The calendar below shows live dates and prices for the summit hike, including the 3,000 m, 3,400 m and pickup options. It currently offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
The tour we'd compare first
For a first visit, the crater walk at about 3,000 m is what most people come to Etna for, and the Sicilying hike has the longest review history of any guided climb, rated 4.7 from more than 6,000 reviews. Other treks from the same car park cost a few dollars more or less, but they ask you to pay the lifts in cash on the day too, and none of them has as many reviews. Its listing also sells a Catania pickup and a 3,400 m option, which costs €82 (about $93) on the day instead of €54, so about $155 in total. Summit access depends on conditions on the day, so we'd book the 3,000 m version and treat anything higher as a bonus.
The trek to 3,000 m with cable car and 4x4 (meet at Rifugio Sapienza) is the closest alternative. Its listing asks €45 (about $51) on site for the cable car and 4x4, so it comes to about $113, and it is rated 4.6 from more than 4,600 reviews. It has no pickup option.
If you don't want to deal with the lifts
The Catania morning or sunset tour collects you in Catania for a light walk on the 2,000 m craters, a lava cave and a tasting, from $66. It is rated 4.8 from more than 4,300 reviews. You don't go up to the summit craters, and the price is the whole price.
Check availability & pricesIf you have no car
The trek to 3,000 m with Catania pickup is from $100, plus the €54 (about $61) cable car on the day, so about $161. It is rated 4.9 from more than 200 reviews and includes a drone video at the top. On your own with a car, the same operator's meet-on-the-mountain version is from $67.
Check availability & pricesIf you want Etna and the Alcantara Gorges in one trip
The Etna and Alcantara Gorges day with lunch (from Catania or Taormina) is from $95, rated 4.8 from more than 2,900 reviews. Lunch and the gorge entrance are included, so there is nothing to add unless you want the high craters.
Check availability & pricesIf you want to see the craters from the air
The shared helicopter flight from Fiumefreddo is $396 per person for 30 minutes, rated 4.9 from more than 200 reviews. It is the only way to see the summit craters from above, and it costs about three times a guided climb.
Check availability & pricesEverything further down is the detail behind these: the prices at each level, what you pay on the mountain, where the tours start, and the full table.
What do you get as you spend more?
Mostly altitude and transport. The view from the craters is the same whoever takes you there; what you pay for is how high you go, who drives, and whether lunch is part of the day.
About $45 to $90: the lower slopes. Coach and minibus tours to the extinct craters around 2,000 m, usually with a lava cave and a tasting. Most of the well-reviewed small-group tours from Catania cost $60 to $70, with hotel pickup and nothing to pay later. The Catania morning excursion is from $61, rated 4.7 from more than 1,600 reviews. Lower-slope tours that add lunch, a winery or a jeep cost more, from about $110 to $170.
About $110 to $175 with the lifts: the summit craters. A volcanological guide is required above about 2,900 m, so these are guided treks to 3,000 m or higher. The guide costs from about $43 to $85 and the cable car and 4x4 add €45 to €82 on the day. With pickup from Catania the total is about $160 to $205. The small-group summit crater trek (meet at Rifugio Sapienza) is from $73 plus €65 (about $73), so about $146, rated 4.8 from more than 2,200 reviews.
About $90 to $155: full days. These add a second place, usually Taormina or the Alcantara Gorges, and lunch on the dearer ones. The Etna and Taormina day with lunch from Catania is from $107, rated 4.9 from more than 600 reviews; museum and monument entry in Taormina is extra.
Above about $190: everything included, private or by air. The guided crater trek from Catania is from $190 with the transfer, cable car and 4x4 included, so there is nothing to pay on the day. The well-reviewed private 4x4 from Taormina starts at about $450, and helicopter flights at $396 per seat.
Other experiences you might enjoy in eastern Sicily
If you have a few days around the volcano, travellers often add a Taormina walking tour, a boat trip to Isola Bella, the Alcantara Gorges, a day in Syracuse and Ortigia, or a Catania street-food tour.
What do you pay on the mountain?
