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Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli's Volcano and Panarea

star-3.5172 Reviews
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Taormina, Italy
Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli's Volcano and Panarea
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Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli's Volcano and Panarea
The view to Stromboli from Panarea
The spectacular Sciara del Fuoco
Amazing explosions
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From $99.06

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Safety measures
icon13 to 14 hours  (approx.)
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iconOffered in: English and 2 more

Overview

Discover the Aeolian Archipelago on this day trip to the islands of Stromboli and Panarea from Taormina. Journey to each island by motorboat, exploring the local shops at your leisure or taking a cool dip in the sea. Afterward, cruise around Stromboli to see the island’s volcano. Keep your eyes peeled for the crater of Sciara del Fuoco, known to light up the sky with its jet-like eruptions. After a full day of touring the UNESCO-listed islands, return to Taormina.
  • Day trip from Taormina to Panarea and Stromboli in the Aeolian Archipelago
  • Leave Taormina by coach and travel by motorboat around the UNESCO-listed islands
  • Enjoy free time to explore the tiny island of Panarea
  • Spend time at leisure on Stromboli island and discover black lava-sand beaches
  • See Stromboli’s volcanic activity at Sciara del Fuoco from a viewpoint on the water
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From $99.06

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Air-conditioned vehicle
Transport between islands by motorboat
Multilingual Tour escort/host
Lunch, Dinner
Eco tax at the Port of Milazzo (approx. 5 euros between 1st June - 30th September and 2.5 euros from the 1st to the 31st October). Please note the amount may be subject to changes during the season.
  • Via Luigi Pirandello, 36c , Via Luigi Pirandello, 36c, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy
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    Departure for all tours is from the main Bus Terminal in Via Pirandello. Pick up is also available along the coast at Taormina by the sea, Letojanni and Giardini Naxos. Customers are invited to contact for information about pick up.The coach is silver with a SAT logo in red.

  • Recanati Bus Terminal , Viale Dionisio, 12, 98035 Giardini Naxos ME, Italy
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    Customers are obligated to contact SAT Group for information about pick up.

  • Letojanni , 98037 Letojanni, Metropolitan City of Messina, Italy
    Open in Google Maps

    Customers are obligated to contact SAT Group for information about pick up.

    • This activity will end right where it started.
    Hop aboard your coach in Taormina and travel north to the Port of Milazzo. Board your motorboat and glide through the Tyrrhenian Sea to the island of Panarea, nestled in the UNESCO-listed Aeolian Archipelago.

    Enjoy time to explore the small, scenic island at your leisure. Wander the local shops in the whitewashed village, try the island fare at a café or take in views of the water from the beach.

    Afterward, reunite with your host and head across the water to Stromboli, named after its active volcano. Check out the black lava-sand beach and soak up additional free time to roam the village. Back on your boat, you can enjoy a light dinner as the sun sets (own expense).

    Top off your trip with an evening boat ride around the island to see Stromboli’s volcano in action. Head to a clear spot to view the crater of Sciara del Fuoco, where you witness bright, liquid lava explode into the night sky. Small eruptions occur regularly, so be sure to have your camera ready.

    After a full day of sightseeing, you are returned to Taormina.
    Itinerary
    Pass By:  
    Capo di Milazzo
    Reach Milazzo and get on board the motorboat
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    Stop At:  
    Chiesa di San Pietro in Panarea
    Free time on the island of Panarea
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    Duration: 2 hours 
    Admission Ticket Included
    Stop At:  
    Stromboli Volcano
    Visit the island of Stromboli
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    Duration: 2 hours 
    Admission Ticket Included
    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • The conduct of maritime excursions, as well as being affected by weather and sea conditions, is always subordinate to the decisions of the shipping company and the authorities.
    • This tour is operated in English, German, Italian. All 3 languages will be spoken during the tour.
    • Recommended clothing: wind jacket, hat, bathing suit, towel and sunscreen lotion
    • From 16th of September departure will be anticipated by one hour.
    • Not wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Near public transportation
    • Most travelers can participate
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 79 travelers
    • OPERATED BY SAT Group
    You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
    • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
    • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
    • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
    • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

    Learn more about cancellations.

    The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
    Q:
    What is the policy on sanitization during Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli's Volcano and Panarea?
    A:The policy on sanitization is:

    • Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
    See all safety measures taken by Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli's Volcano and Panarea.

