The Best of Sicily Cycling Tour
A land of discovery, adventure and wild beauty
Overview of Our Best of Sicily Cycling Holidays
Sicily is both a distinct land and culture; a land of wild natural beauty, breathtaking wonders and extraordinary architecture; and a culture shaped by a patchwork of civilisations dating back to the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans. Steeped in history and tradition, the unique identity of Sicily is at the very heart of our adventure, both on and off the bike.
Ancient cultures have left their mark on the architecture, language and cuisine, however today the Sicilian culture and way of life is very much Italian. It is a culture filled with warmth and passion for all things Sicilian first, and Italian second – and captivates you in so many different ways as you traverse its deep agricultural heart, and take in the scenes around every windswept turn and up every rock-walled climb of what often feels like a forgotten land.
Travelling coast to coast, and from west to east, expect long, warm Spring days on daily rides that take you across the stunning and diverse landscape; from the sea to the mountains, and across the rugged hills, rolling farmlands and wildflower lined backroads in-between.
You’ll ride through countless beautiful villages and towns dotted across the landscape, including the captivating baroque towns of Ragusa, Caltagirone and Palazzolo Acreide; navigate delightful seaside towns from Trapani to Siracusa and San Vito to Avola; and find yourself immersed in the enchanting and timeless piazza’s of Ortigia and Taormina. You’ll spin past olive and pistachio groves, orange orchards and green-hued vineyards, ancient Roman hilltop villages, fields filled with black lava rocks and Greek temples that have been standing for 2500 years. The pinnacle will see you take on the tempestuous peak of Mt Etna and enjoy the 50km descent that follows.
Our Sicily cycling tour is a true adventure; a feast for your senses where every day delivers unexpected vistas, a journey through the distinctive and diverse food and wine cultures of the island, a multitude of unique southern Italian tastes and a level of interaction with the locals that only Sicily’s distinct and warm, open-hearted people offer.
Over 11 days, you’ll experience a taste of the best that Sicily has to offer.
Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime – both on and off the bike.
Sicily Cycling Tour Ride Itinerary
Experience cycling in Sicily, Italy.
Our Our daily rides through Sicily ensure you experience the diverse landscapes it has to offer, from the turquoise seas along coastal roads, through ancient olive groves and citrus orchards, up beautiful climbs to mountains of volcanic rock and to towns with their own mark on history. story through which we pass and stay. You’ll enjoy cycling through Sicily, Italy, with its wild beauty and stunning, rugged landscapes, and finishing each day’s ride with time to relax and enjoy the beautiful places we stay.
Welcome to Sicily, ItalyAn utterly spectacular start with a beautiful climb up to a charming and ancient Roman hilltop village.
This will give you the opportunity to make micro adjustments to your bike set up as you stretch the legs after your travels
Highlight: The vista of the rugged mountain toward San Vito Lo Capo from the hairpin corners.
Distance:38.6km
Elevation: 828m
Along the Coast RoadRolling out of our seaside village, we hug the coastline before heading into the rock-strewn rugged hills and through quiet villages on our way to one of Sicily’s iconic seaside spots
Highlight: The contrast of the vivid turquoise waters against the rugged backdrop.
Distance: 85.7km
Elevation: 962m
Valle dei TempliWe will start the day with a short transfer in the van to our start location. From there we’ll proceed around the Sicani mountains and beautiful arid country dotted with olive groves as far as the eye can see, before changing tact and heading for the Valley of Temples.
Highlight: Rolling past Greek temples that have been standing for 2500 years.
Distance: 101.9km
Elevation: 1685m
Into the Ceramic heartAn undulating day through the agricultural heart of Sicily on our way to Caltagirone and then on to our Masseria. We’ll wind our way through a landscape of open golden fields, patches of olive groves, roads lined with spring wildflowers and cacti, and punctuated with small villages and hills.
Highlight: The landscape’s golden vastness and silence.
Distance: 70.4km
Elevation: 859m
Heading for the HillsA beautiful undulating loop taking in the surrounding hills and villages, with a mix of open roads and hairpin laden descents, providing a day that is a feast for your senses.
Highlight: The rugged landscape in what feels at times like a forgotten land.
Distance: 90.6km
Elevation: 1513m
Into the Iblei MountainsA seriously sensational day on the quiet rock-wall lined roads as you traverse through the Iblei mountains and the beautiful baroque towns that sit atop them.
Highlight: The vista of the final km as we roll into our hilltop village for the night.
Distance: 80.2km
Elevation: 1657m
Noto Valley ExplorationA morning meandering through the small villages of the lush Noto valley on our way to the architectural masterpeice of Noto. After lunch, we’ll head to the coast for a flat run along the seaside as we head into our “coastal home” for the next two nights.
Highlight: Taking in the Baroque masterpieces as we ride along the cobble stoned Corso di Noto.
Distance: 93.6km
Elevation: 1244m
An Adventure in the CountryA lighter day as we roll out of our seaside village and hug the coast with stunning vistas before our mid ride caffe.
Highlight: The view back to Siracusa.
Distance: 42.8km
Elevation: 311m
Giro della EtnaA short 75 minute transfer to our start location. From here we’ll ride around Mt Etna, with the gentle giant always visible over our shoulder.
