - Sunglasses - Gloves and a hat from October to May - Water and something to eat ## Consejos ### Go up in the morning Clouds tend to cover the upper part from midday. ### If you lack clothing At the top, at the 2,500 m station, they rent boots and windbreakers. ### Buy online Buying on the cable car's website gets you Fast Track included and you skip the ticket office queue. ### Don't go up with a suitcase The operator does not allow large luggage or drones. If you are passing through with the car loaded, leave everything in the boot. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does it cost? €54 for the return cable car; €82 for the Tour 3000 with 4x4 and guide. ### Does it run in winter? Yes, all year, with a snowcat when there is snow. It may close because of wind or volcanic activity. ### Do you reach the summit craters? No. The Tour 3000 stays near 3,000 m; for the summit you need the guided walking excursion. ### Can you go with children? Yes. It is a way to take children to the upper part of the volcano without a long hike. ### Can dogs go up? Yes, on a lead and muzzled. ### How long does the Tour 3000 last? About two and a half hours from the lower station until you return.