Etna Summit Treks: The 13 Best Ways to the Top Craters

1.Guided Volcano Summit Hiking Tour with Cable Car

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 3,784 reviews · from $124Our pick

Ride the Etna cable car to 2,504 meters, then hike with a trained volcanic guide toward the highest point allowed that day. Expect lava channels, 2002/2003 craters, a lava tunnel, and Valle del Bove. Guides such as Edoardo, Giuseppe, and Bruna’s pickup service are frequently part of the experience.

“We had a great day trekking on Etna, south side. Our 9 year old found it quite hard going but made it all the way to the craters. Emiliano, our guide, was very informative. He seemed both relaxed and safe at the same time. His English was excellent.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Etna Volcano: South Side Guided Summit Hike

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,545 reviews · from $67

Meet Ashàra’s mountain guides at Rifugio Sapienza, ride the cable car to 2,500 meters, then hike across lava fields toward Etna’s summit craters. Guides such as Antonio, Giovanni, Marco, and Massimo explain the volcano as conditions allow. Bring layers, food, water, and cash for the €52 cable car.

“We had quite the surprise on our end-of-May trek - Snow! Nello did fantastic though, keeping things light, sharing abundant knowledge, and helping others along the way with guidance, support, and extra supplies to keep our group of varying experience levels together. Ended up being an unforgettable experience! A few tips - This is a medium-hard hike, leaning towards hard for the average person (especially if chilling headwinds are blasting you up a 50 meter ascent). Definitely opt for trekking poles, pack layers, BRING A FACE COVER, and understand that you will be at breath-altering altitude having to perform at times intense physical activity. Once you understand and prepare for…”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Etna Upper Craters Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 505 reviews · from $130

Travel from Taormina to Mount Etna by coach, cable car, and 4x4 jeep, reaching authorized upper crater zones around 2,800 meters. An Alpine guide explains the volcano in English, Italian, or German. Expect ash, loose rock, steep walking, cold wind, and changing weather.

“This is a good trip to Etna. You got to see the upper craters with the guides from the four-wheel-drive. Like all these trips, you only have a limited amount of time and also the guides are ushering up hundreds of people so you get your half an hour of fame then down you go, If you don’t do it yourself this is the best way to do it.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Etna Volcano: South Side Guided Summit Hike

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 311 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $78Top rated

Meet at Rifugio Sapienza at 8 a.m. for a demanding guided hike toward Etna’s summit craters. A certified volcano guide, such as Antonio, Max, or Fabio, leads you across lava flows, crater rims, and sulfur-streaked ground. Cable car and 4x4 transport to about 2,800 meters costs €65 extra.

“Marco and Angelo were great tour guides - they shared a lot of information, looked out for the whole group and helped when I was a little slower than the rest of the group. The company was very responsive and helped book a transfer to Catania to the start of the tour. The group was great and it was nice to do more of a hike than the other tours involving the cable car and then taking a jeep. Would recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.2002 Crater Excursion – Northern Etna

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 305 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $43

Meet your authorized volcanological guide at Piano Provenzana for a three-hour hike across Mount Etna’s 2002 lava flow. You’ll visit older craters, climb the eruptive fracture, and return through beech forest and ski slopes. Guides such as Luca and Giuseppe bring the geology to life in English.

“Unforgettable experience. Mt Etna alone is amazing to witness but with the history we learned from Giuseppe our guide, we fell in love with it even more! Giuseppe was patient and full of answers to any question we had. Hiking shoes hire was very handy. We did not need any warm clothes but long pants were handy since the rocks can be irregular and coarse. Highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.Trekking to the summit craters (only guide service) experienced hikers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 286 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $139

Meet guides such as Poldo, Nikos, Daniele, or Paolo at Piano Provenzana for a demanding Etna hike. After a 4x4 ride through lava fields, climb from about 2,960 meters toward the summit craters, with route and height adjusted to volcanic conditions.

