Everyone’s going on tour. The market for motorcycle tours abroad has exploded over the last few years, and now more than ever before, motorcycle touring companies are lining up to show you parts of the world that are best experienced on two wheels, with a local guide.
Some of these companies have been in the business for years. Edelweiss Bike Travel, in particular, has been showing riders the world on two wheels for 35 years. Some of the companies below are relative newcomers to the touring world. All share the same enthusiasm for two-wheeled travel through exotic, beautiful or memorable places.
What’s new? We’ve got to mention Edelweiss’ Alpine Zero Emission tour—five days through the Alps using Zero electric motorcycles! Who said it couldn’t be done? Also, not mentioned below, Ducati Dream Tours offers a factory visit weekend; details at ducati.com.
Below is a selection of companies offering scheduled multi-day streetbike guided motorcycle tours abroad, using rental motorcycles, guided by experienced English-speakers, available to all Rider readers (age and experience limits may apply). Prices quoted may have been converted from other currencies, and can change with currency fluctuations. Prices may not be directly comparable, because items included in tours differ widely; some tour prices include meals, fuel, tolls and excursions, others don’t. Some may not include motorcycle rental in the price—please check details before booking. Some companies charge almost as much for a passenger, others offer lower pricing to reflect the shared motorcycle rental.
What’s not included in this list: single-day tours, self-guided tours, custom tours offered to groups, and tours using your own bike.
Do make sure that you know the cost of all insurance coverages you are required to pay before you go—the damage deposit may not be included in the tour price. Tour companies may put a multi-thousand dollar charge on your credit card to cover possible damage—make sure the card can stand it! Your personal travel insurance should cover motorcycle riding (check the small print), and it’s a good idea to have insurance covering repatriation, medical costs, trip cancellation, personal accident and personal liability. Sources include medexassist.com, travelguard.com, globalrescue.com and worldnomads.com.
Note that for some of the countries on the touring list you may need a visa (you will need a valid passport for all). Check with the tour company in plenty of time. Good idea to check your passport too—last minute renewals are possible, but pricey.
You may need an international driver’s license (available at auto clubs). Oh, one more thing to remember—have fun!
Leaving Dubrovnik, a walled UNESCO city on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. This was part of the 15-day Beautiful Balkans Adventure with Adriatic Moto Tours.
Adriatic Moto Tours
Base: Slovenia
Tours Include: Adriatic Riviera Tour, Czech Hungary Tour, Alps Adriatic Adventure, Tuscany Sardinia Corsica Tour, Intriguing Southeast Europe, Beautiful Balkans Adventure (and more)
Accommodations: Not specified
Length of Tours: 9-16 days
Rental Options: BMW, Ducati Multistrada, Suzuki V-Strom, Triumph Tiger, Yamaha FJR1300
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: April-October
Typical Cost: 9-day Adriatic Riviera Tour, approx. $2,900
Age/Experience Limits: Motorcycle license, touring experience required
Tel: 011 386 31 345 445
Web: adriaticmototours.com
* Adriatic Moto Tours has been in business for six years in the heart of southeastern Europe, and from its base in Slovenia has tours that fan out over Europe, offering new experiences for even the most jaded moto-traveler.
Asia Bike Tours
Base: New Delhi, India, and Vienna, Austria
Tours Include: Bhutan-Sikkim, South West China, India Rajasthan, India Himalaya, North India, South India, Nepal, Tibet, Tibet Overland
Accommodations: Comfortable middle-class hotels, guesthouses
Length of Tours: 13-24 days
Rental Options: Yamaha YBR250 (China), Royal Enfield (India)
Equipment: Riding guide
Dates: February-October
Typical Cost: 13-day China-Tibet tour, $3,700
Age/Experience Limits: Not specified
Tel: 011 91 9312433859 (India), 011 43 699 106 04 197 (Austria)
Web: asiabiketours.com
* Asia Bike Tours started in 1997, and has a team of locally based guides for its tours in India, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Tibet. Locally available motorcycles are used, and riding difficulty varies with the tour.
Ayres Adventures
Base: Plano, Texas
Tours Include: Africa Southern Cross, Call of the Wild, Indian Summer in the Alps, Switchback Challenge, Treasures of Eastern Europe, Empire of Incas in South America (and more)
Accommodations: Middle class hotels on Club Class tours; 4- and 5-star hotels on Premium Class tours
Length of Tours: 7-47(!) days
Rental Options: Varies with tour, many options available
Equipment: Support vehicle, some motorcycles with luggage
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 7-day Switchback Challenge in Alps, $2,975
Age/Experience Limits: Touring experience required
Tel: (877) 275-8238 or (972) 635-5210
Web: ayresadventures.com
* Ayres Adventures claims to be the first motorcycle tour company to ride in Antarctica—unfortunately that’s not officially on offer anymore (the weather is too unpredictable), but the company tours on every other continent, offering Club Class or Premium Class tours.
Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures
Base: Grand Island, New York
Tours Include: Island Interlude, Alpine Adventure East, Alpine Adventure West, Alpine Sampler, Classic Alpine Adventure, Italian Idyll, Sicilian Sojourn, Adriatic Amble
Accommodations: 3- to 5-star quality hotels
Length of Tours: 14 nights, 13 riding days
Rental Options: Select BMW motorcycles
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: April-October
Typical Cost: 14-night Sicilian Sojourn, $7,760
Age/Experience Limits: Minimum age 18 for motorcycle operator, no max.
Tel: (716) 773-4960
Web: bmca.com
* The Beach team offers European motorcycle and sports car tours (some tours are available without the four wheelers). Beach’s slogan: We don’t go everywhere, but everywhere we go we travel in style.
Central Italy Motorcycle Tours
Base: Rome, Italy
Tours Include: On the Border of the Sahara, Complete Sicily, Down to Sicily, Down to Puglia, Heart of Italy, Central Highlands, Alpine Highlights, Complete Alps, Corsica and Sardinia, Corsica, Sardinia
Accommodations: Small, 3- or 4-star family-run hotels
Length of Tours: 4-11 days
Rental Options: BMW R 1200 GS, R 1200 RT, Ducati ST3, Multistrada 1200, Honda GL1800, Suzuki V-Strom 650
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: February-December
Typical Cost: Contact CIMT for price
Age/Experience Limits: Min. 25, 21 possible if accompanied, max. 77
Tel: 011 39 06 9522 3075
Web: cimt.it
* Central Italy Motorcycle Tours says it can guarantee the real flavor of Italy. The company is Italian through and through, and each bilingual guide knows the country just like a native—because they are all Italian!
Columbus International
Base: Cannes, France
Tours Include: South of France, BMW Motorrad Days, Trackday Tour Tuscany (and more)
Accommodations: 3- and 4-star hotels
Length of Tours: 7 days
Rental Options: BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, MV Agusta
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 7-day BMW Motorrad Days tour, approx. $4,300
Age/Experience Limits: 25, 2 years experience
Tel: 011 33 4 83 15 82 64
Web: columbus-international.com
* From its base in the South of France, Columbus International offers a little something for everyone, like a look at rare BMWs on Motorrad Days, or a helicopter ride to Monaco, followed by the chance to drive an F1 car around the track!
Compass Expeditions
Base: Victoria, Australia
Tours Include: Atlantic to Altiplano, Patagonia Explorer, Southern Lakes Explorer, Complete Cambodia, Atacama to Machu Picchu, ANZAC Treasures of Turkey, Best of Brazil, South America Coast to Coast, African Explorer, Eastern Europe, Australia Encompassed (and more)
Accommodations: Excellent small hotels
Length of Tours: 5-27 days
Rental Options: Select BMW models, Suzuki DR650 in Australia
Equipment: Chase vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 9-day Southern Lakes Explorer, Chile and Argentina, $4,590
Age/Experience Limits: 21, 2 years experience
Tel: 613 5368 2113
Web: compassexpeditions.com
* The secret of enjoying yourself on tour, according to Compass Expeditions, is this: “A flexible attitude is required, as service may be not what you are accustomed to.” Stay flexible, have fun touring. Each Compass tour is graded for degree of difficulty, from 1 to 5.
EagleRider
Base: Los Angeles, California
Tours Include: Alpine Sampler, Bordeaux and the South West, North of Spain, New Zealand Supreme, Provence Symphony, Israel Tour Classic, Rio de Janeiro on a Motorcycle, Mexican Mayan Adventure, Thunder in the Glens (and more)
Accommodations: Carefully selected hotels
Length of Tours: 1-22 days
Rental Options: BMW, Honda, Harley-Davidson
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 8-day Alpine Sampler tour, from $4,355
Age/Experience Limits: 21, 1-year experience with heavy motorcycle
Tel: (888) 900-9901 or (310) 536-6777
Web: eaglerider.com
* EagleRider is one of the big names in the bike rental business, and the company expanded into tours years ago. Now it has a long list of tours covering Europe, Israel, South America and New Zealand.
