South, north or east: each side is reached differently and leads to a different experience.
From Catania you can reach Etna from three different sides — south, north and east — and each leads to a different experience. Here's how to get to each one.
The most travelled route, leading to the cable car and the summit craters. By car from Catania it's about an hour via Nicolosi/Zafferana; there's also a public bus (AST) departing from Piazza Giovanni XXIII. The right route if your goal is to get as close as possible to the top with a guided tour.
Take the A18 Catania–Messina motorway to the Fiumefreddo or Linguaglossa exit, then follow the signs for Piano Provenzana. A wilder, less crowded area, with the same kind of visit — trekking, organised tours.
This is the road we take every day. From Catania: A18 towards Messina, Giarre exit, then follow the signs for Milo — about 40 minutes. From Taormina it's about 30 minutes. The meeting point is Via Etnea 14, Milo (CT), with parking available on site.
It's the least-known side but the greenest: chestnut forests, lava flows, views over the Ionian Sea — and this is where our quad tours set off from.
There's no direct public transport to Milo: if you don't have a car, message us on WhatsApp and we'll help you plan your arrival.
Discover our quad tours from Milo
If your goal is to reach the summit craters, the south is the classic route. If you're after a guided, adventurous experience with fewer crowds — by quad, through forests and lava flows, no experience required — the east side from Milo is our proposal. Discover what to do on every side of Etna →
