Volcano Tours in Italy
Etna, Vesuvius and the Aeolian Islands: 138 experiences across three areas that have almost nothing in common except the rock.
Italy is the only country in Europe where lava reaches the surface often enough to plan a trip around it. Two of its volcanoes are erupting right now, in the plain sense that the ground is open and material is coming out of it. A third buried a Roman city and has done nothing since March 1944. Between them they carry the entire Italian market, and the three are so different that booking the wrong one is the most common mistake people make here.
The split matters more than the map suggests. Etna is a mountain you go up, with a cable car, jeeps and guides licensed by the region. Vesuvius is a forty minute walk to a crater rim, sold mostly as the second half of a Pompeii day. The Aeolian Islands are boats. If what you wanted was to look into a hole in the ground and you booked a catamaran, or you wanted a swim and you booked a summit trek at 3,000 metres, the disappointment is not the operator's fault.
Choose a destination in Italy
-
Mount Vesuvius
Mount Vesuvius tours and crater tickets, with Pompeii, Herculaneum and the wineries on the volcano's slopes.
28 experiences in 4 destinations -
Mount Etna
Mount Etna tours from Catania and Taormina: summit craters, lava caves, jeep runs at sunset and the wineries on the volcano's slopes.
96 experiences in 8 destinations -
Aeolian Islands
Aeolian Islands tours: Stromboli, in continuous eruption since 1934, seen by night from the Sciara del Fuoco, and the fumaroles of Vulcano.
14 experiences in 2 destinations
Volcano Travel Experiences in Italy
Etna by 4x4 or Minivan to 2,000 m, with a Bronte Pistachio Tasting
The tasting names what it pours: Zafferana honey, Bronte pistachio, oil and liqueurs. Shuttle costs are stated openly, 80 € up to four people.
Etna by Helicopter, 30 Minutes from Fiumefreddo: Eight Landmarks from Above
Half an hour above the summit craters, the Valle del Bove and Piano Provenzana, from the private heliport at Fiumefreddo. Maximum weight per passenger: 105 kg.
Etna by Jeep from Catania: Lunch Included, Vegan Menu on Request
The guide rides in the Jeep with you from the 8am pick-up to the 14:30 return. Vegan and vegetarian menus at booking; boots and jackets for hire on site.
Etna by Jeep: the Sciara of 1992, Grotta dei Lamponi and Zafferana Honey
A walk on the sciara of the century's longest flow, a lava tunnel, and a free tasting at the oldest honey producer in Zafferana. Breakfast at the start.
Etna by Quad, 90 Minutes to 2 Hours: Broom Forest and Wooded Islands in the Lava
Ninety minutes to two hours across eruptive fractures and black sand, through the broom forest and past stands of trees the lava went around.
Etna Central Crater at 3,345 m, Worked from Both the South and North Sides
An itinerary that works both flanks of the volcano rather than committing to one, with the Central Crater at 3,345 m as the target. Meets at Linguaglossa.
Etna Craters at 3,000 m: Where the 2021 Lava Buried the 1971 Cone
The walk starts where the 1971 explosive cone stood until the 2021 flows buried it. Volcanologist guides, meeting at 10:30 by the cable car.
Etna Family Tour: Two Households Max, and an Etna Ranger Badge at the End
Two households per departure, the walk pitched to the children's ages, and a kit each: backpack, book, pen, and an Etna Ranger badge handed over at the end.
Etna from Siracusa: the South Side, with a Picnic by the Crater
A guided walk on the south side of Etna, along the rim of the 2,000-metre craters, with a picnic lunch beside one and the summit craters as an option.
Etna from Taormina: the Five 1865 Sartorius Craters and Gambino Winery
Pick-up in Taormina, not Catania, then the five craters the 1865 eruption opened along one fracture, and two hours at Gambino winery for lunch and wine.
Etna Half Day from Catania: Groups of Eight, Sapienza at 1,986 m
Capped at eight people, up to the Sapienza Refuge at 1,986 m, into a lava cave with helmet and headlamp, and honey and olive oil to taste.
Etna Half Day from Taormina: Lava Cave, Park Trails and Local Tastings
Half a day collected in Taormina or Giardini Naxos, with a helmet-and-lamp cave, walking inside the Etna park and typical local produce to taste.
Etna Hike with Boots, Poles and Windproofs Provided, Lunch Bought en Route
Shoes, poles and windproofs are provided, and the group stops in a village to buy its own lunch. Three hours of moderate walking from 2,000 m.
Etna in the Afternoon: Cooler, Emptier, and Sunset over the South Slope
The afternoon slot is the cooler and emptier one, ending with a meal of Sicilian products and red Etna wine as the sun goes down. Cave gear in the price.
Etna in the Morning, the Alcantara Gurne After Lunch
Old craters and lava caves entered with helmets in the morning, the Gurne lakes and the basalt gorges after. The cable car and jeep option is not included.
Etna Jeep Off-Road: Hornitos, the 1766 Carcarazzi Cave and Lunch at 2,000 m
Hornitos and lava tunnels on foot, a vertical cave inside the 1766 Calcarazzi vents, then Etna DOC white, rosé and red, and lunch in a hut at 2,000 metres.
Etna Morning at 2,000 m: Come in Our Vehicle or Follow in Your Own
You can ride with the operator or follow in your own car. Naturalist guides, the 1991-93 flow, and a tasting at a certified farm in Zafferana.
Etna Morning by 4x4: Lava Flows, a Cave and the Side Craters at 2,000 m
Driven in 4x4 to the lava flows that buried the Etna villages, a cave with helmets and torches, and the side craters at 2,000 metres. Look for the Defender.
Etna Morning from Catania: Easy Grade, Suitable for Children and Older Walkers
Graded easy from the start, so children and older walkers manage it: Silvestri craters, a cave with helmets, and the flow that stopped at Zafferana.
Etna Morning from Catania: Silvestri or Sartorius Craters, Six Hours
Six hours from Via Garibaldi, walking either the Silvestri craters at Rifugio Sapienza or the Sartorius craters at Citelli, with a tasting before the return.
Etna Morning from Your Hotel: 2,000 m, Old Craters and a Lava Cave
Collected from your accommodation rather than a town meeting point, up to 2,000 metres, into old craters and through a lava cave with helmet and torch.
Etna Morning Jeep from Catania: Hornitos, Lava Caves and the Bove Desert
An air-conditioned jeep to 2,000 metres, away from the busiest stops, with helmets and torches for the Hornitos and the caves. Zafferana produce at the end.
Etna Morning on the South Slope with a Sicilian Street Food Picnic
The walk ends with a picnic of Sicilian street food and red Etna wine on the mountain, or lunch in a chalet in winter. Helmets and torches supplied.
Etna Morning Tour from Catania: the 1892 Silvestri Craters and Lunch
Two hours at 2,000 metres across flows from 2001 and 2002, plus a lava cave with helmet and torch. Sicilian tasting and light lunch before the drive back.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor