Hi-

Taking an all day private tour (4 adults, 2 kids) to Mt. Etna in June.

Need to decide between normal tour to lower level craters (85pp, kids discounted), or more expensive tour to the top craters via cable car and 4x4s (145pp, kids discounted).

460 euros vs 820 euros.

Any opinions to help me decide which is more worthwhile?
Thanks.

I really looked forward to my trip to Mt. Etna and was totally disappointed. The crater level is just a bunch of lava craters. That's it. There's a parking area with souvenir shops and cafes. Here's what it looks like.

http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/sicily2011/251

The views of Mt. Etna are so much nicer than being there.

Just rent a car and do it yourself. There are some things of interest particularly on the drive up. DS and I enjoyed driving up for the experience, however IMO a tour is not necessary and I am not sure what it would add - certainly not enough to justify the cost - just do a bit of reading before you go.

I would not pay either amount for that experience---do it yourself.

Yikes, that price is insane! What is the starting point?


If you are starting from Catania or Taormina, why not either rent a car for the day (the drive is very easy from either place) or hire a taxi; the taxi is bound to be much cheaper than the tour.
I went only to the lower level and I thought it was fascinating; if you've seen a few other volcanoes, it might not offer the same thrill.

I joined a tour group from Taormina that also included the Gole dell'Alcantara and a scenic route through the vineyards around the mountain. I had never seen a volcano close up, and I found it fascinating. There were freezing winds, but the heat from the lava fields was intense enough to be felt through my very thick-soled shoes. I'm very glad I went. I would not have paid the price you've been quoted to do it.

Check out GEO EXPLORER tours-it is a jeep/4WD tour with an actual scientist/grad student in volcanology who takes you to all of the cool places without boring you to death with things you don't want to know.We picked it up out of Catania and were really pleased with the cheap price,where we went and the info!
If you cannot get a cheap tour, I would definitely rent a car. It is quite easy to drive over there and with Etna going off lately you may not be able to go up higher these days?

And don't forget to bring a jacket!