Witness the rugged beauty of Mother Nature during a five-and-a-half-hour excursion to Mt. Etna, an acclaimed UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you drive up the south side, you'll see the typography change. Etna's lower slopes overflow with terraced vineyards and groves of chestnut trees while the higher elevations boast an otherworldly landscape of craters and hardened lava. Soon, you'll notice that the scenery grow more forbidding as you approach the cable-car base at Sapienza Refuge. From here you'll climb 8,200 feet up, transfer to a 4x4 and continue another 1,906 feet. A guide will meet you at the top and lead you around the breathtaking and eerie landscape of recent lava flows, gaping craters and remnants of ancient eruptions. Photos taken, you'll head back down the volcano and return to your coach. Then, you'll head to a local restaurant for a hearty lunch before returning to your ship in Messina.