How to combine your sense of adventure together with the desire to discover the gastronomical delights of Sicily? Easy! With this private tour you will hike Mount Etna together with a private guide, and at the end of the excursion you will sample a lunch full of typical Sicilian delicacies.
Take an adventurous walk on the most active European volcano
Depending on the choice you make during booking time, you will be picked up in Taormina or Giardini di Naxos, and from there you will begin this private tour. Enjoy a comfortable drive from your starting point to Mount Etna, and see how the landscape changes as you move from one place to your destination, marvel at the beautiful Sicily’s countryside. But the best has yet to come of course, so start the hike together with your private guide. Before starting walking the guide will assess the weather conditions, and in case it is needed you will be equipped with a windbreaker, and if you want you can also have the walking sticks.
Climb the seven lateral craters of the Etna’s northeast slope
Although Mount Etna hides rugged terrain and steep expanses, the route provided by this private tour is suitable for everyone, which is why it is perfect for a fun family activity to discover the geology of a one of a kind place. The hike traverses the Sartorius Mountains, a complex of seven craters that were formed by the 1865 eruption. This set of volcanic cones is named the “Bottoniera”,which means “buttonhole” because the eruption caused them to be positioned one behind the other, just like a row of buttons. Before walking on the edge of the seven craters, however, you will pass through a forest of special trees, the Etna birches. These extraordinary specimens have developed since the last glaciation that occurred on earth's soil 10,000 years ago. Following the stabilization of temperatures, the slopes of the volcano have been one of the few environments in which birch trees have managed to survive. With this private tour to Mount Etna you will have the opportunity to observe Betula Aetnensis immersed in a totally contrasting setting, with the black and reddish of the volcanic surface and the white of the trunks. Are you ready to marvel at this moonscape?
Enjoy a typical Sicilian lunch
The time to immerse yourself in one of the greatest pleasures that you can experience during a vacation has come, and that is to learn about the local culinary specialties. After crossing the seven craters of the Bottoniera, it will be time to enjoy a three-course lunch enriched by the best typical Sicilian products. It will surely be the best way to regain your energy after the trek, and once you finish you can enjoy some more of the wonders of the volcano. If you go for this hike during a sunny day you will be able to admire one of the best views of Sicily from the top of Mount Etna! However, besides the chance to sample a delicious lunch in a surreal location that is the volcano, you will have the opportunity to stroll around the area autonomously before heading back to Taormina.