Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy

5Gurmail D 5:00 PM Apr 16, 2022

Mount Etna
We visited Sicily in April and this was in our top 5 things to do. We had hired a car and drove there. The views are truly amazing... as long as you don't have a fear of heights as the mountain roads have 2 way traffic, and it can be hairy on the bends when there is a bus going in the opposite direction. At the site, there is paid parking and paid toilets before you go on the Lift to the first level. Had you waited, the toilets here are free. Once you get out, you can hire a coat and boots for 5 euros each. It can seem like it's mandatory, but it isn't. It wasn't too cold when we visited, so we gave that a miss. The cost to the first level is 30 euros for an adult. You can then take a bus for 38 euros each per adult to the next level and for the super healthy or brave you can trek the final stage to the crater. Alternatively, you can walk to the final stage after you get off the lift. There is a gift shop and a restaurant at the first stage, but the food and drinks were cold, and I would bring my own or give it a miss. The views and mountain are amazing, and I would definitely recommend this as a must-see if you visit Sicily.

4Robert O 5:00 PM Dec 23, 2022

Developed into a major tourist attraction, but still worth the trip
The summit area of Etna at 3357m is restricted. You can get to the crater rim at 2900m reachable from Rifugio Sapienza at 1910m. Most people take the (30€) cable car from the rifugio to an elevation of 2500m from where it is possible to hike up. From Catania there is a bus (4€) to Rifugio Sapienza (some 40 km from the city). When I visited beginning of December there already were several centimeters of snow on part of the route. So take good shoes.