THE SUNSHINE ISLAND
THE WILD UNDISCOVERED SICILY (May 13-22, 2025)
Between the mountains and the sea! This is the motto of this 8-day riding tour: a perfect combination between the twisty backroads of Sicilian mountains and the beautiful roads that run along the slopes of the coast.
One day on the beach, local life, superb food and wine complete this tour created for all riders who love riding the most twisty roads of the most wild and undiscovered Italian island!
This fabulous tour starts and ends in the beautiful, ‘Eternal’ city of Rome.
Tour Overview
Tour Start: Rome – Tuesday, May 13th 2025
Tour End: Rome – Thursday, May 22th 2025
Tour difficulty: 3/5
Route: The total riding mileage will be approximately 1,500 kms (932 miles) on asphalt.
Highlights: Rome, Lake Bracciano, Trevignano Romano, Tuscia Viterbese, Palermo, Monreale, Erice, Gibellina, Sosio Valley, Valley of the Temples, Agrigento, Caltagirone, Mount Etna, Nebrodi Forests, Madonie Mountains, Cefalù, Naples.
Climate: We can be experiencing the full range of weather conditions on this ride. We are in the top end at the best time of year, spring, and the days will be warm and sunny with little to no rain. As we ride the Sicily island the nights will be temperate, but again the days should be superb, mostly sunny.
Tour Map
Program
Welcome to Rome.
From the airport you will be transferred by a VIP private car to your hotel. Here you will find the Moto Tours Italy staff, ready to warmly welcome you to Italy.
Morning or early afternoon arrival is strongly recommended.
In the late afternoon we will be waiting for you in the hotel bar for a Meet and Greet amongst tour colleagues. We’ll then go and pick up the bikes and bring them back to the hotel garage.
Once back at the hotel the Moto Tours Italy staff will give a general briefing of the tour details, and will be happy to answer any questions.
We are now ready to go out for our Welcome Dinner during which you’ll learn more about what to expect in the exciting upcoming days.
The ferry for Palermo leaves Civitavecchia in the late afternoon, so we’ll have plenty of time to enjoy a great riding-day before getting to the harbor by 4 pm, ready to board.
We’ll leave Rome heading north, driving round Lake Bracciano and through the small village of Trevignano Rimano, on the northern shore of the lake, where we’ll stop for our first cup of coffee on the road.
Back on our saddles we’ll drive through the heart of the “Tuscia Viterbese”, an area that was once inhabited by the Etruscans.
We’ll be riding on back roads, through hazelnut and chestnut orchards, all the way to Viterbo, and then east to Tuscania, where we’ll be stopping for lunch.
Tuscania is a fairy-tale-like medieval town, perched on a tuff rock between the Marta River and the Fosso Capecchio torrent, and surrounded by beautiful lavender fields.
Back on the bikes we’ll head straight for Civitavecchia harbor, once again on small back roads flanked first by ancient olive trees, and then by endless fields of grain, ready to be harvested.
In Civitavecchia we will check-in at the harbor, put our bikes to rest in the belly of the ferry, and find our cabins.
After a well-deserved shower, we’ll meet on the top-deck to enjoy the setting sun as the ferry leaves Civitavecchia, heading for Palermo, Sicily.
Once off the ferry in Palermo, we will be riding directly to the breathtaking Monreale Cathedral, one of the greatest existent examples of Norman, Arab and Byzantine architecture, begun in 1174 by William II of Sicily. Set at about three hundred meters above sea level, the town overlooks the “Conca d’Oro,” as the valley beyond Palermo is known.
We’ll get back on the bikes to ride through God-forsaken roads, leading us towards the ancient town of Erice, nestled at the top of Mount Erice, once home to the Phoenicians and the Greeks. Needless to say the view will leave you speechless! We will have lunch in this stunning town.
After lunch, we’ll get back on the road, speeding down to the Belice Valley.
Before getting to our hotel we’ll be stopping to visit the “Cretto di Gibellina”, an enormous and touching piece of art created by Alberto Burri, built where the village of Gibellina Vecchia was completely destroyed by the terrible earthquake, on the 15th of January 1968.
The “Cretto” has been described as the most beautiful flow of cement ever seen: 80 thousand square meters of white cement and debris that commemorates the history of a town that has completely disappeared from the Italian maps.
The “Cretto” has been described as the most beautiful flow of cement ever seen: 80 thousand square meters of white cement and debris that commemorates the history of a town that has completely disappeared from the Italian maps.
Today we’ll be taking a trip through history, culture and traditions, riding mostly along back roads and a short stretch of motorway (toll-free).
Our first stop will be in Palazzo Adriano, a small town in the middle of the Sosio Valley, famous world-wide for being the natural set of the Oscar-winning film “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”.
