Italy: Sicily, the Noto Valley & Syracuse
Guided Biking
- Daily Mileage: 9-40 miles|
- Biking: 1-5 hours|
Starting From
10-day Air Package
$4,995
7-day Bike Tour Only
$3,995
Per person, double occupancy
Italy: Sicily, the Noto Valley & Syracuse
When considering a Sicily cycling vacation, ask yourself this question—would you rather stay in a glossy resort hotel, or are you looking for something more authentic? If you chose the latter, VBT’s local Sicilian trip leaders are delighted to welcome you to their island home! Here, you’ll stay at authentic accommodations showcasing Sicily’s rich cultural history – including a 18th century palace with stucco decorated ceilings. Pedal gentle bike paths along coastal valleys, stopping for lunch with a local family on their organic farm. Accompany a Sicilian truffle hunter and his dog on a search for this culinary prize. Through it all, your gregarious Sicilian trip leaders help you make local friends—using nothing but gestures, good humor, and your winning smile.
Tour Highlights
- Explore baroque Scicli with a local guide, and venture outside the city to the lovely Noto Valley.
- Tour an organic beekeeping farm in the canyons of the Iblean upland.
- Join your hotel chef for a hands-on demonstration of Sicilian cooking.
- Discover the fishing village of Marzamemi, recently restored to its 17th-century glory.
- Complement your cycling with basking in the sun or swimming at the beach.
Positive Impact
VBT is proud to support Addiopizzo with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Along with exceptional cuisine and ancient ruins, Sicily has a centuries-old reputation for corruption. But now, a grassroots coalition of over 850 shopkeepers in Palermo are standing up to institutional graft with the nonprofit “Addiopizzo” movement. This Fair Trade style certification—the name, roughly translated, means “Goodbye, Bribes!”—recognizes businesses that operate honestly, vetting them through a rigorous process that examines their tax records and reputation with local law enforcement. Their fields of action include anti-mafia critical consumption, free assistance to victims of extortion, and urban regeneration activities for families.
What to Expect
This tour is rated Easy/Moderate. The rides are on paved country roads, mostly rolling, with little car traffic. On two days, a short shuttle takes guests up a hill, allowing them to ride along a crest and then downhill. The roads are good but in some rural areas, the terrain is uneven with a few potholes.
- Daily Mileage: 9-40 miles|
- Biking: 1-5 hours|
- Max Group Size: 22
Cyclists
Support
Average High /
Low Temperature (°F):
Mar65º/42º
Apr70º/46º
May78º/52º
Jun86º/59º
Sep87º/62º
Oct78º/56º
Nov69º/48º
Average
Precipitation:
Mar1.6 in
Apr1.5 in
May0.9 in
Jun0.4 in
Sep1.4 in
Oct3.9 in
Nov2.2 in
Air Package |
Tour Only |
|
---|---|---|
Roundtrip international airfare |
||
Airport car service for arrival and departure |
||
One night in Taormina and one night in Syracuse in conveniently located hotels with daily breakfast |
||
6 nights in 4-star hotels and country estates |
||
14 meals: 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners |
Step-Through Electric-Assisted Bicycle (E-bike)
See More >Road Bicycle (Carbon frame)
See More >Step-Through (Mixte Hybrid) Comfort Bicycle
See More >Step-Over (Diamond) Comfort Bicycle
See More >Step-Through Electric-Assisted Bicycle (E-bike)
See More >Road Bicycle (Carbon frame)
See More >Step-Over (Diamond) Comfort Bicycle
See More >Step-Through (Mixte Hybrid) Comfort Bicycle
See More >Biking Packages Include:
Custom VBT Bike and Helmet
Two Local, Bilingual Trip Leaders
Support Vehicle
Luggage Transportation
Ride with GPS and Daily Route Notes
Welcome Reception
Facilitated Cultural Experiences
Your Choice of VBT Branded Gear for Your Adventure
Accommodations (Please Note: Days are based on the Air Package Itinerary. Accommodations may vary depending on departure date. )
Enjoy Your Vacation Longer With Low-Cost Trip Extensions
Air Package Only
2025 Pre-Trip Extension - Taormina
2 Nights From
$495
per person, double
occupancy
Single Supplement: From $295
- 2 nights at Hotel Monte Tauro
- Airport car service for arrival
- Full-day excursion with a local guide on Mount Etna
- Private tour of Taormina with a local guide
- Hospitality desk
- Daily breakfast
- City information
Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.
