Etna: Trekking to the summit craters at 3340 meters

Enjoy a unique experience on Mount Etna, amidst breathtaking views and the charm of an active volcano. The tour starts at an altitude of 1900 m and includes a 2-hour trek to the summit craters at about 3300 m.

The hiking itinerary described below represents everything a hiker is looking for: reaching a summit, seeing and feeling the breath of an active volcano, admiring breathtaking views, and enjoying a unique experience! The proposed tour starts from the Rifugio Sapienza area (altitude 1900 meters). You will first take the cable car up to 2,500 meters, and then 4x4 minibuses up to 2,850 meters. You will begin your trek towards the summit craters and, after a route of about 2 hours that winds through very recent lava flows and stretches of sand and volcanic lapilli, you will reach the summit craters of Mount Etna at 3340 meters. You will walk along the rim of the Central Crater to admire the two main conduits: "la voragine" and the "bocca nuova". You will continue towards the southeast crater, which has given rise to most of the eruptive events in recent decades, and after admiring the surrounding views and taking unforgettable photos, you will begin the descent on a sandy slope. In a quick and fun way, you will return to about 3,000 meters, where you will stop for a well-deserved lunch break. After the break, you will continue the descent until you reach the northern base of the Barbagallo craters (lateral eruption of 2002/2003), walk around their perimeter, and descend to the mouth of a lava flow channel (a canyon formed by lava), which you will enter. You will then continue the descent until you reach the viewpoint of the evocative "Valle del Bove" (an ancient caldera that originated about 9,000 years ago from the collapse of Etna's old eruptive centers) and, after a short stop, you will continue towards the lateral crater formed during the 2001 eruption, and then finish the descent to the cable car, which will take you back to the starting point. Important information: the day before the hike, our guide will provide you with all the useful directions and information you need for the trekking.