After decades of exploring Italy by bike and on foot, we’ve learned that some of the country’s most memorable spots lie far beyond the famous landmarks. With our deep local knowledge and carefully designed routes, we’re pros at leading guests into Italy’s quieter corners. We’re talking volcanic islands rising from the sea, wild Alpine valleys, countryside shaped by centuries of food traditions and rural roads where everyday life unfolds slowly.
These four Backroads trips make the most of off-the-beaten-path Italy. By taking the road less traveled, we celebrate both the landscapes and the communities we’re honored to be a part of.
Sicily & the Aeolian Islands
Off Sicily’s northern coast, the Aeolian Islands rise from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Alongside Mount Etna—known affectionately by locals as Mamma Etna—these islands form one of the world’s most active and starkly beautiful volcanic landscapes, so much so that they’re recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
On Sicily’s mainland, vineyards cloak Etna’s fertile slopes and ancient villages perch in the volcano’s shadow. Farther north, the Aeolian archipelago reveals a different rhythm entirely. Boats glide between islands where the scent of salt air mingles with wild herbs and black-sand beaches fade into luminous blue water.
One past Backroads guest described the shift from Sicily to the Aeolian Islands as the trip’s most dramatic moment—an experience that deepens an already rich landscape of culture and history. The islands feel remote, almost hidden, yet with our local knowledge, they become wonderfully accessible.
Brenta Dolomites
In northern Italy’s Trento province, the Brenta-Adamello Nature Park offers a wilder side of the Dolomites and the Italian Alps. Water is everywhere in this high-elevation wonderland: glacial streams carve narrow valleys, Alpine lakes reflect the surrounding peaks, and waterfalls tumble down cliffs.
Here, the Dolomites look different from other parts of this mountain range. Instead of isolated massifs scattered across the horizon, the Brenta peaks rise in a concentrated cluster of limestone towers—jagged, dramatic and strikingly sculptural. Trails wind through forests and high meadows before revealing sweeping views of rock spires and glaciers in the neighboring Adamello Group.
Its remoteness is part of what makes the region special. About 25 years ago, the Brenta-Adamello park became the site of Italy’s bear reintroduction program, chosen for its vast protected landscapes. Today the area remains one of the most wild-feeling corners of the Alps and a great place to see wildlife in its natural element.
Parma to Verona & Venice Bike Tour
Northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is famous for its food, and its countryside offers a sneak peek into the source of all this culinary magic. On our bike tour of the region, we ride quiet roads that connect vineyards and farmlands with the historic towns that have shaped Italy’s food-forward identity for centuries.
This trip begins in Parma, a city known worldwide for its namesake cheese and prosciutto. From here the route traces a gentle path through fertile plains and rolling hills toward Modena, home of traditional balsamic vinegar and lively piazzas.
As the journey continues eastward, vineyards give way to the famed shores of Lake Garda and the cultural riches of Verona before our journey ends in Venice. It’s a ride that connects Italy’s culinary heartland with some of its most captivating historic cities.
Assisi to the Adriatic Bike Tour
The ride from Assisi to the Adriatic Sea travels through the rural heart of central Italy—rolling farmland, hill towns and small communities where visitors are still a rarity.
The experience is shaped as much by the people we meet along the way as by the landscape. Local hosts welcome us into family kitchens, countryside inns and village squares with a warmth that feels genuine and unfiltered. Conversations stretch over long meals prepared with regional ingredients. Stories emerge about farming traditions, local history and everyday life.
Italy’s hidden corners don’t announce themselves loudly. They reveal themselves along quiet roads, in small villages and across landscapes shaped by time. Sometimes the most unforgettable discoveries simply wait a little farther off the map.
