Northern Andes Motorcycle Adventure

This Northern Andes Motorcycle Adventure operates for 47 days through the northern reaches of South America.  It is around 6,500 miles and starts in Santiago, Chile and ends in Cartagena, Colombia.

Week 1 – Santiago & Winelands

Santiago is the modern, bustling, cosmopolitan capital of Chile where we collect out bikes from the International Airport ready to ride the high altitude Andes Mountains.  Leaving the city we take the Cristo Redentor border back to Argentina, riding in the shadow of Aconcagua, South America’s highest peak.  We arrive in Lujan de Cuyo for wine tasting and a juicy Argentine steak.   Ready for more mountain roads?  The scenery is stunning – red rock formations (stop at the Devils Throat!), canyons and cloud forests are along our route to the vineyards at Cafayate.  Nothing like sipping a Torrontés in the main plaza, as life goes by.

Week 2 – Salt Flats & High Altiplano

Crossing the border into Bolivia, through cacti peppered desert landscapes, we head to the famous shimmering salt flats at Uyuni, followed by an incredible twisty ride to the old silver mining town and cobbled streets of Potosi.  We’re riding high altitude roads to the city of La Paz, with a rest day off the bikes.  Our last destination in Bolivia is Copacabana (not the beach!) but a small colonial town on the banks of Lake Titicaca where we can get our bikes blessed at the cathedral.

Week 3 – Inca Strongholds

After crossing into Peru, we skirt Lake Titicaca to the town of Puno, where we can take a boat out to the famous reed islands of Uros.  Then we continue our ride across the remote altiplano to the famous Inca capital of Cusco.  We stay in this region for four nights, with time to visit Machu Picchu (optional), ride the Sacred Valley of the Incas, explore the Ollantaytambo fortress, the market town of Pisac and wonder through the Inca fortress of Sacsayhuaman.

Week 5 – Pacific Coast & Canyon del Pato

We have more superb riding days in the mountains through small colonial towns off the beaten track, before we descend to the Peninsula of Paracas and the Pacific Ocean.  Catch your breath and relax with a pisco sour in Chincha.  This area is famous for making Pisco and the famous Pisco Sour Cocktail has to be tried!

We spend another night back in the mountains and ride the challenge of the Canyon del Pato, a single track road carved through sheer road with many single track tunnels.  In Northern Peru, there’s more desert riding to Trujillo, with time to explore UNESCO listed Chan Chan before reaching the border with Ecuador.

Week 6 – The Equator & Colombia

Crossing into Ecuador, we head to Loja and then take the Amazon route to the small town of Baños which is at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano.  We have just a short ride into the capital of Ecuador, Quito where we have a day off the bikes to explore.  This is followed by a major milestone – a ride to The Equator!  We can park one wheel in the north and one in the south as we straddle the line with our bikes.

Let’s enter Colombia!  Believe us, when we say that the biggest danger in Colombia will be wanting to stay!  Ride on through coffee plantations and sugar cane fields and into the lush green mountains.

Week 7 – Colonial Towns & The Caribbean

Be prepared for ten bends a minute, but you’ll need some assertive and safe overtaking too!  We are staying in an old monastery, on a coffee plantation and in sophisticated city hotels.  Cartagena is a fitting finish to this South America odyssey.  It’s a UNESCO listed 16^th century port town on the shores of the Caribbean, where we can celebrate in style!  From here your bikes will be sea freighted back to the UK (or elsewhere if prearranged in advance).  You can arrange you flight via Bogota, where you can stop a few nights, before the long haul flight back home.

We use 100% hotel accommodation, which is booked in advance. We primarily use good quality 4* and some 3* hotels. In bigger cities, this tends to be 4* hotels, sometimes belonging to an international chain; in smaller or more remote places, hotels can be more independent, characterful hotels or lodges.

We don’t promise you that we stop at the top hotel in every town we pull into.  This is not billed as a luxury tour, but we do ensure that you are comfortable, have a clean bed, can get a cold beer and a hot shower.   Almost all hotels we use as standard will have rooms with en suite bathrooms, satellite TV, free wifi, bar and restaurant.  In warmer climates, hotels generally have swimming pools.

We like to favour independent hotels with character where we can and in this part of the world, it can mean hotels with colonial character, like old haciendas, converted monasteries or those that typify the places where we stay, such as wine lodges or adobe built rooms. Some of our favourite places to stay are:

It’s great to soak up the history in a converted 17th century colonial mansion in Cusco, just a few minutes walk from the buzz of the main plaza.

We love to relax at the lakeside hotel in Puno, with a view over Lake Titicaca, and its own private jetty if you wish to take a boat trip to the Uros Islands.

