London to Beijing Motorcycle Expedition

This itinerary is for 89 days, covering around 13,000 miles (21,000 kms). It starts in London, UK and finishes in Beijing, China.

Week 1: Europe
Depart Ace Cafe London. France, the Alps, Bavaria – Germany.  Bled, Slovenia.  Croatia & the Adriatic Coast.  Overnight in Trogir and Dubrovnik.

Week 2: Europe & Turkey
Montenegro, Albania and Lake Ohrid.  Greece – Mount Olympus and Meteora.  Alexandoupolis.  Enter Turkey.  East meets West in Istanbul. (Istanbul is also an official start Point for this Expedition). Two full days to explore the Blue Mosque, Tokapi Palance and Hagi Sophia.  Ottoman preserved village Safranbolu.

Week 3: Turkey & Georgia
Caves, rock formations and underground dwellings in Cappadoccia. See the stone heads of Mount Nemrut.   Erzurum and Mount Ararat.  Kars. The ruins of the ancient Armenian City, Ani. Enter Georgia.  Vardzia.

Week 4:  Azerbaijan & Turkmenistan
Explore Tbilisi, capital of Georgia Marble.  Enter Azerbaijan.  Sheki.  Port city of Baku.  Ferry across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan.  White marble city of Ashgabat.

Week 5:  Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan
North through the Karakum Desert. A night viewing of the Darvaza Gas Crater – “The Door to Hell”!  Enter Uzbekistan.  Desert terrain to the Ancient Silk Road Cities.  The ancient walled city of Khiva & UNESCO listed Itchen Kala. Bhukara and then Samarkand, with the UNESCO listed Registan.  Minarets, mosques and madrasahs abound.

Week 6: Tajikistan
The capital city, Dushanbe. Dirt roads of The Pamir Highway and Wakhan Valley, on the Afghanistan border.  Khorog, the regional capital. 3rd century Yamchun Fortress.  Experience home stays with the local villagers in Murghab.

Week 7: Kyrgyzstan
Enter Kyrgyzstan.  Overnight yurt camp at Sary Tash.  Osh.  The Tien Shan Mountains.  The capital, Bishkek. Lake Izzyk (Kul). Riders finishing in Almaty head to Kazahkstan.

Week 8:  Kyrgyzstan, Xinjiang Province, China
Naryn. Ride over the Torugart Pass to Xinjiang Province, China. The ancient city of Kashgar. Get your Chinese Driving Licence and Registration Plate for your bike!

Week 9:  Tibet
Enter Tibet, the ‘Roof of the World’.  Ride at over 5,000 metres high.  Remote settlements.  Mount Kailash & the holy Lake Manasarovar.  Mount Everest Base Camp & Rongbuk Monastery.

Week 10: Tibet
Lhasa – two full days to explore the Potala Palace and the Buddhist temples of Jokhang and Barkhor.  Tibet is not over yet! The Tibet-Sichuan Highway – more 5,000m passes.  The small villages of Linzhi, Bomi, Zuogong, Batang to Kangding.

Week 11: China – Sichuan Province
Sichuan Province.  Descend from the Tibetan Plateau to the Buddhist temples of Mount Emie.  Chengdu and the Giant Pandas.  Foping.

Week 12: China
The ancient walled city of Xi’an, the start point of the Silk Road.  Two full days to explore the Old Bell Tower and visit the Terracotta Army.  Continue north to the capital, via UNESCO Listed Pingyao, and Datong.

Week 13: China
Spend a night at the Great Wall.  Arrive Beijing and celebration party of the Ace Cafe, Beijing.  See Ti’anamen Square & Forbidden City.  Take bikes to Tianjin for freight home.

This is a provisional route and you should note some areas we may need to adjust the itinerary:

• due to border closures between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
• if Turkmenistan remains closed, our route will go via the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan and then into Uzbekistan.

There is a wide variety of accommodation.  In Europe and Turkey, we primarily use 4* hotels and have some characterful hotels, such as an old caravanserai and a cave hotel!  For Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, we also primarily use 3* and 4* hotels, but as we push east, standards are not the equivalent of Europe and North America.

Enjoying tea in camp site in Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

In Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, we have some remote routes, where we stay in home-stays or yurts, which are communal accommodation.  If you book as a couple, on these nights you will not have the luxury of your own room.  This type of accommodation will have primitive, shared or outdoor bathroom facilities.  The only hot water may be in flasks and the electricity may be supplied by a generator. We also have a camp night in Turkmenistan at the Darvaza Crater.

There are a number of days across Xinjiang Province and Western Tibet, where we are very remote and accommodation is extremely basic, with no bathrooms, hot water or electricity.  You need to be prepared to use communal outside toilets and there will be no showers for a few days in this area.

Additionally, basic accommodation will often not have single rooms.  If you book for a single supplement, we have taken into account that you will have approximately five nights of this type of accommodation in your pricing.

Homestay in Tajikistan

In remote locations, you will not get mobile phone coverage or wifi access.  In some countries, there is not full access to the internet use may be restricted, not freely available or just very slow.  Common social media platforms are blocked in China (FaceBook, YouTube).

All of the above reflects the nature of the adventure that you are undertaking – some parts of this trip are very remote where tourism does not exist and you will need to cope with the same facilities as the locals.

Good hotels are available close to Lhasa and our hotel in Lhasa is good 4* standard. On the Tibet Sichuan Highway, the hotels remain basic, but with en suite bathrooms.  Once off the Tibetan Plateau in Eastern China, hotels standards are 4* and we finish at The Beijing Nuo Hotel (former Raffles Hotel), Beijing to celebrate an incredible journey.

Before you go

• GlobeBusters Guidance Handbook with all pre-trip information
• Pre-departure expedition briefing and ongoing access to the GlobeBusters team for any questions you may have, via additional one-to-one meetings
• Assistance with the procurement of visas for each country and provision of Letters of Invitation, if required.
• Daily hard copy route notes with GPS co-ordinates and information about the hotels, the roads and the sights
• Loan SD Card with open source GPS mapping for the region, suitable for Garmin units.

En Route

• All accommodation on shared basis (or a single room, if booked)
• All breakfasts, in keeping with local traditions
• 13 group dinners, with water or soft drink (no alcohol)
• Euro Tunnel Train for you and your bike, Folkestone to Calais
• Ferry for you and your motorcycle across the Caspian Sea
• Chinese Driving Licence & Chinese Bike Licence Plate for your motorcycle, required for travel in China
• Expedition Tour Shirt and Ace Cafe Goodies

Motorcycle Freight

• Group sea freight from Tianjin to our UK freight agent, or to other destinations, if additional charges are paid.
• Motorcycle crating, if required, Group customs clearances for export from China and re-import back to the UK, with up to one month of free storage at the freight agent before you collect your bike.
• In transit insurance for your motorcycle, during freight, subject to an excess of £500. You bear the risk of the first £500 of damage.

Support Crew

• Motorcycle Expedition Manager to accompany the group, either in a Support Vehicle or on a Motorcycle depending on numbers.
• Motorcycle Assistant Expedition Manager, where the group is more than 12 riders
• Support Vehicle, equipped with satellite phone, spare fuel, water, tools, selected spare parts and emergency first aid kit, acting as a sweeper vehicle
• Support Driver, with motorcycle mechanical experience and first aid qualifications
• Additional local Support Vehicle in Xinjiang and Tibet, with National Chinese Guide, and local Tibetan Guide acting as fixers / translators.
• Local fixers/translators that travel with the group in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.

