Popular Private Experiences in Catania

We were picked up at 10.30am by Roberto, our tour guide.As we sped along in his battered Ford he explained about the lava, it's use in building and architecture,it's fertile minerals,the importance of the sun,the wind,the rain and the old ways of making wine. We started with a small producer, meeting up with two other couples and their guides.We sampled a white, a rose and two reds, all generously poured, the perfumed white proved to be our favourite of the day. Next we went to a slightly bigger outfit where we sat down at tables and were given a light meal of foccacia, sun-dried tomatoes, aubergine pickled with celery, olives marinated with fennel, small slices of salami and cubes of cheese. Still only the three couples, we sampled a white, a rose, two reds and a red dessert wine. Lastly we went to the Gambino estate, the panoramic view was simply stunning.Pleasantly full and slightly stupified we relaxed in the back of the Ford instead worrying about the cracked windscreen!

Had the absolute pleasure of meeting Marco who was our guide. Right of the bat I can tell you Marco’s a very kind man and we had no issue immediately getting along with him, his enthusiasm for the island is genuine and it shows. Hearing about the Etna and her surroundings was delightful, we even got some personalized tips of places to explore based on what we enjoyed seeing. Other than that the horses we’re very nice! I had a friend with me who’d never sat on a horse in their life and they had a wonderful time. (A.k.a. very beginner friendly) The lunch was traditional and homegrown with a wide array of well-matched flavors. I could definitely recommend this trip.

Guide arrived to pick us up about 20 minutes late, but I learned that was GetYourGuides fault. Guide was friendly and engaging. Fluent in English. Was knowledgeable regarding a variety of topics relevant to the trip that day. Allowed the group of three couples independence to determine what each would like to do. Only recommendation would be to make stops at the homes destroyed by Etna and a view of Etna on the drive up. Otherwise, great trip.

Emmanuel is very skilled and brings enormous knowledge of geology, culture and archeology to his work. He was able to manage quite difficult, nuanced questions and gave us complex information in a completely digestible, sensitive and often funny way. I really appreciated his capacity to reflect history, environmental impacts and cultural differences in such a balanced discussion - just made the value of my experience so much richer.

I have been on many tours in my life but this was the most memorable one. The service was excellent! Marco our super guide was on time, he was extremely informative and pleasant person at the sime time ( some guides talk to much and bother you). Marco is a true Sicilian a person who is love in his job and in hos country! Thank you for unforgettable tour!