Europe’s highest active volcano is studied extensively by scientists and is popular with trekkers and nature lovers as well. Visit Mount Etna and the clifftop village of Taormina on this 11-hour excursion from Palermo. From Crateri Silvestri you’ll take the funicular (ticket not included) with a local mountain guide all the way up to 2,500 meters above sea level. From this point you’ll experience unforgettable panoramic views. Just south of Taormina is the nature reserve of Isola Bella, and further south you’ll see the popular seaside resort of Giardini Naxos. Visit the village of Taormina, a 45-minute drive from Mount Etna. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea, the village features an ancient Greek theater, many old churches, antique shops, lively bars and fine restaurants.

You will start the day with our driver who will take you to your destination with attention and professionalism You will arrive at Etna, to be exact at the Sapienza refuge, where you can climb Etna choosing whether to reach the highest destinations with 4x4 and cable car. In the afternoon the driver will take you to visit the splendid Taormina giving you the necessary time to enjoy the city. Finally you will return to Sciacca at the most convenient point for you.

Explore the beauty and history of Mount Etna on this volcanic trekking tour with an alpine or volcanological guide. Trek to the top of the volcano and see some of its most famous volcanic craters. Admire 360-degree views of the surrounding area from the top of the volcano. Start the excursion to the summit craters from the square of the Sapienza RefugeNicolosi, first using the Cableway Etna, which from an altitude of 1900 meters will travel up to an altitude of 2500 meters. Reach 2500 meters, and continue the tour in 4x4s before reaching an altitude of 2900 meters in the area called Barbagallo Craters. Begin trekking along the former Torre del Filosofo path through the lava fields emitted by the recent activities of the South East Crater which produced lava fountains up to 10 km high. Cross the lava fields to reach the summit craters of Mount Etna and learn about the volcano and its history of eruptions from the guide while exploring the area. Trek for around 2 km, and cross the last lava flow from 27 July 2019, before taking a path for that leads to an altitude of 3250 meters, on the edge of the “Bocca Nuova”. Visit all of the volcano's active craters: Central Crater, North East Crater, Bocca Nuova Crater and finally the South East Crater. Continue the excursion, skirting the Crater "Bocca Nuova", to the edge of the Central Crater. Observe the crater and admire the latest eruptive vent that opened in the last year. Take a steep but short climb to the inside of the North East Crater if weather and volcanic conditions allow, and admire the view from inside. Enjoy spectacular views from the top of the volcano, and if conditions are clear, see the Aeolian Islands, the Nebrose Mountains, the Coast of Taormina, the Coast of Catania, the coast of Calabria, and the Stromboli. See the Southeast Crater, one of the most active craters of Etna, and the majestic Valle del Bove. Begin the descent along a steep, but easy sandstone path which in about 10 minutes will take us from an altitude of 3323 meters to an altitude of approximately 3000 meters, and stop for a short picnic. Continue in the direction of the Barbagallo Craters, after having skirted and visited the two craters, the excursion continues toward the relatively effusive mouths and the respective lava flow tunnel . Move eastwards from here, to skirt the long edge of the Valle del Bove or Belvedere dell' Etna. Reach the arrival station of the Etna cableway after about 6 hours of trekking, and be taken by the cableway to Piazzale del Rifugio Sapienza in a matter of minutes to finish the tour.