On most crater treks, the booking covers the guide, the helmet and the boots, and you pay for the cable car and the 4x4 bus when you arrive. The official fares are set by the Funivia dell'Etna: €54 (about $61) for the round-trip cable car to 2,500 m, and €82 (about $93) for its Tour 3,000 m, which adds the 4x4 and a guide. Children up to 10 pay €31 and €51. Tour operators pass on their own figure, which their listings put anywhere from €45 to €82, and several ask for cash.
| Tour (starts from) | From | Paid on the day | About in total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trek to 3,000 m with cable car and 4x4 (Rifugio Sapienza) | $62 | €45 (about $51) | $113 |
| Guided summit hike (Sicilying), 3,000 m (Rifugio Sapienza) | $62 | €54 (about $61) | $123 |
| Summit trekking tour (meet on the mountain) | $67 | €60 (about $68), cash | $135 |
| Piano Provenzana hike to 3,380 m (Piano Provenzana, north side) | $73 | €60 (about $68), cash | $141 |
| Summit crater trek with cable car (small group) (Rifugio Sapienza) | $73 | €65 (about $73) | $146 |
| Summit craters trek with volcano guide (Rifugio Sapienza) | $73 | €65 (about $73), cash | $146 |
| Guided summit hike (Sicilying), 3,400 m (Rifugio Sapienza) | $62 | €82 (about $93) | $155 |
| Trek to 3,000 m with Catania pickup (Catania) | $100 | €54 (about $61) | $161 |
| Up to 3,400 m by 4x4, Catania pickup (Catania) | $89 | €82 (about $93), cash | $182 |
| Cable car, 4x4 + guided trek, from Catania (Catania) | $190 | Nothing | $190 |
Adult fares. The €82 for the Catania 4x4 trek comes from the operator's reply to a review; the other fees are from each listing.
Some of the cheaper treks leave the amount out of the listing. The excursion to 3,000 m with cable car and jeep (meet at La Cantoniera, beside the cable car) is from $43, rated 4.6 from more than 800 reviews, and the same operator's version with Catania pickup is from $79; travellers on the pickup version report paying about €70 (about $79) for the cable car and 4x4. Ask the operator before you book if you want the exact figure.
If the summit is closed on the day, which happens often with wind, snow or raised volcanic activity, groups walk the 3,000 m route instead, and some operators charge only the cable car part of the fee. The cable car itself also closes for wind and maintenance, and 4x4 buses replace it at the same price. Our cable car tickets and cost guide covers the fares in more detail.
Where do Etna tours start?
Most start in Catania, about an hour from Rifugio Sapienza on the south side, and the pickup tours collect you from your hotel or a central meeting point. If you have a car, the cheapest guided climbs meet you at Rifugio Sapienza or, on the quieter north side, at Piano Provenzana; you drive yourself, and on the north side you pay for parking.
From Taormina the tours cost a little more for the longer drive. One operator's sunset tour with a cave visit is $66 from Catania and $88 from Taormina, and for the summit craters there is the upper craters day tour, from $135 with the 4x4 included and rated 4.4 from more than 600 reviews. Our Etna tours from Taormina guide compares them.
From Syracuse, the trek, wine and food day is from $86 for seven and a half hours, rated 4.8 from more than 200 reviews. From Palermo it is a long day: the Etna and Taormina excursion is from $130 for 12 hours, rated 4.1 from more than 1,000 reviews, and the cable car is extra. If you are staying in Palermo, a night in Catania gives you a much shorter and cheaper Etna day.
Mount Etna tour prices compared
Prices checked 1 October 2026. Operators use dynamic pricing, so these figures are a guide; check the booking page for the current price. Every tour here is linked, with its rating and review count beside it; a low count is a reason for caution rather than a verdict.
