Sicily Self Drive Tours
Having a car opens up Sicily’s countryside, smaller towns and coastal roads. Our Sicily self drive tours combine independent travel with accommodation, a considered route and practical arrangements made in advance, including knowing when to leave the car parked.
Self Drive Tours of Sicily
A few nights among the Baroque towns, a stay near Agrigento, then time around Trapani: travelling by car allows different parts of Sicily to belong to the same holiday. The question is how much to connect, and what each move adds.
We begin with what you hope to get from the trip. The Valley of the Temples may be essential to you, or it may mean a detour that leaves too little time somewhere you would enjoy more. We help you weigh those choices, considering driving times and overnight stops together.
You drive independently; we organise the structure. Car hire includes unlimited mileage, comprehensive damage and theft insurance with reduced excess, a second driver, airport fees and local taxes. The applicable excess and cover conditions are detailed in your proposal.
Discover Sicily by Car
A Route That Makes Sense
One combination we often recommend is three nights in the Ragusa or Syracuse area, two near Agrigento and three around Trapani. It brings together major sights and quieter surroundings without requiring stays in the biggest cities. The driving between bases still needs its own space; we plan those days with time to stop.
The Freedom of Having Your Own Car
A hire car makes a rural stay or a stop in an inland village much easier to include. But it need not accompany every day of the holiday. If you begin with three nights in Palermo, we can arrange collection when you leave the city, avoiding an unnecessary hire period.
Accommodation Along the Route
A hotel’s location affects the whole day, from arriving with luggage to going out for dinner. We explain where to park and how to approach the property. For accommodation within a restricted traffic zone, we liaise with the hotel about any available vehicle-registration arrangements and provide the relevant access instructions.
Sicily Self Drive Routes to Inspire Your Trip
These tours are starting points, with accommodation styles that can be combined as we develop your route.
Sicily at Your Pace
An independent driving tour with welcoming B&Bs as your bases for visiting different parts of the island.
Rural Sicily
Countryside accommodation and agriturismi (farm-stays), where having a car connects rural stays with villages and nearby sights.
Charming Sicily
Boutique accommodation along a route that balances time on the road with time in each destination.
More to Discover on a Sicily Road Trip
Historic Cities & Towns
Palermo, Syracuse and the Baroque towns need time beyond arrival and departure. We consider which places belong in your route and where several nights make sense, with parking planned so you can leave the car and explore on foot.
Food & Wine
A producer visit can fit between overnight bases; a countryside lunch may deserve an afternoon without further plans. We build these stops into the driving schedule. For wine tastings, a local transfer can be arranged so you can leave the hire car behind.
Countryside & Villages
The car becomes particularly useful between the larger destinations. Inland Sicily and rural accommodation are easier to incorporate without relying on connections between public transport services. We suggest stops that fit the day, leaving room for lunch or a look around.
Nature & Landscapes
Etna’s volcanic surroundings, inland mountains and coastal stretches offer very different days out. A car broadens the places you can reach, but distance alone does not tell you how much to plan. We allow for the roads and time outside the car.
Why Plan Your Sicily Self Drive Tour with Trinakria?
Twenty years of travelling around Sicily inform our decisions, down to a useful junction or somewhere to stop for a ricotta-filled cassatella. We personally select accommodation and use local contacts to clarify arrival details.
Your travel documents include vouchers with coordinates, contacts, timings and service information. We also prepare a personalised guide organised by area, distinguishing included arrangements from optional extras and suggestions.
You discuss the route directly with us. Arriving and departing through different airports can reduce backtracking; when that involves a one-way car-hire fee, we explain it beforehand alongside the distance it could save. Each choice should earn its place in the trip.
Explore More Ways to Discover Sicily
Luxury Sicily Tours
More time in each place, distinctive accommodation and thoughtfully chosen experiences.
Private Sicily Tours
A tour and services organised exclusively for your travelling party.
Sicily Food and Wine Tours
Let producers, vineyards, markets and regional cooking guide your route.
Start Planning Your Sicily Self Drive Tour
Share your dates, available time and the places you have in mind. Tell us what you enjoy doing on holiday, too. We will turn those ideas into a workable route, with accommodation and key arrangements organised before you arrive.
Discover what our travellers think…
I wanted to thank you for your great availability and excellent service: our vacation was fantastic. We loved the accommodations, and although they were very different from each other, both seemed wonderful to us.
We also want to highlight the kindness of the ladies at Muto di Gallura—so charming and warm. We bothered them quite a bit, making full use of their facilities, yet we were always greeted with a big smile and kind words.
Additionally, we loved the agriturismo, the surroundings, and, above all, the amazing meals and dinners.