Not Included

• Return passenger airline flights or any other travel costs to get to the start and from the finish point for each motorcycle expedition or any internal flights or other travel costs required during the expedition.
• Personal travel, accident and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
• Third party liability or any other motorcycle insurance cover, motorcycle breakdown cover or recovery costs
• Entrance fees to sights and parks, optional local excursions or local activities, (except where stated)
• Lunches, snacks or evening meals (except where stated). Any meals whilst on board ferries.
• Personal spending money, tips, souvenirs or other extras.
• Personal documentation (eg visas, passport), vaccinations, personal taxes, border crossing fees, motorcycle documentation (including carnet de passage)
• We do not supply riding gear; you must bring a minimum of your own helmet, jacket, trousers, boots and gloves.
• Costs of motorcycle servicing, motorcycle repair (parts, labour or other related costs), spares, transportation of your bike to the workshop
• Fuel, oil & other motorcycle consumables, toll road fees, traffic fines or other charges relating to breach of the law
• Any travel, subsistence & hotel costs to and from the freight depot when you drop off or collect your motorcycle, and to and from any UK briefing meetings.
• Freight of the Participant’s motorcycle back to their home county from a place that is not the official end point.
• Additional transportation of you or your motorcycle en route where you or your motorcycle cannot continue beyond the short and temporary assistance offered by GlobeBusters Support Vehicle.
• Transfers to / from the airport at the start and end of the expedition.
• Any other item not specifically included in the price.

Please also refer to our Booking Conditions

Flights

For clarity, we do not include your passenger flights.  Once we have confirmed that this tour is a guaranteed departure, it is your responsibility to organise your own flights to and from the start and end point.

For riders not based in the UK, we advise you to book a flight that arrives in the UK one day prior to our official start date.  Therefore to arrive in the UK no later than 9 April 2025, for the official start date which is 11 April 2025.  At the end of the expedition, the earliest leave date is any time on 9 July 2025 from Beijing.

Only book your flights once we have confirmed that your motorcycle expedition is a guaranteed departure.  We do not refund flight costs if you have booked flights for a tour that has not been notified as a guaranteed departure.

Should you wish to arrive before the official date or stay after the official end date, please simply request extra nights at the time of booking and we can make the reservation at our group hotel.

We understand that booking a motorcycle expedition is a big commitment both financially and in terms of time and preparation.  Here are some of the most common questions we are asked before riders make a booking.  If you wish to meet with us prior to booking to ask more questions, do not hesitate to contact us and we can set up a one-to-one meeting.  In addition, we hold a Pre-Expedition Meeting for the group at our premises around 6 months prior to the start of the expedition.

What type of bike do I need?
Our expeditions are designed so that you can use your own motorcycle.  We recommend that you use a dual purpose / adventure style bike.  We support any make and model.  Our Support Crew normally ride the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro or Tiger 1200 Rally Pro.  We also have extensive experience with the BMW GS motorcycle range, having ridden them for over 15 years and many riders chose a BMW GS bike.  The smallest capacity bike that has been used on this trip previously has been the Honda CB500X.  What is important is that you have a reliable and robust bike that you are comfortable riding and that it has been properly prepared and fully serviced prior to the start and has new tyres.

What riding experience do I need?
This trip is NOT suitable for novice riders.  It is our toughest expedition and is only suitable for those with advanced road riding skills, experienced in riding up to 400 road miles in one day and be confident at tackling up to 150 miles per day on challenging, unpaved roads. Three weeks of riding is at high altitudes over 4,000 metres, where it is often cold or below freezing. You should also have other travel experience in developing countries, either on or off the bike.

We generally recommend that you are an experienced motorcyclist, who has ridden overseas before and is used to touring.  You will enjoy the experience more if your riding is of an advanced standard and by that we mean you have a good command of slow control (eg you don’t dangle your feet or paddle at slow speeds and can U-turn your bike), you are assertive on the road and have good forward planning and hazard perception, you are able to perform safe and precise overtakes and are able ride to the legal speed limits.

You also need to have experience of riding your motorcycle on unpaved surfaces such as gravel, and dirt as some of the expedition routes are on these types of roads.  In addition, if there any roadworks on our route, normally diversions will be on temporary dirt roads.

Please note that our route covers around 10% of dirt and gravel roads (up to 1,200 miles), although as the infrastructure develops, this may reduce in future years.

If you need to improve your off road riding skills, attending a training school such as Adventure Bike Training www.adventurebiketraining.co.uk, Triumph Adventure Experience https://www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk/adventure-experience or BMW Off Road Skills is highly recommended.

It is your responsibility to ensure your motorcycling skills are up to the requirements for this Expedition.

How does motorcycle freight work?
We start the expedition from the Ace Café, London, so UK and some EU riders can ride to the start point.

If you are a non-UK resident, you are responsible for organising your own freight to the start.  We are able to provide you with details of our UK freight agent, Motofreight, who can organise the freight of your motorcycle to the UK from your own country.  They can customs clear your motorcycle in the UK and you simply need to collect it from the freight agent’s depot and ride to London or they can deliver your bike to the start point in London.   This is an additional cost to you.  You are free to organise your own freight through your own freight agent, at your own cost.

At the end of the trip, all bikes are road transported from the Ace Café to Tianjin, and then sea freighted back to the UK.  This is included in your expedition price.  From the UK, if required, you can request our preferred UK freight agent Motofreight to onward freight your motorcycle to your home country.  This onward freight is a separate arrangement, at your own cost.  You are free to organise your own freight through your own freight agent.

At the end of the expedition, if we have at least 3 riders from the same non-UK destination, we can do a separate sea freight arrangement direct to that country, as part of your expedition price.

Your motorcycle is insured in-transit with an excess of £500, which is your risk.  Please note that cosmetic damage to bikes such as scratches, scuffs, marks are only compensated on a refurbishment basis and not based on the supply of new parts.

What about servicing & tyres?
All motorcycles must arrive at the start fully serviced and with new tyres.  There are no authorised motorcycle dealers for Triumph, BMW, KTM once we leave Istanbul and before China.  A minor service is then done around 6000 miles into the trip (Samarkand / Dushanbe).  This is done by you with assistance from the Support Crew if requested.  All riders need to supply a minor service kit and change of tyres, which we will carry in our support vehicle.  The tyres need to be a dual purpose or knobbly tyre ready for the rougher roads in Tajikistan and Western China.

Is it difficult to get fuel?
We have never had any issue with finding fuel. In certain regions, once en route, we will warn you in advance of any possible fuel shortages or if there is a route with a key fuel stop, where everyone must fill up with fuel to get to the next destination. Sometimes we need to fill up from barrels or by hand and have to filter the fuel. It is not necessary to fit any after-market large fuel tank or carry fuel bottles, although some riders choose to do so. Our support vehicle also carries spare fuel for emergencies.

What is the average group size?
Our groups are normally between 10 – 16 riders (some have passengers). Our groups are often very international and whilst the majority of riders come from the UK, we also get riders from USA, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and so on. Groups are predominantly solo male riders, but every trip we have had couples who ride two-up and successfully complete the trip.

Is this ride suitable for a passenger?
We have had riders successfully complete this ride with a pillion passenger.  Your passenger needs to also be an experienced tourer, used to long distance riding and riding on unpaved roads. Your passenger must ride the motorcycle each touring day – there is no option to sit in the support vehicle.  Travelling in the support vehicle is only for participants who are ill or injured, or unless the road conditions are too difficult for a rider and passenger to attempt two-up.  In some end destinations, there is accommodation where, as a couple, you will not get privacy and bathroom facilities can be very primitive.

Is there a support vehicle?
All our expeditions have a dedicated GlobeBusters Support Vehicle, driven by a GlobeBusters Support Driver.  It is capable of carrying two motorcycle and two passengers.  Our support vehicles carry a satellite phone, mobile phone, medical bag and spinal board, spare fuel, water, tools, some spare parts, some spare tyres.  Our support vehicle provides temporary assistance to you if you have a mechanical problem or an accident and are injured. Depending on the size of the group, we may also take a second support vehicle and if not, we will have an additional local support vehicle in Xinjiang and Tibet.

These are not a luggage vehicles – you must carry your own luggage on your motorcycle.  For more information, please see our Support Vehicle section.

