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After spending the majority of my money on cannoli during my time in Sicily, I realized that I had to be picky about what I could do during the rest of my time there. Sicily offers countless towns, villages, and activities to explore, but one experience in particular caught my interest the most.
I’ve been a total volcano geek since I was a kid, obsessing over how surreal of a concept they are. So when I was in Catania, it was a no-brainer to see Mt. Etna, the biggest active volcano in Europe.
My friend and I couldn’t afford to spend €150+ on a tour, so we had to strategize the cheapest way to explore this volcano. We did a fair share of research to find the most affordable way and found a couple of guides that ended up lacking crucial information.
We encountered problem after problem, so I decided to create my own guide for the best way to tour Mt. Etna without spending a fortune (because that’s often made out to be the only option).
How to Get to Mt. Etna
My friend Julia and I were doing a Workaway just outside of Catania, volunteering at a hotel in exchange for food and accommodation. During our time off, we chose a few towns to visit and saved Mt. Etna for our second to last day.
Of course, like every other day off we had, the weather didn’t cooperate and our hosts said we’d be stupid to try to go up there during a blizzard (in late April). Which, well… makes sense. But sometimes, my ambition overrides my logic, so it was good that they told us this.
Fortunately, we still had our last day to go, and the weather was forecasted to be much clearer. So, we woke up at 5:45 a.m., caught a 6:30 a.m. bus in Aci Trezza, and got to Catania with enough time to catch the bus to Mt. Etna—the only bus to Mt. Etna…
Best Tips & Tools to Plan Your Trip
Yes, someone thought it was a brilliant idea to have one bus per day heading to the volcano, one that departs at 8:15 am. If you missed this bus, the only way to get there is to drop a fortune on a taxi. The same goes for the bus back to Catania; there’s only one and it leaves at 4:30 pm. It’s an hour-and-a-half journey each way.
I had bought the bus tickets ahead of time online and my friend and I got there half an hour before it was supposed to depart. Once it was time to board, we weren’t allowed on. Dumbfounded, I told them I had already bought tickets. The bus driver shrugged and told me the bus was already full. My blood was boiling, knowing this was our last day here and we couldn’t afford to take a taxi.
“There’s no second bus?” I asked in desperation.
“No, you can go tomorrow.”
I was cussing under my breath, secretly losing my mind.
Lesson Learned
Get to the bus EVEN EARLIER (45 minutes to an hour) & don’t buy tickets until you are guaranteed a spot on the bus. You can buy them directly on the bus which is much easier than dealing with the website/app. It costs €6.60 each way. The bus departs from Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII which is right by the Catania Centrale train station. There are a lot of buses there and the labels are subpar, again another reason to arrive early. We just went around asking people where the Etna bus takes off from. I also advise giving yourself a couple of contingency days to visit in case the weather is bad or you can’t board the bus.
Read More: Behind the Scenes of Workaway: Lessons Learned Volunteering on an Italian Farm
A Fortunate Solution
There was a huddle of other people outside of the bus with the same issue – but they were smart enough to not buy tickets ahead of time. The amount of times I’ve been burned for not getting bus tickets ahead of time AND getting them ahead of time is ridiculous. Nothing at all about public transportation is clear in Sicily – honestly, it’s one of the worst systems I’ve ever seen.
There were some savvy taxi drivers hanging out near the bus, preying on those who didn’t make it. They kept hurling prices our way while I was shooing them away, attempting to think of any other option. Then, I decided to get some of these random people involved and successfully convinced two of them to share a taxi with us thinking we could all split the fare.
The taxi driver didn’t allow this and proposed a deal – that we would EACH pay €30 roundtrip. Considering every other website said you’d have to cough up €100 for a taxi there and another €100 for a taxi back this was an insane deal. Luckily, Julia was able to whittle the price down to €25 per person because she’s a negotiating genius.
We befriended the French couple we shared the Taxi with, who had signed up for one of the expensive tours. We exchanged numbers with the plan to pick their brain about whether or not it was worth it afterward.
No Functioning ATMs
When we arrived, we realized the taxi driver didn’t take credit cards (some do, some don’t) and of course, we didn’t have enough cash (because we already had bought the bus tickets and didn’t think we needed any). We let the taxi driver know and he directed us toward an ATM… that, of course, didn’t work. There had to be others, right? Wrong. That was the only ATM on the volcano. Even though most shops only took cash.
We ran around begging businesses for cashback on our card but that wasn’t something anyone offered. Our last idea was to “pay an advance.” We were €20 short, so I begged this driver to only pay the 30 now and then when we got back to Catania, we’d find an ATM and pay him the rest. He was kind and told us that was no problem. 99% of the people we met in Sicily were some of the kindest people we’ve ever met.
Lesson Learned
Get cash ahead of time, just in case. We thought thirty would be enough without knowing we’d have to pay for a taxi, but it’s good to have extra because the one ATM is unreliable. Some restaurants and shops do take card, but many do not so come prepared.
