Cyclops Coast Cruise Prices: What Does a Boat Tour Cost?

The Short Answer

Expect to pay $17 to $29 for a short tour from Aci Trezza, $40 to $57 for a two-hour small-group or sunset trip, $56 to $80 for a half-day cruise with food, and $158 to $172 for a fishing-boat day with lunch or a private charter. All of these are per person. The Catania sailing tours add a boarding fee of €15 to €20, paid in cash at the dock.

The cheapest option is a short shared trip from Aci Trezza; the most expensive is a long private boat with food. For most travellers, the best value sits in the middle: a 2- to 4-hour small-group tour with a swim stop.

What Drives the Price Up

Duration is the biggest factor. A 45-minute Aci Trezza loop and a 4-hour Catania cruise cover much of the same coastline, but the longer tour ties up a boat and a skipper for most of the day.

Food and drink add real cost. A tour that serves a Sicilian aperitif, a seafood tasting or a proper lunch will always cost more than one that’s transport and a swim. The Cyclops Coast Cruise with Appetizer & Snorkeling serves home-made bread, local cheese, vegetables preserved in oil and pistachio specialties with sparkling wine, and its price reflects that.

The boat itself matters. A sailing yacht with a crew costs more to run than a small open motorboat, which is part of why the Catania departures sit higher than the Aci Trezza ones. Sailing trips also tend to be longer, in smaller groups, and come with drinks or an aperitif.

Where you board. Short Aci Trezza trips are simpler because the Faraglioni are just offshore. Catania departures cover more distance and cost more, but you also get the whole lava coast between the city and the village.

The extras. A sunset slot, snorkeling gear, a guide in the water, a smaller group and peak-season dates can all add to the price. Shared tours are priced per person and are usually the most economical choice for solo travellers and couples.

A longer tour isn’t automatically better value. Compare the route, the group size and what’s included. A four-hour tour with swimming, snorkeling and an aperitif is a different product from a two-hour sightseeing ride, not just a longer version of it.

Price by Tour, With What You Get

These are current starting prices for real tours on this coast. Prices on GetYourGuide can shift by date and by the option you select, so treat these as a guide and confirm in the booking calendar.

Tour	From	Duration	Boards	What’s included
45-minute boat tour to Aci Castello	$17	45 min	Aci Trezza	Swim stop, masks and snorkels
Aci Trezza Odyssey Faraglioni tour	$22	45 min to 1.5 h	Aci Trezza	Swim stop, welcome drink
Cyclops Coast boat tour with swim stop	$29	Short tour	Aci Trezza	Faraglioni, Lachea, Aci Castello, swim
2-hour dolphin-watching trip at sunset	$40	2 h	Aci Trezza	Sunset, dolphin spotting
3-hour tour to Acireale	$52	3 h	Aci Trezza	Two swim stops, masks and snorkels
Sail Tour with Sicilian Aperitif	$56	4 h	Catania	Sailboat, snorkel gear, paddleboard, light bites, sparkling wine
Sunset boat tour with dolphin watching	$57	2 h	Aci Castello	Sunset, chance of dolphins, swim
Faraglioni boat excursion	$57	About 2.5 h	Ognina (Catania)	Small group, swim stops, drinks and fruit
Cyclops Coast Cruise with Appetizer	$78	4 h	Catania	Sailboat, snorkel gear, paddleboard, Sicilian appetizer, sparkling wine
Rubber dinghy tour of the Cyclops Riviera	$80	About 3 h	See voucher	Guide, swim and snorkel stop, small aperitif
Fishing-tourism boat day with lunch	$158	5.5 h	Catania	Fishing with the crew, seafood tasting, wine, swim stops
Private boat tour with lunch	$172	About 4 h incl. pickup	Aci Trezza, pickup available	Private guide, sea-cave swimming, lunch, dessert, coffee

Private Doesn’t Mean One Flat Price for the Boat

The private charter to the Cyclops Islands is priced per person, at around $172, not as a flat fee for the boat. A group of four pays roughly four times what a solo traveller pays; it doesn’t get cheaper per head as your group grows. What the premium buys is no other passengers, a pace set by your group, a proper lunch, and swimming inside the sea caves that the shared tours sail past.

Some private listings elsewhere do show one price for the whole boat, which looks high next to a per-person ticket. If you find one, divide the total by the number of people in your group before comparing it with the shared tours.

What Each Price Level Is Worth

Around $20: the view and a swim. You get close to the Faraglioni and Isola Lachea with the engine off, a skipper explaining the lava formations and the Cyclops legend, and a quick swim in the marine reserve. You won’t get food, and you’ll be back in the harbour within the hour. For anyone already staying in Aci Trezza, this is excellent value.

