Things to Do in Catania
• Get a 12-minute cable car ride and ascend to 2,500m at Europe’s highest active volcano.
• Take in sweeping views of Etna’s craters and coastline, step into volcanic tubes and the black lava landscape, all at your pace.
• Add a 4x4 ride and ascend to 3000m, then get a guided trek from a multilingual guide with Bocca Nuova and Voragine crater views.
With us Guiding Sicily guides you will have a unique experience because we are able to combine professional knowledge of the city with daily experience as we are all Catanian. Ours will be a visit that will tell you about the thousand-year history of the city , its connection with Etna , its most illustrious characters, and its famous gastronomy.
The tour starts from Piazza Duomo with the Elephant Fountain, the Cathedral (interior) and the Town Hall . Crossing the historic fish market you will reach the Ursino Castle . Then Piazza Mazzini , Piazza San Francesco and via dei Crociferi to end in Piazza Università
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TRAVELERS:
The Guiding Sicily Tourist Guides, covered by Civil Liability insurance to protect the customer, do not limit themselves to describing Catania in its peculiarities, but construct an original itinerary , offering the visitor many possible ways of enjoying it. The planning of the itinerary and the management of the guide service require skills that only an authorized professional can offer. For this reason this IS NOT A FREE TOUR and at the end of the guided tour, we ask the visitor to leave a contribution of at least 10 euros per person (free children under 10 years).
Join us on this day trip to the Valley of the Temples and the Scala dei Turchi, where you'll visit an archeological gem and one of Sicily's natural treasures.
• Explore the semi-cave hornitos, shaped by ancient explosive eruptions and the old lava streams of Valle del Bove.
• Walk with a certified guide who enriches the trek with insights into Etna’s craters and past eruptions, all in your preferred language.
Discover the authentic soul of Catania with an essential walking tour: a journey through history, baroque and traditions, to experience the city through its most iconic places and the stories that make it unique.” - In the popular heart of Catania: from Civita to San Berillo
Catania boasts many districts, each of which has many stories to tell. Our itinerary will wind through two of the most important neighborhoods. La Civita, located between the baroque center and the sea, owes its name to the Latin civitas, which indicates the "city" par excellence: in medieval times this area was considered the noble and residential heart of the city. San Berillo is instead one of the most fascinating and controversial neighborhoods, known for its troubled history, its popular identity and the recent redevelopment process that is transforming it into an artistic and cultural center.
On this street art tour of Catania, you'll discover the works of national and international artists that adorn every corner of this Sicilian city.
• With a certified multilingual guide, understand the formation of ash fields and landscapes on a hike from the transport stop to the rims of Bocca Nuova, Etna’s largest active crater.
• On your way up and back you get to cross expansive lunar landscapes and the red & black rock terrain of Valle del Leone, offering direct views of summit craters.
Welcome to Catania!
Join this free walking tour to live a complete and unforgettable experience of this beautiful city.
Our tour is an experience that actively involves participants. Not only are we local friends who know the city, but we also feel a special connection to it.
During the tour you will be able to discover some of the typical points of interest in Catania , but also lesser-known aspects , which will make the tour a complete experience.
This bond and the chiaroscuro of our city is what we want to tell in a memorable and exciting tour.
Amunini!
• Hear myths, legends and geological facts associated with the volcano from a multilingual driver guide on your journey.
• Upon arrival, enjoy sunrise views and trek up to 2,750m, independently at your pace for up to 2 hours.
• Upgrade your experience with a delicious Sicilian lunch to round off your adventure.
We are local guides with a great passion for Catania, our tour tells a story of a very complex city and its relationship with the volcano and its patron Saint.
Our main aim is to give everyone the opportunity to know and love Catania for what it is, with its contrasts. On this tour we see places such as: - Piazza università (meeting point) - Piazza Duomo - Cathedral - City Hall - Fish Market - Piazza Mazzini - Crociferi Street -Etnea Street - end point is Piazza Stesicoro, by the amphitheater.
