Down to Sicily: The Sunshine Island motorcycle tour

Welcome Riders!

Book before December 31 and get two free nights – one before and one after the tour – and a Vespa tour in Rome!

This tour includes 7 riding-days plus a rest-day in Taormina, one of the gem of beautiful Sicily.

Sicily is the Sunshine Island; a harmonic chorus of sky, sea, endless hills and rugged landscapes.

Sicily is the island of Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe.

Sicily is the land of scents; a unique and diverse place, a strange and divine open-air architectural museum; “babba” (mellow), and “sperta” (sly), lazy and yet frenetic; an Island with such an excessive personality that it is hard to know if this is a blessing or a curse.

We’ll be leaving Rome heading for the harbor of Civitavecchia to board the night-ferry for Palermo, Sicily.

The next six days will be spent traveling on back roads with hardly any traffic, at times a little rough, but absolutely stunning, where uncontaminated views open up abruptly, bearing witness to the ancient Civilizations which have conquered this land over the centuries.

Six days that will also be filled delicious food: “cannoli“, “arancini” and “arancine”, sea-food and meat; wines born to a land where the sun has no shame in being too bright.

And then back on the ferry that goes to Naples, and from there to Rome.

Enrico Grassi, Tour Leader and Founder of Hear the Road, has spent many hours exploring the riding routes and the extraordinary hospitality of this incredible island, in order to give you a holiday adventure that you will always remember with a smile.

Highlights

Where We Ride – What We See – What We Hear

• Day 01

  Day1 - Welcome to Roma

  From the airport you will be transferred by private car to your hotel. Here you will find Enrico, your Hear The Road host, ready to warmly welcome you to Italy.

  Late morning or early afternoon arrival is recommended.

  After settling in your room and freshening up, 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 Enrico will give a general briefing of the tour, 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.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN ROME.

  Highlights:

  Meet your motorcycle, Meet your guide, Meet your fellow riders, Welcome Dinner.

• Day 02

  Day2 - Roma to Civitavecchia > Overnight ferry to Palermo

  269 Km / 168 miles

  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 Romano, 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.

  Dinner will be served on board.
  OVERNIGHT IS ON THE FERRY FROM CIVITAVECCHIA TO PALERMO.

  Highlights:

  Lake Bracciano, Trevignano Romano, Lake Vico, Tuscania, Tuscia Viterbese, Sunset on the ferry from Civitavecchia to Sicily.

• Day 03

  Day3 - Palermo to Sambuca di Sicilia

  201 Km / 125 miles

  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.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN SAMBUCA DI SICILIA

  Highlights:

  Monreale Cathedral, Erice Antica, Belice Valley, Cretto di Gibellina.

• Day 04

  Day4 - Sambuca di Sicilia to Naro Baglio San Nicola

  172 Km / 107 miles

  Today we’ll be taking a trip through history, culture and traditions.

  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.

  Back on our saddles, we will ride towards San Biagio Platani, a very well-known town famous for the Archi di Pasqua, a typical and traditional festival which was created to celebrate the Easter day, where we will have a typical Sicilian lunch.

  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 a three-hour 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 Naro Baglio San Nicola where we will spend the night.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN NARO BAGLIO SAN NICOLA

  Highlights:

  Palazzo Adriano, San Biagio Platani, Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.

• Day 05

  Day5 - Naro Baglio San Nicola to Siracusa

  239 Km / 149 miles

  Today we will start with History, continue with History and end with History!

  Scenic roads, ridden with passion and with our hearts wide open, will be the joining link between one century and the other.

  A day which bears witness to Tommaso di Lampedusa’s definition of Sicily: “This America of Antiquity”.

  We’ll be heading North towards Piazza Armerina where we’ll visit the unique Roman Villa, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the most important testaments to the Western Roman Empire.
  This Villa is considered one of the most beautiful and significant examples of aristocratic residential homes of the Roman Era, with its extremely complex architecture, and over 3000 square meters of incredible mosaics.

  After visiting the Roman site, we’ll be ready to get back on our bikes and spring forward through time, riding over scenic roads which will lead us straight into the heart of the Baroque Era.

  We’ll be riding past the towns of San Michele di Ganzaria, Caltagirone – famous for its exceptional 142-step staircase, each step decorated with terracotta tiles painted in an incredible variety of colorful geometric designs – Grammichele, and Vizzini.

  After stopping in Vizzini for a well deserved coffee break, we’ll be riding back to the coast towards Siracusa, one of the largest metropolises of the Ancient World, plunging back into History to the Era of the Ancient Greeks.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN SIRACUSA

  Highlights:

  Villa Romana di Piazza Armerina, Caltagirone, the Ortigia Island in Siracusa.

• Day 06

  Day6 - Siracusa to Taormina

  152 Km / 95 miles

  Leaving Siracusa 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.

  We will be climbing the Mount Etna from the southern side of the mountain where we will set off for the excursion which will take us to 2900 meters above sea level.
  After the excursion we will ride back to Taormina, where the next day we will have a free day to recharge our batteries.

