Full Day Immersive Tour of Etna with trek and lunch from Taormina

Meet the impressive and still active volcano of Sicily

Description

Join us on a full-day excursion on the highest active volcano in Europe - Mount Etna. Explore some of the seven button-shaped craters, gaze at the moonscapes from the summit of the mountain, savor the traditional Sicilian cuisine, and create lasting memories of nature's power and beauty!

Get ready to arrive at the foot of the highest active volcano in Europe, standing tall at 3,329 meters above the sea level, by a comfortable return trip in a minivan, departing from Taormina or Giardini Naxos. Once you get to the foot of the volcano, you’ll meet our volcanological guide who will accompany you throughout the trek and who will show you the path, which involves crossing the side craters, also known as the Sartorius Mountains. that formed after the 1865 eruption. As you start climbing, the guide will provide you with detailed information about the history, the geology and the morphology of the area, telling curiosities about Europe’s most famous volcano.

As you embark on your journey to the Sartorius Mounts, you will witness the astonishing landscapes of Mount Etna. The towering volcano, surrounded by lush vegetation and picturesque villages, is a sight to behold. What will surely amaze you is the forest of a very rare type of birch tree that you will pass through. The characteristic bark of these trees, in order to adapt to their surroundings, evolved to a silvery-white color, and on some specimens the pigment fades to a beautiful pink toward the branches, providing an unparalleled natural spectacle to your view. 

Once you arrive at the top, you will be greeted by a vast lunar-like terrain, with the seven craters looming in the distance. You will notice the distinctive colors of the volcanic rock, ranging from deep reds and browns to shades of black and gray. The scent of sulfur in the air is a reminder of the immense power that created this stunning landscape. With sunny weather you’ll be able to admire the entire coastline where the Etna overlooks, from Taormina to Calabria, admire the entire coastline where the Etna overlooks, making your gaze reach as far as the island of Stromboli!.  After the hike it will be time for you to settle down and enjoy a tasteful Sicilian lunch that includes three courses and beverages. You will have one extra hour that you can spend strolling around the area before heading back to Taormina.

Inclusions

• Personalized attention
  
• Professional English speaking trained guide
  
• Round-trip transportation from Taormina/Giardini Naxos by luxury A/C Mercedes Minivan or
• Minibus
  
• Free rental of equipment if needed (wind jacket/kway, walking sticks, helmet for cave visit)
  
• Guided easy hike on the volcano
  
• Guided visit of a volcanic cave
  
• Typical Sicilian Lunch on the Etna
  
• Approx. 1-hour free time on the volcano
  
• Bottle of water

Meeting Point

This tour departs from Taormina and from Giardini Naxos. Choose the departure point at the moment of booking.

TAORMINA
Piazza S. Antonio Abate, 98039 Taormina, ME.

GIARDINI NAXOS
Viale Dionisio, 12, 98035 Giardini Naxos, ME.

Notes

Required: hiking shoes or good walking/sport shoes (no flip-flops!).
Strongly suggested hat and sunscreen.
We regret to inform that this tour is not suitable for guests with wheelchairs or with impaired mobility.
Please note that Italy's law doesn't permit selling alcoholic beverage to teens under 18 y.o. so clients under this age will be served non-alcoholic beverages.
Please inform us of any food intolerance or allergy in advance.

This tour is not recommended for those with blood pressure and heart problems as well as asthma sufferers.

Rain Policy

Provided that we will do our best to proceed with the tours, avoiding the rain and thus possibly carrying out the tour with our vehicle until and if the rain should stop and road conditions will guarantee a safe tour.
If it does not stop raining, the entire tour will be conducted in the safety and comfort of the vehicle.

Since we are aware that the experience running today, might not be the one you had wished for, we are hereby giving you the following choices, to be communicated to our Staff DURING THE CHECK-IN PROCEDURE:

1) Proceed with the tour hoping for clearing weather – PARTIAL activities or NO activities due to heavy RAIN
Customers can decide to proceed with the tour hoping for clearing weather with the understanding that It will NOT be granted any refund or discount. We will do our best to accommodate you, weather permitting.

2) Reschedule the tour for another day, subject to availability. Please contact our Booking office in order to ask for availability and rescheduling the experience.
If no suitable date / time is available for the reschedule, you will be able to choose any other experience available, upon availability, with an equal or less value, or eventually an experience with a higher value, paying only the difference.

3) A credit, called Rain Check, (of the same amount clients paid) to be used the following days or at any other time, subject to availability. The Rain check is a voucher given to the client. The voucher is transferable and may be sold or given to others to use at a future date and lasts up to 1 year from date. It has a value that can be possibly used in any other tour provided by our company.

Please note that clients' safety and comfort are of utmost priority, and proper rain gear is mandatory for guests choosing to "ride in the rain".

We ask clients to be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour departure, to check the weather conditions and choose accordingly. No-shows will not be refunded.