Ecuador Freedom
Base: Quito, Ecuador
Tours Include: Cloudforests, Coasts and Craters; Andes, Amazon and Pacific Coast; Amazing Ecuador; High Andes, Deep Amazon; 10 Best Days in Ecuador; Introduction to Ecuador; Inca Roads
Accommodations: B&B, 3-4 star hotels, bungalows and cabins
Length of Tours: 7-12 days
Rental Options: BMW G 650 GS, F 700 GS, F 800 GS, Kawasaki KLR650, Suzuki DR200, DR650, V-Strom 650, Triumph Tiger 800
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 9-day tour on BMW F 700 GS, approx. $4,200
Age/Experience Limits: Riding experience required, varies with tour
Tel: (603) 617-2499 (from U.S. and Canada) or 00 593 98 176 2340 (from rest of world)
Web: freedombikerental.com
* There is no better place in the world to ride than Ecuador, according to Freedom Tours. From their base in Quito, at any time of year, they can show you the newly paved roads, the beautiful scenery and the diverse cultures and altitudes that make this a motorcyclists’ paradise.
About 10 percent of the ride on Edelweiss Bike Travel’s Costa Rica and Nicaragua tour was on dirt roads, with occasional stream crossings to wash the wheels.
Edelweiss Bike Travel
Base: Mieming, Austria
Tours Include: Croatia by Scooter, Morocco on Harley, Andalucia on Harley, European Bike Week, Habsburg Empire, Under the Tuscan Sun, Celtic Tour, Above the Himalayas, Adventure Myanmar, South-East Asia, Majestic Alps (and many more)
Accommodations: Varies by tour; usually carefully selected middle-class hotels
Length of Tours: 7-365 days
Rental Options: Varies with tour, may include BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, scooter or electric motorcycle
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: Royal Morocco Dream, 13 days, 11 riding days, from $7,680
Age/Experience Limits: Varies with tour, minimum passenger age 12
Tel: 011 43 5264 5690
Web: edelweissbike.com
* Thirty-five years in business, more than 34,000 motorcyclists—no questioning those numbers. The most experienced motorcycle tour company on the planet offers tours all over the planet, including a 365-day round-the-planet tour.
Harley-Davidson Authorized Tours
Base: United Kingdom
Tours Include: Best of the Alps, Bella Italia, Best of Scotland, Colours of Tuscany, 8 Nations Grand European Tour, Perfect Alps, Queensland Paradise, Heart of Europe, Caribbean Adventure, Morocco Tour, Cape to Cape (South Africa) (and many more)
Accommodations: Select hotels
Length of Tours: 7-18 days
Rental Options: Harley-Davidson models
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 7-day Perfect Alps, $4,010
Age/Experience Limits: Varies according to tour
Tel: (800) 258-2464
Web: authorizedtours.harley-davidson.com
* Beautiful Planet, Events, Once in a Lifetime, Luxury, Short Breaks. That’s how Harley-Davidson classifies its tours, which take place around the globe. But wherever you are, everyone will know where your motorcycle comes from!
Hear the Road
Tours: Magical Italy, Scenic Roads of Central Italy, Tuscany and Umbria: the Heart of Italy, The Mythical 1000 Mile Tour, Rural Roads of Pastoral Italy, Amalfi Coast and South of Italy, Sardinia, Cinque Terre and Tuscany
Accommodations: Family-run hotels, 3 or 4 star
Length of Tours: 8-11 days
Rental Options: Select BMW, Ducati, Honda, Moto Guzzi
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: April-October
Typical Cost: Solo rider, shared room on 9-day tour, approx. $3,200
Age/Experience Limits: Not specified—contact company for details
Tel: U.S. agent Bill Kniegge, (704) 292-8801
Web: motorcycletoursitaly.com
* Discover the lightly traveled roads of rural Italy, take a tour through thousands of years of history along the Amalfi Coast, or experience the rush of the racetrack with two track days at Imola. All in the company of Italian guides who know the best roads, the best places to stay and most important, the best places to eat.
Hispania Tours
Base: Málaga, Spain
Tours Include: Morocco Mountains Deserts and Oases, Highlights of Southern Spain, Moorish Pearls, Portugal Castles and Histor, Alpine Roads At Its Best (sic), Morocco: The Imperial Cities (and more)
Accommodations: 4- and 5-star hotels
Length of Tours: 8-15 days
Rental Options: Select BMW motorcycles
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 9-day Morocco tour on BMW F 700 GS, approx. $3,200
Age/Experience Limits: 25 years, 3 years experience
Tel: 011 34 952 172 172
Web: hispania-tours.com
* Experience the wonderful roads, scenery and weather of Portugal, Southern Spain and Morocco with Hispania tours. Tour on marvelous roads, watching history unfold under your wheels.
