Patagonia Motorcycle Tour – South to North

This is an 18 day itinerary, covering around 2,500 miles (4,800 kms).  It starts in Punta Arenas, Chile and ends in Osorno, Chile.

Day 1: Arrive Punta Arenas
Fly into the capital of Chile, Santiago and onwards to Punta Arenas.  Punta Arenas, meaning “Sandy Point”, established in the 1800’s by English explorer, John Bryon (grandfather of the famous poet!). Arrive no later than 1pm and we will collect you from the airport and transfer you to the hotel.  Bike Handover and Welcome Evening Meal.

Day 2: Lago Blanco, Chile (188 m) (up to 65 miles gravel road)
We leave on the early morning ferry for Porvenir on Tierra Del Fuego and head into the heart of this remote island on gravel roads.  Overnight on the edge of Lago Blanco in wood cabins.

Day 3 & 4: Ushuaia, Argentina (212 m) (up to 65 miles gravel road plus border crossing)
Cross into Argentina and ride over the mountain pass of Paso Garibaldi, into Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world reachable by road. Get our pictures by the “End of the Road” sign in the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Day off to explore Ushuaia, or the National Park or you can take a boat trip into the Beagle Channel to see the wildlife.

Day 5:  Cerro Sombrero, Chile (261m) (up to 75 miles gravel road plus border crossing).
Leaving Ushuaia, we head north through Tierra del Fuego, past Rio Grande, the Argentinian miltary air base for the Falklands War.  Our night time stop is a family run hotel on the edge of a small oil refinery town. It’s in the middle of nowhere!

Day 6 & 7:  Puerto Natales, Chile (244 m) (All paved road plus ferry to Tierra del Fuego).
Today we cross the Magellan Straits onto Tierra del Fuego by small ferry and ride on empty roads to Puerto Natales, a coastal town on the shores of the Almirante Montt Gulf.  This is our base to ride out to Torres del Paine National Park. We have a full day here to do a ride through this spectacular park. With breathtaking mountains, glaciers, and lakes, along with  guanacos, rheas and even pumas, there are plenty of picture-perfect moments.  Riding in Torres del Paine is all on good graded gravel roads.

Day 8 & 9: El Calafate, Argentina (169 m) (up to 45 miles gravel road plus border crossing)
We cross back into Argentina at the tiny frontier town of Cerro Castillo and then turn onto Ruta 40.  El Calafate is located on the sourthern shores of Lago Argentino and is a two night stop over with a day to explore the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Perito Moreno is one of the world’s last advancing glaciers and its sheer wall of blue ice will take your breath away.

Day 10:  Estancia Angostura (194 m) (up to 90 miles gravel road)
Leaving Calafate, we take Ruta 40 north,  a very remote route through the Patagonian desert and ending in a working “estancia” (ranch) for the night. Night skies here are spectacular.

Day 11: Mallin Colorado (314m) (up to 30 miles gravel road)
We eave the estancia for the small town of Baja Caracoles – make sure you fill up with fuel here – and onto the Chilean border at Chile Chico. A stunning unpaved road alongside Lake General Carrera takes us to Mallin Colorado Eco Lodge for the night.

Day 12:  Coyhaique, Chile (178 m) (up to 110 miles gravel road)
The Carretera Austral is at its most scenic today, a mix of roads through Cerro Castillo with its beautiful tarmac twisties.  Coyhaique is the provincial capital of the area.

Day 13:  Futaleufu, Chile (263 m) (up to 65 miles gravel road)
Carretera Austral north to Puyuhuapi through the Queulat National Park. Hanging glaciers and waterfalls line your way as you tackle tight switchbacks.

Day 14 & 15: Bariloche, Argentina  (227 m) (up to 60 miles gravel road)
Cross at Paso Futaleufu back into Argentina through the small Welsh founded town of Trevelin.  Esquel, which was founded by Welsh immigrants back in 1865 and is twinned with Aberystwth in Wales.  More beautiful mountain scenery, swooping bends and perfect tarmac miles.  Day off to explore Bariloche.

Day 16:  Villarrica, Chile (235 m). (Up to 65 miles gravel roads, plus border crossing)
Ride the dirt road Traful route and the incredibly picturesque Siete Lagos route to San Martin de los Andes. Crossing back into Chile, take a great dirt road past Volcan Lanin. The small town of Villarrica is on the edge of Lake Villarrica and is the shadow of the smoking Villarrica Volcano.

Day 17: Osorno (142 m)
A beautiful route in the Chilean Lake District via Lago Panguipulli and Lago Calafquen, to our final night in Osorno.  Farewell Dinner.

Day 18 : Fly Home
Book your flight to leave Chile today from Osorno. Take an internal domestic flight to Santiago, for onward international flight back home.

