The first view I got of the Etna were from Catania. The Via Etnea is aligned in such a way that you can see the volcano. Still, I couldn't count that.

To get my tick, I took a bus to Refugio Sapienza and hiked from there up the mountain. On the bus ride we had already passed several (cold) lava fields, clearly indicating that this is an active volcano. It's interesting to see how close Catania is to an active volcano.

Around the Refugio there were several cold craters waiting to be explored. From the refugio, if you want to continue up, you have the option to take a lift or hike; I hiked. But the initial hike to the upper station is mostly via lava fields that are rather terrible to hike. If it weren't for the price, I would probably recommend taking the lift. Eventually, everything was clouded in fog and snow. For a while I couldn't see much further than 10m and was questioning if it made sense to continue. Luckily, when I reached the final spot, the sky cleared briefly and I took the attached picture.

My hiking app kept proposing trails that lead into the snow fields. I decided against it and would recommend to you to do the same. It's really best to follow the road.

At the end of the road, you get a good view of the volcano and can hike along an active crater rim. From this point on, you need a mountain guide. I felt I had gone far enough and returned.

I don't think this is an especially interesting volcano, especially if you compare it to a volcano like the Teide. I would also guess that Chile has plenty similar or better volcanoes by the dozen. And even in the context of Sicily this is underwhelming. The Eolian Islands themselves are part of the same geological feature and way more interesting.

Getting There 

In the morning, there is one bus running from Catania train station to Refugio Sapienza (departing around 8h, returning around 16h). You can find details on the bus connection here. While the referenced blog post states you can buy them in advance, I couldn't. Tickets were only available the same day, so I arrived early to get one. The ticket office is across the street from the train station and is marked on google maps. The bus will stop for breakfast going up the mountain, so you can pick up some provisions. The return goes directly back to Catania.

From Refugio Sapienza you can continue up the mountain via combination of funicular and busses. Alternatively, you can hike. The last ascend to the summit requires a mountain guide, though, as the paths are not well sign posted. The picture is from the start of the summit trail. A few Germans I met on the hike went on their own, but I do not recommend that.