THE GRAND TOUR: ITALY

At a Glance

Tour Dates

08 Sep 2025 25 Sep 2025

07 Sep 2026 24 Sep 2026

Duration

18 Days

Tour Starts in

Nice

Tour Leaders

Where We Ride

Travel Distance

Approx 1920 miles

Difficulty

Roads

100% Tarmac

Hire Bikes

Available

Price From

4195 £
THE GRAND TOUR: ITALY

Tour Overview

This top to toe Italy motorcycle tour starts in Nice.  The next day you will ride along the Ligurian Coast to your Cinque Terre Port for the night. The Cinque Terre or “five lands” are villages nestling on this rugged coastline carefully preserved and now UNESCO listed.

Day two sees us follow the coast to Pisa with a chance to see the UNESCO listed leaning tower, before heading in land into the mountains. Your destination for the next two nights is Florence, capital of the Tuscany region and birthplace of the Renaissance. It is home to masterpieces of art and architecture including Michelangelo’s “David” at the Galleria dell’Accademia. Your tour includes a walking tour of some of the highlights of the city, leaving time for you to visit the galleries and museums at your leisure.

Form here you head on to the medieval town of Assisi dominated by two castles as well as being home to the Franciscan order. From Assisi you are heading to one of the many tour highlights – Three nights in Rome.

Too much to see and too much to do, however many days you are in Rome, it won’t be enough. You have two full days to see the Colosseum, Visit the Vatican, Gaze at the Trevi Fountain, wander the Pantheon, marvel at the Basilicas or stroll the Piazza del Popolo. So much European history has been centred on this city and it remains a captivating place. Another half day walking tour is included here to make sure you get the most from your time in Rome.

Then it’s south to the much photographed Sorrento famed for its sea cliffs. The town’s steep slopes look out over azure waters to Ischia, Capri, and the Bay of Naples. Kick back and relax in Sorrento or hop on one of the regular trains for the 30 minute ride to wander the ruined streets of Pompeii under the menacing shadow of Vesuvius. After two nights in Sorrento you are heading to the heel of Italy and Alberobello with it’s unique picturesque Trulli houses. Then it is on to Sicily via Tropea on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Take the short ferry to the home of Mount Etna, still one of the most active Volcanos in the world. You have two nights in Sicily and we recommend a visit to the UNESCO listed Valley of the Temples where the temples of ancient Akragas are sited: the Temples of Juno, Lacinia, Concordia, Hercules, Jupiter, Castor and Pollux and Vulcan.

You leave Sicily by way of Palermo and an overnight ferry to Genoa but not before riding through the infamous village of Corleone. You will arrive quite late in Genoa, but we are staying close to the port and the centre so there is still an opportunity to see some of this ancient and bustling town. The following day you are riding back to Nice to enjoy our farewell dinner and try and recall everything that you have packed in to just two weeks. The next morning you are free to start the ride home.

This was my fourth trip with Motorrad Tours and it was as good as the three previous. A great bunch of people, excellent organisation and tour leaders of a class apart. I would warmly recommend Motorrad Tours.

Motorrad Tours welcome all makes and models of bike on tour. We also have a range of BMW bikes that you can hire. All our hire bikes for Classic and European Explorer Tours are current model BMW’s complete with ABS, Heated Grips, Panniers, Top Box, Tank Bag, Inner bags for all boxes and a pre programmed BMW Navigator GPS included.

Price option Solo Rider Shared Room Solo Rider Single Room *Rider and passenger
Riding Your Own Motorcycle 4195 5295 6595
Including an F800GS, F900GS or F900XR Hire Bike 6195 7295 8595
Including an R1300GS, R1250RS or R1250RT Hire Bike 6515 7615 8915
Including an S1000XR Hire Bike 6595 7695 8995
Including an R1300GS Adventure Hire Bike 6755 7855 9155
Including a K1600 Grand America Hire Bike 6835 7935 9235
* Rider and Passenger price is for both people, not per person.

HIRE BIKES:  If you are booking with a hire bike we will hand your bike over on the afternoon prior to the first tour day.  This will give you a chance to get familiar with the bike, make any adjustments, arrange your packing and not waste any time on the first day riding.

Day 1 Welcome dinner and tour brief at your hotel

Day 2 Ride the rugged Ligurian Coast to your Cinque Terre Port, home for the night

Day 3 Ride through Tuscany with the chance to visit Pisa and the leaning tower en route, to the regions capital-Florence, home of the Renaissance

Day 4 A chance to visit Florence Cathedral, with its terra-cotta-tiled dome engineered by Brunelleschi, The Galleria dell'Accademia and the Uffizi Gallery.

Day 5 An easy day through the Tuscan Vineyards to the charming Medieval town of Assisi with time to wander its narrow streets

Day 6 A fantastic day spent riding to one of the highlights which no Grand Tour would be complete without - Rome

Day 7 The Colosseum, The Pantheon, St Peters Basilica, Vatican City, The Roman Forum, You will need to prioritise with so much to see

  • Two nights in Nice
  • Three nights in Rome to see the many sites it has to offer
  • Two nights in Florence to wander the banks for the Arno river
  • Two nights in Sorrento
  • Two nights in Sicilly on the warm Mediterranean
  • Visit the UNESCO listed Valley of the Temples
  • Visit UNESCO listed Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius
  • Ride the picturesque Amalfi Coast
  • Visit the UNESCO listed Leaning Tower of Pisa
  • Ride through Tuscany en route to Assisi
  • Visit UNESCO listed Alberobello and is Trulli houses
  • Ride around Mount Etna
  • Half day walking tours of Rome and Florence with a local guide

Excellent tour and I'll be back. You can't get much better than that.

What's Included

  • Pre tour pack including tour information, Michelin maps, route notes and GPS routes in Garmin/BMW format
  • Electronic copy of the World of BMW Touring Essentials Book
  • All accommodation as listed in the itinerary in 3 or 4 star hotels
  • All breakfasts
  • Ferry from mainland Italy to Sicily
  • Overnight ferry from Palermo to Genoa including a sea view cabin
  • Half day walking tour of Florence
  • Vatican walking tour including entrance to the Vatican in Rome*
  • Return train ticket from Sorrento to Pompeii and entrance to ruins of Pompeii
  • Welcome and farewell dinners (excludes beverages)
  • Dinner one night each in Sorrento and near Ragusa (excludes beverages)
  • Motorrad Tours Tour Leader throughout the Tour
  • Commemorative Polo Shirt for all riders and passengers
  • Expert advice and support throughout
  • The protection of booking with a fully bonded tour operator

Not Included

  • Fuel
  • Lunches
  • Dinners other than those listed
  • Travel Insurance
  • Anything not listed as included
Tour Availability
From To Days Nights

08-September-2025

25-September-2025

18

17

07-September-2026

24-September-2026

18

17

Tour Memories

The Grand Tour: Italy

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