Trek to 3,000
m

A moderately easy trek starting from the cable car: you reach 2,500 metres and continue on foot to 3,000, accompanied by volcanological guides.

Along the way the guide recounts the history and growth of Etna, with views opening over the whole of Sicily. At 3,000 metres there is a lunch break at altitude (not included).

The climb on foot is moderate — about 500 metres of ascent from 2,500 — but the environment is already high mountain: you walk on volcanic sand and open slopes, with the landscape turning more and more lunar as the vegetation disappears.

It is the middle ground between the low-altitude trek and the summit craters: high enough to breathe real mountain air and watch the view open over the whole island, without the commitment of the roughly 6 hours the summit requires. If it is your first time at altitude on Etna, this is probably the ideal place to start.

Bring comfortable closed shoes and a warm layer even in midsummer: the wind is almost always present up there and the temperature is much lower than on the coast. Sunglasses and water complete the backpack; the lunch break is the moment to rest your legs before the descent.

You then descend to 2,500 metres, where the cable car takes you back down. Total duration around 5 hours.