    Traveler Photos

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    Traveler Tips

    • "Wonderful cafe near the church up on the hill with great view, good food, and reasonable prices." See review

    Reviews by Viator travelers.  We perform checks on reviews

    Reviews

    3.5
    star-3.5
    172 Reviews
    5 stars
    51
    4 stars
    43
    3 stars
    34
    2 stars
    22
    1 star
    22

    Reviews by Viator travelers

    We perform checks on reviews

    Showing 1-10 of 172 reviews
    star-5
    Black sand in Stromboli...
    RodicaCodruta_P
    , Jul 2022
    Black sand in Stromboli and the sunset seeing the small eruption on Stromboli. Also the beautiful narrow streets in Panarea.
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    star-4
    Great day out
    John_T
    , Jun 2022
    Enjoyable (but long) day trip to two of the Aeolian islands. Well organised and plenty of time in both places. Lucky enough to see Stromboli erupt a few times too
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    icon Response from Host , Jun 2022
    Really lucky, it is not always granted to see the eruption. Thanks for sharing! SAT Group Customer Care Manager
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    star-4
    Intro to the Aeolian Islands
    MissC_W
    , Jun 2022
    The tour starts at 10 and we arrived back at 12:30am so a very long day. A lot of time is spent in transit and it takes 2 hrs to get to the port then another 2hrs to get to Panarea. The islands were nice to explore and the 2hrs per island of free time is enough. There was plenty of opportunities to get photos of Stromboli but unfortunately we didn't see any eruptions. The bonus was watching the sunset. Our tour guide Franco was very knowledgeable and fluent in several languages so very helpful.
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    icon Response from Host , Jun 2022
    Thank you for sharing. It is a long day because Panarea & Stromboli are the most faraway of all the Aeolian Islands. The Lipari & Vulcano tour is a bit shorter. Greetings, SAT Group
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    star-5
    Lovely swim on Stromboli
    Barbara_S
    , May 2022
    Although it was a long day trip from Taormina, it was worthwhile. Visited the two islands, each one very different. Panarea..all painted white. While we were there, the workmen were hard at it maintaining this idyllic space. And Stromboli..more natural and dominated by the volcano sending out puffs at regular intervals. Had a swim in the sea there..cold but refreshing!
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    star-3
    This was a very long,...
    Cynthia_M
    , Sep 2021
    This was a very long, exhausting day from Taormina. The boat was extremely crowded and by the time our coach arrived from Taormina there was no place for us to sit that was a comfortable distance from other passengers. We had to stand the entire boat trip to Panarea as did many other passengers. On the return we queued up very early to ensure a seat for the 1 hour 45 minute ride back. The islands are lovely, but not worth the time it takes to get to them from Taormina. The coach ride back to Taormina provided very little leg room, the ventilation was poor and 4 guests sitting in close proximity to us were not wearing masks.
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    icon Response from Host , Oct 2021
    Hello Cynthia, first of all, we thank you for your feedback as SAT Group is very involved in Customer Care, so all customers' comments are held in high regard as an opportunity for improvement. We are therefore very sorry that you have suffered a discomfort on the boat transfers during the excursion to Panarea & Stromboli. We would like to underline that the cooperation between TARNAV company and SAT Group is now more than a decade for all the excursions to the Aeolian Islands. TARNAV was, in fact, the pioneer with SAT Group for the first mini-cruises to the islands. As this is the peak of the season especially for the Aeolian Islands and, considering that many tour operators work with Tarnav the standard of the excursion can never be tailor-made. Regarding the judgement on the Aeolian Island, yours is totally subjective. Regarding the mask on board of our coach, our tour guide always invite evrybody to wear it. Hoping to have a second chance, we send you our warmest regards. Guest Relations Manager SAT Group
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    star-1
    Terrible
    Melanie_C
    , Aug 2021
    The trip was not planned well AT ALL. There were no clear instructions as to the itinerary of the day itself. Most of the time was spent travelling rather than exploring the islands. Throughout the whole day we visited only 2 islands for a total of 2 hours each, leaving us with little to no time for any activity. Too much time was spent to watch the Stromboli volcano erupt. Apart from that, Covid-19 measures were not taken into consideration at all. No one checked our temperatures and surely the boat was not operating at a less then full capacity. The boat trip also took way to long !! We arrived back at around 11.45pm, arriving at Taormina at 1am. We had to then walk it back to our apartment, and considering we spent a day in the sun, we were exhausted to do so. To add to this, the bus trip from Taormina to Milazzo took more then 2 hrs, on which the bathroom was locked. Suggestion for the tour leaders: at least start the trip an hour or so earlier and make more stops at Taormina for pickup and drop-off, rather then at Interbus Terminal only.
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    icon Response from Host , Aug 2021
