Mount Etna – The Best Tips for Your Day Trip to The Vulcano august 11, 2024 – Posted in: Italy, Travel – Tags: Attractions, Catania, Etna, Hiking, Holiday, Italy, Sicily, Travel, Vacation, Vulcano

Tips for Your Visit to Mount Etna

From Catania, you can already see the impressive volcano. On clear days, you can also spot the small plumes of smoke constantly rising from the summit. Etna is an active volcano that frequently erupts, and you should keep this in mind when planning your visit. Etna is not an amusement park but a place where powerful natural forces can come into play suddenly.

The summit of the volcano is 3,357 meters above sea level, and with a guide, you can reach 2,920 meters. Without a guide, you can go up to 2,672 meters on your own. You can see a map here. Due to the volcano’s status as active, you may experience changes in the possibility of getting close to the summit. Therefore, check the information yourself, e.g., with the tour guide here, before planning your trip.

**Note:** The information in this article is based on our trip to Etna in October 2022. Please check if all details are still current. Use the provided links to find updated prices, schedules, etc.

When Should You Visit Etna?

Etna can be visited year-round, but it’s best to visit the volcano in the spring and autumn, specifically in May and again in September/October. In summer, there are simply too many tourists, and winter hiking on the volcano is not for beginners.

If you have multiple days to choose from, start by checking the weather forecast. It often gets foggy on Etna, and it would be a shame to go up in grey weather and not be able to enjoy the fantastic view.

By Bus to Etna

From Catania, the bus to Etna departs from the bus station in front of the train station. Enter “Viale delle Libertà” into Google Maps; this is where the Etna bus departs from in the triangle between the two roads of the same name. Tickets for the bus are purchased at the AST office on “Via Don Luigi Sturzo,” a small side street just across the road. Click the link here for more information.

The bus ticket to Etna costs €6.60 round-trip (2022). You can buy the ticket the day before – otherwise, arrive early in the morning. We were there about an hour before departure, and the office was open. It is closed all day on Sunday, and you can buy tickets on the bus. Arrive at the bus stop well in advance, at least half an hour before, as the queue grows quickly.

Departure is at 8:15 AM, and the bus leaves Etna again BY 4:30 PM – please double-check the times as they might change. If you miss the bus, there are no more buses that day. The journey to Etna takes two hours, with a short stop in the village of Nicolosi. At the small café, there is a coffee and toilet break. The bus arrives at Etna around 10:15 AM, and you will be back in Catania at 6:00 PM without a break.

By Cable Car to Etna

The bus stops at Refugio Sapienza at about 2,000 meters altitude. If you’re traveling on a budget, you can explore the smaller craters here. However, the cable car Funivia will take you further up to 2,590 meters. It costs €30 (2022), and it’s worth every penny! Some of the more hardcore hikers do make the entire trek from here, but the trail is steep, and the terrain is dusty and sharp lava rocks.

Here is also where you can book one of the guided tours or have a coffee at one of the many cafes before continuing your ascent.

Exploring Etna on Your Own

We took the cable car up and enjoyed the wonderful views from the small cabin. From the cable car, we hiked up to Mt. Escrivà at 2,672 meters. Despite all the delicious Sicilian food, we were in fairly good shape, but it was still a tough climb. The thin air and trails consisting only of loose lava gravel, which constantly shifts underfoot, provided plenty of challenges.

At the crater’s edge on Mt. Escrivà, the wind was quite strong. In other words, you need to know what you’re doing. This is not a trip for those with mobility issues or for children who want to explore on their own. Older children can come up here, but they need to be able to follow your and any guides’ instructions.

Guided Tours on Etna

It is also possible to book guided tours on Etna. And here’s a scam warning! On the bus, there was also a “guide” who insisted that you were not allowed to take photos of him. He spent a lot of time explaining to the entire bus that if you did not book a tour with him, it was forbidden to go beyond the cable car station.

We, of course, googled it immediately, and that is simply not true. When the weather allows, you can hike up to Mt. Escrivà and explore the area on your own. Just make sure you have travel insurance that covers altitudes over 2,000 meters – not all policies do.

What is true, however, is that if you want to go beyond the first crater above the cable car, you need to book a guided tour. Because the volcano is active, you cannot reach the very top, but with a guided tour, you can go up to 2,920 meters.

From the cable car, you can either hike up the volcano with a guide who also provides information about the volcano, or you can be driven up in a 4×4 bus.

At the beginning of the post, we’ve included a link to one of the many guided tours of Etna, but since we did not book a tour ourselves, we will not recommend any specific one over another. However, you definitely don’t need to book with the guide on the bus. When you arrive by bus, it will stop at the parking lot in front of all the tour operators.

What clothes should you wear to Etna?

We visited Etna at the end of October 2022. Even though we had had several days with temperatures up to 30 degrees Celsius before our excursion, it got colder and colder as we ascended the volcano.

We debated whether to wear shorts or long pants, but we were quite happy with our sensible decision to wear warm clothing. We saw several people in shorts and small dresses, and they were freezing!

We therefore recommend dressing in layers, and it’s a good idea to pack a couple of extra layers in your bag. You don’t need special hiking pants; jeans are fine.

We saw several people climbing Etna in rubber shoes, which we really cannot recommend. Above the cable car, the terrain is only gravel and small stones, which you’ll slip around in. If you have good hiking shoes or boots, you’ll be very glad to have them. Flip-flops and sandals are a big no-no! You risk cutting your feet and twisting your ankles.

If you’re going on one of the guided hikes further up the volcano, the tour leader will provide the necessary equipment: helmets, trekking poles, jackets, boots, etc.

What should you pack for Etna?

The higher you go up the volcano, the more clothing you’ll want to put on. Therefore, it is recommended to pack both a light jacket and a scarf in your backpack – and also a hat and gloves if you can. It gets quite windy close to the top.

There are cafes both at the base and the top of the cable car, so you don’t need to pack an endless amount of food and water. A water bottle, some snacks and fruit are sufficient.

The most important thing to remember is sunscreen. Without it, you’ll get very sunburned. Sunglasses are also something you’ll be glad to have. If you have asthma, make sure to bring your inhaler as well. (P.S. Trine has had asthma for many years, but aside from getting winded a bit faster than usual, there were no issues.)

Finally, it’s also wise to pack a power bank. Etna invites you to take many photos, and you’ll quickly need to recharge your phone and camera.

Find a Good Hotel in Catania

Most visitors to Etna choose to stay in either Catania or Taormina. We stayed at the Liberty Hotel in one of Catania’s nicer neighborhoods. This beautiful colonial-style hotel is located on a quiet street, yet only a five-minute walk from the main pedestrian street and the lovely Bellini Park. It is also the same distance to the large Benedictine monastery and the unfinished church, San Nicolò.

The small boutique hotel has only 18 rooms, and there was no crowd at the breakfast buffet. The rooms are beautifully decorated and very classically Italian. It is definitely a hotel we will stay at again next time we are in Catania!

Read more about the hotel here: Liberty Hotel

NB! When booking a hotel in Catania, be aware that it is a city that does not mind noise. Make sure to book a hotel away from the major roads and the liveliest party streets. Fortunately, we found this travel tip online before booking, and we were quite happy about that knowledge. See all the other lovely hotels in Catania by clicking here or do your own search for beautiful hotels in Sicily:

Booking.com