Exactly How to Visit Mount Etna & Important Things to Know

Mount Etna dominates the skyline of eastern Sicily. This is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe and the largest of the three active volcanoes in Italy. It’s also one of Sicily’s biggest tourist attractions.

Visiting Mount Etna is a bit more complicated than just putting on a pair of hiking shoes and hiking to the top. There is A LOT you need to know when planning a visit to Mount Etna.

We visited Mount Etna in October 2024. This guide is a mix of my extensive research, our experience, and lots of information and tips from our guide.

I have a lot to share with you, but before we get started, here are a few key takeaways for visiting Mount Etna:

Visiting Mount Etna: Important Things to Know

The main season for visiting Mount Etna runs from Easter to Halloween. You can visit Mount Etna from late fall through early spring, but tours are infrequent and highly dependent on weather conditions.

Mount Etna is an active volcano. Its activity will have a big impact on how high you can go. When it is quiet, it’s possible to hike to the summit of Mount Etna.

Visitors are only allowed to hike to 2,800 meters on their own. Beyond this, it is mandatory to have a guide.

A Quick Mount Etna Geography Lesson

Mount Etna is located in eastern Sicily, near Taormina and Catania.

Rifugio Sapienza sits on the southern slopes of Mount Etna. This is actually a ski resort…yes, people ski on Mount Etna in the winter months! There is a cable car that takes visitors up to 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), which eliminates the need for a long, strenuous hike.

This rifugio is the main access point onto Mount Etna. You can also visit Mount Etna from its northern slopes, but this is much less common.

INTERESTING FACT: One of the largest eruptions occurred between 2002 and 2003. Lava flow destroyed part of the cable car, and it later had to be rebuilt. Footage from this eruption as added to the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith movie.

When Can You Visit Mount Etna?

Hiking on Etna is possible year-round, but the main hiking season begins on Easter and ends on October 31^st (Halloween).

Believe it or not, it snows on Mount Etna. The first snowfall generally occurs in early November and continues through early to mid-spring. When there is a lot snow or ice on Mount Etna, tours are cancelled.

During the off-season, tours may be more limited and the elevations you can reach might be more restricted. Furthermore, some tour companies may work with you to adjust the date of your excursion to combine people from different days together into a single excursion.

If the snow is soft then some tour operators may provide snowshoes, but generally they will avoid the snow.

Here are a couple of websites for checking the weather on Mt Etna. Both links provide a forecast at different altitudes:

If you are planning to sign up for a commercial tour, then you should book that in advance; well before knowing the forecast. But the forecast can help you prepare for how to dress on the day of your visit.

Here are a few webcams if you want to see current conditions:

KEY TAKEAWAY: If Mount Etna is a must-have experience, plan your visit to Sicily between Easter and Halloween. Once November rolls around, you risk Mount Etna “being closed” during your visit.

Hikers on Mount Etna

Rifugio Sapienza

To visit Mount Etna, Rifugio Sapienza is the most popular entry point. It is located on the south side of Mount Etna and this is as high as you can go by car. Many guided hiking tours start at this spot, but it’s also possible to book a tour of Mount Etna that starts in Taormina or Catania (more on this later).

There is much more here than just this mountain hut. You will also find the bottom cable car station, cafes, tour guide offices, souvenir shops, and parking lots. This is a skiing destination in the winter months.

We went to the La Terrazza Dell’Etna cafe in the morning before our tour. For sale is water, a variety of other beverages, pastries, snacks, and sandwiches, making it the perfect spot for putting a picnic lunch together. In the afternoon, they also offer pasta dishes. During the summer season their hours are 8 am to 7 pm; hours may be different in the winter.

The Silvestri Craters are just a short drive from Rifugio Sapienza.

How to Get to Rifugio Sapienza

There are three ways to get to Rifugio Sapienza: by car, by bus, and by tour.

Catania and Taormina are the best places to stay to visit Mount Etna, as you will see from the driving times listed below.

