3 Islands Bike Trip on the European Islands of Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily
Ride with us across 3 sun-kissed islands at the crossroads of the Mediterranean: Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.
Split into 3 stages, each a week-long, the 3 Islands Tour is a journey through the history, food, architecture, and traditions of these Mediterranean jewels — two iconic Italian islands and one French island. The exceptional diversity of the islands is represented through the numerous civilisations and cultures that have left their mark, the amazing gastronomic variations, the strikingly rugged interior landscapes paired with stunning coastlines of white beaches and emerald waters, and locals with an incredibly strong sense of place. The Mediterranean charm is truly at the heart of this tour. Keep reading to learn more and please get in touch if you have any questions for us. If you’d like even more options, check out our range of European cycling tours.
The Perfect Island Cycling Trip in Italy & Corsica
We ride from North to South beginning with Corsica, home of Napoleon. Its mountainous north contrasts beautifully with idyllic beaches and fishing villages. From here we head to Sardinia, a land of towering cliffs, beach coves, and unique history. Then, finally, to Sicily where rolling farmland, volcanoes, and stunning coastline is littered with classical sites in exceptional settings.
We will ride down the west coast of Corsica which is the more picturesque and less busy side. We will end the first week in the stunning village of Bonifacio. From here, we will sail across to Italy and Sardinia. Our cycling tour through Sardinia will take us along the west coast as it holds more Phoenician significance and it is also our preferred cycling route. Our destination is Cagliari from where we will catch the overnight ferry to Sicily and its atmospheric capital: Palermo. The cycling tour through Sicily will focus on the southern part of the island as we head towards Catania which marks the end of our ride.
H2: How Difficult is this Cycling Trip through Corsica, Sardinia, & Sicily?
Conceptually our Phoenician 3 Islands Tour will sit at the less extreme end of the Ride and Seek Epic spectrum. The average daily riding distance will be around 90km and whilst all the islands are ‘hilly’, daily elevation profiles will be less dramatic than some of our other offerings, such as our Appalachian Bike Tour or our South of France Bike Tour. That said, we will also offer daily ‘extra loop’ rides that head inland for those wanting more hills and ride time. This tour is graded as 3 espresso cups so we feel it has the broadest reach of our Epic Tours. Click on the tabs along the top to learn more about this bike tour through Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily.
Team Members on this Tour
Richie Mitchell - Trip Specialist
Richie is one of the Ride and Seek trip specialists who brings a rich life experience to the tours having served as a soldier and firefighter during his regular career. Now retired from both he has reinvented himself as a bike guide and professional mechanic. He has worked as a the lead mechanic on the Race Across America (RAAM) team and has guided all over the world – 4 continents to date. One of our most popular guides he is the Mallorca trip specialist but also features on many of our Epic tours as well.
First cycling memory:
Proudly riding my pale blue Gresham Flyer bike to school. It was my pride and joy!
Favourite bike:
I have a few, but my stand out is my Rapha Condor Sharp Team Leggero. She’s a beauty!
Top climb:
I’ve just joined the Club des Cingles for those that ride up Mont Ventoux from all 3 sides in one day. I have to say that after that experience I have a new respect for the Geant as it was pretty tough. Ventoux still remains my favourite col though!
One thing on your bucket list:
I would like to take part in the Race Across America (RAAM) as a rider in either a 2 or 4 man team. I’ve acted as a navigator and mechanic for two teams to date and am now at a point where I’d like to ride it myself.
A special skill you bring on tour:
Prior to working as a guide I had a career in the military and emergency services. A special skill would have to be that there isn’t much I haven’t seen!
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
A plate of escargots in Meursault washed down with a fine Burgundy wine chosen by Bruno on the Caesar tour.
Languages:
English and my French and Italian is coming on. I aspire to be a polyglot, but the road is long!
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
Caesar, Hannibal, 3 Islands and Napoleon
Giuseppe di Giorgio - Guide
First cycling memory:
Cycling along dirt roads during the summer in Sicily ... fields in the middle of nowhere, always with my elbows and knees scraped. I can't forget my mum's anxiously waiting for me until the after the sunset when I returned dirty but satisfied!
Favourite bike:
I started cycling many years ago with a Graziella Bike, but now on the road I use my Bianchi Intenso, always Italian style.