We have great fun sipping wine at Villa Mansa, a small wine lodge in the foothills of the Andes.

Another firm favourite is Patios de Cafayate, amidst the vineyards of the winery El Esteco, the original farmstead of this estate founded in 1892.

Note for Single Supplement
In remote locations, a single room is not always possible, so please note that there may be up to four nights in this tour where you will not be able to have a single room and also where there are multiple shared rooms (ie three or four riders to a room).  We have already taken this into account in the price for single supplement.

The assurance of booking with a fully insured UK tour operator, acting in accordance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, ensuring your money paid in advance is protected.

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
• 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.
• GPS routes supplied via .GPX file suitable for importing into GPS units and/or some phone navigation apps.
• Expedition Tour Shirt

En-Route

• Normally 4* (sometimes 3*) hotel accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, or in remote regions, the best available.  All breakfasts are in keeping with local traditions.
• Your price includes your room on a shared basis, unless you have booked a single room (not available for three nights)
• 8 group evening meals, with bottled water (drinks excluded)
• Local overnight hotel parking charges.

Support Crew

• GlobeBusters Expedition Manager to accompany the group, either in a Support Vehicle or on a Motorcycle depending on numbers.
• Local Support Vehicle with a local driver to accompany the group across all countries, equipped with satellite phone, spare fuel, water, tools, selected spare parts and emergency first aid kit, acting as a sweeper vehicle
• If the group is more than 12 riders, an additional GlobeBusters Assistant Manager will be part of the GlobeBusters Team.

Motorcycle Freight

If you select the freight options as an extra, we will facilitate the freight and be on hand to help you through the process.  The freight price in not part of the tour package with us.  It is a separate charge and it includes all costs for freight (including crating) and all destination charges (handling, warehouse storage, customs clearance).  However, the price that we quote is paid by you directly to the freight agent, not to GlobeBusters.  If you notify us by ticking the extra box on booking, then this freight price is fixed at the time of booking.  The contract for the freight is between you and the freight agent.  We will be on hand to assist you at the airport in Buenos Aires to clear your motorcycle and ensure everything goes smoothly. And at the end of the trip, we will co-ordinate drop off with the freight agent in Cartagena.

Additional Freight Costs paid direct to the Freight Agent are:

Outward Air Freight:  UK – Santiago £2,695     |     USA – Santiago £3,495

Return Sea Freight: Cartagena – UK £1,695      |     Cartagena – USA (Houston) £2,495

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.
• Motorcycle Freight which is carried out by a third party freight agent.
• Personal travel and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
• Any other appropriate personal insurance for eg Personal Accident Insurance, Search & Rescue Memberships
• 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
• 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.
• 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.

You need to book an outward flight to our start point, Santiago, Chile to arrive no later than around 10am on 19 April 2027.  The earliest leave date is any time on 4 June 2027 from Cartagena, Colombia

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 the Northern Andes Motorcycle Adventure 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 book. If you wish to meet with us prior to booking to ask more questions, do not hesitate to contact us.  In addition, we hold a Pre-Expedition Meeting for the group at our premises between 3 – 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 ride the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro or  Triumph Tiger 1200 Rally Pro.  We also have extensive experience with the BMW GS motorcycle range, having ridden them for over 15 years.  What is important is that you have a reliable and robust bike that you are comfortable riding and has been fully serviced prior to the start and has new tyres.

What riding experience do I need?
This motorcycle expedition is not suitable for novice riders.  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.

Riding in South America can make for a challenging ride.  Unpredictable road conditions, such as broken asphalt, potholes, homemade speed bumps, lack of road markings or properly marked junctions,  worn cobbled surfaces, or objects and animals in the road are just some of the things to contend with.

It is also strongly recommended 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, especially down in Patagonia.  Please note that our route covers around 5% of dirt and gravel roads (up to 300 miles), although as the infrastructure develops, this may reduce in future years.  In addition, if there any roadworks on our route, normally diversions will be on temporary dirt roads.

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?
You have the option to add a freight service to your booking which will be carried out by a third party freight agent, Motofreight.  You can select outward freight, return freight or both.  The freight price quoted includes all costs for freight (including crating) and all destination charges (handing, warehouse storage, customs clearance).  However, the price that we quote is paid by you directly to the freight agent, not to GlobeBusters.  The contract for the freight is between you and the freight agent. You will receive a contract and invoice for the outward freight and a second contract and payment for the return freight.  Please note that the freight is not part of your tour package with us and the responsibility for the freight service rests with the freight agent.