Driving to Rifugio Sapienza

Here are the distances and driving times from cities in Sicily:

Catania: 40 km, 1 hour
Taormina: 57 km, 1 hour 10 minutes
Syracuse: 100 km, 1 hour 30 minutes
Linguaglossa: 40 km, 1 hour
Cefalù: 220 km, 3 hours 30 minutes
Palermo: 245 km, 4 hours

We stayed in Taormina. To get to Rifugio Sapienza, we took a mix highway and local roads to Zafferana Etnea. From Zafferana Etnea, we drove SP92, a winding, two-lane road to the rifugio. It is a beautiful drive and the closer you get to Rifugio Sapienza, the more the landscapes resemble another planet. Plant life disappears and black, volcanic rock dominates the landscapes.

From Catania, go through Nicolosi and take SP92 to the rifugio. Note: This SP92 runs north-south between Nicolosi and the rifugio and there is a second portion of SP92 that runs east-west between the rifugio and Zafferana Etnea.

SP92 between Zafferana Etnea and Rifugio Sapienza

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Give yourself some extra time when doing this drive, just in case you get stuck behind a slower car (this is very common).

Once at Rifugio Sapienza, there are several enormous parking lots. If you park in between two blue lines, you will need to pay to park (using the automated payment machines). Our visit was in the off-season, but these parking lots can fill up, so get here early in the day to get a space.

Bus to Rifugio Sapienza

There is a bus that departs from Piazza Giovanni XXIII in Catania at 8:15 am and arrives at Rifugio Sapienza at 10:15 am. The bus leaves Rifugio Sapienza at 4:30 pm, so make sure you are on the bus at this time, as it is the only one.

Confirm the bus schedule and get pricing here.

IMPORTANT: Summit tours of Mount Etna start at 8 or 9 am (depending on the season). Since this bus arrives at Rifugio Sapienza at 10:15 am, you will not be able to take a summit tour of Mount Etna (but there are other tour options…more on this later).

Tours that Include Transportation to Rifugio Sapienza

There are also numerous tours of Mount Etna that include your transportation and start in Catania, Taormina, and even Palermo. We cover these options later in this guide.

Mount Etna Cable Car & 4×4 Shuttle Bus

Now that you made it to Rifugio Sapienza, what can you do?

I will cover these options in a lot more detail below, but here are your options:

Ride the cable car and then hike from the upper station.
Ride the cable car, then take the 4×4 shuttle bus up to 2,800 meters, and hike to 3,000 meters or higher, depending on conditions and whether or not you have a guide.
Skip the cable car and shuttle bus and hike up Mount Etna.

Having been here, the cable car + 4×4 shuttle bus combo is the best option. This gets you fairly high on Mount Etna with little to no effort. Since you are at a high altitude (2,800 meters/9,200 feet), doing a lot of hiking will feel more strenuous, and it’s best to put that energy into hiking around the upper calderas and even going to the summit, if the summit is open.

Here is a list of the elevations on Mount Etna:

Cable Car – bottom station (Rifugio Sapienza): 1,950 meters (6,400 feet)
Cable Car – top station: 2,500 meters (8,200 feet)
Lower 4×4 Bus access point: 2,500 meters (8,200 feet)
Upper 4×4 Bus access point: 2,800 meters (9,200 feet)
Maximum Elevation for self-guided hikers: 2,800 meters (9,200 feet)
Summit (as of September 2024): 3,403 m (11,165 ft)

The cable car the runs from Rifugio Sapienza to the upper station

Cable Car and 4×4 Bus Services

Next to Rifugio Sapienza is the cable car station and this cable car will take you higher up Mount Etna. Just outside of the upper cable car station you will find a 4×4 bus service that will take you even higher up Mount Etna. They do not take you all the way to the summit, but together they will take you up to 2,800 meters (9,200 feet).

Both the cable car and 4×4 bus are paid services. You can purchase tickets for both services at the bottom cable car station. You can also purchase tickets for just the 4×4 bus service at the upper cable car station. As of our visit in October 2024, these services needed to be paid for in cash (but they can also be purchased online in advance using a credit card).

