Mount Etna cable car + Snowcat from 1900 m up to 2900 m
Are you looking for an unique excursion and experience on the Etna volcano in winter? Take the Etna cable car up to 2500 meters and continue with the Snowcat to reach an altitude of 2900 meters. Be surprised by the contrast of lava, volcano ash and snow and enjoy the natural spectacle of the many extinct craters. The Etna Cable car + snowcat is the best experience you can have in winter on Mount Etna!
Attention: this excursion is at Etna South - Rifugio Sapienza. Not at Piano Provenzana!
Itinerary Etna Cable car + Snowcat up to 2900m
The Etna Cable car + snowcat excursion starts from the Piazzale Funivia dell'Etna at 1900 meters above sea level. With the cable car you will reach an altitude of 2500 meters. While riding up on the cable car, you can already see several beautiful old craters, partially covered with snow.
When you get off the cable car, you change to the Snowcat. This snow bus will take you to an altitude of 2900 meters. This is about another 5 -6 km ride up the Etna volcano. At 2900 meters you have a walk of about 45 minutes around the Barbagallo crater, accompanied by a volcanological guide. You can also admire the South-East summit crater from afar.
After this stop, you go back to the Snowcat to descent back to 2500 meters. Here you can take che cable car back to 1900 meters. You can decide when to take the cable car back down. The last cable car goes at 3:50 p.m. in winter.
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 last complete excursion of the Etna cable car + Snowcat starts around 13.30 hour. The snow buses run every 40 minutes or when there are enough people. In high season, snow 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*
- Free extra tips about parking, how to get there and extra short walkt to do!
- Free personal service 7 days a week for all your questions in English or Italian
* 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 Etna Cable Car + Snowcat excursion 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 + Snowcat up to 2900 meters
Price Etna Cable car + Snowcat + Volcano/Alpine guide
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! This are the prices for the Etna cable car + snowcat excursion:
- Adults: € 95,00 per person (€ 86,00 for the cable car and the bus + € 9,00 for the guide)
- Children: € 55,00 per person (€ 46,00 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
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
✓ Snowcat from 2500m to 2900m round trip
✓ Hike of 45 minutes in total to (and around) the Barbagallo crater
✓ Official volcano/alpine guide with Italian and English language
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 Etna Cable car + Snowcat 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 + Snowcat excursion
Clothing tips
If there is snow, the temperature can be very low. Often it is the wind that makes it feel cold.
Therefore, be sure to wear layered clothing and a good windproof jacket. A hat, gloves 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.
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
- Socks: € 3,50 (only for sale)
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 + Snowcat
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! We don't advice white or black clothes, since since you disappear in the photo with the snow or lava. ;-)
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.
Languages spoken by guides
English- Italian
