Taormina Mount Etna Excursion Reviews

Loved it! Geology geeks rejoice! A bit of a long drive if combined with a city tour in Taormina and if docked in Messina.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

The trip up to Mt. Etna included a stop in Zafferana for lunch, which was wonderful. Then we went up to the Silvestri Craters and had a great guide who was a vulcanologist and gave a thorough history of the mountain's eruptions and what we were looking at.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Mt. Etna was amazing and taorimna is a wonderful hill town

Provider: Independent Operator

What a unique experience to be able to see an active volcano. The drive from the dock is between 1-1/2 to 2 hours long. This drive allows for a thorough history of the area and Mt. Etna to be narrated by the tour guide. The MSC tour does not include the cable car ride to higher heights, which other cruise companies do offer. Free time allowed was approximately 1 hour & 15 minutes. This gave you enough time to explore the two craters near the restaurant, along with having a snack & time to buy souvenirs. Though it does not allow you the time to explore any further then the area you are dropped off at, due to distances & time constraints.

Provider: MSC Cruises

Naples, Sicily/Messina (not listed in the rating below).. amazing. You must, I repeat, must do the Mt. Etna trip. We booked this one through the cruise line and it wasn't terribly expensive. It's a little far from port, so I'm glad we did it on something that was certified to get us back to our original place of departure. Messina/Taormina/Mt. Etna: Wear comfy shoes. Wear absolutely nothing white! You WILL get covered in ash/dirt. Expect to hike up a very steep hill, and back down.. but the sites of the crater are unbelievable! You will not regret it. Taormina was ok.. it was hot (it was hot the whole trip.. like 115 degrees hot) and I would have preferred to do with out the shopping part in the town.

Provider: Celebrity Cruises

Must do from Catania.

Provider: Independent Operator