IMTBike
Base: Madrid, Spain
Tours Include: Southern Spain Andalucia; Portugal & Central Spain; Wild Pyrenees; Morocco Adventure; Provence & Tuscany; Northern Green Spain; Moto GP Valencia; Moto GP Jerez (and more)
Accommodations: Hotels, converted castles and palaces
Length of Tours: 8-17 days
Rental Options: BMW motorcycles
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 9-day tours starting at $3,400
Age/Experience Limits: 25, 2 years and 3,000 miles experience
Tel: (412) 468-2453 (U.S.) or 011 34 91 633 72 22 (Spain)
Web: imtbike.com
* The numbers: IMTBike has offered tours of Spain, Morocco, Portugal and Italy since 1997, now has over 100 late-model BMW motorcycles in its fleet, in eight separate locations. Oh, and an 80-percent repeat rider rate. Plus, some great places to ride.
Leod Motorcycle Escapes
Base: San Francisco, CA
Tours Include: Thailand Golden Triangle & Bira Circuit, Sachsenring and Italian Alps, Australian Curves to Phillip Island, Imola & Italian Backroads, Spain’s Andalusia Curves (and more)
Accommodations: 3-star hotels
Length of Tours: 8-12 days
Rental Options: Local rentals, brands vary with destination
Equipment: Not specified
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 12-day Thailand tour, $4,980 for solo rider
Age/Experience Limits: Contact Leod for details
Tel: (866) 562-6126
Web: leodescapes.com
* Leod Escapes promises getaways that combine a week of twisty road riding with a couple days of track time on some serious road racing tracks. Destinations offered include Phillip Island in Australia, the Bira Circuit in Thailand and the Sachsenring in Germany. You’ll hop on a different rental bike for the track, of course!
MotoDiscovery
Base: Bulverde, Texas
Tours Include: South America Explorer, Patagonia Expedition, New Years in San Miguel, Turkey Fantasy, Pure Bolivia, Baja and Copper Canyon Expedition, Cuba 15 Day, Bhutan Thunder Dragon, Ladakh High Himalayas, Iran, Around the Black Sea (and more)
Accommodations: Varies according to tour, from luxury to quaint
Length of Tours: 9-21 days
Rental Options: Select BMW models
Equipment: Support van
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 9-day Cuba Tour on BMW F 700 GS, $6,849
Age/Experience Limits: Not specified
Tel: (800) 233-0564
Web: motodiscovery.com
* MotoDiscovery offers motorcycle tours around the world, including such unexpected destinations (for U.S. travelers, at least) as Cuba and Iran. Previously known as Pancho Villa Moto Tours, the company has been riding off the beaten path since 1981.
MotoQuest
Base: Alaska
Tours Include: Iceland Fire and Ice Adventure, Peru Machu Picchu Adventure, India Touch the Sky, Japan: Hokkaido Explore, Best of Turkey Adventure, Colombia: Valleys of the Andes, IndoChina Adventure (and more)
Accommodations: Range from elegant to rustic, depending on tour
Length of Tours: 11-15 days
Rental Options: Select models of BMW, Buell, Harley-Davidson, Husqvarna, Honda, Kawasaki, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph, Yamaha, Ural
Equipment: Support van
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 15-day IndoChina Adventure, $6,500
Age/Experience Limits: 21, license, 3 years experience on same-size motorcycle
Tel: (800) 756-1990 or (907) 272-2777
Web: motoquest.com
* From its base in Alaska, MotoQuest conducts tours around the globe, offering something for everyone on two wheels, from the bucolic roads of Wales to the top of the world in India. And many more besides.
Mototouring
Base: Milan, Italy
Tours Include: Benelli Vintage, Cuba, Dolomites, Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily, Southern Italy & Sicily, Isle of Man, Morocco (and more)
Accommodations: Comfortable hotels
Length of Tours: 7-22 days
Rental Options: Select BMW, Ducati and Honda models
Equipment: Support van
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 8-day Benelli Vintage, $3,200
Age/Experience Limits: 21, valid motorcycle license
Tel: 011 39 02 2720 1556
Web: mototouring.com
* Mototouring has been renting motorcycles and organizing tours since 1990, and is located in Milan, in the heart of Italy’s motorcycle-production area. Hence the factories tour, which visits factories and private museums dedicated to Italian machinery. Oh, and it organizes tours in plenty of other places too!
