Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Featured in the popular book, "1,000 Places To See Before You Die," Mount Etna is a natural wonder of gigantic proportions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Get up close to this natural wonder during a five-and-a-half-hour excursion that offers history, geology, lots of photo opportunities, and lunch. At over a mile above sea level, weather conditions can be variable so wear warm clothes, comfortable hiking shoes, and a hat. If you wear contact lenses it's advised that you bring a pair of glasses to keep the volcanic dust out of your eyes. And don't forget the camera to show the folks back home what they're missing.

Your exciting "bucket list" adventure begins as you board your coach at the pier for the southerly drive to Mt. Etna. Sit back and relax as you pass through a medley of cityscapes, countryside and age-old villages like Santa Venerina, known for its wineries and some of Sicily's best beaches, and Zafferana Etnea, a summer resort that boasts amazing views of the majestic mountain and the azure Ionian Sea.

Did you know that in its recorded 3,000-year history, Mount Etna has erupted almost 200 times spewing volcanic ash that creates a rich and fertile soil? As your coach approaches the bottom of the mountain you'll marvel at the life and vegetation that appears to flourish in its massive shadow. For the first 3,000 feet vineyards, olive groves and crops thrive in the rich and fertile soil. As the mountain grows steeper you'll see forests of chestnut, beech, oak, pine, and birch. Over 6,500 feet is a world of ash, sand, lava, craters and rocks. Due to Etna's varied landscape the volcano is an acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site noted for its "ongoing geological processes and volcanic landforms."

Soon, you'll notice that the scenery grows more forbidding as you approach the cable-car base at Sapienza Refuge. When you arrive you'll step inside the cable car and steadily climb over 8,200 feet up the south side of the volcano. Once you step off at the next station you'll transfer to a 4x4 and continue another 1,906 feet. A guide will meet you at the top and lead you around the accessible area of Mt. Etna.

Have your camera at the ready. As you look out over this alien landscape of recent lava flows, gaping craters and remnants of ancient eruptions you may think you're a tourist on Mars. It's so breathtaking and eerie that you may forget to take photos but from this vantage point is a dazzling panorama of earth and sky with the Gulf of Catania glittering in the distance.

Photos taken, you'll rejoin your vehicle, which will take you back to the cable car where you'll slowly return to your waiting coach. Then, you'll head to a local restaurant for a hearty lunch before returning to your ship in Messina.