What to Wear on Mount Etna: Layers, Boots, What Tours Lend

Dress for a day that is 12 to 20 °C colder than Catania: closed walking shoes or boots, warm layers, a windproof jacket, gloves and a hat, even in summer, plus 1.5 litres of water.

Etna loses about 0.6 to 0.7 °C for every 100 m you climb. Most tours lend some of the gear. What they lend, and what you still have to bring, depends on how high the tour goes.

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How cold it gets

Where	Height	Compared with Catania	Tours that go there
Catania	sea level	-	Pickup
Rifugio Sapienza, Silvestri Craters, Piano Vetore	about 1,900 to 2,100 m	about 12 to 13 °C colder	Sunset, jeep, hiking
Cable car top station	about 2,500 m	about 15 to 17 °C colder	Cable car
Torre del Filosofo area	about 3,000 m	about 19 to 20 °C colder	Cable car, summit
Summit craters	over 3,300 m	colder still	Summit

Put a 25 °C afternoon in Catania into those numbers and you get about 12 °C at Rifugio Sapienza and about 5 °C at 3,000 m, before the wind. The wind is often the bigger problem. A reviewer from the United Kingdom wrote in October 2026 that on their day the wind “was too high for the 4x4 to go up”, and the guides judged they would be “battling 50mph/80kph icy winds all day”. A reviewer from Portugal, on an Ashàra summit trek, said “it was cold and a bit windy, so we recommend bringing plenty of warm clothing. Our tour provided jackets to borrow, which was essential!”

The guides’ standard kit, even in summer, is boots, layers, a windproof jacket, gloves, a hat and 1.5 litres of water.

What the tours lend, and what you bring

The higher the tour, the more it tends to lend. Here is what the listings say.

Tour	Lent or included	You bring, or rent
Sicilying summit hike, $62	Hiking equipment (based on availability), helmet	Trekking shoes rentable at the meeting point for €6
Etna Guides 3,000 m, $62	Ankle boots, long thick socks, helmet, under-helmet, jacket, backpack, poles (limited)	Packed lunch and water
Ashàra 3,350 m, $66	Boots, rock helmet, walking sticks	Spare T-shirt, jacket, 10 to 20 L backpack, water, snacks, packed lunch
Aitne Med summit trek, $66	Boots, walking sticks, wind jacket, helmet	Warm clothes and long trousers, as the listing suggests
SAT Group north 4x4, $90	-	Jacket and boots rental is extra
2002 craters trek, $40	-	Boots (€5 to 7 to rent), windbreaker (€5), gloves and hat, snowshoes in winter (€12)
Etnaround trek, $84	Extra warm jacket, rain jacket, sticks, shoes	Food and drinks
Etna & Sea sunset by jeep, $67	Helmet, flashlight; trekking shoes on request 24 to 72 hours ahead	Closed shoes; no sandals or flip-flops
Red Etna sunset by 4x4, $67	Helmet, flashlight, waterproof poncho	Clothes and shoes
Etnaround sunset with wine, $84	Windproof jacket	Closed shoes

Prices, ratings and review counts from our October 2026 data check; cash fees as the listings state them.

Two rules from the listings matter most. First, shoes: Etna & Sea Excursions “strictly” prohibits flip-flops and sandals, etnalivetour does not allow open-toed shoes, and the 2002 craters trek warns that “without adequate shoes, you are not covered by insurance”. Second, ask early: the lent shoes on several tours are “upon request”, and Kemedia says requests made after the day before “may not be fulfilled”.

Layer by layer

Feet. Closed hiking shoes or boots with ankle support for anything above the car parks. The ground is loose ash and lava, and on Etnaround’s tours you descend on “soft volcanic sand”. Thick socks help; Etna Guides lends them.
Legs. Long trousers. Aitne Med’s listing suggests “warm clothes and long pants”.
Body. A base layer, a warm mid layer (fleece or light down), and a windproof shell on top. Ashàra suggests a spare T-shirt; you will sweat on the climb and cool fast when you stop.
Hands and head. Gloves and a warm hat. The 2002 craters trek says it does not include them and asks you to bring your own in winter, spring and autumn. Etna tour excursion’s jeep-and-trek tour lends a hat and knit gloves.
Sun. Sunscreen, sunglasses and a cap. etnalivetour recommends all three in the summer months; Etna Vibes lists “solar cream” among the things to bring.
Bag. A 10 to 20 litre backpack with 1.5 litres of water, snacks and lunch if the tour excludes it.

On summit tours a helmet is part of the deal. Sicilying lists it as “mandatory”, and in the attention phase the ordinances require one in the inner summit zone. Lava cave visits also come with a helmet and a light.

By season

The listings mention the seasons only in passing, so this is what they say rather than a forecast:

Winter. The 2002 craters trek rents snowshoes from December to March, at €12. Etna People’s tours from Taormina lend snowshoes in wintertime. Etnaround warns that “in the winter season, the hiking route may change due to snow”.
Summer. Still pack the warm layers for altitude, and add sun protection.
Autumn and spring. The 2002 craters trek names these, with winter, as the seasons when you need gloves and a hat.

If you get it wrong

Most tours can fill a gap. Etna Guides, Aitne Med, Ashàra and Etnaround lend boots or jackets, Sicilying rents shoes at €6, and the north-side rentals are a few euros. A reviewer from the United Kingdom, on Etna Experience’s wine day, put it simply: “you can borrow shoes and jacket if need but dress for colder weather.”

Before you decide

The height you go to sets the clothing list; for what each height shows you, read is Mount Etna worth visiting. For the rules above 2,500 m, see can you hike Etna without a guide.