“We were a group of 6 friends and we enjoyed very much the tour. We thought the hike was done at a very good pace to accommodate for everyone in the group, with plenty of breaks where our knowledgeable guide Nikos gave us detailed explanations regarding the history and formations of the volcano. Strongly recommend this tour for a once in a life experience on MT Etna!”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Summit Trek with Cable Car and snack included

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 278 reviews · from $109

From Etna’s south side, ride the cable car to 2,500 meters, then hike across ash and volcanic rock toward the summit craters with an Italian or English-speaking alpine guide. Expect steep, loose ground, cold wind, striking views, boots and a helmet provided, plus a brioche and water break.

“Great experience! A steep hike, but very rewarding when you reach the top. When you go with children, make sure they are prepared and have soms experience with hiking in mountainous terrain.”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Etna, Summit Craters

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 272 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $84

You’ll ride the cable car and 4x4 to 2,900 meters, then hike toward Etna’s central craters with guides such as Marco, Vincenzo, Simone, or Nino. Expect steep ash, volcanic gas, changing summit access, supplied boots and helmets, and a demanding five to six-hour outing.

“The guide was very knowledgeable, the tour was well paced and very interesting. I really liked the entire experience. If you want just to hike around the mountain it is free to a certain point, and you can do it on your own. But in order to go to the crater this can only be done via a tour. And I would say that you shouldn't underestimate that this an active volcano. So there are no regular "mountain paths" and marks to follow. When there is an eruption only the guides would know where to pass, etc., and everything changes so I would definitely take a guide if you want…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.North Upper Craters Guided Tour by 4×4 with Trek

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 243 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $94

From Piano Provenzana, your guide takes you by special 4x4 to Etna’s north craters, the 2002 lava flows, and Pizzi Deneri at 2,818 meters. Short walks, wide views, and guides such as Vincenzo and Arturo make this a practical half-day outing, weather permitting.

“Hade beställt en engelsk tur, men fick en bland tur. Svårt med barnen. Väldigt torftig information från guiden. Turen var knappt 2 timmar. Var inte uppe vid observatoriet som det stod. Vackert men gick inte det som utsades.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Craters of the 2002 Eruption Trekking Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 218 reviews · from $41

Walk Etna’s north side from Piano Provenzana with an official volcano guide such as Daniele, Davide, Vincenzo, or Niko. See the 2002 lava flow, Hotel dell Betulle ruins, hornitos, cinder cones, and crater rims on a three-hour route with views toward the Calabrian Coast.

“We had a great time, guide was friendly and knowledgable. thank you!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Mount Etna upper craters and Alcantara Gorges

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 144 reviews · from $130

Spend 10 hours exploring Sicily’s volcanic side from Taormina. Visit Alcantara Gorges, ride the Circumetnea train, then take a cable car and 4x4 jeep toward Etna’s crater zone with a licensed Alpine guide. Bring warm layers, hiking shoes, and money for food and gorge entry.

“Best was naturally the Mt. Etna piece. Would prefer more time there and less time travelling around seeing the villages.”

Check availability →Read our full review

12.Volcano Craters Hiking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 139 reviews · from $28Best value

Join an English, Italian, or French-speaking volcanic guide from Rifugio Sapienza, ride the cable car to 2,500 meters, then hike toward Etna’s upper craters. Expect fumaroles, steaming lava, snow or loose volcanic ground, strong wind, and an optional climb to 3,000 meters.

“The tour initially seemed very expensive, but now I feel it was good value. Our guide was Vicenzo and he was amazing. We had a beautifully clear day but cold, windy and snowy. The tour was interesting and despite the ice and snow Vicenzo got us to the top. We couldn't stay on the top more then a few minutes but had a nice break a little further down to admire Etna and see it exploding. Massive thanks to Vicenzo.”

Check availability →Read our full review

13.Mt. Etna Summit: Official box-office for Ascent to the Top

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 2.5 hours · from $81

From Piano Provenzana, ride a 4x4 Unimog from 1,800 to 2,850 meters with an Italian or English-speaking mountain or vulcanologist guide. Walk around the Umberto and Margherita craters, visit Pizzi Deneri observatory, and see the 2002 eruption site.

“Great activity well organised. I wished we had more time to walk higher up but that was probably for another tour”

Check availability →Read our full review