Patagonia Motorcycle Tour - From the Ends of the Earth [Northbound]

The Patagonia Motorcycle Tour is a 22 day itinerary, covering around 2,900 miles (4,660 kms).  It starts in Punta Arenas, Chile and finishes in Punta Arenas, Chile.

Day 1: Punta Arenas, Chile

Arrive into Punta Arenas, meaning “Sandy Point”, established in the 1800s by English explorer John Byron, grandfather of the famous poet. Rental bike customers arrive and collect their bikes, with time to settle in before the journey begins. Welcome Evening Meal included.

Day 2: Porvenir / Rio Grande, Argentina (263 miles, ferry crossing)

From Punta Arenas, we head to the Magellan Straits ferry and cross onto Tierra del Fuego. You can see the ferry plough back and forth across the Straits and, if you are lucky, porpoise may swim alongside the boat. Once across, we continue through the wide open landscapes of Tierra del Fuego towards Rio Grande.

Day 3: Ushuaia, Argentina (124 miles, border crossing)

Today we ride to the most southern town in the world reachable by road, Ushuaia. The route takes us across Tierra del Fuego, with remote roads, open landscapes and mountain scenery building as we make our way towards the end of the road.

Day 4: Ushuaia, Argentina

A day to explore Tierra del Fuego National Park and ride to Bahia Lapataia, where we can get our pictures by the famous “End of the Road” sign. A Celebration Group Evening Meal for reaching the end of the road is included.

Day 5: Cerro Sombrero, Chile (260 miles, border crossing)

We retrace our tracks north back out over the mountain pass of Paso Garibaldi, then cross back into Chile. Our night stop is Cerro Sombrero, a small oil refinery town in the middle of nowhere. Evening Meal included.

Day 6: Torres del Paine, Chile (252 miles, ferry crossing)

Today we cross back over the Magellan Straits and ride north towards Torres del Paine National Park. The roads open out across southern Patagonia, with big skies, remote riding and the first views of one of South America’s most spectacular mountain landscapes.

Day 7: Torres del Paine, Chile

A day to ride into the breathtaking Torres del Paine National Park, a jaw-dropping fusion of immense jagged granite peaks and shimmering turquoise lakes. Nature is just showing off here. If you are lucky you may spot puma, and guanacos are a guaranteed sighting. It is gravel road throughout the park.

Day 8: El Calafate, Argentina (160 miles, border crossing)

We cross back into Argentina and ride across the open Patagonian landscape to El Calafate, a lakeside town on the edge of Los Glaciares National Park. This is our base for visiting the incredible Perito Moreno Glacier.

Day 9: El Calafate, Argentina

A day to explore the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park. Huge walls of ice drop into the lake below, with walkways giving you an incredible close-up view of one of Patagonia’s most impressive natural sights.

Day 10: El Chaltén, Argentina (135 miles)

A shorter day’s ride takes us to El Chaltén, a small village at the foot of the stunning granite spires of Mount Fitz Roy in Los Glaciares National Park. On a clear day, the approach into town is one of the most spectacular views of the whole journey.

Day 11: Estancia La Angostura, Argentina (173 miles)

Leaving El Chaltén, we return to Ruta 40 and the empty Patagonian desert. Watch out for rhea, large ostrich-like birds, and armadillos. Close to the end of the day, we divert to a gravel road to reach an isolated working estancia. Overnight on a working estancia. Group Evening Meal included.

Day 12: Chile Chico, Chile (240 miles, border crossing)

Today we ride towards the border at Chile Chico and cross back into Chile. The route follows the stunning southern road around Lake General Carrera, with incredible views across the water and a real feeling of riding through remote Patagonia.

Day 13: Puerto Tranquilo, Chile (100 miles)

A shorter day today, riding along the shores of Lake General Carrera to Puerto Tranquilo, where there are lovely views of the lake. There is time to visit the Marble Caves, one of the most beautiful natural sights in this part of Chile.

Day 14: Coyhaique, Chile (135 miles)

Plenty of stunning scenery and photo opportunities today as we ride the Carretera Austral north towards Coyhaique, the capital of this region. Hanging glaciers, waterfalls, forests and mountain scenery line the way.

Day 15: Puyuhuapi Termas, Chile (135 miles)

We continue along the Carretera Austral through the Queulat National Park, with waterfalls, lakes and mountains all around. Puyuhuapi is on the edge of an inlet, founded by four German settler families in 1935.

Day 16: Puyuhuapi Termas, Chile

A day to slow down and enjoy this beautiful part of Chilean Patagonia. Ride locally, relax by the lake, or simply take in the mountains, forests and remote surroundings.