TOP CABLE CAR STATION FACILITIES: The top cable car station has a café with indoor and outdoor seating. The café sells a variety of beverages (including water), snacks, sandwiches, and other food items. It also has toilets, and you can even rent jackets and hiking shoes here. If you rent hiking shoes, then you might also want to purchase a pair of their socks. This is your last chance for any of these services if you plan to keep ascending Mount Etna, which you should!

Use the bathroom before boarding the shuttle bus or hiking. There are no toilets or other facilities on Mount Etna.

INTERESTING FACT: The upper cable car station has been destroyed 7 times by volcanic activity!

Hours of the Cable Car & 4×4 Shuttle Bus

According to the signage at the lower cable car station (October 2024) the cable car starts running at 8:30 am and the last descent is at 5:15 pm. I would expect that the last descent of the 4×4 bus would occur sometime before the last cable car. I would also expect that these operating hours are shorter during the winter season.

Regardless of when you visit, be sure to check the signage at the lower cable car station for the operating hours before heading up the volcano.

Ticket Options for the Cable Car & 4×4 Shuttle Bus

You have two ticket options you can purchase at the lower cable car station:

Tour 2,500 meters: This is just a cable car ticket. The cost is 50€ per adult with reduced prices for children 10 years and younger.

Tour 3,000 meters: This is a combo ticket. It includes your tickets for both the cable car and 4×4 bus. It also includes a short, guided hike that starts at the upper 4×4 bus access point. We have more information about this guided hike below. As of February 2025, this is 78€ per adult with reduced prices for children 10 years and younger.

Get updated pricing and hours on the official website. On the official website, you can also purchase your tickets in advance, which allows you to skip the ticket line and pay with a credit card.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Bring cash to pay for the cable car and 4×4 bus services. You can purchase tickets at the bottom cable car station which is located right next to Rifugio Sapienza. If you purchased a tour in advance, then check to see if the cost of the cable car and 4×4 bus services are included. If not, then you will need to bring cash to pay for those services on the day of your tour.

Using the Cable Car and 4×4 Bus vs. Hiking

If you are hiking self-guided, then you have the option to hike instead of using the cable car and 4×4 bus services.

We didn’t see any reason to hike the path that zig zags up the volcano underneath the cable car, other than just to save money or bragging rights. It looked like a boring, strenuous hike up.

The gondola covers a distance of 2 km (1.25 miles) in a straight line and takes 13 minutes each way. Hiking would be much longer than this in both distance and time as you would have 550 meters (1,800 feet) of elevation change along a zig zagging path. And remember, you’ll be starting this hike at 1,950 meters (6,400 feet), which is a relatively high altitude.

For reference, if you choose to skip the bus, the 4×4 bus covers a distance of 3.1 km (1.9 miles) with 300 meters (1,000 feet) of elevation change and takes approximately 17 minutes each way.

IMPORTANT!: If you are hiking self-guided then you cannot hike any higher than the upper 4×4 bus access point. You MUST have a guide to go any higher than that.

Hikers on the Barbagallo Craters

How to Visit Mount Etna

Now we cover the different ways to experience Mount Etna, from self-guided hikes to guided tours and summit climbs.

Self-Guided Hike of Mount Etna

Hiking on your own gives you the most flexibility in terms of how you want to utilize the cable car and 4×4 bus services, if at all. But it does have several drawbacks:

The first is that the maximum elevation you can hike up to self-guided is 2,800 meters (9,200 feet), which is the same elevation as the upper 4×4 bus access point. You cannot hike any higher than this without a guide, which means you cannot hike to the Barbagallo Craters, the upper lava flows, or the summit (the best stuff). This is for your own safety; remember you are hiking on an active volcano!

The second drawback is that there are not any trail signs to follow. There are worn paths over the lava rock surface, and you’ll see other people being led by tour groups. That, plus some help with Google Maps, you could guide yourself to the points of interest such as the craters, lava flows, and a lava tunnel that can be found between the lower 4×4 bus access point and the upper 4×4 bus access point.