This itinerary is primarily through remote locations and the nature of the accommodation will reflect this.   Some places we stay are more basic, than hotels you find in towns and cities.  It may be a pine cabin by a river, bunk rooms on an estancia (local ranch), a simple wooden lodge.  In these places, please don’t expect a television, wifi or even a mobile phone signal – you are hundreds of miles away from anything that can be described genuinely as a town!  Some places do not have single room options.  To give you a flavour for the types of places we do stay at, see our typical examples below:

• Mallin Colorado is a cosy ecolodge, a fusion of rustic and comfortable, with great views over the General Carrera Lake, on the Carretera Austral.
• In Puerto Natales, our base for visiting Torres del Paine National Park is Weskar Lodge, a traditionally built Patagonia lodge, which has fantastic views of the bay.
• On our second night, we head inland on Tierra del Fuego to the shores of Lago Blanco and receive a warm welcome from the owners of Hosteria Las Lengas
• Hotel Albatros is our hotel when we reach Ushuaia and we base ourselves here for two nights.  Its a 4* hotel, with great views over the water, only a few minutes walk to the town centre and secure parking for the bikes.

The above hotels are regularly used on this tour, but we reserve the right to change hotels to another of a similar standard if necessary.

Note for Single Supplement
In remote locations, a single room is not always possible, so please note that there may be two 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.

Before you go

• Access to the GlobeBusters Team for one to one meeting about preparing for the tour and what to expect.
• Motorcycle Tour Travel Pack, including Tour Specific Guidance Handbook & hard copy Michelin / Reise Know How Maps, marked with route.
• 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), downloadable routes and custom waypoints for hotels, lunch stops, viewpoints etc

En Route

• Hotel bed and breakfast accommodation on a shared basis (unless Single Room booked, guaranteed for 14 nights out of 17 nights).
• Standard of accommodation is 2 nights in five star hotels, 10 nights in four star hotels, 4 nights in three star hotels, 2 nights in  riverside/lakeside pine cabins and 1 night on working estancia (“ranch”).  Note multiple share accommodation is the only option at the Estancia.
• Seven evening meals, including your Welcome & Farewell Meal and five evening meals in locations which are remote. (Drinks are excluded).
• Local overnight hotel parking charges.
• Entrance to Torres del Paine National Park, Los Glaciares National Park, Tierra del Fuego National Park.
• Return ferry crossing to Tierra del Fuego.
• Airport Transfers at the start and the end of the Tour, provided you arrive on the official start and end dates.

Support Crew

• GlobeBusters Motorcycle Tour Manager to accompany the Group
• Local support driver / mechanic with a support vehicle, equipped with satellite phone.

Motorcycle Hire

Where you have chosen to rent a motorcycle, this is facilitated

by us with the local motorcycle rental provider, Motoaventura, who is the Approved BMW Travel Partner for Chile.   Your rental fee includes:

• 16 days of motorcycle rental of the model as chosen by you (or equivalent model)
• Motorcycle is supplied with side cases / panniers.
• International third party* motorcycle insurance in Argentina and third party motorcycle insurance in Chile.
• One way charge to return the motorcycle from Punta Arenas back to the original hiring depot

*On booking, you can select to add “Damages Waiver” at a price of £320, which limits your liability to a maximum excess of US$2,500 if you damage the motorcycle.

Your contract for motorcycle rental is with Motoaventura and not with us and you must comply with their terms and conditions for rental.  We act as agent for Motoaventura, and on arrival you will be required to sign the local motorcycle rental contract.  You can request a copy of these terms and conditions from us by contacting us in advance.  You must provide the local provider with valid credit card details with sufficient credit limit as a guarantee against damages up to the agreed insurance excess of US$2,500.  Please note that on rare occasions the local provider may need to substitute your choice of motorcycle for something equivalent.

If you require any other motorcycle accessories (tank bag, top box, GPS mount, GPS unit etc), you will be able to add these to your tour booking by ticking the relevant boxes on our booking form.  Additional charges will be applicable.

Not Included

• Return passenger airline flights or any other travel costs to get to the start and from the finish point for the tour.
• Personal travel, accident and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
• Motorcycle insurance (unless you have taken the motorcycle rental option)
• 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.
• We do not supply riding gear; you must bring a minimum of your own helmet, jacket, trousers, boots and gloves.
• Fuel, oil & other motorcycle consumables, toll road fees, traffic fines.
• Cost of parts, labour or other indirect costs (eg recovery of motorcycle) relating to the repair of any damage to your motorcycle or a rental motorcycle
• Any other item not specifically stated as included in the price.

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 destination.  You need to book an outward flight to our start point, Punta Arenas to arrive no later than around 1pm on the official start date.  The earliest leave date is any time on the official end date from the town of Osorno.

Your flight route will normally be an international flight to/from Santiago (Chile’s capital) and then via LATAM or Sky Airlines from Punta Arenas.  Only book your flights once we have confirmed that your tour 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 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.

Please also refer to our Booking Conditions.