Here two distinct ethnic groups live side by side: the Latins and the Albanian-Greeks, both of whom jealously preserve their customs, cultures and traditions.
Later we’ll head towards Agrigento, where we will be visiting the amazing Valley of the Temples, perched on a rocky crest. Here the remains of the ancient Doric Temples, dedicated to the Greek Gods, rise dramatically against the clear blue skies.
After the tour in this historic site, it will be time to put our bikes into first gear and speed along great back roads where it’s rare to meet any other vehicle!
As the sun starts setting, we’ll reach Caltagirone where we will spend the night.
Leaving Caltagirone we will quickly be heading towards the foot of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe (3.340 meters.), where fire, water and light join together, mixing and blending to create a unique natural performance.
We will be riding up to the top of the volcano on the eastern side, along roads that cannot simply be described as “scenic”: they are so much more.
The excursion will begin at an altitude of 1,923 asl (Cableway Departure Station – Nicolosi Etna Sud – Rifugio Sapienza) and aboard a modern gondola built by the Leitner group we will reach an altitude of 2,500 asl in a few minutes, from which with the help of special 4×4 off-road vehicles, driven by experienced drivers, we will continue the ascent to the summit altitudes allowed by the competent authorities.
Once we will reach the altitude, we will find ourself in front of a scenario of incomparable beauty suspended between sky and sea, from where we will admire the imposing central crater, the Southeast crater and the countless overlapping lava flows from the oldest to the most recent.
The excursion continues with Etna’s volcanological guides, who, respecting the regulations in force, will lead us safely to the visit of the summit craters allowed by the competent authorities.
Once we will reach the altitude, we will find ourself in front of a scenario of incomparable beauty suspended between sky and sea, from where we will admire the imposing central crater, the Southeast crater and the countless overlapping lava flows from the oldest to the most recent.
The excursion continues with Etna’s volcanological guides, who, respecting the regulations in force, will lead us safely to the visit of the summit craters allowed by the competent authorities.
In the afternoon we will visit the astonishing Taormina, with its stunning immortal landscapes.
We’ll leave Mount Etna heading to Piano Provenzana, watching over us for at least an hour.
We’ll stop for a coffee along the way and then head into the heart of Sicily: the less-known part of the island. The villages we’ll be crossing along the way are few and far between, and the scenery that separates them is completely uncontaminated. We will stop for lunch inside the Nebrodi forests.
We can let our bikes lead the way, riding the scenic roads that twist and turn through two National Parks: the Nebrodi first, and then the Madonie.
Back on the coast, we’ll drive on roads flanked by the sea, all the way to Cefalù, an astonishing coast beauty.
Back on the coast, we’ll drive on roads flanked by the sea, all the way to Palermo harbor. Yes, our Sicilian Tour is over, and it’s time to check-in and board the ferry, position our bikes on the parking deck, and find our cabins.
A quick shower, and we’ll meet on the top deck to enjoy the setting sun and wave goodbye to Sicily.
You have to be a little bit “crazy” to drive through the Neapolitan traffic. But – hey! – we are bikers and we’ve seen it all, so we’ll get through this experience as well!
After this brief “hardship” we deserve a reward.. let’s make that 2!
First we will eat a fresh mozzarella in the place where they have just been made, and then we’ll stop for a delicious local pastry: the “Sfogliatella Napoletana”, straight out of the oven!
We will drive back to Rome along scenic back roads.
After returning the bikes, we arrive back at the hotel in time to freshen up before our final fabulous dinner together celebrating this wonderful Italian motorcycle experience.
Unfortunately time has come to say Arrivederci to your new buddies and pack your bags.
Today you will be transferred to the airport according to your flight schedule.
We will be waiting for your next Moto Tours Italy adventure!
See you soon!
Price-list
Tour policies
overview
- Late model motorcycle with lockable top case plus a third party liability insurance and comprehensive vehicle insurance.
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VIP insurance which lower to the minimum security deposit and liability excess for possible damages.
- Experienced guide(s) on motorcycle(s).
- Support van for luggage and eventually 1 or 2 passengers.
- 9 nights’ accommodation in quality, mostly 4**** hotels.
- 9 complete buffet breakfasts in the hotel.
- Welcome and farewell dinners in traditional local restaurants.
- All ferry rides (according to tour program).
- Entrance fee to National Parks and Museum visits.
- Airport transfers up to 7 days prior to the tour start and one at the end of the tour.
- Moto Tours Italy Welcome Kit.
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Insurance covering most any medical issue during the trip including, doctors, ambulance, hospital and any appropriate family travel.
Air ticket, meals and drinks, gasoline, personal spending and tips.