The third drawback is visibility when it gets cloudy. Clouds and bad weather can move in quickly and obscure visibility. The mountain guides know the terrain well and how to monitor the weather conditions to direct you where to go and keep you safe.

Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.

Things to See between the 4×4 Bus Stop and the Upper Cable Car Station

There are several things to see between the upper 4×4 shuttle bus stop and the upper cable car station. You can see old lava flows, a lava tunnel from the 2002/2003 eruption, several craters from 2001, and the huge Valle del Bove (Etna’s biggest caldera at 8 km long by 4 km wide).

Tim at the entrance of the lava tunnel

Valle del Bove. On a clearer day, you are able to see the coastline.

This photo was taken on the walk between the Barbagallo Craters and Valle del Bove. In view is the summit of Mount Etna, the upper shuttle bus stop, and the path leading down from the Barbagallo Craters.

These are all great to see and the easiest way to see them is to take both the cable car and 4×4 bus up and then walk down to the upper cable car station from there. You can zig zag your way down and stop at each of these volcanic elements along the way and then end with a ride down the cable car back to Rifugio Sapienza. Many guided tours will do exactly this, and you can do it on your own if you prefer to go self-guided.

GOOD TO KNOW: If you plan to hike through the lava tunnel on your own then be sure to bring a helmet! Otherwise, the guides leading tours through the lava tunnel are likely to stop you.

OUR RECOMMENDATION: Hiking under the cable car looked strenuous and un-interesting to us. So, we recommend taking the cable car and 4×4 bus up. Then hike down to the top cable car station seeing some of the points of interest along the way. Then take the cable car back down to Rifugio Sapienza. Since the cable car and 4×4 bus combo ticket includes a short guided hike to the Barbagallo Craters you should do this before you start your self-guided hike down. We cover this tour next …

Guided Tour Included with the Cable Car and 4×4 Bus Combo Ticket

This guided tour is offered by the Mount Etna cable car company. It includes the round-trip cable car ride, the 4×4 bus, and a short guided hike from the upper bus stop.

When you exit the 4×4 bus at its upper access point a licensed mountain guide will take all of the passengers on a 20-minute hike to the Barbagallo Craters (40 minutes roundtrip). This tour takes you to a viewpoint of the Barbagallo Craters but you don’t get to hike up and around the Barbagallo Craters.

The upper shuttle bus stop and the hiking trail that leads to the Barbagallo Craters. Where the people are standing is about the endpoint of the hike.

The 4×4 shuttle bus road

After this short, guided hike you can take the 4×4 bus and cable car back down, which is great for those with limited time or for those who do not want to do much walking. Or you can hike back down to the top cable car station on your own seeing points of interest along the way.

This tour does not go any higher than the Barbagallo Craters.

INTERESTING FACT: The Barbagallo Craters are from the 2002 and 2003 eruptions.

This ticket can be purchased in cash at the bottom cable car station or online in advance. It is called “Tour 3,000 meters” but it doesn’t actually take you to 3,000 meters. It’s really 2,900 meters (9,500 feet). This tour is offered throughout the day and is a great option for those taking the bus from Catania.

Tours to 2,800 & 3,000 Meters

These tours take you to the Barbagallo Craters and beyond, providing amazing views of Mount Etna. They will not take you all of the way up to the summit, but this is a great option for those who want to do some hiking, but nothing too long or too strenuous. Many of these tours take you to the points of interest on the way back down between the upper 4×4 bus access point and the upper cable car station.

You will be nearing 10,000 feet on this tour, so be mindful of that if you have any concerns regarding altitude sickness and be sure that you are fit enough to hike at this altitude. And remember you likely drove up to Rifugio Sapienza from sea level.

Hiking around the Barbagallo Craters

The Barbagallo Craters with the summit in the distance

This tour from Taormina includes your transportation and cable car ticket.