A VBT representative will greet you at the Catania airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Taormina. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.
At 9:30 a.m., our VBT representative will be in the hotel lobby to answer any questions and help you organize your time here. Then, enjoy a walking orientation tour through the historic center of Taormina. You’ll explore the main street which is full of historic landmarks, and browse the shops and cafés on Corso Umberto, the city’s pedestrian-only thoroughfare with its many baroque and gothic churches and palaces. Other attractions include the Piazza Duomo, beloved by such artists as Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, and Richard Wagner and Piazza IX Aprile, a terrace-like square overlooking Mount Etna and the bay. This easy city walk takes about two hours.
If you’re hungry for more, visit the Greek Theatre and then walk up to the Castello Saraceno. Take the funicular down to Mazzaro beach for a swim in the Mediterranean or simply relax at our hotel’s magnificent swimming pool with its stunning views.
Included Meals: Breakfast
This morning, put on your hiking boots, dress in layers, and be ready for a truly unique hike on Mount Etna. Your small group will meet your guide, an expert in volcanology and art history, at the hotel at 8:00 a.m. and shuttle to the base of the volcano. Based on the weather, your guide will determine the best starting point for your walk, but you can expect to hike at approximately 6,000 ft. (1,829 m) on unpaved terrain covered with ash and rocks. You’ll explore lava fields, hike around lateral craters, and walk inside a lava tunnel. There will be plenty of rest breaks and time for lunch on your own. You will have the option to taste honeys, creams and liqueurs, as well as delicious dishes from the local cuisine, at a typical mountain ‘rifugio’ at lunch time. Your excursion will conclude with a visit to the basalt column formations of the famous Alcantara gorges and you’ll return to Taormina around 5:00 or 5:30 p.m.
You do not need to be an expert hiker for this excursion but it is important to have appropriate clothing and footwear and maybe bring a second pair of socks, in case they get wet in the gorges. In the event of bad weather conditions (most likely in March and April, when snow may prevent hiking at that altitude), you will remain at a lower altitude and visit the Alcantara gorges.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel Monte Tauro
Built in the 1970s (when large, raw concrete walls were in vogue), this fascinating 4-star hotel offers sophisticated character and wonderful views of the Gulf of Naxos and Mount Etna. A panoramic glass elevator built in layers along the profile of the mountain connects the floors. Enjoy the modern ambiance and Italian-designed furnishings, as well as the swimming pool, breakfast room, and lobby, with its stunning view of the sea. Your quiet and comfortable, air-conditioned room features a private balcony.
Air Package Only
2024 Pre-Trip Extension - Taormina
2 Nights From
$595
per person, double
occupancy
Single Supplement: From $345
- 2 nights at Hotel Monte Tauro
- Airport car service for arrival
- Full-day excursion with a local guide on Mount Etna
- Private tour of Taormina with a local guide
- Hospitality desk
- Daily breakfast
- City information
Your vacation is about to begin! Spend your first night aloft and arrive ready for an unforgettable trip.
A VBT representative will greet you at the Catania airport to start your adventure off right. A complimentary car service will whisk you to your centrally located hotel in Taormina. From here, you are perfectly positioned to explore this charming city at your leisure.
At 9:30 a.m., our VBT representative will be in the hotel lobby to answer any questions and help you organize your time here. Then, enjoy a walking orientation tour through the historic center of Taormina. You’ll explore the main street which is full of historic landmarks, and browse the shops and cafés on Corso Umberto, the city’s pedestrian-only thoroughfare with its many baroque and gothic churches and palaces. Other attractions include the Piazza Duomo, beloved by such artists as Oscar Wilde, Alexander Dumas, and Richard Wagner and Piazza IX Aprile, a terrace-like square overlooking Mount Etna and the bay. This easy city walk takes about two hours.
If you’re hungry for more, visit the Greek Theatre and then walk up to the Castello Saraceno. Take the funicular down to Mazzaro beach for a swim in the Mediterranean or simply relax at our hotel’s magnificent swimming pool with its stunning views.