    Hello Person, it is very important to us to go through all your issue: first of all, the day's schedule is explained on board during the bus ride, and as you describe it is exactly that, a mini cruise to two islands with two hours of free time on both. Impossible to explore more than two islands in one day, as you are also complaining about the lenght of the boat ride. Panarea & Stromboli are the most faraway islands, besides. Regarding the anti-Covid measures, we cannot check the temperature with the incredible heat of this days, otherwise all customers would show to have a 40 degrees temperature! The occupancy of the boat is 80% of the total capacity as well as on the bus. Everyone should wear the mask on board. It is a long day, indeed. It is better to get all information in advance before buying the tour. Regarding the pick up point we offer complimentary ones along the way, just ask. Warm regards. SAT Group - Customer Care Manager
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-4
    Memorable Day
    Michael_F
    , May 2019
    Very convenient pick up near our hotel. Long bus ride from Giardini Naxos, but enjoyed the islands. Not much to see in Panarea. Very small town, but really enjoyed Stromboli. Wonderful cafe near the church up on the hill with great view, good food, and reasonable prices. While on Stromboli, we would hear the vocano rumble. It sounded like thunder and then you could see activity on Stromboli. We went in May and the boat was not very crowded, except when many passengers went to the top deck to get the evening pics of Stromboli. My only recommendation is it would be helpful if the guide could try to face the passengers when doing her talks. It was very hard to understand what she was saying and really wanted to hear her information. Don't know if this would be possible, but would help to appreciate her information. Recommend.
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    star-2
    Unexpectedly Long and Rocky Sea Trip
    Erica C
    , Oct 2018
    Our tour guide Heidi was very nice and knowledgeable. This trip was just unexpectedly long, lots of driving and boating hours, way more than 12 hours as advertised. And there was a very shaky period towards the end when the boat sat still while waiting for lava eruption from Stromboli island but this was like torture! Boat was so rocky and everyone was puking left and right. It would have been nice to get a fair warning about this so people can come prepared and take the proper medication beforehand so there wont be any sea sickness. Plus the food on the boat was terrible.
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-1
    Strmobolli and Panarea
    Paul G
    , Sep 2018
    There was no actual tour but just transportation first by coach and then by ferry to both islands.The ferries were overcrowded.
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    icon Response from Host , Jan 2020
    Hello, we are sorry you did not catch the sense of the tour due to the crowd. Our tour is a mini cruise with tour guide and expalnation. September is indeed a peak month for the Aeolian Islands so probably you did not have the possibility to enjoy the time all the way. Cordial regards. Guest Relations Manager SAT Group
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    star-5
    Beautiful boat journey, a once in a...
    Darren_G
    , Jul 2018
    Beautiful boat journey, a once in a lifetime experience. Tour guide communicated clearly about the islands. The islands where very small and we were given plenty of time to go and explore. We witnessed the volcano erupting which was amazing and the sun set was fabulous. A great day out.
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-5
    Nice day trip
    Magnus_E
    , Jul 2018
    We, a family of five (two adults, three kids), had an enjoyable day out at sea getting to know the Panarea and Stromboli islands. Our guide (Salvatore?) was quite knowledgeable about the islands and island life in general and illustrated many of the things we saw with nice anecdotes. Contrary to many of the other reviews we did not find the boat or the islands too crowded. There was ample space to choose the seats from on board and the captain turned the boat around so that everyone could get a good view of the sights from where they sat. Unfortunately the weather was not the best possible as the top of Stromboli was covered in clouds and the volcano itself dormant. This is, however, something that cannot be guaranteed in advance. Would still definitely recommend to those who have not visited Mediterranean islands or seen an active volcano before.
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-3
    Beautiful islands but a very long day
    Marie_G
    , Jul 2018
    What the info about the tour doesn't tell you is how long the trip to and from the islands are and that the trip turns out to be a 14 hour day....way too long! First you have to meet at a designated spot...for us a 15-20 minute walk to the bus station from our hotel in Taormina. A large bus picks you up for an hour and 20 minute drive down a very tight and winding road to the port. Then another hour and 20 minute boat ride to the first island. You're on the island for 2+ hours (could be a shorter time since not much to see or do) then back on the boat for 20 minutes to Strombolli for another 2+ hours. Then back on the boat to go near the volcano to possibly see lava and finally the long boat and bus ride to be dropped off at 12:30 a.m. to walk back to our hotel. I would not recommend this tour unless you don't mind the everyone day. And the tour guide had to repeat e everything in 3-4 languages which was annoying.....perhaps giving everyone a flyer with the info. I loved the Etna food and wine tour and would highly recommend doing that instead.
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-1
    Awful! Again, the guide did not...
    Kenalyn C
    , Jun 2018