New Zealand Motorcycle Rentals and Tours
Base: Christchurch, New Zealand
Tours Include: NZ Heritage, Coastal Classic, New Zealand Explorer (and more)
Accommodations: 3- and 4-star hotels
Length of Tours: 19 days
Rental Options: Late-model BMW, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha
Equipment: Saddlebags, top boxes
Dates: November-April
Typical Cost: With basic motorcycle rental, 19-day tour, $5,600
Age/Experience Limits: 25
Tel: 011 64 9 486 2472
Web: nzbike.com
* One of the best places in the world to ride a motorcycle, New Zealand has beautiful lakes, snowcapped mountains, fjords and glaciers, all linked together by well maintained, twisting yet deserted roads.
Peru Riders
Base: Aerequipa, Peru
Tours Include: Awesome Andes Moto Safari, The 7 Wonders of Peru, Mysterious Peru, Machu Picchu Express, Patagonia Express (and more)
Accommodations: First- and middle-class hotels
Length of Tours: 13-55 days
Rental Options: BMW GS models, Kawasaki KLR650, Honda Falcon, Yamaha Ténéré
Equipment: Support vehicle on some tours
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 17-day Peru tour, from $5,995 incl. motorcycle rental
Age/Experience Limits: Valid motorcycle license
Tel: 011 51 959373203
Web: perumotors.com
* You’ll find a great diversity of roads, scenery and culture in Peru. And how better to experience it than on two wheels?
Ride High
Base: Kathmandu, Nepal; Chiang Mai, Thailand; and Vershire, Vermont
Tours Include: Bhutan—Ride the Dragon, Nepal and Tibet—Rooftop of the World, Ladakh—High Roads of the Himalaya (India) (and more)
Accommodations: Hotel and guest houses
Length of Tours: 11-15 days
Rental Options: Royal Enfield Bullet 500cc
Equipment: Support vehicle and Sherpas
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 14-day tour, $4,595
Age/Experience Limits: 21, 18 if accompanied, senior riders advised to contact Ride High to discuss altitude requirements
Tel: (802) 738-6500
Web: ridehigh.com
* Ride High says it remains the only registered touring company in the kingdom of Nepal, and for 25 years has provided travelers the chance to experience some of the highest roads in the world on classic British motorcycles.
Ridden Earth Tours
(formerly Bike Turkey)
Base: Tuscany, Italy
Tours Include: Rome to St. Petersburg, Rome to Dubrovnik, Rome to Seville, Central Highlands: Apennines, Turkey Sea to Sky, Alps Ultimate (and more)
Accommodations: Comfortable hotels
Length of Tours: 8-19 nights
Rental Options: Select BMW, Ducati, KTM and Suzuki models
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: Year-round
Typical Cost: 8-night Apennines tour, $2,300
Age/Experience Limits: 21, touring experience required
Tel: 011 39 564 589003 (Italy)
Web: riddenearth.com
* Two legs move the body, two wheels move the soul. This international tour company has its head office in Tuscany, an administration office in England and field office in Turkey. Tours cover much of Europe, Eastern Europe and Turkey; guides are qualified motorcycle safety instructors.
South Pacific Motorcycle Tours (NZ)
Base: North Canterbury, New Zealand
Tours Include: Twin Island Discovery, Twin Island Adventure, Southern Alps, Forgotten World, Alpine Wonder
Accommodations: Three accommodation levels: Luxury Supreme, Kiwi Classic, Kiwi Classic with breakfast upgrade
Length of Tours: 7-23 days
Rental Options: BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki, Triumph
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: November-April
Typical Cost: 11-day Southern Alps, from $8,000
Age/Experience Limits: 25, licensed experienced rider: 21-25 possible with restrictions
Tel: 011 64 3 312 0066
Web: motorbiketours.co.nz
* With a fleet of government-inspected rental bikes, and some of the best roads in the world to choose from, South Pacific Motorcycle Tours prides itself on excellent personal service and professionalism. What can you expect on a tour? Fun, freedom and friendship, the company says.
Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours Ltd.
Base: Christchurch, New Zealand
Tours Include: Southern Moonlight, Majori Discovery, On the Beach, Tour of the Mountain Kings, Two Week Two Island
Accommodations: Pleasant hotels and lodges
Length of Tours: 15, 19 days
Rental Options: Selected BMW, Honda, Suzuki and Triumph models
Equipment: Support vehicle
Dates: November-April
Typical Cost: Two-week Southern Moonlight, from $9,575
Age/Experience Limits: Contact Te Waipounamu for details
Tel: 011 64 3 372 3537
Web: motorcycle-hire.co.nz
* Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours started in 1987, making them one of the most experienced companies around with many hundreds of satisfied tourers. Throw in delightful scenery, excellent, uncrowded roads, and the friendliest of inhabitants (who all speak English!) and you can see why.