Etna Blog & Insider Guides
Practical route insights and tips from my years guiding on Mount Etna — what you actually need to plan your trek.
Private Etna Summit or Cable-Car Excursion: How to Choose
Choose between Vincenzo Modica’s private summit and cable-car excursions by comparing the intended endpoint, walking and transport. Private guiding does not guarantee summit access or private transport.
Before Booking a Private Etna Excursion: What to Check
Compare the three current private excursions: Summit Craters, Cable Car & 4x4 and Monti Sartorius. Check participation requirements, inclusions and confirmation instructions on the selected booking page.
Sartorius and the 2002 Craters: Etna Landscapes
Compare the birch woods and 1865 Sartorius craters with landscapes shaped by the 1923 and 2002 eruptions. The 2002 excursion is retired; consult the current private routes.
Etna Without a Car: Public Transport and Private Tours
Reaching Etna without a car starts with choosing the right destination, then checking seasonal services, travel-day restrictions and the last return. Public transport sightseeing is separate from Vincenzo Modica’s private tours, which require independent arrival in a rental car.
Etna Volcanic Tremor: How to Read the INGV Chart
Volcanic tremor is Mount Etna's background heartbeat, and the INGV chart that displays it is one of the most-watched pages among volcano enthusiasts. As a volcanological guide I check it every morning together with the webcam: here is how to read it, what it really tells you, and why it should never be used to announce eruptions.
Etna North or South Side? Where I Work as a Guide — and Why
Almost every guest asks me sooner or later: north or south side of Etna? I don't have a favourite — I have two different offices. Here is which side I choose for each of my tours, what really changes up there between the two flanks, and my honest way of picking one for you.
Messina Cruise Call: Planning Etna Before Booking
An Etna visit from a Messina cruise call depends on the whole journey, not just the mountain excursion. Match your ship’s instructions with independently arranged travel, the correct north or south meeting point, and a realistic return plan before booking.
Catania Cruise Call: Does a Private Etna Excursion Fit?
A Catania cruise call does not automatically leave enough time for a private Etna excursion. Work backwards from your ship’s all-aboard instructions, allowing for terminal exit, rental-car collection, the correct mountain meeting point and the full return process.
How to reach Etna from Catania: car, bus and meeting points
Plan travel from Catania to the right Etna meeting point. Check current buses, mountain roads and the difference between the cable-car visit and summit trek.