  THE EXCURSION
  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.

  Back on the saddles we’ll challenge the descent of Mount Etna that bring us on the coast and then to Taormina where we’ll spend the next 2 nights.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN TAORMINA

  Highlights:

  Mount Etna, Taormina.

• Day 07

  Day7 - Free day in Taormina

  Taormina is the perfect place where to spend your rest days after 5 days of riding!

  Settled on a hill of the Monte Tauro, Taormina dominates two grand, sweeping bays below and on the southern side, the top of Mount Etna, the European highest active volcano, often capped with snow, offering to the visitors a breathtaking, dramatic and memorable view over almost one hundred miles of Mediterranean sea.

  Taormina really seems to be born as a tourist resort since past times, when ancient people like the Sicels, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Saracens, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards chose it as their residential site thank to its favorable position, mild climate and magic atmosphere.

  Nowadays visitors can still find fine examples of Taormina’s golden times: the splendid Greek Theatre, the Roman “Naumachiae”, the 10th century Palazzo Corvaja, the 13th century Cathedral of Saint Nicolò, the 16th century Palace of the Dukes of Saint Stefano, the public gardens, the “Badia Vecchia” (Ancient Abbey) and many others.
  OVERNIGHT IS AGAIN IN TAORMINA

  Highlights:

  Visit of Taormina by your own.

• Day 08

  Day8 - Taormina to Palermo > Overnight Ferry to Napoli

  289 Km / 180 miles

  We’ll leave Taormina heading to Piano Provenzana on the Mount Etna, 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 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.
  Dinner will be served on the ferry.
  OVERNIGHT IS ON THE FERRY FROM PALERMO TO NAPLES.

  Highlights:

  Parco dei Nebrodi, Parco delle Madonie, the scenic Settentrionale Sicula coastline road.

• Day 09

  Day9 - Napoli to Roma

  296 Km / 184 miles

  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.
  OVERNIGHT IS IN ROME.

  Highlights:

  The traffic of Napoli, Sperlonga, Monti Lepini, Farewell dinner.

• Day 10

  Day10 - Departure day

  Time to say goodbye, shop for any last minute souvenirs, and pack your bags. After breakfast, guests will be transferred to the airport in conjunction with their departure schedule.

  Highlights:

  See you soon in Italy!

Included, excluded & terms

• What is included?

  • only for those who have decided to rent their bike through us: motorcycle rental with side cases, top case, locks and alarm. (For rented bikes a deposit for damage theft and fire, between 1.500 and 3.000 euros is required depending on the chosen model).
    WHAT IS THE DAMAGE SECURITY DEPOSIT? Each motorcycle has a damage deposit. This amount will be frozen on your credit card, but not cashed. The deposit is your maximum liability for theft or damage to the vehicle. Please ensure that you have enough funds to cover the damage deposit on your cards.
  • the bike rental prices include costs for public-liability insurance and insurance for any road assistance in case of break-down.
  • welcome and farewell dinners in Rome.
  • accommodation: 2 nights including breakfast in 4-star hotel in Rome, 5 nights including breakfast in 3 or 4-star hotels in the towns where we will stop during the tour, and 2 overnights on the ferry to and from Palermo (Sicily).
  • Italian tour leader.
  • transfer from and to the airport.
  • entrance fees and guided tour to the archeological site of Agrigento and the Villa Romana in Piazza Armerina.
  • courtesy van to pick up and leave the bikes.
  • support van where we’ll carry your cases (1 suitcase + 1 handbag per person).
  • a detailed Road-book with all the information you’ll need; a map with the itinerary well marked; the “Wordless Travel Book”, and a Hear the Road T-shirt.
  • Insurance covering most any medical issue during the trip including, doctors, ambulance, hospital and any appropriate family travel.

• What is not included?

  • fuel for your motorcycle.
  • tolls on motorways.
  • entrance fees to museums or other sites, except for the archeological site of Agrigento and the Villa Romana in Piazza Armerina .
  • all meals and beverages, except for the welcome and farewell dinners in Rome.

  We also suggest that anyone traveling abroad for one of our Tours consider purchasing a “Travel Insurance”. It can take the worry out of the unexpected situations that can arise in any travel plan.

• Terms of payment

  • €800 Deposit, to be paid, on reserving a place on the tour.
    (The deposit is totally refundable in case we don’t reach the minimum number of participants).
  • Balance, to be paid, 60 days before the starting date when you get confirmation from HEAR THE ROAD.

• In case of cancellation

  If you decide to cancel the tour for whatever reason that does not depend on HEAR THE ROAD, these are the penalties that will incur:

  • up to 60 days prior to the starting date, HTR holds the deposit, that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.
  • between 59 and 10 days prior to the starting date you lose the deposit. HTR holds the balance that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.
  • from 9 days prior to the starting date you lose 50% of the total amount. HTR holds the remaining 50% that you can use for another tour in the same or in the following year.

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Video

Creation of the tour: Associazione Culturale Hear The Road.
Organization and marketing: Hear The Road srl.