Aeolian Islands Day Trip from Taormina: Stromboli and Panarea

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Excellent. Not an awful lot to do on the islands... but totally worth it to see Stomboli erupting at night. Unforgettable.