$40 to $57: time and atmosphere. Two hours is long enough to slow down. This is where the sunset trips and the small-group excursions sit, and it’s the price level with the highest ratings on the coast: the sunset tour from Aci Castello holds 4.9 from more than 100 reviews.

$56 to $80: the full half-day. Four hours on a sailing yacht from Catania, a proper swim stop with snorkel gear and a paddleboard, and food on board. The two leading tours at this level have more than 950 reviews each at 4.7, which makes them the most predictable choice on the coast.

$158 and up: a different kind of day. The fishing-tourism trip puts you on a 20-metre wooden fishing boat with working fishermen, fishing with hooks and eating seafood prepared on board. The private charter swaps the group for your own guide. Neither is a longer version of the standard cruise; both are different experiences.

What’s Usually Included

A standard tour includes the boat, the skipper and safety equipment. Depending on the product, the price may also cover fuel, drinks, snorkeling equipment, snacks, an aperitif or towels. On this coast, the Catania sails include fuel, snorkel gear, a paddleboard and food with sparkling wine; the short Aci Trezza trips usually include a swim stop and masks, and sometimes a welcome drink. Read the “includes” and “not included” lists on each listing, since that’s where a boarding fee or missing towel shows up.

Hidden Costs to Know About

Boarding fees. Both main Catania sailing tours charge a mandatory boarding fee, €15 per person on the appetizer cruise and €20 on the sailing tour with aperitif. It’s paid on site, usually in cash, and appears under “not included” on the listing.

Getting to the harbour. AMTS bus 534 from central Catania to Aci Trezza costs a couple of euros; a taxi costs far more. If you’re staying in Catania, a $22 Aci Trezza tour plus a return taxi can end up costing about the same as a Catania cruise that leaves from your doorstep.

Towels and drinks. Several of the short Aci Trezza tours don’t supply towels or refreshments. Bring your own towel and a bottle of water.

Hotel transfers and food. Hotel pickup isn’t included on the Catania appetizer cruise, and most short trips serve no food, so budget for lunch ashore. The private charter is the exception, with lunch on board and pickup available.

A shorter trip than you expected. Check the duration of the exact option you select, not the listing’s headline. Some listings bundle a 45-minute and a 1.5-hour option under one name.

Tips. Not required. A few euros for a skipper who spotted dolphins or found you an empty cove is appreciated, and more is customary on a private charter if the day went well.

How to Compare Two Tours

Before choosing on the headline price, line up:

the total price for your group, boarding fees included
the duration of the option you’re booking
the departure point, and how you’ll get there
the passenger limit
the swim stops
whether snorkel gear is included
drinks and food
the cancellation terms

Three Worked Examples

A couple staying in Catania, wanting the full experience. Two places on the Cyclops Coast Cruise with Appetizer at $78 each, plus two €15 boarding fees: roughly $156 online and €30 at the dock, with no transport cost.

A family of four staying in Aci Trezza, short on time. Four places on the Aci Trezza Odyssey tour at $22 each: about $88, and you can walk to the pier. Swap in the 45-minute Aci Castello tour at $17 each and it drops to about $68.

Four friends who want the sea caves. Four places on the private charter at around $172 each: about $688, lunch included. The same group on the shared Faraglioni excursion would pay about $228, but wouldn’t swim inside the caves or have the boat to themselves.

When Prices Change

Starting prices on GetYourGuide are for the cheapest available option and date. Private options, sunset slots and peak weekends in July and August can cost more than the headline figure, while shoulder-season dates in May, June and late September sometimes cost less. Always check the price in the calendar for your actual date before comparing tours.

Is Cheaper or More Expensive Better Value?

Neither is automatically the better deal. The cheapest tour can be enough: a $22 tour is great value if what you want is the Faraglioni up close and a swim. Paying $78 for a longer sail and an appetizer you didn’t want isn’t better value, just more expensive.

Pay more for the upgrades you’ll use: a smaller group, a private boat, longer in the water, snorkeling, a sail, a sunset, or a departure point closer to where you’re staying.

If you want the whole day on the water, with swimming, snorkeling, food and time to relax, the $78 half-day cruise beats stacking two short trips together. And if you’re weighing Catania against Aci Trezza on price alone, read our Catania vs Aci Trezza guide first; getting to the harbour can change the sums.

Ready to Book?

The best-value cruise isn’t necessarily the cheapest one. If you’re weighing whether the trip up from Catania is worth it at all, our Catania to Aci Trezza boat trip guide covers the route and who it suits.

Check live prices for the top-rated Cyclops Coast cruise above, or compare every tour on this coast side by side.

Cyclops Coast Cruise Prices