Options for Exploring Mt. Etna
During our research, we learned that there are a few options for exploring Mt. Etna:
1. Buy a Tour
Pros:
- Usually, they have hotel pick-up options, so you don’t have to worry about transport
- You don’t have to worry about paying for the cable or a way to get to the top (often included)
- More privileges: You need a guide to reach the summit and have a chance to see lava. Plus, having a tour guide enhances the experience
- Variety of choices based on what you want to see/do
Cons:
- Options tend to be very expensive
- Little opportunity to explore on your own
- Sometimes the groups are really big so be sure to check group size before booking your tour
- Tours can get canceled if the volcano is too active.
Best Tour Options
2. Cable Car Self-Guided Tour
Pros:
- It’s faster and easier to get up the volcano
- You have the option to explore on your own and do the hikes at the top
- Without spending time and energy on hiking up the first part, you can spend more time doing the interesting hikes at the top
- Beautiful views from the cable car
Cons:
- Roundtrip cable car rides are expensive. See below
- You still don’t reach the summit. You’d have to book a separate tour for that. See above for tour options that include the cable car experience
Cable Car Ticket Options
- Option 1: To reach 2500 meters, it costs €50 for adults and €30 for kids.
- Option 2: If you want to reach 2900 meters, it costs €78 for adults and €50 for kids. This option includes the cable car, a 4×4 vehicle, and a 60-minute walk with a guide.
*You can not buy these tickets online but you can learn more about the options offered and submit a pre-booking request here.
3. Self-Guided Hike Without Cable Car
Pros:
- It’s free (besides getting there)
- Very rewarding. Feels like you earn the view
- You get to experience beautiful sights while you hike.
Cons:
- More limited – you don’t get to go to the summit
- Very challenging. That hike was no joke
- Time-consuming
Our Choice: Self-Guided Tour Without Cable Car
After dropping four times as much money than we thought we would on transportation, there was no question that we had to choose the free option. But of course, there is no signage or anything indicating where this trail starts.
After wandering aimlessly and asking around, we discovered that you just have to follow the cable car up. We stood at the bottom of the cable car, looking up, thinking there was no way this was the trail. It was steep and hardly defined. Maybe this was just the first part?
No – it was like that the entire way. And it was one of the most challenging hikes of my life. But my friend and I stopped every ten feet to admire the view and it was totally worth it. There was still snow from the previous day and it was chilly – but once we got our blood moving, we shed some layers. Part of the time, we were hiking through the clouds, which felt completely surreal, other times, the sun blessed us. After about two hours, we reached the top of the cable car (with lots of breaks).
The views were stunning. We had a clear view of the summit, where smoke was actively billowing from the top. It was mesmerizing to watch. We grabbed some lunch at the café at the top and cannoli for dessert (duh).
From there, we wanted to hike up a little further to see some craters, but we quickly realized we didn’t have time. We made an arrangement with the taxi driver to pick us up at 3 p.m.
*This hike is not for beginner hikers. Julia and I are not the most avid hikers, but we were born and raised in the Colorado mountains and still had a challenging time. If you feel physically unfit, look into other options. They also have jeep tours and shuttles.
The Descent
The hike down was far easier but presented some unexpected challenges. Due to the grade of the hill and the lava rock gravel, we were slipping and sliding the whole way down. Our joints started to ache trying to slide down safely. It was kind of fun at times. Even though we took hardly any breaks, it still took us 2 hours to get back down which was really surprising.
Although we were bummed we couldn’t do the crater hike at the top, we saw some awesome craters on the descent. We even saw trails around them, so it is possible to hike around the other craters as well.
So allow yourself 3-4 hours to hike up and down. Wearing proper footwear (sturdy hiking boots) also would’ve helped.
Lesson Learned
Ensure you bring appropriate clothing and footwear, and plan accordingly for weather conditions, timing, and the physical demands of the activity
What to Wear and Bring on Your Mt. Etna Hike
Etna has different conditions depending on when you go, but it’s crucial to bring layers. Even in the summer, it can get chilly up there. The altitude is nearly 11,000 feet (3,329 meters) at the summit. We went in late April and there was snow. I packed for a three-month “spring” trip, so I didn’t have terribly warm gear.
I just layered up as much as possible, used a scarf as a hat, and used some work gloves I found that weren’t terribly effective at keeping my hands warm. Hiking boots would have been ideal, but all I had were sneakers. If you want to be better prepared than me, I suggest bringing the following:
- Warm waterproof jacket
- Fleece layers
- Light shirt underneath in case you get warm
- Warm but breathable hiking pants
- Hiking boots
- Warm socks
- Hat
- Gloves
- Scarf
- Sunglasses
Other things to bring:
- Snacks
- Sunscreen
- Lots of water
- Lunch if you don’t want to spend money at the cafes (they’re fairly expensive but the one at the top wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be)
- Backpack
They also have jacket rentals available in case you came improperly dressed.
We were really proud of ourselves for accomplishing such a strenuous hike and earning that view. Yes, it was challenging but it was both the cheapest way to see Etna and perhaps the most rewarding. If you are on a budget traveling in Sicily, don’t let that stop you from seeing Mt. Etna. Just get to the bus early, come prepared with cash just in case, and bring lots of layers.
If You Go:
- Etna
- Bus info (translate the page to English)
- Cable Car
- Etna Tours
- Etna can be dangerous! It’s an active volcano. Check conditions ahead of time.
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