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Route Rating Level 2 to Level 4

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Premiere Inns
  • $4,498 pp dbl. occ.
  • (+$850 for sgl. occ.)

Reserve early for the best available price. More Info

6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS
ROLLOVER DATES BELOW FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
2008 DATES
CLASSIC TRIPS
ROLLOVER DATES ABOVE FOR SPECIFIC PRICES
TRIP NOTES

All meals included except 2 lunches and 1 dinner.

Cancellation Policy

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Meet / Depart

Catania, Italy

Special Interest

Culture & History, Fine Wine & Cuisine, Geological Wonders, Romance &/or Honeymoon

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Call: 800-462-2848
or 510-527-1555
Fax: 510-527-1444
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Berkeley, CA 94710

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from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pacific Time

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Sicily Multisport Vacation

Sicily Multisport

Biking & Walking on Italy's Mediterranean Island

Caressed by Mediterranean trade winds and sculpted by diverse cultural influences through the ages, the island of Sicily is a world of its own. The pace of life is slower here than on mainland Italy, and everything—from the colorful Sicilian dialect and famously delectable cuisine to the defiant local spirit—is born of deep traditions. Join Backroads on this biking and walking adventure and be captivated by Sicily’s rough-edged beauty. Walk and pedal past fertile fields and rugged coastlines and explore the tumultuous flanks of Mount Etna. Investigate archaeological relics and step back in time on a guided tour of the second-largest theater in Sicily, set against the backdrop of the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna.

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Days 1-2 ragusa

Meet in Catania Pedal through the Ragusan countryside, stopping for a visit at Donnafugata, a restored baronial estate  Explore the ancient city of Scicli, a World Heritage site brimming with majestic Baroque façades   Take a guided walking tour of another World Heritage site, Ragusa Ibla, before pedaling your way to the coastal city of Siracusa.

Day 3 siracusa

Explore the island of Ortygia, Siracusa’s old city and another World Heritage site  Founded by Corinthians in the 8th century B.C., Ortygia blends Byzantine, Swabian and Greco-Roman architecture into a visual masterpiece by the sea.

Days 4-6 taormina

Take in the fiery side of Sicily’s history on a hike through volcanic flows on the slopes of mighty Mount Etna Shuttle to the top of Mount Tauro, above two sparkling bays,  where the town of Taormina awaits your arrival Thanks to its mythical atmosphere and exceedingly pleasant climate, this enchanting resort has been a getaway destination for countless luminaries—including Oscar Wilde, Gustav Klimt and Guy de Maupassant—throughout the centuries Embark on a steep climb to Castelmola, a tiny town that harbors the remains of a 16th-century castle Follow paths walked by the ancient Greek Siculians, Taormina’s founders, and spend time amid the jumble of pizzerie, trattorie, bars and shops that add to the town’s timeless charm.

Route Rating What's this? Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. Each offers options for more or less activity, so you can decide exactly how much you want to do day by day.

Lodging What's this? Our lodgings are divided into three different categories.

Premiere Inns:These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.

Casual Inns:These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the areawith such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.

Deluxe Camping:We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.

Detailed Itinerary

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Trip praise

Great trip and terrific leaders—a very good sampling of Sicily! The lodgings were consistently gorgeous, and we were introduced to places and experiences that we would have been unlikely to identify on our own. It felt like a 3-week vacation in 6 days! The cultural richness combined with a high level of physical activity made for a wonderful experience overall.
Mary Ellen Howe - New York, NY

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For more than 29 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the Sicily tour experts. For multisport tours in Europe Italy, trust our in-depth connections. To see all our Europe Italy multisport tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe Italy biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning Europe Italy walking and hiking tours click here.

Sicily Multisport

MEDITERRANEAN ABODES : Premiere Inns

Eremo della Giubiliana

Ragusa (2 nights): Throughout history, these pink marble walls have housed monks, aristocrats and the Knights of Malta. Today this refined hotel welcomes us with antique furnishings and a renowned restaurant.

Hotel des Etrangers et Miramare

Siracusa (1 night): Fixed in the center of Siracusa’s old city on the island of Ortygia, this intimate retreat presents comfortable rooms and a roof terrace with panoramic views.

Grand Hotel Timeo

Taormina (2 nights): This magnificent 19th-century hotel, set amid a park of tropical flora, boasts balconies, terraces, elegantly appointed guest rooms and superb views of the Bay of Naxos.

Sicily Multisport Sicily Multisport

Grand Hotel Timeo

Sicily Multisport

Route Rating

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1
  • Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 14, 22 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 2
  • Levels 2 to 3 2 Route Options Available
  • Biking 23, 36 miles
  • 1000 - 2000 feet elevation gain 
Day 3
  • Level 3 to 4 2 Route Option Available
  • Biking 25 miles, 35 miles 
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
  • Walking Tour of Siracusa 1.5 hours
Day 4
  • Level 2 to 3  2 Route Option Available
  • Hiking 4 hours
  • 2000 - 3000 feet elevation gain
Day 5
  • Level 2 to 3 2 Route Options Available
  • Hiking 3, 6 miles
  • 500 - 1000 feet elevation gain
Day 6
  • Levels 1 to 2  1 Route Option Avaliable
  • Hiking 2 miles
  • 2000 - 3000 feet elevation gain
  • Conclusion of Trip

*Please note that the level of difficulty on some routes is increased due to the elevation gain.

 
Sicily Multisport Sicily Multisport

Trips For All Abilities

Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.

Activity Level Average Time Average Distance
    Biking Walking
& Hiking
1 2-3
hours		 10-20
miles		 2-5
miles
2 2-4
hours		 21-30
miles		 5-7
miles
3 3-5
hours		 31-40
miles		 7-9
miles
4 4-6
hours		 41-55
miles		 9-11
miles
5 5-7+
hours		 56-75+
miles		 11-13+
miles