How to visit Mount Etna: guide.
Updated October 2026. Mount Etna, a regional park since 1987 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, rises to over 3,300 metres, but you do not need to reach the top to visit it. The easiest place to start is the south side: the road from Nicolosi climbs to the square at Rifugio Sapienza, at about 1,900 metres, where the cable car and the Silvestri craters path begin. From Catania Airport it is about 40 km, about 1 h 05 by car; from Taormina about 1 h 10. The Etna cable car climbs from 1,923 to 2,500 metres on a 54.00 EUR ticket, and the Tour 3000, at 82.00 EUR, adds the 4x4 bus and the alpine or volcanological guides. Higher up, the volcano's alert phase decides: under the notice of 12 October 2026 the summit crater zone is closed. By public transport there is a single bus a day, from Catania. With La Sicilia Tour your driver takes you up Etna, waits and brings you back; up there you choose what to do, on foot, by cable car or with the guides. Below: the two sides, the prices, the summit rules, what to wear and how to get there.
Visiting Mount Etna: the options side by side
| What | Price | Hours and time | How far you go |
|---|---|---|---|
| AST bus from Catania | 6.60 EUR return | one departure a day at 08:15 from Piazza Giovanni XXIII, back at 16:30, about 2 hours each way (timetable published in July 2026) | Rifugio Sapienza square, about 1,900 m |
| Silvestri craters | 5.00 EUR | every day from 08:30 to 17:00 | The craters near the square, on foot |
| Etna cable car | 54.00 EUR return | every day from 08:30 to 16:45, last descent 17:15, if the weather allows | Upper station, 2,500 m |
| The cable car's Tour 3000 | 82.00 EUR: cable car, 4x4 bus (a snowcat in winter) and alpine or volcanological guides | about 2.5 hours; open ticket from 08:30 to 15:15 | The highest point the authorities allow that day |
| Summit craters | only with alpine or volcanological guides, when the alert phase allows | in October 2026 the zone is closed: pre-alarm phase, notice of 12 October 2026 | Over 3,300 m: not open at present |
| La Sicilia Tour, day tour with a driver | fixed price per vehicle on the tours page; cable car and tickets not included | half day or full day, with hotel pickup | The Rifugio Sapienza square or Piano Provenzana |
The south side: Rifugio Sapienza
On the south side the road climbs from Nicolosi to the Nicolosi Nord tourist area, at about 1,910 metres. This is where Rifugio Sapienza stands, the Italian Alpine Club refuge, which is temporarily closed in October 2026: the place you arrive at is the square, with the car park and the cable car's lower station. From the square you can walk to the Silvestri craters, on a 5.00 EUR ticket, every day from 08:30 to 17:00. The cable car climbs from 1,923 to 2,500 metres, about 650 metres of ascent: a return ticket costs 54.00 EUR, every day from 08:30 to 16:45, with the last descent at 17:15, always if the weather allows. The same company, Russo Morosoli Invest, runs both the cable car and the craters, and you pay on site.
Mount EtnaThe Tour 3000: cable car and 4x4
If you want to go beyond the upper station, choose the cable car's Tour 3000, which costs 82.00 EUR. It includes the cable car, the 4x4 bus, which becomes a snowcat in winter, and the company of alpine or volcanological guides, for about 2.5 hours in all. The ticket is open from 08:30 to 15:15. The name is not a promised altitude: the 4x4 climbs to the highest point the authorities allow that day, which depends on the alert phase and the weather. You buy it from the cable car company and pay on site, separately from our service. The Tour 3000 runs all year, but like the cable car it can stop for wind or technical reasons: better not to leave it for the last day of your holiday.
Etna day toursThe summit: what the rules say
Since 21 August 2025 going high on Etna follows the rules of the regional civil protection and Etna Park order no. 15 of 29 August 2025. Above roughly 2,500 metres lies the summit zone, and inside it the permanent danger zone of the active craters. In the attention phase the craters can be visited only with alpine or volcanological guides; in the pre-alarm phase the crater zone is closed; in the alarm phase everything above 2,500 metres is closed. Under notice no. 2 of 12 October 2026 Etna is in the pre-alarm phase: excursions to the summit craters are suspended. The town of Nicolosi also sets a maximum of 10 people per guide, a helmet and a signed waiver, and Belpasso bans going within 50 metres of an active lava flow.
Mount EtnaThe north side: Piano Provenzana and wine
The north side is quieter. Above Linguaglossa lies Piano Provenzana, at about 1,800 metres, a ski area and the starting point for walks and off-road trips towards the summit: ask on site for off-road prices. From Catania Airport it takes about 1 hour 10 by car, longer in traffic. Between the two sides are the wine villages: Etna has been a DOC since 1968, the first in Sicily, and the area includes Castiglione di Sicilia, Randazzo, Linguaglossa, Milo and Zafferana among others. Etna Rosso is made from at least 80 % Nerello Mascalese, Etna Bianco from at least 60 % Carricante. A winery tasting can be booked on request and is paid at the winery. Randazzo is about 1 h 15 from the airport.
