Day trips from Catania
A volcano, two cities on the east coast and a Cyclops village: from the closest, Aci Trezza, to Etna for a full day.
- Taormina
- Interbus coach, direct
- Syracuse
- regional train (Trenitalia)
- Aci Trezza
- AMT city bus, line 534
The closest trip is Aci Trezza, about 30 min by city bus, for half a day. Taormina and Syracuse take a full day each, and Etna a full day with a single morning departure.
Half a day, by city bus
The AMT city bus, line 534, runs to Aci Trezza, about 30 min, for €2.80 (return, 2× 90-min city ticket). The coast is called the Riviera dei Ciclopi, after the Cyclopes of the Odyssey. Half a day is just right.
A full day, one bus
The AST bus leaves Piazza Giovanni XXIII at 8.15 for Rifugio Sapienza, about 2 h by bus to Rifugio Sapienza (one way). It returns at 16.30. From there the Funivia dell'Etna runs, price €6.60 bus (return) + €54 cable car (return, cabin only) or €78 with jeep and guide up to 2700 m. There is only one departure, so the day is planned in advance.
A full day, by coach
The Interbus is direct, about 1 h 15–1 h 30, €14 (return). This coastal town has a page of its own, with everything worth seeing there.
A full day, by train
A Trenitalia regional train runs to Syracuse, about 1 h 5 min, from about €18 (return, regionale) (the price varies by day and departure time). The whole day is for the city, so it isn't combined with another trip.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Which trip fits into half a day?
Aci Trezza, about 30 min by city bus, the closest of the four.
How many buses run to Etna?
One departure in the morning (8.15) and one return (16.30), so the day is planned in advance.
Ready for Catania?
Where to next
Where to stay in Catania
→Three starting points: the old square for walking to everything, Via Etnea for the park and the volcano, or…
Taormina · 45 km
→An ancient theatre on a hill above the Ionian Sea, with Etna behind it
How well does Catania suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
Front row for the next trip
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