Etna Quad
Experience

How the tour works

We meet at La Baita 3L Ski-Lab, on Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza, a few minutes before your booked time. The briefing takes 10 minutes: we check the drivers' licences, collect the signed waivers, hand out helmets and balaclavas, and the guide explains the controls, the riding position and how to handle climbs, descents and volcanic sand. There is time for a few minutes of practice on the quad before setting off.

Then comes an hour and 35 minutes of off-road riding. We ride in single file behind the guide, at a pace set for the least experienced rider in the group: nobody is left behind and nobody is pushed beyond their limit.

Who can drive and who can ride as a passenger

To drive you need a valid category B (car) licence and must be at least 18: bring the licence with you, as it is checked before departure. Moped and motorcycle licences (AM, A) are not enough; a foreign licence is fine if it is valid for driving in Italy and equivalent to category B.

Passengers need no licence and no experience: they only have to be at least 5 years old. Under-18s therefore take part as passengers only, with an adult driving. Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions, such as heart, back or neck problems, cannot take part; everyone signs a waiver before departure.

The quad: automatic two-seater Anther A500

We use two-seater Anther A500 quads with automatic transmission: no clutch and no gears, just a thumb throttle, brakes and handlebars. Four wheels, a low centre of gravity and knobbly tyres keep it stable on hard lava, black sand and dirt tracks. No off-road experience is needed: anyone who drives a car gets the hang of it in a few minutes.

Price: €110 per quad, not per person

The price is €110 per quad: ride solo and the quad is all yours, share it and it works out at €55 each. Helmet and balaclava for driver and passenger, insurance and a certified guide are included; meals and tastings are not. Sunset departures follow the same route, last the same time and cost the same.

You book online by choosing a date and time and the number of quads you need. To give the experience as a present there are gift vouchers: the recipient books whenever they like by entering the code.

What to wear at 1,900 metres

The tour starts at about 1,900 metres above sea level, and even in summer the air is cooler than on the coast. Wear closed shoes, ideally trainers or hiking shoes (no sandals or flip-flops), and comfortable layers. On clear days sunglasses and sunscreen are useful, and a windproof jacket never goes amiss.

Weather, the volcano and rescheduling

The tour runs all year round. Before every departure the guide checks the volcanological bulletin issued by INGV Catania and chooses the route according to the day's conditions; the tracks lie in authorised areas, well away from the summit craters.

If the weather makes it unsafe to ride, you do not lose what you paid: we move the date at no charge or issue a voucher valid for one year. The decision is based on the actual conditions at altitude, which at 1,900 metres can differ from those on the coast.

How to get to Rifugio Sapienza

The meeting point is La Baita 3L Ski-Lab, on Piazzale Rifugio Sapienza (95030 Nicolosi, Catania), on the south side of Mount Etna: the same square as the cable car and the Silvestri Craters, a 40-50 minute drive from Catania. Departures run from 9:00 to 18:00, depending on the season.