Tour Etna Explorer 2,000m
The “Etna Explorer 2,000m” tour is the most complete, to get to know the most evocative places of the volcano. Tours on Etna accompanied by a semi-private and qualified expert guide, with a modern 4×4 minivan (8 seats) or small SUV (4 seats) equipped with air conditioning and all comforts, with transport license and specific insurances.
Pick-up Places
Summary
- Period: every day of the year
- Number of participants: from 2 to 8
- Languages: Italian and English
- Difficulty level: easy, also suitable for children
- Maximum altitude: approximately 2,000m
- Duration: approximately 6 hours, including hotel pick-ups and hotel drop-offs
- Stages: extinct craters at around 2,000 m altitude, lava tunnel, AA-type and pahoehoe-type lava flows, “dagala”
- Departure point: from hotels located in Catania, Acitrezza, Acireale, Giarre, Zafferana, Giardini Naxos, Taormina or agreed meeting points.
- Pickup service: we will pick you up directly at your hotel
- Departure / return time: approximately 9.00 am / approximately 2.30 pm. If you have to take a plane or train on the same afternoon, please let us know the time before booking the tour. Pick-up time: at 21.00 on the day before the tour we will inform you via whatsapp or e-mail to give you the exact departure time from your hotel or meeting point.
- Recommended clothing: comfortable and sturdy high boots, trekking type with Vibram sole and wind jacket. Tennis or trainers shoes are not among the best choices you can make for a tour of Etna. If you think you don't have the right equipment for the Etna tour, you can request it to be rented, indicating the sizes, within 24 hours before the tour. Click here.
To know
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED the use of boots that protect the ankles and a windbreaker. Bring them with you in your suitcase, or if you prefer you can also rent them by communicating the shoe sizes at least one day in advance.
RENTAL of high quality boots and wind jacket at €10 per person to be paid on the day of the tour.
Main stages
- the renowned inactive craters at around 2,000 m, with a breathtaking view and expanses of volcanic sand
- a “dagala”, an island of vegetation surrounded by dark lava flows
- the “pahoehoe” and “aa” type lava landscapes
- a lava tunnel
– pick up from your hotel in Catania, Acicastello, Acitrezza, Acireale, Giarre, Zafferana, Giardini Naxos, Taormina
– 8-seater 4×4 minivan or small 4-seater forward-facing SUV, equipped with specific licenses from the Municipality of Catania for passenger transport, specific civil liability insurance, air conditioning
– return to the hotel (same departure hotel), same city as the tour departure
– Certified and qualified guide, Geology and Tourism expert with over 20 years of experience
– Civil liability insurance, as per current legislation
– any tips, any food, any drinks, ascents above 2,000 m
fee, returns at the end of the tour to other cities or locations.
– equipment rental service: boots and windbreaker
(click here to request the rental service)
Discover together with our expert and professional guides (Italian and English spoken) the secrets of the Etna volcano on board of modern and new 8-seater 4X4 MINIVANS and 4-seater SUVs, with forward-facing seats and equipped with air conditioning, of all comfort, all safety systems and specific insurances.
We will pick you up at the hotel on the day of your choice and you will be part of a small group of a maximum of 8 people. If you stay in other cities other than Catania (Acitrezza, Acireale, Giarre, Zafferana, Giardini Naxos, Taormina), we will agree on an easy-to-reach meeting point, where you can park your car and meet your guide. If you prefer to reach one of our meeting points by train, by bus or by taxi, you can request to leave from the Catania train station or Catania bus terminal. If you come to Catania by ship or sailing boat, you can request to leave from the Port of Catania.
The Etna tour begins in the morning and ends in the early afternoon. The departure time of the tour from your hotel will be communicated to you via whatsapp or e-mail the evening before the tour, at 21.00. If you need personalized departure times or if you decide the duration of the tour, or if you have a private guide exclusively for you, not to be shared with anyone, or a personalized itinerary, or if you even start from one city and return to another city, you can request a private tour of Etna, click here.
The Etna Explorer 2,000 m tour is an easy tour, also suitable for children, specially created for those who, not wanting to engage in difficult excursions and trekking, want to discover, with a competent guide always at their side, the most evocative places around the Etna volcano at 2,000 m above sea level, among woods, endemic flora, solidified lava flows, lava tunnels, lunar landscapes, breathtaking views and everything that Etna can offer to the most attentive visitors. Short and easy walks, also suitable for children to discover the different aspects of the volcano, together with an expert guide of the places and passionate about Etna, who will enthusiastically explain to you the volcanic phenomena, the places visited and the habits of those who live on the slopes of Etna volcano.