Do I have to ride in a group?
No!  We do not make you ride in convoy.  We offer you the freedom to decide how you would like to ride.  We give you a road book, GPS co-ordinates and hotel information.  You can use this to self-navigate.  If you prefer to ride with our Motorcycle Expedition Manager, then you can do this.  However, there are some politically sensitive places where we must ride together.  In China and Turkmenistan, whilst we don’t have to ride in strict convoy, we need to make sure that we are travelling relatively close together.  We will also ask you to ride in a group when we are crossing a border or if there is a security issue.

What documents do I need?
You will need your original documents as follows:  Passport, Motorcycle Registration Document or Title, Driving Licence from the country of your residence, International Driving Permit (1949 & 1968), minimum 3^rd Party Motorcycle Liability Insurance (see below),  Travel Insurance Certificate (see below).

You should note that we need to request copies of the above documentation, which we have to send to suppliers who are outside the EU and who do not have the safeguards in place with regard to data protection as we have within the EU. These suppliers are for services such as motorcycle freight, overseas agents, hotels, motorcycle customs clearance, ferry services as well as the Chinese and Turkmen authorities.  Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

Tell me more about 3rd party Motorcycle Liability Insurance
It is a legal requirement to have minimum 3rd party insurance in place for the UK & EU. For non-UK/EU riders, you can buy 3rd party motorcycle insurance for riding in UK/EU from third party providers such as Alessie or TourInsure .   These companies can also offer insurance for Turkey for all nationalities.  Once you are beyond Turkey, you have no option but to reply on local 3rd party insurance policies which can be bought at the border crossings, where available.  Local policies only provide minimum legal protection and you have to be prepared to take the excess liability risk.  It is your responsibility to put in place 3rd party insurance where you are legally required to do so.

Do I need any Visas?
As visa requirements are dependent on your nationality and a complex with constantly changing requirements, we recommend using a visa agency to assist you and check the requirements.  Most nationalities will require visas for Azerbaijan (e-visa), Turkmenistan and Tajikistan (e-visa) and China.  Other Asian countries on the itinerary allow visa free travel for 30-60 days for UK, US and most EU citizens. At our pre-departure meeting, we cover this in detail to ensure you have all the information to enable you to apply for the visas you need.  Note that the Chinese visa MUST be obtained by you in person at the Chinese Visa Centre in your own country of residence.  At our pre-departure meeting, we cover this in detail to ensure you have all the information to enable you to apply for the visas you need.

Special note about logistics for entry and exit of China
Your price includes entry and exit of China, as part of the group arrangement.  Our entry point is the Torugart Pass.  Our exit point is Beijing / Tianjin.  This is agreed as part of the permissions given for our group to ride overland across China and is done well in advance of travel.  You are not able to change your exit point after 31 January 2025.  Should you wish to have a different exit point to the main group, you must inform us on booking and additional charges will apply, depending on the exit arrangement that you want.

What about my health when I am abroad?
You need to be physically fit and healthy and also take the necessary health precautions.  It is essential for you to consult your doctor or travel clinic for up-to-date medical travel information prior of travel, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition. For up-to-date medical advice you may wish to use the Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad “MASTA”  https://www.masta-travel-health.com/ , the NHS website  http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx   or NaTHNaC https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/ .

You will be obliged to disclose any medical condition or medication that you are taking to GlobeBusters in advance and to your Tour Manager at the start of your Tour, for health and safety purposes. We provide you with our Emergency Details Form for this purpose and to collect information about who to contact for you back home in the event of an emergency.

You must not bring any medicines that contain tramadol, codeine, temazepam, morphine or opiates to Central Asia. These are illegal in all circumstances in most of Central Asia.  You could be arrested for possession.  If you are not sure about a particular medicine, then please do not bring it.

Please note that many countries on this route do not have the same level of medical infrastructure nor consistent medical standards that you may be used to.  In particular, emergency services often may be a long distance away, with no co-ordinated response, or sometimes no medical response available within reasonable times. Please do not book this trip if this unduly concerns you.

First Aid Training

We strongly recommend that you consider doing a motorcycle first aid course.  Some sections of this trip are remote and hundreds of miles away from medical treatment.  If you, or a rider you are with, are involved in any accident, whilst not riding with or not close to the support team, having first aid skills may make a significant difference to an injured party.

