The Topbike 2012 Tour of Sicily will be 11 days (10 nights) fully supported, off the tourist route where possible, riding up to 80k a day (but not every day), start Palermo and finish in Catania (location of Sicily's biggest airport) and have one 2-night stop, 40/60 coastal/inland route, including a visit to the island of Lipari. Group size is limited to 12, with 3 staff. You'll experience the Italy that few tourists get to see.

Itinerary:

Friday June 1, 2012:
11 AM, pick up at Punta Raisi airport, Palermo (Sicily) meet at 'arrivals', near the gate. Transfer by car to the hilltop town just outside Palermo of Monreale.  Once ‘check-in’ is complete we shall visit a local Pizzeria for Lunch (included in tour price).  We shall then orientate to our new surroundings and assembling of bikes etc. The riders will go for a short ride, to spin the legs out, and ease the travel stiffness while checking all equipment.  The non-riders will take a drive up the Monte Pellegrino, overlooking Capo Gallo.  Tonight we shall dine in-house.
Accommodation: Monreale – converted farmhouse/monastery
Ride easy 1 hour

Saturday, June 2, 2012:
Today we shall do an ‘out and back’ ride (or ride out, van back) to one of Dave Olle’s favourite towns - Corleone.  Topbike is probably the only tour group to go to this town, that is linked with the origins of the Mafia.  With nary a tourist in sight, it is only recently the town has started to catch on to the fact that its sordid past could be marketable, and we noticed some Il Padrino (The Godfather) Amareto for sale.  Expect there to be lots of stares as the old men wonder what a group of ‘lycra clads’ are doing in their town.  We can try and spot the hideout of the infamous ‘Benny the tractor’  – rumoured to be next to a cheese factory in the nearby hills.
We shall again dine in-house tonight, Monreale
Ride about 60 ks undulating 1 direction or 120 ks both directions.

Sunday, June 3, 2012:
From Monreale we shall now commence our Giro di Sicilia and ride 75 km East to the costal town of Cefalu.  The non riders will take a trip detour into Palermo markets and mix it with the locals, practicing their Italian - just be careful at the butchers that no one orders those ‘Cogliones’.
For the riders, keep the Mediterranean by your left shoulder for 75 km and you will end up at destination….with a few typically small but chaotic Italian towns to navigate through on the way. Once in Cefalu, plenty of time for a swim, maybe even a Messina beer in a beachside bar, with prices so far removed from similar beauty in the Cinque Terre (Mainland Italy), it will be hard to stop at one, or two…..
Accomodation tonight  - Cefalu
Ride distance 75 ks flat

Monday, June 4, 2012:
Today we will again stay put, allowing more time to soak up Cefalu, with a scenic loop for the riders taking in one of the GPMs of the 2008 Giro D’Italia.  The non-riders are likely to enjoy wandering the little cobbled streets of Cefalu or maybe hiring a beach umbrella and lounge for a truly Italian beach experience.  Take note of how many times you walk into the water, as you are likely to be asked ‘Quanti Bagni’ = ‘how many baths did you take today’ = the Italian’s idea of a beach holiday success.  The part we like is being able to order beer, coffee and spaghetti Vongole right to your beachside chair!  Don’t swim out too far or you are likely to have the coast watch onto you.
Ride 60 k hilly loop quite hard climbing
Dinner tonight seaside dinning.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012:
Another day of scenic riding is planned for today, we ride East further along the coast to Santo Stefano (flat) then pump the heart and lungs to climb up around 1100 metres, almost in one go.  Once over the top of Colle del Contrasto we have a net loss of height (we never say ‘downhill all the way’!) to the inland Town of Nicosia.  I do recall the final challenge of the day is getting up the driveway to our hill top accommodation, a renovated farm house with a pool.  Last time we went there the chef was very eager to please, in particular for any single women on tour!  For the non riders today, the drive for the first half provides uninterrupted views of the Aeolian Islands.  Once inland there is the medieval town of Mistretta where we shall take a deviation, coffee and a wander round.
Ride 80 Km: flat then one climb of 1100 m, after that some undulations.
Accommodation tonight Nicosia, renovated farm house with pool.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012:
From Nicosia to our next stop, the port of Milazzo, is 150 km.  Most of the riders we expect will pull the pin at Capo D’Orlando (95km) as the costal traffic gets busy in the final section, so we’ll jump into the vans to conquer the remaining kilometres into Milazzo, where we will spend the night, before our ferry trip out to the Island of Lipari.  The non riders will enjoy a most scenic drive through the Nebrodi's regional environmental park and those who are keen might like to take a walk through the lakes, rivers, falls and tiny historical villages of the Park.
Ride distance – suggested undulating first half then flat.
Accommodation tonight Milazzo, a little hotel overlooking the port, that prides itself on sustainable practices and organic food.
Dinner in house