The Geo Etna Explorer guides will help you to discover and to touch the main volcanic rocks present on Etna, from the black sand, to the fragile lapilli, to the hard basalt and will always be ready to professionally answer your questions and satisfy your curiosities. During the tour, the guide will convey to you all his love for the territory and the Etna environments. The duration of the tour is approximately 6 hours including hotel pick-up and drop-off.
What time will I know the exact pick-up time at my hotel?
At 21.00 on the day before the tour we will contact you to inform you of the departure time.
What is the minimum age for children to participate in your tours?
There is no real minimum age for the Etna Explorer 2,000 m tour.
What equipment do I need to carry out the Etna tour?
On Etna the temperature, windiness and weather conditions in general can vary rapidly and in all seasons. To participate in the Etna tour, sturdy protective boots (suitable for use on abrasive volcanic rock) and a wind jacket are required. If you think you don’t have the appropriate equipment, you can rent it: high quality boots + windbreaker = Total €10 per person. To be requested by the day before.
Can I bring my pet with me?
We love pets. But we must inform you that it is not a given that this is the case for all tour participants (sharing), so we invite you to book a private tour so as to avoid any problems for the other tour participants, related to allergies or phobias. We thank you in advance for the sensitivity and respect that you will certainly have towards the other participants in the tour.
Can I bring suitcases or trolleys with me?
Our vehicles do not have dedicated spaces for luggage and suitcases. If you have luggage or baby strollers with you, contact us before booking the tour. We will find a solution suited to your needs.
Are your Etna tours suitable for families with children?
Yes, of course. However, we ask you to let us know in advance what you need, such as a child seat or booster seat to meet the needs of little explorers. For high altitude tours (Etna 3,000 m experience), the minimum age to participate is 6 years, while for all other tours there is no real minimum age. If you prefer to be more free with your children, consider booking a private tour of Etna to have more time to dedicate to them and to fully satisfy their needs.
Do your tours include trekking activities?
If by trekking you mean long walks lasting several hours, the answer is no. If by trekking you mean easy and short walks and also suitable for children, in this case the answer is yes. In any case, consider the opportunity to book a private tour of Etna in which you can request a specific trekking itinerary that can satisfy your needs.
Can I have pick-up from one hotel and drop-off at another?
On shared tours the pick-up location always corresponds to the tour drop-off location. In any case we ask you, before booking, to contact us and submit your specific needs. We will try, if possible, to satisfy your request. In any case, consider the opportunity to book a private tour of Etna, in which starting from one place and returning to another place is possible.
Do you carry out tours on Etna all year round?
Tours on Etna take place every day of the week and in all seasons, therefore all year round. It is clear that, in the winter period, in rare cases quantifiable in a few days a year, due to heavy snowfalls, the tour service on Etna may not be guaranteed. During the tour, for reasons not attributable to our will and due to restrictions (by the Civil Protection and the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology), due to possible volcanic activity, the guide, without notice, may partially modify the itinerary without the value of the tour being diminished in any way.
Will we stay inside your vehicles for the duration of the tour?
No, as after reaching Etna, you will travel on foot for short distances to discover with your guide the most interesting and fascinating places that the volcano offers. The walks are easy and short and also suitable for children. However, if you cannot or do not want to walk, let the guide know at the beginning of the tour who will be able to meet your needs to allow you to have a beautiful and interesting experience on Etna in any case.
What time will I be picked up from my hotel?
The day before your excursion, at 21.00, you will receive via WhatsApp or email all the information relating to the place and time of the tour departure.
What languages does your guide speak?
English and Italian.
With which vehicle is the Etna tour carried out?
Geo Etna Explorer uses vehicles authorized for the transport of people in accordance with current legislation and equipped with specific insurance, new and modern MINIVAN 4×4 / SUV, with forward-facing seats and equipped with air conditioning, all comforts and all security systems.
What happens in case of adverse weather conditions?
In the winter period, in rare cases quantifiable in just a few days a year, due to heavy snowfalls, the tour service on Etna may not be guaranteed. During the tour, for reasons beyond our control and due to exceptional and adverse weather conditions, the guide, without notice, may partially modify the itinerary without decreasing the value of the tour.
I booked the Etna 3,000 m experience tour. Is it always possible to reach this altitude?
For safety reasons, on the highest active volcano in Europe (Etna), the Sicilian Civil Protection Department, in agreement with the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, will communicate daily what exact altitude it is possible to reach on Etna during guided tours to maintain a high standard of prevention and safety. The agreed price of the tour does not vary depending on the duration or the achievable altitude.
How can I contact you?
We are happy to help you with any of your needs or requirements: you can contact us via WhatsApp +39 349 610 9957 or via email tour@geoetna.net
