Description
The Etna tour with winery lunch is made for anyone who likes the outdoors, local food and wine. Friendly guides pick you up in a van or jeep at your hotel, B&B, harbour, station or airport, and on the drive they give you a first introduction to the mountain and the towns you pass.
After a brief coffee break, a light trek begins at about 2,000 metres, suitable for everyone. The path crosses pine and birch woods and lava fields in a moon-like setting, and ends at the rim of a few extinct craters. Then you enter a lava flow cave wearing a helmet and a lamp, and the guide explains how it formed and how people used it: centuries ago, residents of the area produced ice in such caves.
Then comes the tasting part. You visit one of the wineries on the slopes of Etna, then sit down to a fixed-menu lunch in a genuine cantina with DOC wines and local specialities, the guide still beside you. Afterwards the van or jeep returns you to where you started.
- Transport and a hiking guide
- Helmets, lamps and trekking shoes on request
- Lunch and a wine tasting at the winery
Pack comfortable shoes, a litre of water, a hat, sunscreen and a light jacket. A ticket for the summit craters is an optional extra.