Volcano·Guide
Eruption at Stromboli by night: glowing lava fragments arc out of the crater, orange steam behind

Stromboli

You sit in the dark. And wait.

Every 10 to 20 minutes it throws fire. For thousands of years.

Photo: kuhnmi · CC BY 2.0

Since the last eruption0:00· in reality every 10–20 minutes, here a little more often

Three seats in the front rowWhere you sit when it happens

Nobody is allowed on the summit any more. It does not matter: the craters lie at about 700 m (2,300 ft), and you look straight into them from below and from the side. It is most powerful after sunset – so set off in the late afternoon and stay a night on the island.

Yellow
Alert level StromboliCivil protection alert level (green/yellow/orange/red) · checked on 2026-09-22 · Dipartimento della Protezione Civile – Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri (CC BY 4.0)
290m

On your own

From Stromboli village via the Strada vicinale Parroco and the old mule track. Steep, dusty, pitch dark on the way down: head torch, water, sturdy shoes.

Free · from Ginostra only to 130 m
400m

With a licensed guide

Nobody goes higher. At most 25 guests per guide, 75 people on the mountain at once, tours only between 11 am and midnight. Helmet and dust mask are provided by the guide.

Sunset trekkingfrom €30
0m

From a boat off the Sciara del Fuoco

The 'slope of fire' is the black flank down which everything rolls into the sea. In the evening the boats anchor in front of it, engines off – and then you hear it.

Night trips from Milazzo, Tropea and Lipari
924 m (3,031 ft) · summit closed. Anyone crossing the limit pays €500 – there are checkpoints on the paths. On arrival the landing tax of the municipality of Lipari is due (€5 in summer, as of 2023). Source: municipality of Lipari, mayoral ordinance no. 16 of 5 May 2025 with access rules – the most recent to be found on 21 September 2026. Civil protection alert level today: yellow.
The Sciara del Fuoco on Stromboli at dusk: a glowing lava flow runs down the black flank to the sea
First the rumble. Then the light. Then it rattles down the slope.

Photo: Unukorno · CC BY 3.0

The white church of San Vincenzo with its yellow façade above the houses of Stromboli, palms and blue sky in front
San Vincenzo above the village: church square, meeting point and viewing balcony in one – from here you watch the boats head out in the evening.

Photo: Hein56didden · CC BY-SA 4.0

The evening at the volcanoUp or out

On foot to the limit or by boat in front of the flank – both end in the dark with a view of the craters.

On the islandStromboli: sunset trekking to the Sciara del Fuoco5 hours · with guide · ★ 4.7 from 1,673 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€30
From Milazzo: Panarea and Stromboli, boat trip by night10 hours · ★ 4.2 from 2,090 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€55
From Tropea: Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli by nightDay trip by boat · ★ 4.5 from 739 reviews · GetYourGuide
from€65

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. How often and how strongly it erupts is up to the mountain.

The Sciara del Fuoco on Stromboli at night: red-glowing lava trails run down the black flank to the sea
What you see from the boat and from the viewpoint: embers rolling down the Sciara del Fuoco – with every eruption, every few minutes.

Photo: Unukorno · CC BY 3.0

The rule behind itHow high you may go depends on a colour

Civil protection grades the volcano, the mayor of Lipari follows with an ordinance. Between June 2024 and May 2025 the limit changed four times.

  1. 25 Jun 2024Orange

    Everything above 290 m closed, below only with a guide.

  2. 4 Jul 2024Red

    Lava flow to the sea. Climbing banned completely, at night the beaches too.

  3. 14 Aug 2024Yellow

    Free only to the observatory at 100 m, with a guide to 400 m.

  4. since 5 May 2025Yellow

    290 m free, 400 m with a guide. Still in force today.

