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
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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 Sunset Jeep Tour from Catania: Valle del Bove, Lava Cave and Zafferana Tasting
A half-day climb by jeep to 2,000 metres timed for sunset, with a helmet-and-torch walk into a lava flow cave and a tasting of Zafferana honey and wine.
Etna Sunset with Dinner Facing the 1985 and 2002 Lava Flows
Two hours of walking from the Silvestri craters, then a meal facing the 1985 and 2002 lava flows with half an hour set aside for the sunset itself.
Etna, Taormina and Isola Bella: Where the Lava Reached the Houses
One stop stands where a flow reached the houses and took them. Later, honey at Zafferana, Corso Umberto, the Greek Theatre, and the sand bar to Isola Bella.
Etna: the Schiena dell'Asino Path to the Valle del Bove
An easier Etna trail, 1,800 to 1,970 metres in three to four hours, ending above a valley eight kilometres across. Transport to the start is not included.
Etna to 2,950 m from Catania: Volcanological Guide and Winery Lunch
Above a set altitude Etna requires a licensed volcanological guide, so two guides come along. Winery lunch with two Etna DOC wines; 4x4 fee paid on the day.
Etna Trekking from Catania: the Day Is Planned with You Beforehand
The route and timings are agreed with the guide the day before, not fixed at booking. Optional ascent to 2,500 or 2,900 metres, cable car ticket aside.
Etna Trekking to Valle del Bove and the 1971 Serracozzo Lava Cave
Inside the Serracozzo tunnel from the 1971 eruption, then the Valle del Bove rim facing the summit craters. Italian breakfast first, lava-sand descent after.
Etna Trekking with a Private Guide: Half Day, or Full Day for Experts Only
Half-day routes suit anyone healthy; the full-day ones are for experts, and the operator says so. Three meeting points, one for each side of the mountain.
Etna Trek to 2,100 m and the 55-Metre Monpeloso Lava Tunnel
An easy grade with the numbers stated: about 2,100 metres, two hours of walking, 100 metres of ascent, and a 55-metre lava gallery dating from 252 AD.
Etna, Wine and Alcantara from Taormina: the Gorges Seen from Above
Pick-up in Taormina, the Sartorius craters on foot, a lava cave, then lunch with wine. The gorges are seen from the panoramic point, not from the riverbed.
Etna Wine Country from Taormina: Five Glasses and Two Estates
Six hours in the Etna wine country with a licensed local guide: a family winery with five glasses and cold cuts, then an old farmhouse for the food.
Etna with Angela, Maria Grazia and Daniele: the Route Chosen on the Day
Angela, Maria Grazia or Daniele meet you at 9:30 in Zafferana Etnea, and the route gets agreed there, with lava flows, craters and a cave in every version.
Etna Your Way, Then Taormina: Walk or Cable Car and 4x4
Choose the guided walk at Rifugio Sapienza or the cable car and 4x4 bus, with a lava cave, a honey and olive oil tasting, and free time in Taormina after.
Herculaneum's Boat, Pompeii and Trail No. 5 up Vesuvius
A private day with a driver and licensed guides at both gates, the restored boat at Herculaneum, and trail no. 5 up Vesuvius from the Piazzale at 1,000 m.
Hiking Etna's North Side: Eight Craters, a Lava Tunnel, Ten People Max
The quiet side of the mountain, with eight lateral craters and a lava tunnel. Groups of ten at most, a Francophone guide, and children from six years old.
Horses on Vesuvius at 500 m, at a Walking Pace
The horses go to 500 metres and no further, because local law keeps them off the crater, and the pace stays slow the whole way. Not a ride for galloping.
Kayaking into the Lava Tunnels of Vulcano, Three Grades
Paddle and swim into caves and tunnels cut in the lava, and into the thermal water that bubbles up in the bays. Three grades, from complete beginner upwards.
Lacryma Christi on the Slopes of Vesuvius, Four Hours
A walk through the vineyards on the slopes of Vesuvius, then a Mediterranean lunch with Falanghina, Lacryma Christi and Aglianico. Four hours, pick-up at 11.
Lacryma Christi, with Salami, Cheese and Ricotta Dessert
Lacryma Christi with a full sit-down lunch behind it: local salami and cheeses, organic tomato pasta, and sweetened ricotta for dessert. Vineyard walk first.
Lipari by Boat with the Pumice Sea, and Two Stops on Salina
A shared boat around Lipari, the turquoise water off the pumice, and two stops on Salina at Santa Marina and Lingua, where the salt lake is.
Lipari by Mahogany Boat: the Pumice Quarries and Cala Fico
An 8.5-metre mahogany boat with a shaded table aft, and swims at the old pumice quarries, Praia di Vinci and Cala Fico. Fruit, snacks and cold wine aboard.
Lipari to Vulcano by Wooden Boat, Right Round with Lunch at Gelso
A private wooden boat for seven hours, right round Vulcano past the Venus Pool and the Horse Cave, with lunch either at Vulcano Porto or down at Gelso.
Lunch at an Organic Farm on Vesuvius, Shuttle from Pompeii
An organic farm inside the national park, with cheeses, cured meats and local wines, and a free return shuttle from Pompeii. Capri is on the horizon.
Monti Sartorius and a Lava Cave, Six Hours from Taormina
Six hours with the walking at Monti Sartorius, up to 2,000 metres, a lava cave, and a snack with wine and a sweet wine tasting at the end. Pick-up on request.
Ratings collected by Viator, Tripadvisor, Civitatis and Tiqets