Altitude

You will be travelling to areas of altitude up to 5,500m, so you must think carefully about how fit you are and whether altitude may be an issue. Some pre-existing medical conditions are known to severely worsen at high altitude and be difficult to adequately treat on the ground, leading to more serious consequences. It is imperative that you discuss your pre-existing medical condition/s with your doctor. We understand certain medications are reported to aid acclimatising to high altitude; please discuss these options with your doctor. You must inform your Expedition Manager of any altitude danger signs so that you can reports these as soon as possible.

Disease from Mosquitos

According to Travel Heath Pro, there is a very low risk of malaria in mainland China. It is essential that you seek medical advice prior to travel. Whilst travelling there are several simple measures you can take to reduce your risk of infections spread by mosquitoes: wear suitable clothing and cover up at times of day when mosquitoes are active, use insect repellent on exposed skin.

Travel / Medical Insurance
It is a condition of you travelling with us that you are adequately insured.  Your insurance policy must cover you for the costs of any medical expenses, medical treatment or repatriation needed, due to injury or illness on this trip, including those that occur whilst motorcycle touring, either as the rider or a passenger.  It is important that your insurance company understands that the MAIN PURPOSE of your trip is motorcycle touring, using your own large capacity cc motorcycle or a rental motorcycle.  Your insurance must cover you for the full duration of the trip and for all countries we travel through.

In addition, we strongly recommend that your insurance policy has cover for loss or damage to your personal belongings, delay at your outward or homeward point of departure, personal liability, overseas legal expenses and cancellation and curtailment.  We also strongly recommend that you take out your travel insurance at the time of paying the deposit for your trip as cover will commence for pre-departure cancellation from the policy issue date. This will therefore provide cover should you have to cancel your trip for an insured reason such as illness or serious injury. We do not refund your deposit simply because you failed to take out insurance in sufficient time.

Are these countries safe?
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) monitors overseas destinations and provides destination travel advice for UK nationals. GlobeBusters monitors the advice from the FCDO and any decisions taken regarding a Tour’s safety and security will use the vast experience of the company’s 19 years of operating as well as the FCDO advice. In the interests of your safety and security, changes may be made to your Expedition based on any FCDO warnings given.

It is your responsibility to check on your own government’s website for travel advice and to read the information about the country you are planning to visit to be fully informed – each country has a summary and general information as well as advice on safety & security, local laws & customs, entry requirements and health, and road conditions.

If you are not a UK national please make sure you have checked your own country’s travel advice for your destination/s: The US Department of State: http://travel.state.gov Canadian Foreign Affairs: www.voyage.gc.ca Australian Government Travel Advice: www.smartraveller.gov.au NZ Government Travel Advice: www.safetravel.govt.nz.

What will the weather be like?
This motorcycle expedition is run at the most optimum time for the best weather possible. We have to have a start date that is not too early or the weather in the mountains in Turkey and Central Asia may be too cold with snow.  Nor do we want to leave much later than the current start date, as we want to avoid peak rains and monsoon season in China and very high temperatures in the deserts in Central Asia.  It is a fine balancing act.  Clearly riding in Europe in mid-April, the weather could be cold and rainy or fine and sunny.

The bottom line is that on this trip, it is possible to experience every weather condition – from below freezing to above 45 degrees centigrade heat, from baked searing deserts to flooded Chinese streets. So be prepared!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
http://www.worldclimate.com/

What about local currency?
For Europe, Turkey, Georgia, the EURO is used / readily exchangeable.  Once in Central Asia and China, the base currency for this trip is the US Dollar. The US Dollar is readily exchangeable for the local currencies. When you bring US Dollars, it must be in MINT condition or locals will not readily exchange the notes.  The websites below will give you the current rates of exchange.

http://www.oanda.com/
http://www.travelex.co.uk/

Minimum Numbers
We require a minimum number of 10 riders on this tour.  If we do not have this number of bookings, then we reserve the right to cancel the tour. If we have to cancel the tour we will provide you a minimum of 84 days notice prior to departure.