Aeolian IslandsAll seven islands, crossing times from Milazzo, island hopping.VulcanoThe neighbouring island: to the crater rim without a guide – when the light is green.Mount EtnaThe big brother on Sicily.
Hikers on the ascent path at Stromboli: a trail of black ash between tall reed grass, a group with helmets above
Everyone may go to 290 m, to 400 m only with a guide, and the summit stays closed – as long as the civil-protection ordinance applies.

Photo: Benjamín Núñez González · CC BY-SA 4.0

Good to knowGetting there, best time, tips

Getting there

Without a car: By sea only. The main port for the crossing is Milazzo; Liberty Lines hydrofoils call at Stromboli and Ginostra, the car ferries are run by Caronte & Tourist Isole Minori under the Siremar brand.

By car: Leave the car at the port of Milazzo; you do not need one on the island for the volcano.

  • From Milazzo
    Liberty Lines hydrofoil, usually with stops at Vulcano, Lipari, Salina and Panarea
  • From Catania
    Car or bus to Milazzo (A18/A20), then boat
  • From Taormina
    Car to Milazzo, then boat; hardly worth it as a day trip, because the evening tour is the highlight

Best time to go

May/June and September/early October: less hot, boats still run frequently, dusk not too late. The eruptions are most impressive in the dark, so climb in the late afternoon and stay at least one night. From October the timetable thins out (only four departures from Milazzo) and autumn storms cancel the boats more often.

Who it suits

Children
Up to 290 m feasible with children who enjoy walking; the ordinance sets no minimum age.
Minimum age
none officially; the guide offices set their own limits
Fitness
The ordinance explicitly calls the path demanding: 400 m (1,300 ft) of ascent on ash and scree, descent in the dark by head torch.
Heart and lungs
Dust and sulphur smell possible; above 290 m a dust mask is handed out. With respiratory or heart problems, the boat trip to the Sciara del Fuoco is the better choice.
Wheelchair
The climb is not possible; the eruptions can be watched from a boat.
Clothing
According to the ordinance the guide checks your equipment: suitable clothing, torch, water, food. For the evening a jacket and a spare shirt.
Footwear
Trekking boots are mandatory.

Tips you will need on site

  • Before the crossing, check the civil protection (DPC) page on Stromboli: if the alert level jumps to orange, the 400 m tour is off.
  • If you only want to go to 290 m you need neither guide nor ticket – but a head torch, water and sturdy shoes; the way back is in the dark.
  • Ask the guide office for the licence card with the current year's stamp; only registered Guide Alpine/Vulcanologiche may lead above 290 m.
  • Take the sirens seriously: two automatic systems give only a few minutes' warning of a paroxysm or tsunami. The meaning of the signals is on the information boards in the village – read them right after arrival.
  • Budget for the landing tax: it is added automatically when you buy the boat ticket.
  • Stay at least one night and leave a buffer day before your flight home – in wind the hydrofoils are cancelled (with a full refund).
  • Do not take the short cut on the closed Sentiero Natura: landslide risk, €500 fine.

A short history

  • Normal activity: explosions every 10–20 minutes from craters at about 700 m – the origin of the term 'Strombolian' eruption.
  • Five tsunamis in the last hundred years or so: 1916, 1919, 1930, 1944 and 2002.
  • 23/24 June 2024: activity increases, alert level yellow → orange; the municipality closes everything above 290 m.
  • 4 July 2024: eruptive fissure at the foot of the north-east crater, lava flow down the Sciara del Fuoco into the sea, pyroclastic flow with a 40 cm wave – alert level red; back to orange on 23 July 2024.
  • 14 August 2024: after the downgrade to yellow, ordinance no. 50 – free access only to the observatory (100 m), with a guide to 400 m.
  • 19/20 October 2024: storm with flooding in Ginostra and path damage from erosion and debris; national state of emergency by cabinet decision of 28 March 2025.
  • 5 May 2025: ordinance no. 16 – 290 m free again, 400 m with a guide, Sentiero Natura closed.
Aerial view of Stromboli from the north-east: the cone with a steam plume, the white houses of the village at its foot, sea behind
The island is the volcano: all the houses sit on the north-east base, the Sciara del Fuoco drops into the sea on the far side.

Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0

Out of date onlineWhat other sites get wrong

“Summit tour to the crater at 924 m bookable.”
Portals still advertise it. The summit is closed; the maximum is 400 m with a guide.
“Guide required only above 400 m.”
That is the 2007 rule. Today the guide requirement starts at 290 m – and 400 m is the upper limit.
“The climb is not possible at all right now.”
Since May 2025 it is on again: 290 m free, 400 m guided. Only the crater zone stays closed.

Quick questionsBefore the crossing

Can you actually see the eruptions from 290 or 400 m?

Yes. From both heights you look across the Sciara del Fuoco to the crater terrace at about 700 m. In the dark the lava fragments are easy to see.

Do you need a ticket or a permit?

Not for the free zone. Between 290 and 400 m you need a licensed guide, who registers the group with the municipality.

How do you get to Stromboli?

By Liberty Lines hydrofoil from Milazzo: up to nine departures a day in summer 2026, four from 1 October. Autumn storms cancel the boats more often.

Is it something for children?

The path to 290 m works with sure-footed children, but it is steep, dusty and dark on the way down. There is no official minimum age; for guided tours the offices decide.

Can you climb to the summit of Stromboli in 2026?

No. Above 400 m the volcano is closed to visitors, even with a guide. The basis is ordinance no. 16 of the mayor of Lipari of 5 May 2025, which on 21 September 2026 was the most recent one to be found.

How high can you go on Stromboli without a guide?

From Stromboli village up to 290 m (950 ft) above sea level, and only via the Strada vicinale Parroco and the Mulattiera Salvatore di Losa. From Ginostra it is 130 m. The Sentiero Natura is closed.

What is the fine for climbing higher?

An administrative fine of €500 per person, in more serious cases criminal proceedings as well. There are checkpoints on the paths.

Is Stromboli suitable for children?

The path to 290 m is possible with sure-footed children, but it is steep, dusty and dark on the way down. There is no official minimum age; for guided tours the offices decide.

What should you wear and bring?

Trekking boots, head torch, water, food and a jacket for the evening – the ordinance names this equipment explicitly. Helmet and mask are provided above 290 m by the guide.

How dangerous is Stromboli?

Normal activity is harmless from the permitted zone. Rarely there are paroxysms that hurl blocks for kilometres, and tsunamis – most recently a 40 cm wave in July 2024. Hence the altitude limits and the siren system.

Is Stromboli open right now?

As of 21 September 2026: alert level yellow, 290 m free, 400 m with a guide. This can change within a day – what counts is the DPC alert level and the ordinances of the municipality of Lipari.

Is Stromboli inhabited – can you stay there on holiday?

Yes. The island has two villages: Stromboli in the north-east and tiny Ginostra in the south-west, reachable only by boat. Wikipedia gives about 540 permanent residents, around 30 of them in Ginostra; there are hotels, guesthouses, restaurants and black lava beaches, but no cars – only electric carts and scooters. Civil protection keeps the island on yellow, two siren systems warn of paroxysms and tsunamis; a normal holiday is possible as long as you know the rules of conduct. An overnight stay is worth it, because the eruptions are most impressive after sunset.

When did Stromboli last have a major eruption?

Stromboli erupts constantly – every 10 to 20 minutes. Beyond the normal level, the most recent events were two 'major explosions' on 23 May 2026 and 12 June 2026 (INGV). The last serious crisis was in summer 2024: on 4 July a lava flow into the sea, a pyroclastic flow and alert level red, on 11 July 2024 a paroxysm. In the paroxysm of 5 April 2003 ejected material even reached inhabited areas, according to civil protection. Civil protection says major explosions occur several times a year, paroxysms every few years.

Sources · accessed on 21 September 2026