Mount Etna cable car and 4×4 bus to 2900 meters

Mount Etna cable car and 4×4 bus from 1900 m up to 2900 m

Do you want to visit the Etna volcano and get as high as possible, but is the tough hike to the top not for you? Then this excursion with the Etna cable car and 4×4 bus is made for you! You’ll reach an altitude of 2920 meters from where you’ll walk along a crater mouth before heading back down.*

* As of July 2021, the maximum altitude is 2750 meters due to the activity of the volcano. This means that the excursion now looks slightly different. You will still go to a beautiful panoramic viewpoint as well as walk across the crater mouth of the 2001 crater.

Attention: this excursion is at Etna South – Rifugio Sapienza. Not at Piano Provenzana!

Itinerary Mount Etna cable car and 4×4 bus to 2900 meters

The excursion starts at Etna South at an altitude of 1900 meters, where you go up by cable car to 2500 meters. From here you go by 4×4 off-road buses to an altitude of 2920 meters to località Torre del Filosofo. Here, under the guidance of a volcano guide, you will walk around a crater mouth ( practically no difference in altitude!). From 2920 meters you have a good view of the summit crater. Then you return to the buses and head back down to 2500 meters from where you take the Etna cable car back up to 1900 meters.

If you do this excursion at the end of the day, your return trip will only be by 4×4 buses to 1900 meters, as the Etna cable car closes at 16.00 hour. The last excursion currently starts around 2pm.

You may decide when to take the Etna cable car back down from 2500 meters to 1900 meters, but keep in mind the closing time of the cable car (16.00 hour)!

Update modified excursion due to volcano activity:
You will now take the 4×4 bus to 2750m altitude. (This is about 4 to 5 km driving up!) Here you will walk with the volcano guide to a viewpoint on the Valle del Bove. From here you will also have nice views of the summit crater and several other old craters. 
Then you return to the 4×4 bus and drive back down. At the 2001 crater, the bus stops and you can walk up with the volcano guide. This is a steep uphill walk of about 20 minutes. But once at the top it is beautiful! Then you return to the cable car by foot. 

Starttime and availability

The Etna cable car is open everyday from 08.45 hour to 16.10 hour. The last descent is at 15.50 hour. The 4×4 busses start at 2500 meter, after you take the cable car and bring you up to 2750 meters. This is more less 4/5 km driving up. The complete excursion takes more less 2,5 hours. The last complete excursion with cable car and 4×4 bus starts around 13.30 hour. The 4×4 buses run every 40 minutes or when there are enough people. In high season, 4×4 buses run every 5 minutes.

You can choose your own starting time. Our suggestion is to go early in the morning, as there are often more clouds during the day.

We ALWAYS suggest you to book in advanced, for 3 reasons:

• You can skip the line at the ticket-office*
• You get all the information about where to go and how to get there
• Child rate for children up to 12 years old instead of 10 years old.

* If you book with Piano Provenzana you get a voucher. With this voucher you can skip the line and go directly to the ticket-office to pay your tickets and go up with the cable car!

Our service is completely free of charge. You pay NOTHING extra with a reservation than if you don’t make a reservation and wait in line. You also pay nothing in advance, but simply on the day of the excursion. In short: no risk, only benefits!

Timeschedule

We advice you to arrive 30 minutes before you want to go up with the Etna cable car. This way you have enough time to park your car (paid parking!), to go to a bathroom if you need, to take some pictures and to walk in direction of the cable car. But most important of all: get used to the altitude.

The tour takes more less 2,5 hours in total, depending on the group, de number of questions for the guide and the weather.

Price mount Etna cable car and 4×4 bus to 2900 m

Price Etna cable car + 4×4 bus + guide Mount Etna

When you book online with Piano Provenzana, you get the advantage of skipping the line at the ticket-office. On busy days, this quickly means saving 30 minutes of your time! (see picture below).

Price from March 1, 2023

• Adults: € 78,00 per person (€ 69,00 for the cable car and the bus + € 9,00 for the guide)
• Children: € 50,00 per person (€ 41,00 for cable car and bus + € 9,00 for the guide)*
• Children 0-4 years: free, when they sit on the laps of their parents/caregivers

* Please note: for children from 5 to 12 years old the child price applies if you book trough Pianoprovenzana.com. If you go to the ticket office yourself, without a voucher from Pianoprovenzana.com the child price only applies for children up to 10 years old!

You can pay at the ticket office on the day of the excursion by presenting your reservation. We don’t ask any prepayment! You can pay for the excursion by cash, ATM or credit card.

Includes
✓ Etna Cable car from Rifugio Sapienza to 2500m round trip
✓ Bus 4×4 from 2500m to 2750m round trip
✓ Small hike to the panoramic viewpoint at the Valle del Bove
✓ Hike to the crater of 2001
✓ Official volcano guide

Excludes
X Drinks and food
X Tips for the guide and driver (not obligatory)
X Rental jacket and/or shoes (not obligatory)

You will receive a voucher from Pianoprovenzana.com when you book this excursion. With this voucher you have priority (special queue on the right) at the Etna cable car ticket office to buy your ticket, so it is not an online reservation (this is not possible) but a ‘skip the line’-ticket.

Guides & languages

The tour is guided by trained volcano guides. These guides speak Italian, English & often also French and they will tell you a lot about the volcano and craters during the hike. It is not possible to book a specific language. But the guide always speaks Italian and English.

Requirements Mount Etna cable car + 4×4 bus excursion

Clothing tips
Depending on the time of year for this tour, the temperature can be very low. In May, for example, at 2900 meters, you should expect 8 degrees. Often it is the wind that makes it feel cold.

Therefore, be sure to wear layered clothing and a good windproof jacket. A hat and scarf are also helpful! If you do not have a hat, consider a hoodie, for example. It is also advisable to wear good closed shoes. For example, hiking boots or sports shoes with good grip.

Keep in mind that even in high season the temperature at the summit drops. We therefore always recommend to bring a jacket!

Rental clothes and shoes
It is also possible to rent a jacket and/or shoes. You can go to one of the souvenir shops for this rental service or rent a jacket at the office at 2500 meters after you leave the cable car.

• Rental jacket: € 5,00
• Rental shoes: € 5,00

Food and drinks
If you want to bring food and drinks on the tour you can buy something in one of the restaurants and bars at Etna South. Or you can buy something at the bar at 2500 meters after you leave the cable car.

Restrictions Mount Etna cable car and 4×4 bus to 2900 meters
This tour is not recommended for:

• Pregnant woman
• Children of 0 – 1 year
• People with back problems
• people with cardiac problems
• people with severe knee/walking problems

The reason for these restrictions are the height at which you come. This is not good for small children’s ears, for example. Another reason is the ride in the bus which is off-road over solidified lava. This is hugely bumpy and this is definitely not good for the fetus. If you are pregnant and do want to go, you need a doctor’s note and you have to take full responsibility.

A few tips:

• Book always in advance
• Book this Mount Etna tour on the first day you can visit Mount Etna, this way you can always reschedule your Mount Etna visit to another day, in case of bad weather!
• Wear colored clothes, it looks nicer in the pictures!

Alternative

Looking for a cheaper excursion? You can also choose to only take the cable car to 2500 meters. From here you can go for a short walk by yourself to the crater of 2001 for example. Here you find more information about taking only the Mount Etna cable car to 2500 meter.

Booking request