Mount Etna up to 3000 meters + craters 2002
Explore Mount Etna and get to the highest point possible by 4x4 bus! With this excursion you get a full experience of Mount Etna driving up to almost 3000 meters. You will arrive to a panoramic viewpoint near the observatory Pizzi Deneri from where you have an amazing view on the top crater, the coast from Taormina to Catania and the Valle del Bove. Also you will visit the craters of 2002 during this tour. This al accompanied by an official volcano guide.
Itinerary Mount Etna up to 3000 meters tour + craters 2002
The excursion up to more less 3000 meters on Mount Etna starts from Piano Provenzana, Etna Nord. With comfortable 4×4 buses you will drive via the unpaved road up the volcano to the astrophysical observatory Pizzi Deneri located at 2805 meters.
Along the way you can enjoy beautiful views of old craters, the contrast between nature and lava and beautiful views to the sea.
Once you arrive at 2805 meters you will do a small trek up to an altitude of 2865 meters (altitude depending on the activity of the volcano). From this viewpoint you can see the famous Valle del Bove, underneath the North-East crater. The volcano guide will tell you a lot about the volcano here. From here you have also a breathtaking view on the Sicilian coast.
Then you return to the 4×4 bus and descend to 2200 meters altitude. Here you will make a second stop after which a short trek of about 20 minutes follows over the edge of the crater of the 2002 eruption. Through a moderately steep path over lava sand you will descend to the 4×4 bus that will drive you back to Piano Provenzana.
Starttime and availability
The Mount Etna up to 3000 meters excursions start every day from april till half november. Depending on the number of bookings, there are 3 different departure times during the day:
- 09.30 hour*
- 10:30 hour
- 12.00 hour*
- 13:30 hour*
- 15:30 hour*
The excursion starts only when the minimum number of participants is reached. We ALWAYS suggest you to book in advanced, for 3 reasons:
✓ You have a guaranteed starting time
✓ You have guaranteed places
✓ You get a lot of extra free info and tips to get the most out of your Mount Etna day!
* These start times are by reservation only. Without a reservation, there is a chance that the tour is not there, or there is no place for you. So never drive up Mount Etna unnecessarily… (Booking is free, you don't pay anything in advance and you can always cancel for free!)
Timeschedule
You always need to arrive 30 minutes before the start of the tour. This way you have enough time to pay for your ticket, to go to the bathroom, to make some pictures at Piano Provenzana and 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.
Mount Etna up to 3000 meters price
Price Mount Etna up to 3000 meters
- Adults: € 69,00 per person
- Children 4 – 12 years: € 50,00 per person
- Children 0 – 3 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. Without reservation there might be no place for you and you don't have any discount. You can pay for the excursion by cash, ATM or credit card.
Includes
✓ Bus 4x4 up to 2900 meters
✓ Bus 4x4 back to Piano Provenzana
✓ Small hike to the panoramic viewpoint at the observatory Pizzi Deneri
✓ Small hike to the craters of 2002
✓ Official volcano guide
Excludes
X Drinks and food
X Parking at Piano Provenzana (€ 3,00 per car - € 15,00 per camper)
X Tips for the guide and driver (not obligatory)
X Rental jacket and/or shoes (not obligatory)
Guides & languages
The Mount Etna up to 3000 meters tour is guided by trained volcano guides. These guides speak Italian, English & French and will tell you a lot about the volcano and craters during the hike. Please indicate your language preference when requesting the tour, so we can try to take this into account when planning the tour.
Requirements Mount Etna up to 3000 meters
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 4 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 at Piano Provenzana. You can go to one of the souvenir shops for this rental service.
- Rental jacket: € 5,00
- Rental shoes: € 5,00
Food and drinks
If you want to bring food and drinks on the tour you will need to make arrangements before you leave for Piano Provenzana. Otherwise you can buy something at one of the 2 bars at Piano Provenzana. It is recommended that you carry at least 1.5 liters of water with you at all times.
Restrictions Mount Etna up to 3000 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!
- You can park your car at Piano Provenzana (paid parking, € 3,00 per car)
Alternative Etna sunset tour
If this excursion cannot take place due to weather or insufficient participation. Or the time schedule does not suit you, you can choose this same excursion during the evening. The tour will be a little longer and you will see also the magical sunset. Read here more about this alternative tour: Mount Etna sunset & lava tour.
Languages spoken by guides
English
French
Italian
FrenchReviews
Geweldig mooie tocht met spectaculaire uitzichten en heel veel uitleg van de gidsen. Echt een aanrader
My wife made the initial contact via email as we were touring around Sicily in our motorhome. The detailed information was superb with our individual questions fully answered. We had no hesitation in booking this excursion. Payment was made on arrival at checkin time via the voucher sent via email. The excursion was very surreal as the landscape was quite unexpected. Our guide spoke excellent English Italian and Germany and gave us excellent information throughout the journey. It was as expected quite cool at the top and we were glad of our outer coats. I did somehow expect to see some hot lava as this was an active volcano but this did not stop this from being a fascinating journey. I would recommend this to anyone. We even had our cockapoo with us and she enjoyed excavating among many of the stones.
We went on the sunset Etna 3000 trip. It was a wonderful experience to be so high up next to some of the old craters. The scenery was awesome and even though we did not manage a clear sunset, the beautiful colours above the clouds were stunning. We had a guide with us who gave us quite a lot of interesting information. Anniek, who booked our excursion, was very helpful and was prompt in answering our queries.
This is a wonderful way to learn about Mt Etna and explore the changing landscape. It is a small group with a well informed guide. I would definitely recommend.
A bit of hesitation in the morning due to the weather forecast. But we went anyway. The ride in the bus was a roller coaster, but hey, no pain, no gain. Once we arrived at the observatory, unfortunately the visibility was next to nothing, but that was beyond control, just bad luck. Lucia, our guide took us to a little summit through the snow. On the way back we made two stops to watch some craters of the 2002 eruption. Very impressive. A very nice experience it was…..
Still a bit nauseous from the bumpy and steep bus ride and altitudes, but sooooo impressed with what we saw! Great weather, nice guide, Anniek and her staff arranged everything perfect beforehand… definitely something i would recommend to everyone visiting Sicily!
Via de mooie website van Piano Provenzana hebben we deze prachtige tocht aan de noordkant van de Etna geboekt. Dankzij Anniek konden we de ochtend na onze late boeking mee met de 4-wheel drive naar > 3000 mtr hoogte. Heldere en leuke uitleg door de gids (Engelstalig).
Anniek helped organise the whole thing. She was amazingly helpful and gave useful suggestions Pricey for the experience but still very good. They are all similarly priced. Maurizio was a great guide and Christian a great driver.
Deze trip kunnen wij aan iedereen aanraden. Een super ervaring, geweldige uitzichten, accurate uitleg van de gids. Bij het informeren de dag voordien 's avonds laat, kregen wij heel vlot antwoord om de dag nadien op excursie te kunnen.