Top climb:
The Colle del Nivolet from Cuorgnè, in Piedmont. Unbelievable!
One thing on your bucket list:
Wander as much as possible across our beautiful planet with my family on bikes.
A special skill you bring on tour:
I think my main skills come from my jobs and nationality: I'm patient and attentive as a special needs teacher, I love landscapes and agriculture as an agronomist, I adore cooking mediterranean dishes as I'm a Sicilian!
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
All food, but please with a good bottle of wine!
Languages:
Good English, scholastic French and Spanish, and perfect Sicilian ... as extra oomph
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
Three Islands Epic
Enrico Casini - Guide & Mechanic
First cycling memory:
When I was 4 years old, just after I got my first bike – a little bright blue folding Graziella Bicycle with side-wheels – my parents took me to the big square nearby our place. I do not remember how many hours it took, but I will never forget the first time I felt the limitless pleasure of cycling : freedom on wheels.
Favourite bike:
The Queen of the collection is a handmade steel Daccordi from the '90s. Upgraded with modern Campagnolo componentary and wheels that I personally built. Just perfect.
Top climb:
The 800m unpaved climb (average 10-11% gradient) that leads to my home. At the end of each ride it IS the top climb!
One thing on your bucket list:
To ride all around the Mediterranean Coast. I hope to see in my life time when all the nations that share the shores of the Mare Nostrum will share peace and friendship as well.
A special skill you bring on tour:
My mechanical knowledge and the attention that goes into creating every single day of a tour - these are my words. Sincere smile, natural empathy and infinite patience – these are guest's words.
Favourite Ride and Seek tour gastronomic experience:
Corsican Delicatessen, Sardinian Culurgiones , Sicilian Cassata & gelato.
Languages:
Italian, English a bit of Spanish.
Ride and Seek tours you lead:
The 3 Islands Epic
3 Islands Bike Tour Highlights
> Some of the best cycling Europe has to offer with day after day of stunning coastlines
> Sample some of Italy’s rarest wines in Sardinia, an island with a winemaking history to rival the Greeks
> Visit ancient historic sites going back 6000 years, that give us more questions than answers
> Listen to the traditional Sardinian throat singing that needs to be seen to be believed
> Learn about cultures and histories that overlap each other over these three very unique islands
> The food! Sicily has given a lot to the world, but it’s the best at its origin
3 Islands Bike Tour Dates 2026
| Stage | Start Date | End Date | Days | Cost (Euros) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 – Corsica | 8th May | 15th May | 8 Days / 7 Nights | €4,040 |
| Stage 2 – Sardinia | 16th May | 23rd May | 8 Days / 7 Nights | €3,950 |
| Stage 3 – Sicily | 24th May | 1st June | 9 Days / 8 Nights | €4,440 |
| Island Hopper – Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily | 8th May | 1st June | 25 Days /24 Nights | €12,200 |
All tours and individual stages are available as a custom tour for your group – contact us for details.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation in our carefully selected hotels
- Meals – hotel breakfasts, snacks en route and pre/post-ride nutrition, lunches including the famed Ride and Seek picnics, multi course group dinners with a focus on the local cuisine.*NB we include occasional independent lunches & dinners to break up the week
- Ride and Seek jersey
- Garmin 1030 use with all routes preloaded
- Ride and Seek water bottle
- Kit laundry service once a week
- Passionate, Experienced and Knowledgeable Guides Always on hand to help
Not Included
- Alcoholic beverages
- Bike hire
- Pre & post tour accommodation
Supplements
- Single supplement – Our prices are based on twin/double occupancy. If you wish to have your own room then a supplement is applicable.
Deposit
- To reserve a place on a stage of this tour we ask for a deposit of €1000 (or your local currency equivalent). We also accept payment in GB£ and AU$. The final invoice will include any applicable single supplements and bike hire costs.
The Food & Wine on the 3 Islands Bike Tour
Stage 1 – Corsica
Stage 2 – Sardinia
Stage 3 – Sicily
3 Islands Accommodation – a selection
We have carefully selected the places where we stay based on their ‘personality’ and the hospitality of our hosts. Each island is very diverse and this is reflected in the range of accommodations we have selected. What is certain, given the nature of the tour, is many have sea views and over the years the hoteliers have become personal friends. From 5* luxury to a family run agriturismo in the Sicilian countryside we believe our choice of accommodation is always synonymous with Mediterranean hospitality.
