Mount Etna & Wine Tasting: Silvestri Craters & Gambino Winery

Walk extinct craters at 2,000 meters, then taste four Etna wines at a family winery

You're picked up from your hotel and driven to Mount Etna's Silvestri Craters at 2,000 meters, where you walk on extinct volcanic ground and look down at Catania. You descend into the Valle del Bove, a massive caldera that collapsed 64,000 years ago, then taste honey and local products at Oro d'Etna in Zafferana. The day ends at Gambino Winery with four Etna wines paired with local cheeses, cold cuts, and vegetables grown in volcanic soil. Private transport, water, and air conditioning are included throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Mount Etna2h
2. Gambino Winery2h · entry included

Mount Etna tour with wine tasting

• Pick up from hotel
• Drive to 2000 meters altitude
• Walk on Silvestri Craters
• Admire views of Etna and Catania
• Visit Valle del Bove basin
• Arrive in Zafferana Etnea
• Taste honey, olive oil, and wine
• Visit Gambino Winery
• Taste 4 Etna wines with local food

The experience

"The mountain tells you when she's ready to talk," our guide said as we pulled away from the hotel, and I realized he wasn't being poetic. He meant it literally. Mount Etna has erupted dozens of times, and the evidence is written into every slope and crater rim we'd see that day. The drive up the south side takes you to the Silvestri Craters, where you walk on ground that hasn't moved in centuries, and the view from 2,000 meters drops down to Catania and the coast. It's the kind of altitude that makes your ears pop and your phone camera feel useless.

After the craters, we descended into the Valle del Bove: a massive basin that collapsed 64,000 years ago when two volcanic centers sank, leaving a caldera a kilometer deep and five kilometers wide. Standing in it, you're not looking at a postcard. You're standing in the scar of something that happened before humans existed. Then came Zafferana Etnea, the town they call the city of honey, where we stopped at Oro d'Etna to taste their honey, olive oil, and local wines. It's a small operation, family-run, and the woman pouring the honey tasting didn't rush through it. She let you taste the difference between batches, explained which flowers the bees had found that season.

The Mount Etna wine tasting at Gambino Winery is where the day settles into something slower. Four wines, each one paired with local products (cheeses, cold cuts, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplants) all from the volcanic soil around you. The winery sits in the foothills, and you can taste how the terroir works: the wines have a mineral edge that comes straight from the ash and lava rock beneath the vines. It's not a formal tasting with someone lecturing you. It's more like sitting with people who know their land and want you to taste what they've made from it.

The whole day runs from pickup at your hotel through to the evening, and the vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters when you've been walking at altitude. Water and WiFi are on board, so you're not stranded if you need to check in or cool down between stops. If you're traveling with small children, infant seats are available, and the pace is manageable for most fitness levels. The crater walk is on a path, not a scramble.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• WiFi on board.
• entry and guided walk at the Silvestri Craters on Mount Etna.
• access to the Valle del Bove viewpoint.
• honey, olive oil, and wine tasting at Oro d'Etna in Zafferana Etnea.
• four-wine tasting at Gambino Winery paired with local cheeses, cold cuts, sun-dried tomatoes, eggplants, and other regional products.
• hotel return at the end of the day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by The Best of Sicily Tours and Transfers

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Mount Etna's volcanic landscape and taste wines made from its soil without arranging your own transport or navigating the mountain roads: the private pickup and guided stops handle both the logistics and the local knowledge.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24h before the start.

How long is the full tour?

The itinerary covers a full day from hotel pickup through the evening, with stops at the craters, Valle del Bove, Oro d'Etna honey producer, and Gambino Winery. Exact duration depends on your hotel location and how long you spend at each stop.

What's the highest altitude we reach?

You drive up to 2,000 meters on Mount Etna's south side to reach the Silvestri Craters, where you walk on the extinct crater rims.

Is the crater walk difficult?

The walk is on a path and is suitable for all fitness levels. The altitude may feel noticeable, but it's not a strenuous hike.

What wines are included in the tasting?

You taste four Etna wines at Gambino Winery, paired with local cheeses, cold cuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and eggplants.

Can I bring children?

Yes. Infants and small children can use a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle.

What's included in the price?

Private transportation from your hotel, bottled water, WiFi on board, and an air-conditioned vehicle. Entry fees and tastings at each stop are included.

Is there a stop for lunch?

The wine and food tasting at Gambino Winery serves as the main food experience, with a rich platter of local products. Bars and restaurants are also available at the Silvestri Craters if you want additional meals.

What if I have dietary restrictions?

Contact the operator before booking to discuss any dietary needs for the tastings and food pairings.