By day it is a mountain of black stone.
Then the sun goes – and the ground begins to glow.
At night you see it never slept.
Scroll –
the sun goes down
Etna has been erupting since June; in August lava flows ran into the Valle del Bove. Civil protection holds the pre-alert phase: the summit crater zone is closed to everyone – even with a mountain guide. Everything below is open, and that is exactly where the glow is best seen from.
In pre-alert the crater zone is off limits to everyone. Guided summit tours run only in the calmest phase – before booking, ask the operator which route is being walked today.
From the base station at Rifugio Sapienza (1,923 m) the cable car climbs to 2,500 m, Unimog buses continue into the lava desert. About two and a half hours. In wind or an alert the trip is cancelled – with no refund.
The extinct cones of 1892 sit right by the road. Stay until dark and, on a clear night, you see the red glow above the summit craters.
Photo: gnuckx · CC BY 2.0
Lava only glows once daylight fades. That is why the best tours leave in the afternoon: up through the lava fields, into a lava cave, and to 2,000 metres for sunset – with a view of the summit as it begins to glow.
Affiliate links to GetYourGuide: if you book, we earn a commission and the price stays the same. Prices and ratings as of 21.09.2026. Whether lava is visible is up to the mountain.
Photo: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA 2.5 ca
On Etna there is a strong case for buying the cable-car ticket on the spot: online tickets are not refunded for wind, weather or a volcanic alert – and that is often decided only in the morning.
By car or AST bus (€6.60 return, from Catania at 8:15 a.m., back at 4:30 p.m.) to Rifugio Sapienza. Decide there: Silvestri craters on foot (€5), cable car to 2,500 m (€54) or the 3,000 m tour with 4x4 bus and mountain guide (€82).
Half-day tours with pick-up, lava cave and tasting mostly stay at around 2,000 m – without the cable car. For sunset they are the only option without a hire car, because the last bus leaves at 4:30 p.m. Check before booking whether the cable car is included.
Photo: Walter Isack (isiwal) · CC BY-SA 3.0 at
| Attenzione (normal state) | Everything: Silvestri craters, cable car, 3,000 m tour, summit craters with a licensed mountain guide (at most 10 per guide, 300 a day). |
| Preallarme – in force today | Silvestri craters, cable car, the tour to about 3,000 m and all evening tours run. The crater zone is closed to everyone – summit tours are cancelled or rerouted. |
| Allarme | Everything above about 2,500 m is closed and evacuated, including the 3,000 m tour. Whether the cable car runs is the operator's call. The lower slopes stay accessible. |
Photo: Hein56didden · CC BY-SA 4.0
There is no fixed altitude limit on Etna any more. An early-warning system of the INGV volcano institute reports how likely a lava fountain is – and the closures follow automatically, sometimes several times a day. Tap a phase and see what the mountain does then.
Legal basis: notes of the Sicilian civil protection no. 28490 of 30 June 2023 and no. 37727 of 21 August 2025, implemented by mayoral ordinances (including Belpasso no. 135/2026). Current phase: protezionecivilesicilia.it.
Photo: Cayambe · CC BY 4.0
Without a car: The only scheduled bus: AST from Catania, Piazza Giovanni XXIII (at the railway station) at 8:15 a.m., back from Rifugio Sapienza at 4:30 p.m., about 2 hours each way, daily except 25 Dec, 1 Jan, 1 May, 15 Aug and Easter Sunday. No bus serves the north side (Piano Provenzana).
By car: South side: via Nicolosi on the SP 92 to Rifugio Sapienza; paid municipal car parks (ticket at the Centro Servizi information office). North side: via Linguaglossa on the Mareneve road to Piano Provenzana. Note for 2026: the Mareneve between Fornazzo and Rifugio Citelli was closed on 13 August 2026.
May/June and September/October: snow-free, fewer crowds than in August, clearer views. Start early – from midday convective cloud often wraps the summit. In winter there is snow above 1,800 m (snowcat instead of bus).
Photo: Richard Allaway · CC BY 2.0
Yes. Rifugio Sapienza, the cable car and all lower slopes are accessible. Only the summit crater zone is closed, for as long as the pre-alert phase applies.
Nobody can guarantee it. With activity under way and clear skies, the glow above the summit craters is often visible from the south slopes; flowing lava up close only when a flow is reachable and not closed off.
No, there is a ticket office at the base station. Online tickets save the queue but are not refunded for wind, weather or a volcanic alert – when conditions are uncertain, buy on the spot.
Sturdy shoes, long trousers, windproof jacket, hat. At 2,900 m it is often in single digits Celsius and very windy even in August. Jackets and boots can be hired at the top station.
The AST bus leaves Catania at 8:15 a.m. for Rifugio Sapienza and returns at 4:30 p.m., €6.60 return. For sunset you therefore need a tour or a hire car.
Yes – Rifugio Sapienza, the cable car and the lower slopes are accessible. The summit crater zone (ZPP), however, is closed to everyone under civil-protection notice no. 13 of 22 August 2026 because of the PREALLARME phase. The current status is in the notices on protezionecivilesicilia.it.
In the ATTENZIONE phase you may walk marked trails into the summit zone above 2,500 m, but not into the cordoned-off crater zone (ZPP). There is no fixed altitude figure any more; the boundary is marked on the ground. In ALLARME the permitted area ends at about 2,500 m.
As of September 2026 the return trip costs €54; the combination with 4x4 bus and mountain guide ('Tour 3000') €82. Children up to 4 ride free, ages 5 to 10 at a reduced fare.
The 'Tour 3000' with cable car, 4x4 bus and guide takes about 2.5 hours according to the operator. Cable car only is quicker. Guided summit-crater tours are full-day trips and run only in the ATTENZIONE phase.
Cable car, Crateri Silvestri and the 4x4 bus tours work well with children. The crater zone requires a helmet and a health declaration; whether children may join is up to the guide office.
In the freely accessible areas the risk is low as long as you respect the barriers. The dangers are sudden lava fountains, ballistic bombs and pyroclastic flows near the summit craters – there was such a flow on 8 August 2026. Hence the graduated closures.
The municipalities report violations to the judiciary under Article 650 of the Italian Penal Code. The Etna ordinances name no fixed fine.
Sources · accessed on 21 September 2026
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