Etna wine tourSeason and what to wear
Etna can be visited all year, but the weather changes quickly up high. The cable car company recommends hiking shoes and a windbreaker: jackets, boots and walking poles can be hired at the upper station, at 2,500 metres. Dress in layers, as there are almost 1,900 metres between the sea and the square. In winter a snowcat replaces the 4x4. The cable car advises against the trip for people with heart or breathing conditions or high blood pressure, and for pregnant women; large bags and drones are not allowed. The cable car and the Tour 3000 depend on the weather: if wind stops them, the square and the Silvestri craters still make a full visit. For sunrise or sunset, ask about times before you book.
Mount EtnaMount Etna with a driver
By public transport Etna is hard to reach: there is no bus from the airport or from Taormina, and from Catania a single AST bus leaves each day, at 08:15 from Piazza Giovanni XXIII, returning at 16:30, for 6.60 EUR return, on the timetable published in July 2026. With La Sicilia Tour the driver collects you from your hotel in Catania, Acireale, Aci Trezza, Taormina or Giardini Naxos, or from Catania port, takes you to the square and waits while you walk or ride the cable car, then suggests stops on the way back. The driver is not a guide: up high, only alpine or volcanological guides lead visitors. Tickets, the cable car and the 4x4 are paid on site. Half-day and full-day tours, also with Taormina or the wineries, are on the tours page.
Etna day toursWhat does a trip to Mount Etna with a driver cost?
There are two ways. The first is a day tour with a driver, half day or full day: the fixed price per vehicle is on the tours page, and it does not include the cable car, the 4x4, the Silvestri craters or tastings, which are paid on site. The second is a transfer, useful if you have already booked an excursion with alpine or volcanological guides: from Catania Airport to the Rifugio Sapienza square it costs 100 EUR by Standard Sedan and 120 EUR by Standard Van for up to 8, and from Catania city centre 100 EUR by Standard Sedan. The return trip, at the agreed time, is 10 % off if you book it together. The price is fixed per vehicle, not per person: shown in the form before you book and locked. Transfers can be cancelled free of charge up to 120 hours before.
Etna and Catania flights
Etna is an active volcano, and its ash sometimes stops flights at Catania Airport. In 2026, according to the press, the airport was closed on 5 and 6 July, from 8 to 15 August, the longest closure, with about 1,974 flights cancelled between 6 and 12 August, and on 14 and 15 September; a short closure announced for 29 September was then called off. On those days some flights were moved to other airports, Comiso among them. If your flight changes airport, write to us as soon as you know: the driver follows your flight and, where needed, we tell you how to adjust the pickup and the fixed price of the new trip. The same alert phases also decide what can be visited up high: check the notices before your day out.
Mount Etna with La Sicilia Tour
La Sicilia Tour is a private driver service (NCC) based in Acireale, between the sea and Mount Etna: transfers from Catania and Palermo airports and day tours with a driver across Sicily. On Etna the driver takes you there, waits and gives practical tips, but is not a guide; an authorised guide can be booked on request, paid separately. Our drivers speak English. With a question or a booking, call or send a WhatsApp message to +39 392 177 4905.
- Hotel pickup in Catania, Acireale, Aci Trezza, Taormina and Giardini Naxos, or at Catania port
- The driver waits while you walk or ride the cable car, and suggests stops on the way back
- The cable car, 4x4, Silvestri craters and tastings are paid on site: not included
- No promises about lava, eruptions or the summit: the alert phase and the weather decide
- A fixed price per vehicle, not per person; groups of up to 27 with two vans or a coach
Mount Etna at your own pace
Your driver drops you at the square, at about 1,900 metres, and waits: cable car, craters and paths are your choice.
Frequently asked questions
In brief
How do I get to Mount Etna without a car?
Take the AST bus from Catania: one departure a day at 08:15 from Piazza Giovanni XXIII, back at 16:30, 6.60 EUR return, on the timetable published in July 2026. There is no bus from the airport or from Taormina.
How much is the Etna cable car?
54.00 EUR return, from 1,923 to 2,500 metres, the official 2026 price. The Tour 3000, with a 4x4 bus and alpine or volcanological guides, costs 82.00 EUR.
Can you climb to the summit craters of Etna?
Not in October 2026: under the notice of 12 October Etna is in the pre-alarm phase and the summit crater zone is closed. When the phase allows, you can go only with alpine or volcanological guides.
Book your private driver
Pick your start and your destination: the form shows a fixed price per vehicle before you book and locks it at booking.