Hotel Ortigia (Sicily) – A spectacular 5* hotel in the heart of the historic centre of Siracusa – Ortigia – that overlooks the harbour and serves as a fitting end to our Island odyssey
Hostellerie De L’Abbaye (Corsica) – Back in the 14th century this charming 4* hotel was a monastery. Situated within easy walking distance of the historic centre of Calvi it has views of both the sea and the mountains.
Antico Convento Dei Cappuccini (Sicily) – As the name suggests this is a converted monastery in Ragusa that has been tastefully renovated into a lovely 4* hotel. Right in the centre of the old part of the city it could not have a better position.
Hotel Santa Teresa (Corsica) – This 3* hotel in the romantic town of Bonifacio provides a lovely finish to our ride in Corsica. With sweeping views and a perfect position to explore the town it is another great final hotel.
3 Islands Reading
Our Expedition Tour reading lists are aimed at being accessible to everyone – all the books are historical but there is fiction, primary authors and serious historians so take your pick! As always if you want any more information or more recommendations please contact us
An account of Boswell’s travels in Corsica during a period of military and social upheaval (mid 19th Century) and his subsequent befriending of the Corsican independence movement leader, General Pasquale Paoli. A bit solid but an excellent look into the history of Corsica
James Boswell An Account of Corsica
A truly great novel, set in the 1860’s as Sicily’s decadent aristocracy collapses. A classic novel and an excellent read.
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa The Leopard
What list would be complete without an entry on the Mafia? Felt by some to be the best book on the subject this relatively recent history reads very well and will certainly add to the atmosphere when riding through Sicilian countryside!
John Dickie Cosa Nostra: A History of the Sicilian Mafia
In a few pages, Paolo Melis gives an excellent overview of the Nuragic architecture, culture, and society. Good descriptions and wonderful photos.
Paolo Melis – The Nuragic Civilisation
A vibrant narrative bringing this period of history to life. More in depth and lively than Ancient Phoenica.
Sanford Holst Phoenician Secrets : Exploring the Ancient Mediterranean
3 Islands Bike Tour History
The 3 islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily are so varied and rich in their history that taking a page to surmise their historic existence would be somewhat foolhardy! On tour, we will experience this diversity in culture and history which ranges from Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arabic, Norman, Renaissance, Baroque and a complex modern relationship with their ‘bigger brothers’ France and Italy. So for this historic peek at the 3 Islands we will solely examine how these islands symbolise their own existence.
It is little wonder with this vast array of influences that both Corsica and Sardinia choose a symbol called ‘La Testa di Moru’ – the Moor’s head which originates in the Kingdom of Aragon and was used in Sardinia after the Aragonese conquest in 1297. Four Moorish heads are separated by a cross of St George – it is called the ‘Is Cuatru Morus’ – the Four Moors. The Corsican version portrays a Moor’s Head in black wearing a white bandana above his eyes on a white background. Previously the bandana covered his eyes but Paoli, the Corsica folk hero from the 18th century, wanted the bandana moved above the eyes to symbolise the liberation of the Corsican people. The symbol was practically banned after 1769, when France forced the Genovesi to sell the island to them to settle their debts. During this period under French rule, 1769–1789, Corsican patriots again used the version of the flag with blindfolded eyes, as a mark of protest. This was the era in which Napoleon grew up on his native Corsica.
As for Sicily, it represents itself with the Trinacria, a fantastic symbol, which is the head of Medusa (a gorgon with a head of snakes), surrounded by three bent running legs, and three stalks of wheat. A complex symbol but what are they getting at? Sicily was known by the Romans as Trinacrium, meaning “star with three points”. The three bent running legs represent the three capes of Sicily, which are Peloro (Messina: North-East), Passero (Syracuse: South), and Lilibeo (Marsala: West). Supposedly Sicilians likened and compared them to a woman’s legs! The three ears of wheat, surrounding the head of Medusa, represent the fertility of the land of Sicily. The central Medusa head in the middle of the Trinacria implies the protection of the island by the goddess Athena, the patron goddess of Sicily! A decidedly complex ancient symbol, perfect for us to find out more about on tour!