Additional Freight Costs paid direct to the Freight Agent are:

Outward Air Freight:  UK – Santiago £2,695     |     USA – Santiago £3,495

Return Sea Freight: Cartagena – UK £1,695      |     Cartagena – USA (Houston) £2,495

If you add outward freight to your booking, you must take your motorcycle to the appointed freight depot.  The freight agent will crate your motorcycle and do all the necessary documents.  Your bike is air freighted to Santiago, Chile.  At the other end, you must be present to facilitate Customs Clearance of your motorcycle and sign documentation in person, but a GlobeBusters representative will also be there to assist you.

If you add inward freight to your booking, when the trip finishes, you will ride your bike to the Colombian freight agent, who will sea freight your motorcycle back to the original leave point, unless you have made alternative arrangements.

The quoted price does not include in-transit insurance.  If you want in-transit insurance, please organise this direct with the freight agent.

What about servicing & tyres?
You must ensure that your motorcycle has had a full service prior to arriving and has new tyres.  Tyre choice is your responsibility but we do discuss what some of the options available at our Pre-Expedition Meeting.  There are no servicing points planned for this trip as it is 6,500 miles in length.

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. It is not necessary to fit any after-market large fuel tank or carry fuel bottles, although some riders chose to do so. Our support vehicle also carries spare fuel for emergencies.

What is the average group size?
Our motorcycle groups are normally between 10-20 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 expedition normally has between one to four couples travelling.

Is this ride suitable for a passenger?
We have had other 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 as this 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.

Is there a support vehicle?
All our expeditions have a dedicated Support Vehicle, driven by a GlobeBusters appointed 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 short term assistance to you if you have a mechanical problem or an accident and are injured.

This is not a luggage vehicle – 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?
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 Expedition Manager, then you can do this. Occasionally we will 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 (valid for more than 6 months after the end of your Tour), Motorcycle Registration Document and / or Title, Driving Licence, International Driving Permits (1968 & 1949), minimum Third Party Motorcycle Liability Insurance (where available, see below) and  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, hotels, customs clearance, ferry services.  Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

What about insurance for my motorcycle?
The only insurance for your motorcycle available for this trip is local 3rd party liability insurance, which can normally be bought at the local borders as you cross.  This ensures that you comply with local regulations.  Local 3rd party policies will comply with statutory minimum legal requirements, and so levels of cover are low (sometimes only US$5,000) and normally will only apply to personal injury or death for 3rd parties (and not property).  Where there is local 3rd party insurance available to purchase, you must get this.  However, you have the financial responsibility for any claims made against you for personal injury and property damage that is not covered by or is in excess of local 3rd party liability insurance.  We are not aware of any insurance cover available to cover damage or theft of your motorcycle.

Do I need any visas?
UK, EU, USA, Canada citizens do not require visas for this trip, with the EXCEPTION of:

US Citizens currently require a visa for travel to Bolivia and although it is possible to buy a visa at the border, it can cause delays.  Therefore, we recommend that you get a Bolivia visa in advance of travel.  See information here.

The above information is general information and provided in good faith.  It is your responsibility to have the correct visas in place prior to travel.  Other nationalities should check as to the visa requirements.

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 20 years of operating as well as the FCDO advice. In the interests of your safety and security, changes may be made to your trip based on any FCDO warnings given.

We strongly recommend that you 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?
We operate this trip at the most optimum time for the best weather possible. However, given we are travelling the length of the South American Continent, there are sections of the trip which will not have perfect weather conditions.  The bottom line is that on this trip, it is possible to experience every weather condition – from above 35 degrees centigrade heat in Cartagena in Colombia to snow flurries in Tierra del Fuego.  But we are in the Andes Mountains in Bolivia and Peru as the dry season starts, and we should have blue skies and clear conditions.

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

• “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 Expedition Manager at the start of your trip, 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.

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
It is not a requirement to be first aid trained to participate in this expedition. However, we do 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
When we ride in South America, you will be in areas of high altitude of up to 3,800m (sleeping) and 4,500m (riding).  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.

Disease from Mosquitos
Whilst travelling, there are small sections of the trip where a low malaria risk exists. Please take your own medical advice and you can do research at Travel Health Pro.

Travel / Medical Insurance
It is a condition of you travelling with us that you are adequately insured.  In addition, it is an entry requirement of Argentina that you have a valid medical insurance policy in place for the duration of your stay there.  You must carry a printed or digital certificate as it may be requested at immigration.

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 a deposit 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.

Search & Rescue (SAR) Membership
We recommend that you put in place a search & rescue policy, in addition to travel/medical insurance. Such policies are commonly linked with satellite emergency messenger devices such as Garmin inReach or SPOT X.  We recommend that you research these options as they provide an extra safety net for you in case of any injury in a remote location and getting medical help. Standalone options such as Global Rescue also exist.

Foreign Currency
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 8 riders on this tour.  If we do not have this number of bookings, then we reserve the right to cancel the tour.