| Tour | From price | Paid on the day | Duration | Starts from | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower slopes, around 2,000 m | |||||
| Panoramic bus with audio guide ★ 4.1 · 548 reviews | $50 | Optional extras | 6 hours | Catania | Coach with audio guide and three and a half hours of free time |
| Guided bus tour ★ 4.4 · 73 reviews | $54 | Lift ticket | 7h 30m | Taormina | Coach with a guide; the lift ticket is extra |
| Morning excursion with tasting and pickup ★ 4.7 · 1,622 reviews | $61 | Nothing | 6 hours | Catania, pickup | Small group, lava cave, local tasting |
| Sunset tour with pickup and drop-off ★ 4.8 · 1,859 reviews | $61 | Nothing | 5 hours | Catania, meeting point | Sunset walk, lava cave, tasting |
| Sunset guided tour with pickup ★ 5.0 · 771 reviews | $62 | Nothing | 5 hours | Catania, pickup | Sunset walk on extinct craters, cave, farm tasting |
| Morning or sunset tour with pickup and tasting ★ 4.8 · 4,396 reviews | $66 | Nothing | 6 hours | Catania, pickup | Light trek, lava cave, tasting |
| Sunset tour, lava cave by jeep and van ★ 4.7 · 2,682 reviews | $67 | Nothing | 5 hours | Catania, meeting point | Sunset, lava cave, jeep and van |
| Morning tour with 4x4 vehicles ★ 4.9 · 847 reviews | $78 | Nothing | 5h 30m | Catania, pickup | Morning in a 4x4, lava cave |
| Trekking beyond the tourist trails ★ 4.9 · 1,819 reviews | $84 | Nothing | 7 hours | Catania, meeting point | Longer hike off the main trails, small group |
| Tour with hiking, cave visit and tastings ★ 4.7 · 766 reviews | $88 | Nothing | 7 hours | Taormina, pickup | Hike, lava cave, tastings |
| Half-day morning trek with light lunch ★ 4.9 · 548 reviews | $111 | Nothing | 6h 30m | Taormina, pickup | Morning trek and light lunch |
| Summit craters, 3,000 m and above | |||||
| Excursion to 3,000 m with cable car and jeep ★ 4.6 · 816 reviews | $43 | Cable car and jeep, amount not listed | 4 hours | La Cantoniera, by the cable car | Guided trek to 3,000 m |
| Trek to 3,000 m with cable car and 4x4 ★ 4.6 · 4,691 reviews | $62 | €45 (about $51) | 5 hours | Rifugio Sapienza | Guided trek to 3,000 m |
| Guided summit hike (Sicilying) ★ 4.7 · 6,028 reviews | $62 | €54 (about $61), or €82 for 3,400 m | 5 hours | Rifugio Sapienza, pickup optional | Guided trek to 3,000 m, or the summit |
| Summit trekking tour ★ 4.9 · 591 reviews | $67 | €60 (about $68), cash | 5 hours | Meet on the mountain | Summit trek, small group |
| Summit crater trek with cable car (small group) ★ 4.8 · 2,257 reviews | $73 | €65 (about $73) | 5 hours | Rifugio Sapienza | Summit trek, small group |
| Summit craters trek with volcano guide ★ 4.7 · 2,021 reviews | $73 | €65 (about $73), cash | 6 hours | Rifugio Sapienza | Summit craters trek to 3,350 m |
| Piano Provenzana hike to 3,380 m ★ 4.7 · 68 reviews | $73 | €60 (about $68), cash | 5 hours | Piano Provenzana | North-side trek to 3,380 m |
| North upper craters by 4x4 with trek ★ 4.6 · 419 reviews | $90 | Nothing | 2h 30m | Piano Provenzana | North side by 4x4 with a short trek |
| Summit trek with drone video ★ 5.0 · 89 reviews | $79 | €82 (about $93) | 6 hours | Rifugio Sapienza, pickup optional | Trek to 3,350 m with drone video |
| 3,000 m with cable car and jeep, Catania pickup ★ 4.7 · 217 reviews | $79 | Cable car and jeep, about €70 reported | 5 hours | Catania, pickup | Guided trek to 3,000 m |
| Trek to 3,000 m with Catania pickup ★ 4.9 · 275 reviews | $100 | €54 (about $61) | 5 hours | Catania, pickup | Trek to 3,000 m with drone video |
| Summit trek to 3,400 m with Catania pickup ★ 5.0 · 65 reviews | $112 | €82 (about $93) | 5 hours | Catania, pickup | Summit trek to 3,400 m |
| Upper craters day tour from Taormina ★ 4.4 · 675 reviews | $135 | Nothing | 7 hours | Taormina | Upper craters by 4x4 with an alpine guide |
| Cable car + guided trek, from Catania ★ 4.2 · 302 reviews | $147 | Nothing | 6 hours | Catania, transfer | Guided trek to about 3,000 m, cable car included |
| Cable car, 4x4 + guided trek, from Catania ★ 4.3 · 1,823 reviews | $190 | Nothing | 6 hours | Catania, transfer | Guided crater trek, cable car and 4x4 included |
| Full days | |||||
| Etna and Alcantara Gorges with lunch ★ 4.8 · 2,944 reviews | $95 | Nothing | 8 hours | Catania or Taormina, pickup | Lava cave, Alcantara Gorges entry, lunch |
| Etna and Taormina with lunch ★ 4.9 · 606 reviews | $107 | Entrance tickets | 9 hours | Catania, pickup | Etna and Taormina, lunch and a glass of wine |
| Etna, wine and Alcantara with lunch ★ 4.8 · 544 reviews | $107 | Nothing | 8 hours | Catania, pickup | Etna, Alcantara Gorges entry, wine and lunch |
| Etna, wine and Alcantara Canyons ★ 4.8 · 517 reviews | $152 | Nothing | 8h 30m | Taormina, pickup | Etna, wine, Alcantara and lunch; entry fees included |
| Etna and Taormina full day ★ 4.1 · 1,077 reviews | $130 | Cable car | 12 hours | Palermo | 12-hour day with Taormina |
Prices are per person. Euro amounts are converted at EUR 1 = $1.1298 (ECB rate, 1 October 2026) and are approximate.
