Overview
When you go cycling in Sicily, you can fully appreciate why this magnificent island is a world apart from mainland Italy. Its natural heritage ranges from rolling limestone hills and quiet bays, to the simmering peaks of Stromboli and Etna. Plus everywhere seems to be bursting with the fruits of its lands. Especially wine. This week of self-guided cycling explores the island’s west coast, a land of luminescent white salt pans, emerald coves and nature reserves. Plus you get to take your bikes on a ferry over to Isola di Favignana. Stay in hotels and an agriturismo, with luggage transfers. Traditional and e-bikes are available.
- Marsala Salt Pans
- Stagnone Nature Reserve
- Tempio di Segesta and Teatro di Segesta
- Isola di Favignana
- Trapani
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Marsala
Arrive in the lively coastal town of Marsala, the home of the famous Marsala wine. If time allows, spend the afternoon strolling through the cobbled streets and visit Piazza della Repubblica, where the town hall, Palazzo VII Aprile, is located, as well as Chiesa Madre di Marsala, a cathedral with Baroque, Barocchetto and Norman influences. Try the local Sicilian specialities at one of the town’s many restaurants.
- Accommodation: Hotel Carmine or similar in Marsala
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 2: Marsala Salt Pans loop ride | 23km
Head north along the coast to the Marsala Salt Pans and Lo Stagnone, a lagoon located in Stagnone Nature Reserve. The landscape of the salt flats is made up of many shallow coastal lakes, dotted with ancient windmills, and the area is also a habitat for many migratory birds. A visit to the Salt Museum is highly recommended (payable locally), before returning to Marsala for the evening.
- Cycling for the day: 22.7km, ↑20m ↓20m
- Accommodation: Hotel Carmine or similar in Marsala
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 3: Mezzapelle – Buseto Palizzolo | 41-52km
Take a transfer and head inland, starting today’s route from Mezzapelle. Cycle through tranquil rural landscapes towards Buseto Palizzolo. The town is surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and orchards, meaning the colours of the landscape change drastically with the seasons. Your accommodation for the next two nights is a small family-run agriturismo, serving Sicilian dishes made with homegrown and locally-sourced produce. There is an option to extend the route by starting today’s ride from Marsala, instead of taking the transfer.
- Cycling for the day: 41.2km, ↑480m ↓300m (longer option: 52.1km, ↑620m ↓300m)
- Accommodation: Agriturismo Arcudaci or similar in Buseto Palizzolo
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Segesta loop ride | 16-34km
Follow the rolling hills, cycling towards the archaeological site of the ancient town of Segesta. Perched on top of the hill, overlooking a deep canyon, is the well-preserved Tempio di Segesta, a Doric temple dating back to 420BC and Teatro di Segesta, a Greek amphitheatre. There is an option to extend today’s route with a detour to the nearby Terme Segestane thermal baths (payable locally).
- Cycling for the day: 15.6km, ↑120m ↓120m (longer option: 34km, ↑330m ↓330m)
- Accommodation: Agriturismo Arcudaci or similar in Buseto Palizzolo
- Meals included: breakfast and dinner
Day 5: Buseto Palizzolo – Trapani | 35km
Leaving Buseto Palizzolo, today’s route winds along the coastline, before descending to the lively city of Trapani, your base for the next two nights. Along the way, there are views of Erice, a medieval fortified village, located on a hilltop at 750m. Spend the afternoon exploring Trapani, or take the cable car up to Erice (payable locally). Erice was founded by exiled Trojans and has two castles, Torretta Pepoli and Castello di Venere (Castle of Venus), as well as over 60 churches.
- Cycling for the day: 34.5km, ↑260m ↓450m
- Accommodation: Hotel Trapani or similar in Trapani
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 6: Isola di Favignana – Trapani | 24km
Start the morning with a boat journey to Isola di Favignana (payable locally), an island located 7km from Sicily’s west coast and the third largest of the Isole Egadi (Aegadian Islands). Cycle along the smooth, flat coastal paths, overlooking the turquoise sea. Stop for a swim along the way in one of the many secluded bays, before returning to Trapani in the afternoon, for your final evening in Sicily.
- Cycling for the day: 23.8km, ↑40m ↓40m
- Accommodation: Hotel Trapani or similar in Trapani
- Meals included: breakfast
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast or extend your trip with an extra night in Trapani.
- Meals included: breakfast
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels and a traditional agriturismo. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Carmine (Marsala)
- Agriturismo Arcudaci (Buseto Palizzolo)
- Hotel Trapani (Trapani)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before. Dinner is included at the agriturismo on day three and day four. On other days, dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
The route is graded easy to moderate, with daily cycling distances ranging between 16-52km and daily elevation gains of up to 480m. A good level of fitness is required to get the most out of this tour. The terrain is mostly flat and the routes mainly follow well-asphalted country lanes and secondary roads with little traffic. However, some sections of the routes involve cycling on busier roads, when approaching and cycling within larger towns (read more about difficulty grades). E-bikes are also available to rent on this tour, which eases things quite a bit.
We strongly advise you to only follow marked paths and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from March until July and from September until November. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means there are no fixed dates, meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season.
During the late spring, early summer and autumn months, there are pleasant conditions for cycling in Sicily, whereas it is too hot for cycling in August. In Sicily, the climate is Mediterranean along the coasts and on the smaller islands, with mild, moderately rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. The winter months can be colder further inland, in the hilly and mountainous regions. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Italy.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Trapani-Birgi Airport or Palermo Airport.
By train or bus
If you are able to travel to Italy without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Marsala and Trapani. There are direct trains from Naples to Sicily, which take approximately 9h (or 11.5h from Rome), and involve a train that is shunted onto the ferry. You can also take this as a very exciting sleeper train service from Milan, Rome or Naples. There are several stops in Sicily, including Palermo, from where you can change for Marsala (3h 45mins, one change in Piraineto). For more details, see the national rail operator Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
Arrival in Marsala:
- The nearest airport to Marsala is Trapani-Birgi Airport, located half way between Marsala and Trapani. Take the bus (30mins) to Marsala, for more information, see Azienda Siciliana Trasporti or Salvatore Lumia
- From Palermo Airport, take the bus (1h 40mins, see Autoservizi Salemi) or the train (3h 10mins, one change). For more information, see Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above
Departure from Trapani:
- To Trapani-Birgi Airport, take a direct bus (35mins), using the Azienda Siciliana Trasporti or Salvatore Lumia bus services
- To Palermo Airport, take a direct bus (1h 10mins). For more information, see Segesta Autolinee
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts and 2 dinners on day three and day four
- Luggage transfers between accommodations (one piece per person, up to 20kg)
- Morning transfer to Mezzapelle on day three
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the information pack is emailed to you prior to departure, and no printed documents are mailed or provided locally
- 24/7 phone support by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, four dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Boat journey to Isola di Favigana on day six (payable locally)
- Local tourist tax and entry fees (payable locally)
- Bike rental
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Bike rental (helmet rental is free but must be booked in advance)
- Extra nights
Bike rental
Both hybrid and e-bikes are available to rent on this tour. All bikes are equipped with a handlebar bag, a pannier, front and back lights, a bicycle pump, a puncture repair kit and a lock. Helmets are available to rent free of charge, but they must be requested in advance.
Sample pictures attached below, note that the exact models might be different depending on the availability, but the standard will be the same.
