Tour itinerary: Catania (1n) - Vulcano (1n) - Stromboli (3n) - Lipari - Etna (3n)
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From Stromboli to Etna
9-day walking & study tour to Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano and Etna with our expert volcanologist
"Hey, Tom! Thanks again for a really terrific trip. I think I can easily say that it was the most memorable trip of my life! If you ever need anyone else to give a recommendation, feel free to call on me." (Steve L., Chicago)
Observing volcanic activity from Stromboli´s summit
Observing volcanic activity from Stromboli´s summit
Descending along Etna´s steep ash slopes into the Valle del Bove
Descending along Etna´s steep ash slopes into the Valle del Bove

From Stromboli to Etna

9-day walking & study tour to Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano and Etna with our expert volcanologist
Tour type
Walking & study tour: active volcanoes - geology & volcanism - nature & culture
Difficulty
Easy to Moderate
Group size: 4-8
Duration
9 days / 8 nights
18-26 May 2024
12-20 Oct 2024
3-11 May 2025
Oct 2025 (exact dates soon)
Price per person
2950 € $£¥
A classic among our volcano adventures, this tour takes you to some of the most active and interesting volcanoes in the world: Etna, the giant ever-changing volcano that dominates Sicily; Vulcano, in the Ancients'belief home to Vulcanus, God of Fire; Lipari with its spectacular obsidian and pumice deposits; and Stromboli, "Lighthouse of the Tyrrhenian Sea", the permanently active volcano that gave its name to the Strombolian type of volcanic eruptions
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  • Active volcanoes Etna and Stromboli
  • Travel in a small international group
  • Good balance between physical effort and relaxation
  • Expert volcanologist tour guide
  • Delicious south-Italian food and wine
  • Nice beaches and great accommodation
  • Varying scenery and beautiful landscapes

Itinerary 9 days

Day 1: Arrival in Catania, Sicily
Arrival at and pick-up from Catania airport, transfer to a hotel in the old city center
Day 2: Transfer to Vulcano island and La Fossa crater
Boat transfer to Vulcano island to visit the warm fumaroles on the beach, climb the volcano´s active La Fossa crater and optional swimming in the volcanic mud pools.
Day 3: Transfer to Stromboli and hike to Sciara del Fuoco
Morning transfer by boat from Vulcano to Stromboli, evening hike to the Sciara del Fuoco viewpoint
Day 4: Stromboli volcano: volcano watching
Free morning before we set off on a late afternoon climb as high as allowed to the best viewpoint to watch the mesmerizing eruptions at night.
Day 5: Boat trip around Stromboli island
Morning boat trip around the island and visit of the village Ginostra and lunch. Afternoon and evening free to relax and/or undertake an additional climb to the summit craters, hike to the Sciara del Fuoco,...
Day 6: Lipari island - history, obsidian flow and pumice deposits
Transfer to Lipari island and visit of the castle and archaeological museum followed by a hike to the obsidian and pumice deposits and afternoon transfer to Etna
Day 7: Excursion to Etna's summit craters
Full day excursion on the summit region of Mt Etna to observe its smoking craters, volcanic phenomena and moonlike landscapes (weather and volcanic activity permitting)
Day 8: Etna excursion to the Valle del Bove
Second full day excursion on Mt Etna which focuses on a spectacular hike into the giant Valle del Bove depression on the volcano´s SE flank.
Day 9: Tranfer to Catania - end of tour
Transfer from Etna to Catania and end of tour with drop off at the airport or own extension program
Note:
Due to weather conditions and volcanic activity, the exact itinerary might vary slightly.
Dates and details
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Arrival info:

The tour starts and ends in Catania, Sicily´s second largest city, which is easily reached by plane or train from Rome or other large Italian cities.
Rome has 2 airports, but all significant connections are through the main one, definitively to be preferred, Fiumicino (FCO), the other one (Ciampino) is only used for some low-cost carriers offering flights from typically secondary European destinations I believe. There's a bus or train connecting the two and the city center, but don't worry about Ciampino, just use Fiumicino airport that has all connections.
If you prefer to take a train from Rome to Catania:
It's a 30 min train from Fiumicino to the main train station (Roma Termini), from where you can take direct trains to all significant Italian cities, including the night trains to Catania. The trains go every 20 minutes or so, so by the time you get your luggage, you have to walk 5-15 mins following the indications to the airport train station and then wait max 20 minutes for the next train to leave from there. In other words, to be on the safe side: allow 1 hour to get luggage and out of the internal airport area, and 1 hour or so to reach the central train station. To be safe, add 30 minutes and possible flight delay times.
You should count a total of 2-2.5 hours from landing time to a train departure at least. Add more if you want to account for flight delays.
You can check (and book) from www.trenitalia.com directly (including a connecting train from the airport Fiumicino); we recommend choosing the higher category of an own sleeping compartment.

Travel arrangements to and from Catania are not included in the tour package in order to give everybody maximum flexibility to plan his/her trip. Please let us know if you like any assistance with your international travel to Italy and/or Catania - we will be happy to help.

Tour guide

Since we started organizing this tour in 2002 it has been guided mainly by volcanologist Dr. Tom Pfeiffer or astronomer Dr. Marco Fulle, and occasionally by geologist Yashmin Chebli from the VolcanoDiscovery team, who many will know from our volcano expeditions in Vanuatu and on Hawaii.
These long-term friends are volcano photographers who frequently traveled to Etna, Stromboli and many other volcanoes when they erupted over the past two decades. They both know Etna and the Eolian Islands very well - including the best local restaurants and nicest hikes!

Additional info

Physical requirements

Good general physical condition and hiking experience on loose ground are required, participants should have no difficulties to hike 5-10 km or climb up to about 1000 m in a single day. The time spent on individual excursions ranges from about 1 to 7 hours, but may become (much) longer in case of unexpected volcanic activity that is worth the effort of an extra hike and/or extended observation of the eruption in the field.

Home > Destinations > Italy > Stromboli to Etna (9 days)
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