Here we can receive only 5 reservations, so when we confirm the tour, please reply and back-up your participation.
Thank you very much and we are looking forward to welcoming you in Catania!
On this free tour of Catania, we'll discover the more alternative side of this Sicilian city, going far beyond just its history and architecture.
• From the base, ascend via 4x4 to 2,800m (North), trek up the rest, or take a cable car plus 4x4 to 3,000m (South), depending on your chosen route.
• At the summit area, trek with a certified guide who shares insights into the craters and their rims, pointing out steaming vents and lava caves, and ensuring a safe journey.
Catania is a unique and mysterious city famous for its Baroque architecture, Mount Etna, and Greek origins, but it also has a hidden side. Traces of the Greek Goddess Athena and the ancient Egyptian Isis are evident throughout the city. Seafood cuisine, ricotta cheese cannolo, wines, and honey along with its spectacular beaches makes it a must-see destination.
I invite you to come and discover this magnificent city and uncover its hidden gems.
Itinerary:
- The Cathedral external
- The Town Hall
- The fish market
- The "Ursino" Castle
- Piazza Dante
- Via Crociferi
- Via Etnea
- The Roman theatre
• Kick off your day with a hike through craters and lava fields, or wrap it up with a sunset trek, taking in breathtaking views of the glowing volcano.
• Reach altitudes between 1,900m to 2,000m, navigating the Silvestri Craters and exploring an ancient lava tube along the way.
• Discover a volcanic cave and learn about its fascinating geology and origins from an expert guide.
• In Zafferana Etnea, witness the lasting traces of the 1991/93 lava flow, revealing the immense power of Mount Etna's eruptions.
This lava city hypnotized me. Catania is full of myths and legends and all so current! This is where the story happened! None of the historical eras have been disproved, they are all still there... and visibly there. The scent of good food, good wine, special desserts! A city to savor with your eyes and palate! But let's not get distracted: the historic center of Catania with the skyline, Piazza Duomo, Castel Ursino, the Greco-Roman ruins, the baroque reconstruction and much more.
• Explore the river that flows between the lava stone riverbed and the prismatic shapes on the walls of the valley on your excursion.
• Catch beautiful sights of waterfalls, surrounding villages, and Mount Etna while you also watch the historic and cultural importance of the gorge unfold with every turn you make.
• Should you choose, you can also upgrade your experience by selecting from the 2-and-a-half-hour tour or the Mount Etna half-day tour.
• Fun fact: The volcano's name comes from the ancient Greek word 'Aitne', which translates to 'I burn'.
Welcome to Catania!
In this tour we will talk about this beautiful city, from its late Baroque appearance to the origins of its Greco-Roman era in a walk that shows its urban transformation after earthquakes and lava flows that have seen it destroyed and rebuilt many times.
Catania was an extraordinary trading and port city, but also a religious center and, finally, an important industrial site.
Starting from the beating heart of the late baroque city, we will visit the Piazza del Duomo dominated by the cathedral dedicated to Santa Agata , the elephant placed in the center of the square, considered the symbol of this city and the town hall .
We will pass through the old walls and the fish market (only in the morning) and the places of the old port .
From the walls you advance through the streets of the market to find the thermal complexes of the time , thermal baths of the Roman direction to the Ursino Castle, a military defense castle from the Federal period that once overlooked the sea and now, after a lava flow from 1669, is located inside the city.
The history of the neighborhood is very interesting because it tells us about a time when Arabs, Jews and Christians lived together in the fortified area of the port . Change neighborhoods and continue towards Piazza Mazzini to reach via Crociferi . This is the street where the most beautiful late baroque churches in the city are located:
- Saint Francesco
- San Benedetto and convent
- Saint Francesco Borgia
- San Giuliano
- Saint Camillo.
We will then continue along the staircase that leads to the main street, Via Etna and we will arrive at the university square where we will find the seat of one of the oldest universities in southern Italy , and 4 splendid pillars from the 1950s that narrate like many Sicilian legends.
All this and much more in a tour that you cannot miss, to take home a complete memory of Catania.
