Amazing trail ride and exploration of Mt Etna. - We had an amazing day. Our guide Corrado was wonderful. He picked us up at our hotel and took us to the Hidalgo Ranch run by Sabrina and her wonderful family who took us on a fantastic trail ride. After the ride we were taken to an excellent local Sicilian restaurant for a delicious lunch. After lunch Corrado drove us up to the Mt Etna area where we hiked among volcanic lava flows and explored craters and caves. It was a great day to explore the Mt. Etna area, ride horses in the Sicilian countryside and have a delicious meal. Corrado is extremely knowledgeable of the history and geography of Mt. Etna which was a surprise bonus!

Beautiful views, followed by a flavorful Sicilian lunch! - Our guide, Marco, was awesome! Not only was he on time, he was personable when sharing the many interesting facts about Sicily, the people, and the culture. Seeing the countryside by horseback was definitely out of our comfort zone, yet we found it to be relaxing and enjoyed every minute of it. Remember to bring sunscreen, shoes that you're okay with getting dirty, long pants (to protect your legs), and sunglasses (depending on the weather). As for the traditional Sicilian lunch, be prepared to have a feast! Starting out with a glass of your choice of red or white wine. Our appetizer was equivalent to that of a charcuterie board! Given the size of the platter, we thought it was our meal. We proceeded to indulge in over 85% of the platter, as we could not possibly finish it between the three of us. As I sat there, while in conversation, I noticed the owner placed a small bowl of parmesan cheese on the table. I was of the belief that it was by mistake; however, it turned out, it was not! Next up was our macaroni with red sauce. Our American macaroni is not the same as the Sicilian macaroni and, without a doubt, falls short of the flavorful Sicilian version!! Once we were done with the main entree, we were offered dessert. Although I felt I could not possibly have anything else, I opted for the limoncello dessert. Needless to say, it did not disappoint! We are eternally grateful for Marco and urge others to step out of their comfort zone to try something out of the ordinary...totally worth it!

Taormina Horseback Experience - We had a fantastic experience with this tour. Our guide - Maurizio - was incredible, the horseback ride was stunning (and the owners' son gave us three eggs that we had our hotel cook for us at breakfast!) and the lunch was delicious and filling for the belly and the soul.

Amazing Experience!!! - Samuela was our guide for horseback riding on Etna and it was one of the most magical experiences. She picked us up near our airbnb and drove us to a ranch where we began our ride. We went up in the hills of Etna and had incredible views. The horses were very nice and listened for the most part 😂. It was surprising since it was basically my first time riding a horse since I was a young child. After our horseback tour we took a trip to a traditional sicilian restaurant and enjoyed some wine and food. It was such a memorable experience and definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Samuela gave us so much information and is very knowledgeable about the region, culture; and Etna. 10/10 would recommend!

Book This Tour! - This was a great day! Our guide, Maurizio, picked us up at the cruise port and we drove to the most beautiful horseback riding location. We had a great ride, although the horses were a little feisty! Maurizio then drove us to a lovely restaurant for a traditional Sicilian lunch, which included antipasti, excellent pasta, red and white wine and cookies for desert. After lunch, Maurizio then showed us a few "local" areas, including a beautiful church and an excellent gelato spot! He then drove us back to the port . Totally private tour, although there was another group on the horseback riding, but other than that it was just us. I'm always a little concerned about booking an independent tour on a cruise, but this was just fine, we made it back with plenty of time. If you want to get away from the crowds and see some spots that are definitely not super touristy, this is the way to go!

Massimo the most amazing tour guide in Italy - Words truly cannot express how incredible our tour guide Massimo was. Horse riding on the mountain was beautiful, but the knowledge Massimo shared with us about Sicilian history and the stories we will keep with us forever. We had a wonderful dinner on the mountain, with great food, music and the perfect atmosphere. Us four girls cannot wait to come back next year and do choose another tour and ensure to get Massimo. Can’t recommend high enough it was sooo amazing!!

I am not a horseback... - I am not a horseback riding person but our guide Sabrina was very kind and led me and my horse around.

Massimo is the best! - Our guide Massimo was the highlight of our day. He was excellent, and truly went above and beyond. We loved spending time with him. Lunch was also delicious. Definitely be prepared for lots of food. The horseback riding was nice but the description is a bit romanticized.

Nice people, fun horse ride, bad lunch - Our tour guide, who picked us up from our AirBnB, was an incredibly nice lady and a great guide. The horse ride was fun, but the horse expert who led us didn’t seem like he wanted to be there. The traditional Sicilian lunch was what ruined it for us, though. The place looked great, but we didn’t have a say in what we got to eat. We were served really weird appetizers and a very basic pasta dish, when there was much more good stuff available at the restaurant. Not to mention, the service was terrible. It took about an hour just to get the weird appetizers, and the pasta came around the hour and a half mark. It was a really painful lunch experience.

Not as advertised - I highly suspect they've switched stables because this tour is almost completely not as described. The ride is not through the beautiful countryside but on pavement and a dried up aqueduct/river bed through town complete with litter and garbage. None of the pictures are accurate. The riding is not 1.5 hours either. It is more like 40 minutes of boring, straight-lines walk. You do not get to practice with your horse. You do not canter or trot. You also do not arrive upon a farmhouse with olive & lemon trees. The lunch is after the riding. separate and arriving via car to a restaurant. A very average restaurant and not a local farmhouse. That said, the stable owners are extremely nice, the driver is incredibly friendly and knowledgable however either switch to the previous stable of show more accurate photo's so customers can have better expectations.