Thursday, June 7, 2012:
Time now to relax, as we have two days of doing as we please.  We’ll pack a daypack (well, a two-day pack) and our bikes for an early morning hydrofoil trip (1 hr approx) to the island of Lipari, where we will spend the next two nights. There is one 25 k loop of road on Lipari, which may not sound like a lot, but in Topbike’s well traveled opinion, it is the best 30k loop in the world.  So it'll be up to you to do as many laps as you wish, before dinner.  We will not take a van to Lipari, so the non riders, lead by their fearless leader, will do a lap, local style, on public buses.  First stop the other side of Lipari at Acquacalda – expect it to be a bus trip with excitement as is often the case in Sicily.  There is only one road on the Island, so its hard to take the wrong route!
Ride 30 k (time number of laps)
Accommodation – Lipari.  This hotel is reminiscent of one from the movie Casablanca.
Dinner tonight – downtown Lipari.

Friday June 8, 2012:
Rest day today, on Lipari.  A few suggestions are:
1:  Sleeping in, then walking to the beach, enjoying a couple of freshly caught charcoal grilled garfish for lunch followed by a lengthy afternoon siesta. 
2:  Catch a ferry to Stromboli or Vulcano and have a close look at an active volcano. 
3:  Set the world record for cycling laps around Lipari in a day. 
It will all be up to you (I’ll be chasing the garfish option myself).
The only appointment today will be dinner time……Downtown Lipari

Have a look at Dave's lap of Lipari

Saturday, June 9, 2012:
Departing Lipari on an early ferry (‘early’ meaning about 9am around these quarters) we’ll arrive in Milazzo with plenty of time to transport up to Mazzara San Andrea, then ride to Novara di Sicilia (650m above sea level) for coffee.  We’ll complete the hillclimb up to the pass of Mandrazzi at 1125m, and commence a curvaceous descent south, to the base of Mt Etna.  We’ll continue on a little further, riding up the first minor climb of Mt Etna to Linguaglossa.  From here we will commence the ‘Etna Nord’ approach to Mareneve (1425).  If you stop pedaling, in the midst of old Lava fields, you might be able to hear or even feel the volcano grumbling – makes tower hill look a little meek!
Being a Saturday, the non-riders will be on a small town shopping trip to organize the picnic.  We shall stop along the way at the local supermercatos, and if lucky maybe a cheese factory for some fresh Latte di Pecorino Formaggio (very soft Goats cheese).
Ride distance – this will be a long day in the saddle 120 km with two significant passes (1125m and 1425m) and undulations all day.
Accommodation tonight will be at Zafferana Etna in a small B and B.  
 
Sunday, June 10, 2012:
As if the legs aren’t tired enough we head vertically up Etna today, the toughest approach Zafferana di Etna, 20ks up the road you are (almost) on top of a volcano, those who wish including non cyclists can take the van and use their energy to walk up the top, or even take a cable car which goes up another 1000m from where the road stops.  Those still riding can descend the more gentle hairpin turns of the south side to Nicolosi before arriving at our final destination La Tenuta B and B.  The owner Beppe, is likely to chat endlessly to you (in Italian of course), about Etna. It matters not to him that you don’t understand.
Ride around 50 -60 ks with one bloody great climb)
For our final dinner we shall drive downtown to Capo Mulino and dine seaside overlooking (and overhanging) the Mediterranean, possibly enjoying a bowl of Spaghetti Nero di Sepia (it always makes good conversation next day….), match that with a crisp dry Sicilian white and wash it all down doing as the locals do: enjoying a passegiata along the waterfront, whilst eating gelati (served in a bun, to be a true Sicilian)

Included in your tour is:

• All transport from Palermo to Catania for you, your bike and one bag (in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus)
• Accommodation
• All breakfasts and all dinners.
• You will also receive a full Topbike cycling kit.
• Also included is your experienced and knowledgeable guides, maps, training tips, coaching (if required) and mechanical back-up for your bike.
• Please also see our recommended list of things to bring.
  
  Not included: Ferry/hydrofoil tickets.
  
  NB: The itinerary above is to be used as a guide only, as Topbike Tours are well known for making use of all (and creating some extra) opportunities, expect that variations from the above can happen at any time.