This tour from Taormina includes a visit to Mount Etna, the option to ride the cable car, plus a visit to the Alcantara Gorge.

Book tours in advance as there are limited spaces available and they are not likely to take walk-ins. Our tour guide told us that they try to limit each of these tour groups to 20 people per guide.

GOOD TO KNOW: The last we checked, many tours of Etna offered through GetYourGuide or Viator do not include the cable car ride or 4×4 shuttle. In fact, many tours only go to 2,000 meters, so you won’t get to see the higher lava flows and craters. Make sure you read the fine details when choosing a tour.

Tours to the Summit

Etna has multiple summit craters. Etna’s four summit craters are the Northeast Crater, the Southeast Crater Complex, and two central craters, the Voragine and Bocca Nuova. The summit tours go to Bocca Nuova.

The only way to hike to the summit is with a guide. These tours start at 8 or 9 am (the time depends on the season).

You will be hiking to 11,000 feet on this tour, so be mindful of that if you have any concerns regarding altitude sickness and be sure that you are fit enough to hike at this altitude.

This 5-hour tour and this 6-hour tour (this is the tour we took) take the cable car and 4×4 bus, then you hike to the summit, and then hike down to the top cable car station seeing various volcanic elements along the way. Neither of these tours offer hotel pickup/dropoff services so you must self-drive to Rifugio Sapienza.

The steaming summit of Mount Etna

For safety reasons the summit does close from time to time. So, even if you sign up for a tour to the summit you may not be able to reach the summit on the day of your excursion. The tour operators will take you as high as they are allowed.

PRO TRAVEL TIP: Book tours in advance as there are limited spaces available and they are not likely to take walk-ins. Our tour guide told us that they try to limit each group to the summit to 10 people per guide.

Specialty Tours of Mount Etna

There are a lot of tour options from Taormina and Catania. These don’t necessarily go very high on Mount Etna (they don’t include the cable car), but still offer hikes, views of the volcano, with add-ons, such as visits to wineries.

This day trip from Catania includes a visit to Mount Etna (up to 2,000 meters) plus a wine tasting. There is also a sunset option.

This sunset tour from Catania includes the Silvestri Craters and sunset views.

This tour from Taormina includes Mount Etna, a visit to a lava cave, plus honey and wine tastings.

If you will be staying in Palermo, this tour includes Mount Etna and Taormina.

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Things to Consider When Picking a Tour

Does the tour offer transportation?
Does the tour include the price of the cable car or shuttle bus?
What equipment do they provide?
What do you need to bring?
Where is the meeting point?
When does the tour start and how long does it last?

The Silvestri Craters

These volcanic craters are located on SP92, very close to the parking lots for Rifugio Sapienza. There is a small parking area here and visitors can hike around the top of one of the craters.

We did not do this, as the area was clouded in, but it is a great add on to a visit to Mount Etna. It’s also a great spot to see volcanic craters without paying to ride the cable car.

Silvestri Craters | shutterstock.com

How to Visit the North Side of Mount Etna

The north side of Mount Etna is much less visited and less touristy than the south side. If you want to escape the crowds, this is the place to go.

There is more to see on the south side (lava flows, craters, and lava tubes) which is why the south side gets so much action, but for those who prefer a more off the beaten path experience, the north side is well worth considering.

Another advantage is that tours of the north side tend to be cheaper than those on the south side, since you don’t have to pay the pricey cable car + 4×4 shuttle bus fee.

The north side of Mount Etna is visited from Piano Provenzana and most tours start in this general area. Here are a few highly rated tours of the north side of Mount Etna:

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What We Did

We purchased this Summit Tour with Ashara in advance and booked it as a private tour. Unfortunately, during our visit in October 2024, the summit was still closed due to the eruption that occurred in July 2024. We couldn’t hike to the summit, but we did get to go a little beyond what the tours to 3,000 meters include.

