Summit the south side of Mount Etna on a trek from Philosopher’s Tower

Explore the stunning volcanic craters of Mount Etna during a 1-day trek up its south side from Philosopher’s Tower with fully-certified mountain guide Alfio.

Group

1 Day

Mar - Oct

High

Intermediate

Highlights

* Summit the roof of Sicily and one of the world's most active volcano.

* Take in the breathtaking scenery of the rugged and powerful volcano.

* Benefit from having a fully-qualified guide accompanying you on the hike.

Description

The menacing Mount Etna abruptly rises 3,326 meters from the east coast of the island of Sicily.

The active stratovolcano towers on top of the meeting point between the Eurasian Plate and African Plate. Outside of the Caucasus, Mount Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe.

It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, so hiking to the summit and peering down offers a unique experience of witnessing one of the most powerful forces of nature.

Its size and strength has cultivated many myths that surround the imposing peak. In Greek mythology, Zeus trapped the deadly monster, Typhon, beneath the mountain.

First we’ll take the cable car to reach 2,500 meters above sea level, and then hitch a ride on a 4×4 to reach 2,900 meters.

Then we’ll discover a path that leads from the Philosopher’s Tower, an iconic tower that is in memory of Empedocles, an ancient Greek philosopher who ascended the volcano to study. It is said that he met his death by falling into the bubbling crater of Mount Etna.

The path reaches the summit after approximately 2 kilometers, through beautiful lava fields originating from the south side of the carter.

Reaching the peak, which is also the roof of Sicily, we’ll take note of our unique surroundings and tour around the depressions of the crater.

Picturesque panoramic views puncture the skyline where you’ll capture unforgettable memories.

Endemic plants spring from the fertile volcanic soil, which also ferments agriculture and vineyards.

Get in touch now to reserve your place on a thrilling hike to the summit of Mount Etna via the south side.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

Details

More info

It's compulsory to bring: layered clothing, trekking shoes, windbreaker, and packed lunch.

Meeting point

The Silvestri Craters Restaurant at 9:30am.

About the guide

Alfio

Mountain Guide

Languages

Italian | French | English

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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