I've been searching for ways to do a day trip from Taormina (or Catania) to Randazzo and Bronte and maybe a winery. We would prefer not to rent a car and going by train looks to be very challenging. Has anyone used a private guide? Any recommendations? Along those lines..... is it worth it to hire a private guide to Mt Etna, or better to just join a small group? We are in our 70's and not up for big hikes! Thanks.
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73 posts
We used Sicily Life for a couple of tours. The vehicles were comfortable and our driver spoke excellent English. We did the Godfather tour and the tour for Etna with a winery. I believe they will also arrange a custom tour if you reached out directly. We departed from Taormina, but I know they will also pick you up in Catania.
On Etna, we just spent time at base camp. Though we did opted not to hike some of the smaller craters located there, it was possible to walk up and buy a ticket then do the hike yourself. It did not appear overly strenuous. That said, grabbing a coffee and enjoying the views was lovely.
Posted by
OP
80 posts
Thank you Traveler2015! Are you able to tell me how much your Etna tour cost? This was private, right?
Posted by
73 posts
Absolutely! Yes, it was private with pick up and drop off from our hotel. It was €410 for two people.
Posted by
OP
80 posts
Thanks Traveler,
Was the E410 for 1/2 day? I will contact them and see what they charge for the full day that we're interested in. Someone else quoted E700 for the day.
Posted by
73 posts
Sure thing!
No, it was considered a full day. The driver picked us up at 9 am and we were back at the hotel around 4 pm. We did the Etna Grand Tour. It included the visit to Etna and then a stop at a winery along with lunch. They call it a “light lunch”, but there were 4 courses and we definitely did not leave hungry. The first stop on the way was an apiary. We weren’t necessarily excited about the stop in advance, but ended up enjoying it.
Posted by
OP
80 posts
Thanks again Traveler. I see that Grand Tour on their site. Looks good, as long as the hiking and climbing part aren't too tough for some semi-out-of-shape 70 something's! I have contacted them, but they said to get back to them after the first of the year since we won't be there until April.
Posted by
73 posts
I think you will be fine! The day we were on Etna there were extremely high winds (shut down many of the options to summit). We opted to skip the hiking and just enjoyed the unique views. There were a couple of smaller craters you were able to walk around. There were a number of groups undertaking the walk. Neither was flat, but one had a bit more slope/grade than the other. You can decide when you get there if you want to try one out.
Good luck and have a wonderful time. We loved Sicily and I am already playing around with our next trip which will focus on the Western side of the island.