Mt. Etna jeep tour

In April of this year, we used the tour company Sicily Life for a 6 hour driving tour of Etna and its slopes. We were picked up at our AirBnB in Taormina, and driven to an alpine-like base camp at 6000 feet. We walked around, visited the shops, picked up a couple lava rocks (although you're not supposed to do that) and listened to the bangs, booms, watched some plumes, and felt a little ash rain. Stayed about 45 minutes.

Then we were driven down in the fog to Linguaglossa on the slopes of Etna to the Gambino Winery, where we sampled 5 different wines and had a wonderful charcuterie. From there we were driven back to Taormina, but stopping along the way at some interesting points, a 6th century castle and some very cool tiny villages, including the Alcantara valley and gorge.

It was a great day--we paid about 540 Euro for 4 people, which I didn't think was too bad considering all we did.

We did a great half-day tour with Etna People a few years ago: https://www.etnapeople.com/

However, we were collected from Taormina and it looks like that is the only place they collect from. I'm adding this here in case it's helpful to others who may see this thread and are staying in Taormina.

Thank you!

I'm back from Sicily and just wanted to add an update. I tried to book with Etna Unlimited but they were full for that day (and responded very slowly to my e-mails). So, I booked with Go Etna. In November they only do the half-day tours, which was still a long day. The trip was great. The driver/guide picked me up at my hotel on time (actually, a few minutes early). He gave a nice commentary on everything we were passing in Catania. The 4x4 van held 9 people (8 travelers plus the driver). We had a bathroom break in a small town (Giarre) and then about an hour in the van to Mt. Etna. We had three stops on the mountain. The first was a geology talk and about 15 minutes to take photos and explore on our own, the second was a lava cave (they supplied helmets and flashlights), and the third was a rather brisk hike. On the way back down we stopped at a chalet where we could use the bathroom and buy lunch or drinks. Actually, the parking lot there had the best views of Mt. Etna spewing smoke against a clear blue sky. The weather was perfect. I had two jackets, gloves, and a hat with me--I didn't need any of those. I just wore a long-sleeved base layer shirt and jeans. I rented the "hiking boots" for 5 euros from Go Etna when I booked the excursion. They really were just cross-trainers but the hike is in soft ash so I was glad I had them (instead of getting my own shoes very dirty). I must say that my fellow travelers were extremely quiet. Most were in their 20s or 30s. I was definitely the oldest one (70).