Day 17: Esquel, Argentina (180 miles, border crossing)

Today we cross back into Argentina and ride towards Esquel. This is a Welsh-settled area, founded by Welsh immigrants back in 1865 and twinned with Aberystwyth in Wales. Nearby Trevelin even has a fire-breathing Welsh dragon sculpture above the Tourist Information and Welsh tea houses.

Day 18: Villa Angostura, Argentina

We ride north through Argentina’s Lake District towards Villa Angostura, on the banks of Nahuel Huapi Lake. This is a beautiful area of forests, lakes and mountain views, with time to enjoy the lakeside setting.

Day 19: Villarrica, Chile (232 miles, border crossing)

We cross back into Chile and ride into the heart of the Chilean Volcanic Lake District. Villarrica sits on the edge of Lake Villarrica and in the shadow of the smoking Villarrica Volcano.

Day 20: Salto de Laja, Chile (225 miles)

Today we continue north through Chile, riding through a changing landscape of lakes, farmland and volcanic scenery. Our overnight stop is at Salto de Laja, with cabins next to a beautiful waterfall setting.

Day 21: Santiago, Chile (305 miles)

Our final riding day takes us north to Santiago, the capital city of Chile. After riding from Tierra del Fuego and the end of the road, through Torres del Paine, El Calafate, El Chaltén, the Carretera Austral and the Chilean Lake District, we arrive at the end of the journey.

Day 22: Santiago, Chile

The tour finishes in Santiago. Time to fly home.

Our Patagonia Motorcycle Tour primarily runs through remote locations and the nature of the accommodation will reflect this.   Some places we stay are more basic than the types of hotels you find in towns and cities.  It may be a pine cabin by a river, bunk rooms on an estancia (local ranch) or 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:

• 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.
• Mirador del Lago is on the edge of  El Calafate and we have large lake view rooms looking out onto Lage Argentino.
• Hosteria Senderos in El Chalten is a perfect location and easy to wonder out to a fantastic steak restaurant close by.

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 .GPX 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 16 nights out of 18 nights).
• Standard of accommodation is 11 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, Los Alerces National Park, Quelat National Park, Tierra del Fuego National Park.
• Return ferry crossing to and from Tierra del Fuego.

Support Crew

• GlobeBusters Motorcycle Tour Manager to accompany the Group, who is Outdoor First Aid qualified.
• Local support driver / mechanic with a support vehicle, equipped with satellite phone.

Motorcycle Hire

Where you have chosen to rent a motorcycle, this is organised by us with the local motorcycle rental provider, Motoaventura, who is the Approved Triumph & BMW Rental Provider for Chile.   Your rental fee includes:

• 21 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 £395, which limits your liability to a maximum excess of US$2,500 if you damage the rental 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 to make a damage deposit payment of US$2500.  This is refunded to you when you return the rental motorcycle without damage.  If there are damages, the rental provider will provide you with an invoice for damages and will refund the difference.  Please note that on rare occasions the local provider may need to substitute your choice of motorcycle for something equivalent.

Please note that this rental provider does not allow the use of tank bags.

Not Included

• Return passenger airline flights or any other travel costs to get to the start and from the finish point for the tour.
• Airport transfers to and from the group hotel.
• Personal travel, accident and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
• Motorcycle insurance for damage to the motorcycle (please take insurance option on booking to limit your liability to US$2500)
• Entrance fees to sights and parks, optional local excursions or local activities, (except where stated)
• Lunches, snacks or evening meals (except where stated).
• 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 the Patagonia Motorcycle 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 city of Santiago.

Your flight route will normally be an international flight to/from Santiago (Chile’s capital) and then via LATAM or Sky Airlines down to 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?
The Patagonia Motorcycle Tour includes approximately 780 miles of gravel road  on the Carretera Austral and Ruta 40.  There can be up to 200 miles between facilities / services.  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, January is the equivalent to mid-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.  There can also be strong winds on Ruta 40 in Argentina.  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:

• 21 days of motorcycle rental of the model as chosen by you (or equivalent model)
• Motorcycle is supplied with side cases / panniers.
• Compulsory legal minimum international third party motorcycle insurance in Argentina and local third party motorcycle insurance in Chile.
• One way charge to take the bike to the start point in Punta Arenas and also return the motorcycle from Santiago 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 £395 and this will limit your liability to a maximum amount of US$2,500 if you damage the rental bike.  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.

Please note that this rental provider does not allow the use of tank bags on its rental motorcycles.

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 city of Santiago.  Your flight route will normally be an international flight to Santiago (Chile’s capital) and then via LATAM or Sky Airlines to 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 that can assist you.

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 international 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 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.

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 20 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.

As at December 2025, both Chile and Argentina are open to overseas travellers and do not have any British Government travel warnings.

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.