Included Meals: Breakfast
This morning, put on your hiking boots, dress in layers, and be ready for a truly unique hike on Mount Etna. Your small group will meet your guide, an expert in volcanology and art history, at the hotel at 8:00 a.m. and shuttle to the base of the volcano. Based on the weather, your guide will determine the best starting point for your walk, but you can expect to hike at approximately 6,000 ft. (1,829 m) on unpaved terrain covered with ash and rocks. You’ll explore lava fields, hike around lateral craters, and walk inside a lava tunnel. There will be plenty of rest breaks and time for lunch on your own. You will have the option to taste honeys, creams and liqueurs, as well as delicious dishes from the local cuisine, at a typical mountain ‘rifugio’ at lunch time. Your excursion will conclude with a visit to the basalt column formations of the famous Alcantara gorges and you’ll return to Taormina around 5:00 or 5:30 p.m.
You do not need to be an expert hiker for this excursion but it is important to have appropriate clothing and footwear and maybe bring a second pair of socks, in case they get wet in the gorges. In the event of bad weather conditions (most likely in March and April, when snow may prevent hiking at that altitude), you will remain at a lower altitude and visit the Alcantara gorges.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Hotel Monte Tauro
Built in the 1970s (when large, raw concrete walls were in vogue), this fascinating 4-star hotel offers sophisticated character and wonderful views of the Gulf of Naxos and Mount Etna. A panoramic glass elevator built in layers along the profile of the mountain connects the floors. Enjoy the modern ambiance and Italian-designed furnishings, as well as the swimming pool, breakfast room, and lobby, with its stunning view of the sea. Your quiet and comfortable, air-conditioned room features a private balcony.
Air Package Only
2025 Post-Trip Extension - Syracuse
2 Nights From
$395
per person, double
occupancy
Single Supplement: From $145
- 2 nights at Grand Hotel Ortigia
- Airport car service for departure
- Hospitality desk
- Private tour of Ortigia with a local guide
- Daily breakfast
- City information
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Catania airport will be provided (an approximately 50 to 60 minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Grand Hotel Ortigia
Built in the late 19th century and completely refurbished in 1995, the Grand Hotel Ortigia preserves the original architectural lines and elegance of the Liberty style. One of the hotel’s special features is the original foundational walls dating back to Roman times and other archaeological relics. This air-conditioned, seaside property is walking distance from Duomo square and Fonte Aretusa.
Air Package Only
2024 Post-Trip Extension - Syracuse
2 Nights From
$345
per person, double
occupancy
Single Supplement: From $145
- 2 nights at Grand Hotel Ortigia
- Airport car service for departure
- Hospitality desk
- City walking tour
- Daily breakfast
- City information
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After a delicious included breakfast at your hotel, you are free to continue exploring on your own, using our included city information packet to guide your discoveries.
Included Meals: Breakfast
After an included breakfast this morning, complimentary transportation to the Catania airport will be provided (an approximately 50 to 60 minute drive, depending on traffic) for your departing flight.
Included Meals: Breakfast
Grand Hotel Ortigia
Built in the late 19th century and completely refurbished in 1995, the Grand Hotel Ortigia preserves the original architectural lines and elegance of the Liberty style. One of the hotel’s special features is the original foundational walls dating back to Roman times and other archaeological relics. This air-conditioned, seaside property is walking distance from Duomo square and Fonte Aretusa.
My father and I have done 4 trips to date with VBT, all in Italy. This was my first time to Sicily. My father and I had the best time: the places (e.g. Taormina) we visited and the food were beautiful and delicious. And of course, the best part of the trip is the company and expertise of the guides. Mauro and Sabrina are fantastic and completely made the trip for us.
Amazing trip!
The VBT tour to Sicily, the Noto Valley and Syracuse was an exceptional experience for me. It was a wonderful way to see the countryside and interact with the locals at a much more casual level. Our trip guides Mauro and Lea were outstanding. They were very thorough in taking care of the bicycles and making sure our every needs were met. I love VBT adventures and will continue to book with them!
Trip to Sicily, the Noto Valley and Syracuse
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