From Catania: Full-Day Mount Etna and Taormina Tour

About This Experience

This is a small-group van day, limited to 8 people, that covers Etna in the morning and Taormina in the afternoon. The listing starts at Rifugio Sapienza, with a walk past lava flows and extinct craters, then a lava cave visit with the provided cave kit.

After the volcano the van stops at a local organic farm to taste honey and other products. The itinerary lists a 45-minute welcome refreshment stop at Zafferana Etnea. On the road to Taormina you stop above the Isola Bella nature reserve for a view of the coast.

Taormina is free time of 1.5 hours, with lunch. The listing excludes lunch and also excludes an optional visit to the Greek Theatre, so both are paid extras. Admission to the Ancient Theatre is not included.

If you want the theatre, you can buy an official ticket (EUR 14 full price, checked 3 November 2026). With only 1.5 hours you must choose between a sit-down lunch and the theatre, or eat quickly. One reviewer in May 2026 ran out of time and did not reach the theatre, so plan the order before the guide releases the group.

The scanned option is the full-day tour in English, from about $106 per person (checked November 2026). A shared small-group option was unavailable until 1 May 2027. Guides speak English, Italian, French, Spanish and German.

Highlights

• Walk around Rifugio Sapienza, past lava flows and extinct craters
• A lava cave visit using the cave kit supplied
• A stop at an organic farm near Zafferana Etnea to taste honey and local products
• A viewpoint above the Isola Bella nature reserve on the way to Taormina
• 1.5 hours of free time in Taormina, with Palazzo Corvaja and the Greek Theatre on your list
• A small group capped at 8 people

What's Included

• ✓ Round-trip shuttle bus from your accommodation or nearby, with pickup available from the city center
• ✓ Multilingual tourist guide
• ✓ Kit for the cave visit
• ✓ Sampling of local products
• ✓ Trekking shoes on request, if asked when booking or by the day before
• ✓ Infant price includes a baby seat and baby carrier

Not Included

• Lunch
• Optional visit to the Greek Theatre
• Cable car with off-road bus and volcanic guide to the maximum reachable altitude

What to Bring

• A windbreaker
• Sports shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing
• Passport or ID card (a copy is accepted)
• Money for lunch and a theatre ticket

Good to Know & Caveats

• Lunch and the Greek Theatre visit are both excluded. Optional extras are available for a fee; ask your guide.
• Taormina is 1.5 hours of free time. A May 2026 reviewer ran out of time after lunch and did not see the theatre.
• The cable car and higher-altitude options are not included. A reviewer on a windy day was moved to a bus to about 2,500 meters.
• Reviewers mention a van that felt crowded with 8 people, and some pickups that did not match the hotel listed.
• Some reviewers say the tour ran closer to 8 hours than the 9 listed.
• Not suitable for people with mobility impairments; pets are not allowed.

Meeting Point

You are picked up at your accommodation in Catania or nearby; the listing shows three pickup and three drop-off options and says pickup is available from the city center. Start times show when you check availability.