    Awful! Again, the guide did not tell us much. The boat was too crowded and it was rough going out....many people were soaked when the waves crashed and we were on the upper deck. Because there is no space, everyone is pushing each time you get back on the ship trying to get a decent viewing seat.. This experience was also awful. Why not have the staff create a queue on the pier? Panarea was hot and nothing to do after we ate lunch. Should have had more time on Stromboli. With scant directions, we found the beach, but it was already in shadow...having missed our best beach time on Panarea. The return was a bigger nightmare. Huge waves and numerous people ill, which was not improved by the crew taking smoke breaks at the back where people were retching! Never saw the fire, which was just as well,because there were not enough seats and too many people to see out the windows. This ship is not well equipped for this excursion. There are local ships that were excellent and not crowded. A long, tiring, expensive day!
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    2 travelers found this review helpful
    star-5
    This was a great tour, got to see...
    Patrik A
    , Dec 2017
    This was a great tour, got to see the Aeolian archipelago in a day and also the wonderful Stromboli island and it’s volcano. The negative is a very crowded boat and partly caotic arrangement for someone not speaking Italian. However the trip can be recommended as a must during a stay in Sicily.
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    star-4
    Very interesting tour around two...
    lucybarnett
    , Dec 2017
    Very interesting tour around two beautiful island towns and surrounding geologic features, led by a friendly and knowledgable guide. Spectacular view of Mt Etna. Exciting night view of Stomboli's volcano spewing steam, smoke, and burning gases. We were lucky to have beautiful, sunny weather and smooth seas in October. My only complaint was that the boat was full and it was hard to get a seat or standing space where you had an unobstructed view for taking pictures. It was a long day's travel, but worth the effort and expense.
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    star-5
    Excellent. Not an awful lot to do on...
    James T
    , Oct 2017
    Excellent. Not an awful lot to do on the islands... but totally worth it to see Stomboli erupting at night. Unforgettable.
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    1 traveler found this review helpful
    star-2
    There were too many people and not...
    Linda V
    , Oct 2017
    There were too many people and not enough outside viewing spots so people were pushing and shoving to get to see things. The islands themselves were worth seeing however next I would find a different boat. Also didn't like the tour guide telling us to tip the driver for just driving to from hotel
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    star-4
    Amazing trip. Pick up and drop off...
    Natalie A
    , Oct 2017
    Amazing trip. Pick up and drop off at hotel, excellent guide speaking a number of different languages. Boat trip to island was very long, choose your seat wisely. Once on Panarea we took our guides advice and followed her to her recommended restaurant as did the majority of our party, hence an extremely long wait for food which left us no time to explore the island. After departing Panarea we headed to Stromboli where we had some free time to explore the island, wow! beautiful. On leaving Stromboli we were treated to a guided tour of the surrounding islands and the icing on the cake actually witnessing an active volcano, against a sun setting background, it truly was a memorable site again choose your seat wisely, the right hand side was best for the views. But, the long journey back, just a small downside to a very well put together trip.
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    star-4
    This trip is well worth going on. It...
    Hazel R
    , Oct 2017
    This trip is well worth going on. It is a long day though but amazing. The only problem was if you are standing outside on the boat you can't hear what the guide is saying
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    star-1
    I have no problem with the...
    Anthony_S
    , Oct 2017
    I have no problem with the performance of the provider as the service provide was as described however, the success and reward of the Aeolian Islands tour depends on the quality of the performance of the Stromboli volcano. Since it is a natural event there is no way of knowing how spectacular the eruption of Stromboli will be. While pictures of large eruptions and huge lava follows are used to sell the tour it is my opinion that in most cases the eruptions fall well short of these pictures. The one that I witnessed was not much better than someone lighting a few fireworks. I am sure if you where closer to the crater it would be spectacular, but looking at it from a distance onboard the ship did not impress. As far as the islands themselves while they where peaceful enough and charming, the majority of the people you are sharing the time with is other tourists not local inhabitants. In addition for the most part I found both Panarea and Stromboli restaurants and bars to be over priced. Give the time and cost that this tour takes I would not recommend it.
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    icon Response from Host , Oct 2017
    TOUR OPERATOR COMMENT: First of all, we thank you very much for sending the feedback. We do understand that your expectation was based above all on the explosions from the Stromboli crater which is considered the highlight of the minicruise. These explosions can have different entity depending on the very moment, as nature is unpredictable as you underline. The promotional pictures you have seen are taken from reality and there is no photoshop on them. Explosions can be very powerful and can cause a downfall of magma and stones on the portion of sea below, that is why the boat company always respects the safety distance. Regarding prices at the bars and the restaurants in the Aeolian Islands, they are not depending on our company but are depending on the difficulties of transportation of food & beverages. We hope next time we can offer you a more spectacular nature's show.
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