We can’t wait to book another vacation with you! We just hope we can find a way to visit Sicily next year.
Hello!!! Your interest in the outcome of our bespoke journey speaks volumes about your way of working. Sardinia truly lived up to our desires and expectations. Visiting this fantastic island away from the beaten path of tourists and getting away from the typical “canned and standard” vacation… has been a real pleasure.
We have just returned from a wonderful vacation booked with you, where everything was perfect. Later on, if you’re interested, I can send you another email with more details about the places we visited. In short, EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT… the people, the landscapes, the food, the beaches, the nature… The only minor issue, which was no one’s fault, was the EXCESSIVE HEAT we endured, but we did our best to cope with it. Overall, a 9-10 vacation!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our private tours are tailor-made journeys created exclusively for you and the people travelling with you. They are not group departures and do not follow a fixed programme.
Most of our travellers choose a self-drive journey: you travel independently in a hire car, following a route designed around your interests, your pace and the time you have available. Flights are booked separately, while we arrange the accommodation, car hire and other services included in your proposal.
Where it adds value, we can include private local guides, transfers, wine tastings, cooking classes and other experiences. A private guide does not normally accompany you throughout the journey unless this has been specifically requested and included.
The itineraries shown on our website are starting points. Every journey is adapted to the traveller, drawing on our first-hand knowledge of Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Tuscany and Greece.
All our journeys are fully tailor-made.
We don’t work with fixed programmes or pre-designed packages. Every itinerary is created from scratch, based on your travel style, your interests and the time you have available.
Of course, our experience allows us to suggest routes and ideas that have proven to work well, but these are always adapted and refined for each traveller. No two journeys are exactly the same.
This approach gives you the flexibility to shape the trip around what matters most to you — whether that means a slower pace, specific locations, particular types of accommodation or selected experiences along the way.
In the end, the goal is not to fit you into an itinerary, but to design an itinerary that fits you.
We primarily work with boutique hotels, small historic properties and charming independent stays.
These are places with a strong sense of identity — where architecture, atmosphere and local hospitality reflect the character of the destination. Rather than large resorts or standardised hotels, we look for accommodations that feel authentic, personal and connected to their surroundings.
Depending on the journey, this can include countryside estates, agriturismi, coastal hideaways or small town hotels, always selected for their quality, location and overall experience.
Our goal is not simply to provide a place to stay, but to ensure that each accommodation becomes a natural and meaningful part of the journey.
The planning and booking process is straightforward, with our team supporting you at every stage.
It usually starts with a first contact, where we learn about your travel plans, preferences and timing. Based on this, we prepare a tailor-made proposal, including a suggested route, selected accommodations and any experiences you may wish to include.
Once the proposal is ready, you will receive it in a digital itinerary format, accessible through a private link. This allows you to explore your journey in a clear and structured way — including the route, accommodations, experiences and practical details — all in one place, at your own pace.
You can review the proposal and we refine it together until everything feels right — in terms of itinerary, style and overall experience. When you are ready to proceed, you can confirm the trip by completing a short booking form directly within the itinerary.
Once confirmed, we take care of all the arrangements. Before departure, you will receive all the necessary documents and practical information for your trip.
Throughout the process, you are supported by one dedicated team, ensuring clarity, continuity and a smooth experience from start to finish.
Our car rentals are designed to offer maximum peace of mind and simplicity.
They typically include comprehensive insurance with no excess, so you can travel without worrying about unexpected costs in case of damage. We also include practical elements such as an additional driver and clear, straightforward conditions whenever possible.
Our aim is to avoid the complexity often associated with car rentals, ensuring that everything is easy to understand, well covered and adapted to the journey.
Full details are always provided in your travel documents, so you know exactly what is included before you travel.
Our booking conditions are designed to be clear, transparent and fair.
Once your journey is confirmed, we typically require a deposit to secure the arrangements, with the balance due closer to the departure date. The exact details are always shared with you in advance, so you know exactly what to expect at each stage.
In terms of cancellations, conditions may vary depending on the services included in your itinerary, as many of the accommodations and providers we work with have their own policies.
For this reason, we always explain the applicable terms clearly before confirmation, so you can make your decision with full confidence
We also recommend considering travel insurance, which can provide additional protection in case of unforeseen changes.
Yes — we can include travel insurance in your trip if you wish.
We usually offer comprehensive policies covering both medical assistance and cancellation, tailored to the type of journey you are planning.
We work with trusted providers such as AXA, and occasionally others, selecting options that offer a good balance of coverage, flexibility and price.
As with any insurance, it is important to review the policy conditions carefully, as specific terms and exclusions may apply. We will always provide you with the full details in advance so you can choose the option that best suits your needs.