9 Day Self-Guided Motorcycle Tour of Sicily, Italy

Day 1: Arrival in Palermo

Today is the individual arrival of all participants in Palermo. Italy on Motorbike recommends you to have a stroll through the lanes of the historical town center to visit the Palatine Chapel, the royal palace, and so much more. They suggest dedicating Palermo at least one day before or after the tour for a self-contained visit.

Day 2: Palermo to Marsala, 210 kilometers / 130 miles

At 09:00, you will leave Palermo for a great start of your tour through the beauties of Sicily. You will start heading for Monreale and its splendid Duomo cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Then, you will continue along the scenic route above the sea to visit the archeological remains of the charming Temple of Segesta and descend towards the sea and the historic tuna fishery in Scopello. From there, you will begin the discovery of the Zingaro Reserve and San Vito Lo Capo, then continue towards Trapani with its salt marshes and finally towards the splendid Marsala where you will stop for the night.

Day 3: Marsala to Agrigento, 240 kilometers / 149 miles

You will leave the sea behind you, breeze through olive groves and vineyards en-route to the Belice valley with the surreal ghost town landscape of Poggioreale, and dive into the world of “Cinema Paradiso”, the best foreign film at the 1990 Oscars, and “Malena”. The last leg of this day brings you back to the sea and straight into the Magna Graecia to Agrigento’s mystical Valley of the Temples, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, where you will spend the night.

Day 4: Agrigento to Ibla, 210 kilometers / 130 miles

Again, you will face many curves towards the inland. You will visit the Villa Romana del Casale, an early fourth-century villa and UNESCO site with huge, exceptionally well-preserved mosaics. Then, you hit the road again, bound for Val di Noto and its fine UNESCO-listed late-baroque towns. Although all these centers had existed since the Middle Ages, they were rebuilt to suit late 17th-century tenets of architecture, decoration, and urban design after a catastrophic earthquake reduced them to rubble in 1693.

Producing works of art, buildings, churches, and late baroque monuments of great beauty, 14 of the 18 monuments of the city of Ragusa registered in the world heritage today are located in the ancient isle of Ibla, which by the way has more than 50 churches and numerous buildings in baroque style, where you will stop for the night.

Day 5: Ibla to Siracusa, 170 kilometers / 106 miles

This day is dedicated to the late baroque between cozy villages symbol of this fascinating island, a day with fewer kilometers but with so much to see. You will begin with UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Modica and Noto and finish with Siracusa and the beautiful island Ortigia, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. On top of all this, you can also pay a visit to the fascinating necropolis and / or among the ponds of the Cavagrande area. Your overnight stay is in Siracusa.

Day 6: Siracusa to Etna, 200 kilometers / 124 miles

A few kilometers on the motorway will allow you to quickly reach the area that you want to explore today, that is of the spectacular Etna. So, you will continue your tour with a visit in the historical center of Catania to then dedicate yourself to the unique sight of the majestic Etna, a UNESCO World Heritage which is, with its 3,340 meters above sea level, the highest active volcano of the Eurasian plate. It is on the slopes that you will stop for the night.

Day 7: Etna to Cefalù, 260 kilometers / 162 miles

You will spend the day through some of the most enchanting villages of Italy, between the sea and the mountain, exploring the natural park of the Nebrodi mounts which is the biggest in Sicily straddling the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, savoring many exquisite turns. You will then have a bite of the road which has characterized the known race “Targa Florio” before reaching another pearl of Sicily, the beautiful Cefalù, where you will stop for the night.

Day 8: Cefalù to Palermo, 200 kilometers / 124 miles

Get ready for some more serious riding in the mountains and by the sea. You will be motoring up and down through the Madonie mountains up to 1,600 meters in the tracks of the historic “Targa Florio” and “Mille Miglia” motor race before reaching your city of departure, Palermo.

Day 9: Farewell in Palermo

Today is your departure, leaving you free to go home, explore further the magic of Sicily on your own, or relax for some days by the sea.

Note

You will get thoroughly-designed daily itineraries from hotel to hotel, packed with exhilarating bikers’ roads and spectacular / interesting places to see. They come in Sygic format, the most performing navigation system presently available that works on any smartphone without any internet connection, and in GPS format.

Skill level required for this tour: beginner

Beginner:

• can ride for 2-3 hours
• minimal riding experience
• assistance required
• comfortable with curves and leans
• basic experience with unsurfaced roads
• short distance ascents and descents

The sunny Sicily, Italy, the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is an astonishing place. Through the centuries, it has endured every kind of invasion, from the Greeks to the Romans, the Arabians, and the Normans, who all together made of it what it is now, a place with an incomparable, eclectic culture, and a very peculiar allure. With its many architectural styles, its gorgeous landscapes, its strong personality, and the amazing sight of the erupting Etna, Sicily is an island like no other.

+−

You will get buffet breakfasts at the hotels during the tour. Meals on a half-board basis are available on request.

During the tour, you can visit various museums, natural sites, and monuments around Sicily.

• 7 days of riding
• Thoroughly-designed daily itineraries in Sygic and GPS formats
• Assistance, medical, and luggage insurance
• Registration fees and a branded T-shirt
• 8 nights' accommodation
• Buffet breakfasts

• Motorcycle rental (ask Italy on Motorbike for a quote)
• Entrance fees in museums, natural sites, and monuments
• Main meals
• Tourist taxes and extras in hotels
• Transfers (ask Italy on Motorbike for a quote)
• Motorcycle operation costs such as petrol, parking fees, and tolls
• Personal expenses

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 25% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.