We took the cable car and 4×4 shuttle bus combo and then hiked to the Barbagallo Craters. From that point, we traversed the side of Mount Etna in order to see the 2024 lava flow. We also got to see the summit, which still looked to be a pretty good climb. It was steaming quite a bit, and at times we hiked in and out of the sulfur-rich clouds put out by Etna.

We hiked back down to the Barbagallo Craters, spending more time there. And then we hiked down to the upper cable car station, stopping to see volcanic elements along the way. This included hiking alongside the 2023 lava flow, hiking through the lava tunnel from the 2002/2003 eruption, standing on the edge of Valle del Bove, and admiring several 2001 craters. Once we reached the upper cable car station, we took the cable car back down to Rifugio Sapienza.

Here is a look at our hiking stats:

It is important to note that your hike will likely be different than this, as conditions are always changing which impacts what you can see. So, the following GPS Stats are really just to give you a rough idea of what to expect.

Hiking Distance: 8.8 km (5.5 miles)
Total Ascent: 409 meters (1,343 feet)
Total Descent: 738 meters (2,422 feet)
Highest Elevation: 3,022 meters (9,914 feet)
Hiking Time: 5 hours

This is a map of the cable car (yellow), 4×4 shuttle bus (green), and our hiking trail (purple).

What to Bring on a Visit to Mount Etna

Water
Food/Snacks: Ideally bring them with you but there are cafés at the cable car stations.
Face Mask: To help protect you from breathing in the volcanic dust kicked up by the winds and people hiking.
Warm layers: You will be at a high altitude and it will be colder than sea level. Some tour companies provide jackets you can wear
Hat and Gloves
Sunglasses: To protect your eyes from the sunshine and the dusty air being kicked up by the wind and by the hikers.
Sunscreen
Hiking Poles: Some people prefer these and some tour companies may have some for you to use.
Hiking shoes: Tour guides will evaluate your footwear and have you use their footwear if they do not think it is adequate. Know that the tour company provided footwear may not be the most comfortable. The hiking shoes Julie was given started hurting her feet an hour into our tour.

Want to limit how much gear you bring to Sicily? Then the best option is to book a tour that provides some of the gear, such as hiking shoes, hiking poles, and jackets.

Hiking around the Barbagallo Craters

In Conclusion: How to Pick the Best Option

We think it is worth the time, effort, and money to travel to Rifugio Sapienza and ride the cable car + shuttle bus combo. This gets you fairly high on Mount Etna, versus the tours that only go as far as 2,000 feet.

If you simply want to see Mount Etna with minimal hiking, then it is worth taking the cable car + 4×4 shuttle bus to 2,800 feet and doing the short guided hike included with your ticket.

If you are traveling on a budget, you can take the bus from Catania to Rifugio Sapienza (or drive), skip the cable car, and do a self-guided hike. Just be aware that it will be a somewhat boring hike to get up to the craters.

If you want to hike around the Barbagallo Craters (as in the photo above) you will need to take a tour to 2,900 meters or the summit.

For the ultimate experience, hike to the summit. Be aware that summit tours can be cancelled if Mount Etna is or recently has been active.

For those who want to go off the beaten path, visit Mount Etna from the north side.

What To Do Next

Honey Tasting: As you drive SP92 from Rifugio Sapienza to Zafferana Etnea, sample some local honey at ORO d’Etna – Farm Costa – Beekeeping.

Dinner at a Mount Etna Vineyard: Have dinner at Nerello Inn (aka Locanda Nerello), a Michelin Star restaurant that is part of the Monaci delle Terre Nere property.

Wine Tasting at a Mount Etna Vineyard: At Benanti vineyard, sign up for the Selezione Benanti experience which includes a tour of the estate, a tasting of five wines, and a food pairing. They have a tour/tasting that goes from 4 pm to 6 pm, perfect after spending the day on Mount Etna.

See our Mount Etna Vineyard Guide for more information about these experiences, as well as other wine tasting experiences around Mount Etna (coming soon).

If you have any questions about how to plan your visit to Mount Etna, let us know in the comment section below.

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