What riding experience do I need?
This route includes approximately 780 miles of gravel road through Patagonia on the Carretera Austral and Ruta 40. Ruta 40 can be subject to strong cross winds.  There can be up to 200 miles between stops.  We recommend this tour for riders who have  experience of riding on unpaved surfaces, such as gravel or dirt.  All roads used are public highways and shown on maps.  Gravel roads are normally well maintained, but you do need to be aware of possible strong cross winds on Ruta 40 and deeper gravel on bends.  To get the best out of this tour, we do strongly recommend that you take an off road course, such as Triumph Adventure Experience,  Off Road Skills or for one to one training, go to Adventure Bike Training.

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, with recommendations for lunch or coffee stops, fuel stops and hotel information.  You also get an SD card with mapping, custom routes & GPS co-ordinates to download to your GPS.  You can use these tools to self-navigate.  Most riders prefer to have this freedom, so they can stop where they want and for how long they want without feeling under pressure.  However if you prefer to ride with our Motorcycle Tour Manager, then you can do this.  They will give you a time to start in the morning, so please be prompt and ready to ride with them.  Each day you can change between riding on your own, or with a small group of other riders or with the Tour Manager.  We like to have a very flexible approach.

What is the average group size?
Our groups are normally between 8 – 12 riders (some riders will have passengers).

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.  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?
Yes, this tour operates with a local support vehicle and driver. You are able to put luggage in the van, but this is limited to one soft waterproof and dustproof bag of no more than 60 litres.  Hard suitcases are not appropriate.  If you do not have a soft waterproof bag as described, we will loan you a suitable bag for your belongings.  Your airline luggage will then be transported to the end hotel, ready for your collection when the tour finishes.  The support vehicle has the capacity to carry two bikes and two passengers in an emergency situation, if you are ill or injured. This is not a designated passenger carrying vehicle.

What will the weather be like?
As we are in the Southern Hemisphere, March is the equivalent of the end of summer.  However, we travel a long way south and so even in summertime, the weather can be unpredictable. It is likely that you will experience some rain, especially on the Carretera Austral, due to its temperate climate.  You must be prepared for a range of weather.

Tell me about the motorcycle rental
Riders must be age 25 years and older, with a valid, full motorcycle licence.  We work with the local motorcycle rental agency, Motoaventura based in Osorno Chile, who are BMW Approved.  We act as an agent for them and your contract for the motorcycle rental is with them and not with us (you can request a copy of the contract from us in advance).  Your rental fee includes:

• 16 days of motorcycle rental of the model as chosen by you (or equivalent model)
• Motorcycle is supplied with side cases / panniers.
• International third party motorcycle insurance in Argentina and third party motorcycle insurance in Chile.
• One way charge to return the motorcycle from Punta Arenas back to the original hiring depot

Should you require any other equipment, you can order this when you make your booking.  When you collect your bike, you must provide Motoaventura with a valid credit card as a guarantee in case of damage, with at least US$2,500 credit limit available.  Note that you have the option to add Damages Insurance  when you make your booking for £320 and this will limit your liability to a maximum amount of US$2,500.  It is not possible to lower the excess any further than the amounts shown.  Therefore it is in your interest to ride the motorcycle in a safe and moderate manner to lower any risk of damage.

You are free to book motorcycle rental direct with Motoaventura and not through us. Their details can easily be found via google.

What about flights?
We do not include your passenger flights in our tour price. Once we have confirmed the tour as a guaranteed departure, you need to organise your own flights to and from the destination.  You should book an outward flight to our start point, Punta Arenas to arrive no later than around 1pm on the official start date.   The earliest leave date is any time on the official end date from the town of Osorno.  Your flight route will normally be an international flight to Santiago (Chile’s capital) and then via LATAM or Sky Airlines from Punta Arenas.

What documents do I need?
You will need your original documents as follows:  Passport, Driving Licence, International Driving Permit.  In addition you must have travel/medical insurance and cancellation / curtailment cover.  We also advise that any policy includes loss or damage to your property & equipment.

UK / EU / USA Citizens do not normally require a visa for Chile or Argentina.  As visa requirements are dependent on your nationality and can be complex, with constantly changing requirements, we would direct you to a specialist visa agency for specific advice.

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.

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.

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 (including COVID-19) on this trip, and including injuries that may 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 once you have paid your deposit for the 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 monies simply because you failed to take out insurance in sufficient time.

Official Travel Advice
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) (https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice) 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 17 years of operating as well as the FCDO advice. In the interests of your safety and security, changes may be made to your tour 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.

Chile and Argentina are no longer on the UK Government Red List.  However, you should expect additional requirements imposed by the destination countries, such as proof of a valid COVID-19 vaccination, a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate less than 72 hours prior to departure and completion of locator or health forms.  Chile requires you to validate your documents before travel via their government website. You may also need to take a further COVID-19 test on arrival or en route during the tour and there may be local restrictions in place such as mandatory mask wearing. We will update you closer to the time of travel as to what the requirements and restrictions are.

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 about local 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.   It is easy  to get local currency from ATMs using your debit / credit card in all towns and cities.  Cards are readily accepted by hotels, restaurants, fuel stations.  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. If we have to cancel the tour we will provide you a minimum of 84 days notice prior to departure.