We’ll roll through orange orchards, pistachio groves, the black lunar landscapes from previous lava flows and past ancient hilltop towns, before a final 10km descent into our stunning mountain-side masseria.
Highlight: The continual view of Mt Etna through the changing landscapes.
Distance: 77.2km
Elevation: 1470m
What Goes up Must Come DownThe pinnacle of the tour where we we’ll tackle the gentle giant Etna.
We’ll ease into the ascent and steadily climb for the first 27km through forests and old lava flows, before reaching the rifugio at the road’s end.
Enjoy the view as we take in some refreshments before we have a very fitting finale, descending 2000m to our final destination of Taormina.
Highlight: A 50km descent!
Distance: 85.3km
Elevation: 2004m
Sicily Bike Tour Pricing & Dates
US$5700 per person twin share / Maximum 14 guests
2024
Start Location & Details
City: Palermo, Italy
Pick Up Location: Piazza Verdi
Pick Up Time: 11:00am
Finish Location & Details
City: Catania, Italy
Drop Off Location: Catania-Fontanarossa Airport
Drop Off Time: 11:00am
Sicily Bike Tour Inclusions & Details
Accommodation & Meals
- 10 nights accommodation is included in our Sicily cycling tours, twin share with your own private bathroom.
- Single occupancy available. Talk to us when booking
- All breakfasts and dinners at a range of our favourite restaurants, osteria’s and home cooked locations, including nightly aperitivo hour and local wines and beers at each dinner.
- Lunches on the road
Ride Support
- Professional bilingual ride guides with extensive cycling experience, local knowledge and first aid experience, ensuring your riding experiences are truly local and take in many of the undiscovered back roads and rolling hills of this spectacular and diverse region.
- Unique routes, available on our GPS are provided as part of our cycling tour in Sicily, Italy.
- Support van on daily rides, with mechanical support and your safety as our priority.
- Nutritious energy snacks and hydration are provided
Transfers & Activities
- All transfers / transportation from pick up to drop off, including baggage and bike transportation.
- Wine tastings and activities as outlined in the detailed tour itinerary.
Ride Kit
- 2 piece, Italian made A’QTO Cycling Kit including jersey and bib shorts.
- Laundry for your cycling clothing.
Not Included
While airfare, bike hire and travel insurance are not included in the Tour cost, they can be fully arranged for you. Talk to us when booking.
Have More Questions About Our Puglia Cycling Tour?
- Airfare.
- Bike hire.
- Travel insurance.
Bike Hire & Gear
Full Carbon Road Bikes
You can choose to hire a Pinarello or Bianchi with a compact crankset.
GPS
An easy to use GPS is provided for your use for the duration of the tour with our daily rides pre installed.
Non-Riding Partners
As part of our Sicily cycling holiday, non-riding partners enjoy a customised travel program, designed to deliver a diverse range of activities and the best experiences Sicily has to offer. Whether its guided walks of historic towns and their unique architecture including the medieval town of Erice, the maze-like streets and expansive piazza’s of Ortigia or the stunning seaside villages of Trapani, or exploring olive groves and orange orchards, enjoying private olive oil tastings and cooking classes, non-riding partners experience the beauty and uniqueness of each area we visit. Nancy personally hosts non-riding guests each day with a select range of activities to suit the group. It’s sure to be a holiday in Sicily you’ll never forget.
As our non-riding partner program is an active adventure, there is a minimum walking requirement for non-riding guests for each tour. Please enquire when booking.
Sicily Cycling Tour Accommodation
Enjoy our personally selected range of authentic Sicilian accommodation. From staying in architecturally restored masserie with a ‘window’ overlooking ancient sites, beautiful seaside villas with views over turquoise seas, historic locanda’s in the quiet countryside where family run farms are still producing wine and olive oil, this diverse experience brings together the beauty of ancient, historic Sicily with the rustic, modern and sometimes edgy Sicily.
Food & Wine
Cannolo, Caponata, Pistachio Gelato and Pesce Spada; all Sicilian classics and always on the menu. We’ll sample these tastes and a whole lot more as venture further and deeper into the diverse Sicilian cuisine. We’ll delve into the very local specialties and grape varieties of every town in which we stay and dine in a diverse range of settings as we sample a wide range of flavours. Of course, we’ll start with seafood, either “crudo”, cooked on charcoal, or in the sweet and sour “agrodolce” and progress through specialty pastas of each region with a long list of local ingredients that are often only grown in the rich volcanic soils of Sicily, or swim in the warm Tyrrhenian seas surrounding the island or available seasonally – from local sardines and prawns, pistachios and almonds, carciofi, wild fennel, agreti and pomodori daterini, marsala and of course the famous Sicilian citrus; we’ll all in season for our Spring tasting adventure.
You’ll try some wines that you may not have had before… including Etna Bianco, Insolia, Grillo, Catarratto. Frappato, Perricone, and some that you may have, including Nero d’Avola and the sensational Etna Rosso.
Our food and wine experience in Sicily will feel like a tour within the tour.
Testimonials
I’LL BE COMING BACK FOR MORE
I was blown away by the whole Puglia experience & how your love & passion for Italy comes through in every part of the experience. I was after a cycling tour but got much more. Your kind heart & generosity & the fact I now consider you both wonderful friends means I’ll be coming back for more, here in Italy and back home.
