From Taormina: Etna Walking Tour with Winery Wine and Food Tasting

This was a lovely day spent on Mt. Etna with our guide Maurizio. We drove up and then did about a 1.5 hour moderate hike to see the different lava flows and learn about the mountain and its role in Sicily. Maurizio was so knowledgeable and his English was perfect. We learned so much. After a quick coffee break we drove to a cave where we climbed down to see a super old lava tube. The weather was perfect. Then we went to a local winery for wine, food, and a quick tour before our guide drove us back to our hotel in Taormina. What a fantastic way to see etna!

Our guide around Etna - Roberto - was great: hugely knowledgeable and informative, and entertaining. The visits to Etna and the lava caves were really enjoyable and interesting. However, the wine tasting part of the tour was disappointing - a platter of miscellaneous food left on the table, and a small glass each of the house bubbles / white / rose / red with a very short description of each, then we were left to it. Sadly uninspiring.

This day trip was a highlight of a three week trip to Italy. We spent the day with our wonderful guide Marco who was so knowledgeable about Etna and Sicily. We learned so much. We were four and the only ones for that day so we felt like we had a private guide. Marco shared his passion and love for Etna with us and it was contagious. We had a beautiful walk on Etna that was not too long about and 1h30 and it was perfect; we walked in the forest part of the volcano, but also along the lava flows from the early 2000s. We stopped at a local café along the way and we ate one of the best cakes and had the best coffee. After the Etna visit we stopped for the wine tasting and it was fabulous. So much food, all local, and incredible wine in a beautiful setting. Merci beaucoup à Marco pour la merveilleuse journée passée avec nous. Nous retournons au Québec avec de merveilleux souvenirs grace à toi.

We had a great time from start to finish. As it is a small tour with only 8 altogether it’s really important to enjoy the company of the other tourists. Mauricio was great from the start ensuring we got to know each through humour and chat on the bus. The tour was so interesting as he is obviously very passionate and knowledgeable about geology. The wine tasting was plentiful and paired with delicious local food. I would certainly recommend it!

This far exceeded our expectations. My husband and I lucked out and had a private hike with Juliano and he was incredible. We had a prompt pickup time and on our 1 hr drive to Mt Etna he gave us in depth history of Sicily. Once we got to Etna, he provided us better hiking boots (we wore On sneakers - not the best choice haha) and hiking sticks and off we went. We climbed to the 2002 craters and when he pointed to where they were at the beginning of the hike, I thought there was no way we’d make it. But, Juliano was the best guide, stopped for breaks and to tell stories about Etna, and finally we made it 2200km up the volcano! Amazing views and craters. We made our way back down, visited the caves briefly and then happily went to Patria winery. Patria were great hosts, brought out an insane amount of food and wine, and we were able to take a tour of the winery as well. I’d recommend this experience to anyone and if you’re able to, request Juliano! We had a great time with him.

An amazing day on Mount Etna with our wonderful guide, Maurizio! He was incredibly kind, helpful, and knowledgeable, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. He even drove us to the train station, although it wasn’t part of the tour, and was especially thoughtful and caring when I had trouble with my foot. We also really enjoyed the lovely winery visit and the excellent Etna wines. Best Simon and Cecilie from Denmark

Fantastic day at Mt Etna. Exciting hiking tour with our professional guide Maurizio. He knew everything about Etna and shared both history and knowledge about geolocic and botanic. The wine tour to Patria was very interesting with tour of the wine cellar, and an amazing lunch together with a wine testing. All in a very friendly atmosphere. We learnt so much and had an inspirational day with our excellent guide.

We had a great trip to Etna and the winery with Maurizio and Stefano. Both were clearly passionate about the area and happy to share their knowledge. As a family of four this trip gave us a flavour for the area, finished off with a chilled wine tasting with lunch. I would recommend for those looking for a more relaxed experience in the area.