After this complexity, we chose the simple Tanit symbol to represent our travels on the 3 Islands. Tanit is a Punic and Phoenician goddess, one of the chief deities of the Phoenician people of Western Europe and worshipped in Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica from around the 5th century BC onwards, giving us a common theme! Her symbol is interpreted as a woman raising her hands and she is sometimes depicted with a lion’s head, showing her warrior quality.
The Three Islands trip was a trip of a lifetime! I had an absolute blast. The trip was very well organised and I can’t really think of anything that would need improving. The guides were patient, encouraging, and made sure everyone had a good experience. The routes were great. Extra kudos to Richie for taking care of all the bike maintenance. Thanks again! Not sure I will ever have another vacation that could top that one, it was absolutely fantastic.
Emily B – Three Islands
After my 12 years of riding bike tours and adventures, and my second tour with Ride & Seek, I believe Dylan and his professional guides have the magic formula.
Every detail is covered and no request is too large, so all I needed to do was turn the pedals and enjoy the ride. I can’t say enough about the route, food, wine, and accommodations, however, the icing on the cake is their knowledge of the local history and culture. Thank you, Dylan and team, and keep up the great work.
Ted V – Three Islands
The inaugural 3 islands Tour in 2017 was a fantastic experience, as is always the case with Ride and Seek.
The lunch-time stops high up in the remote hills were a special highlight, with all the food locally grown, raised – or hunted – before being prepared by the owners of the small properties we visited. This was a unique cycling experience.
Corsica is a hidden gem of world cycling and this was a great way to experience it. I look forward to going back, and on to the other islands, on the tour in 2018
Steve B – Three Islands
Rides such as Three Islands are not holidays – they are experiences and must be faced in that manner. And what an experience! The scenery, the food, the wine & the company are features of holidays but it is the riding that makes this so different and ultimately so appealing.
The guides and the manner in which they worked and interacted with the group was just fantastic. We’ve been on tours with 4 different companies and I can honestly say that the support was second to none. It was their willingness & capacity to “go the extra mile” was priceless. You have chosen a great team; they complement each other with their different strengths.
Wendy H – Three Islands
This trip is the full package. The most complete cycling trip I have ever experienced. As promised by Ride and Seek, every day contained challenging cycling, breathtaking scenery, and multiple opportunities to experience the history and culture of these three islands. Dylan Reynolds and his expert team of guides managed a set of formidable logistics flawlessly. Hats off to Ride and Seek for this new amazing journey!
Christine C – Three Islands
An exceptional experience in every way. Stunning scenery, wonderful roads, great food and wine, and a real chance to see these islands close-up. The guides were helpful and experienced. We really enjoyed the chance to learn more about the history and culture of both Corsica and Sardinia. I would highly recommend it.
Marilyn C – Three Islands
The ride offered stunning scenery day after day as we rode from Bay to Bay and occasionally an inland mountain pass on mostly good road surfaces. The inaugural tour was well planned and ran without a hitch thanks to the fantastic guides. As per all Ride and Seek rides, the cuisine and wine was exceptional and enjoyed with good company
Jo & Tony B – Three Islands
Overall this was more than just a ride-it was a carefully planned and professionally implemented event providing not only a bike riding experience through astounding scenery but a degree of exposure to the local culture, cuisine and the ancient and modern history which has uniquely shaped these beautiful places and their people. Ride and Seek are to be congratulated on providing such a virtuoso performance!
Chris C- Three Islands
I am still coming down off the Three Islands tour and, just like the Caesar tour, remembering how lovely life is on my bike staying exotic places with fine dining and being spoilt rotten by the R&S support staff.
Jeremy T- Three Islands
Trip Box
The 3 Islands tour is divided into 3 stages and traverses Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily. Mediterranean charm lies at the heart of this tour.
Email me the Tour Overview Book Now Schedule a CallTour at a Glance
The Epic – Corsica, Sardinia & Sicily Dates: 8th May to 1st June 2026
Countries: France & Italy
Number of days: 25 days
Number of stages: 3
Price: €12,200
Grading: 
Stage 1 – Corsica Dates: 8th to 15th May 2026
Number of days: 8 days
Price: €4,040
Grading:
Stage 2 – Sardinia Dates: 16th to 23rd may 2026
Number of days: 8 days
Price: €3,950
Grading:
Stage 3 – Sicily Dates: 24th May to 1st June 2026
Number of days: 9 days
Price: €4,440
Grading:
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