Quads, private tours and helicopter flights
These are priced differently, so they sit outside the table.
- Quads: the two-hour quad tour (meet at the operator in Nicolosi) is $113 per quad, for up to two people sharing one machine, rated 4.7 from more than 1,400 reviews. From Taormina, the one-hour ATV tour is $89 per quad, rated 4.8 from more than 300 reviews; reviewers there have booked two places expecting two quads, so book two quads if you each want to drive.
- A private 4x4: the private 4x4 tour from Taormina is from $452 for one person, with the price for your party shown when you pick a date. It is rated 4.8 from more than 100 reviews, and the cable car is extra if you want to go higher.
- A private helicopter: the private helicopter flight is $1,416 for up to five people, about $283 each if you fill it, rated 5.0 from 22 reviews.
There are other private day trips from Syracuse, Messina and Catania, but most have only a handful of reviews so far, so we have left them out.
Tours that offer less for the price
The all-inclusive crater trek (from Catania) is the simplest to book: a guided trek to the central craters with the transfer and the lifts included, at $190. The Catania pickup trek comes to about $161 with its cable car fee and is rated 4.9 against 4.3, so you pay about $29 for not handling cash on the day. The same operator's trek with the cable car only, at $147 without the 4x4, is rated 4.2 from more than 300 reviews.
The panoramic bus from Catania is cheaper, from $50, but it is mostly a coach ride and free time, rated 4.1 from more than 500 reviews. For about $11 more, the Catania morning excursion adds a guide, a lava cave and a tasting, with pickup.
What stays the same whatever you pay
Paying more does not get you a different view. The craters and the cable car are the same whoever takes you there, and every tour here offers free cancellation, up to 24 hours before on most and three days before on the helicopter flights. Whether you reach the summit depends on the weather and the volcano on the day, not on the tour you booked. What changes with the price is how high you go, who drives you, and whether lunch is part of the day.
Is it worth paying more?
Pay for the high craters if the summit is the reason you are going to Etna: from about $113 all in from Rifugio Sapienza, or about $161 with pickup from Catania. If you mainly want to see the volcano and a lava cave and be back for lunch, a $60 to $70 tour from Catania does that well, and the full days are worth it only if you also want Taormina or the gorges.
FAQ
How much does a Mount Etna tour cost?
Most guided Etna tours cost from about $60 to $110 per person. Lower-slope tours from Catania with pickup start at about $60, guided treks to the 3,000 m craters cost about $110 to $175 once you add the cable car and 4x4 (about $160 to $205 with pickup from Catania), and full days run from about $90 to $155.
Is the cable car included in Etna tours?
On most crater treks it is not. The listing covers the guide and you pay the cable car and 4x4 at the mountain, usually €45 to €82 (about $51 to $93), sometimes in cash. Lower-slope tours and a few all-inclusive tickets have nothing extra to pay.
How much is the Etna cable car?
The Funivia dell'Etna charges €54 (about $61) for an adult round trip to 2,500 m and €82 (about $93) for its Tour 3,000 m with the 4x4 and a guide. Children up to 10 pay €31 and €51.
How much more does hotel pickup cost?
About $33 per person from Catania, comparing the same operator's treks with and without pickup. The same day tour costs about $22 more from Taormina than from Catania.
Do Etna tour prices include lunch?
Usually only on the full-day tours. Half-day tours often include a tasting of local products, and the crater treks include nothing to eat, so bring water and snacks.
Prices and sources
Tour prices, ratings and inclusions are from each tour's GetYourGuide page, and the cable car fares from the Funivia dell'Etna's own ticket site, all as of 1 October 2026. Prices change with the season and the date you pick. We earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.