Touring Destinations
How to Choose a Motorcycle Adventure Tour: Format, Terrain, Bikes, Paperwork and Cover
Compare motorcycle adventure touring trips: guided, self-guided or club, gravel or paved, whose bike, IDP and insurance exclusions, plus an operator checklist.
Before you compare prices on motorcycle adventure touring trips, decide three things. First, how much support you want: guided, self-guided or riding with a club. Second, what surface you can handle all day, whether that's paved, gravel or mixed. Third, whose bike you'll ride. Then check each operator on paperwork and insurance. Your trip insurance should cover motorcycling, because standard policies often exclude riding. Some countries also shape the choice for you. In Bhutan, for example, you can't hire a vehicle to drive yourself.
This guide is part of our motorcycle touring destinations series. It covers how to compare adventure tour operators. We haven't tested any operators, so we don't rank them. If you're still choosing a destination, see how to find the best motorcycle trip for your riding style. For tours where you camp, see how to choose a guided motorcycle camping tour.
Key takeaways- Choose the format first: guided, self-guided or club. Price comes after that.- Match the tour's surface to your skills. Some famous roads are rough, unpaved or gravel.- Check your licence, IDP and insurance before you pay a deposit.- Use the checklist below with each operator.
Compare the three formats
The table is our planning framework, not a survey of operators. Get the details for each trip in writing.
| Format | What you get | Best for | Ask the operator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guided group tour | A guide sets the route and pace. Some include a support vehicle | First trips abroad and remote regions | Group size, riders per guide, and whether a support vehicle carries luggage |
| Self-guided tour | You get a bike, a route and booked rooms, then ride on your own | Confident riders who want their own pace | What happens after a breakdown or crash, and whether you get route files |
| Club or membership rides | Repeat rides with the same organiser | Riders who travel often in one region | What membership includes and how rides are booked |
Match the terrain to your riding
"Adventure" can mean a paved mountain pass or a long gravel highway. Read the surface description for every day of the tour, then compare it with what the road agencies say:
If the tour includes gravel, ask how many miles of it there are each day and whether there's a paved alternative. Read about these roads in our guides to planning a motorcycle trip in Alaska and motorcycle touring in South America.
| Example road | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Dalton Highway, Alaska | The BLM calls it narrow, rough, steep and mostly gravel. Travel Alaska calls it unpaved. The two sources don't agree on whether any of it is paved |
| Ruta 40, Argentina | About 5,194 km (3,230 mi). The southern part is now largely paved |
| Carretera Austral, Chile | About 1,240 km (770 mi), with ferry crossings. In March 2018 the pavement ended at Villa Cerro Castillo |
Whose bike?
You can hire a bike, rent one through the tour, or ship your own. Local rules sometimes decide this for you:
- Bhutan: You can't hire a vehicle to drive yourself. The tourism board suggests hiring a vehicle with a driver from a rental company or tour operator. If you bring your own vehicle, you pay Nu. 4,500 per vehicle per day, and a guide is mandatory.
- Shipping to South America: No road crosses the Darién Gap. Drivers often send their vehicle by cargo ship between Panama and Colombia. Ask whether the operator arranges this.
Ask the operator which bikes they have, how they maintain them, and what you'll owe if the bike is damaged.
Paperwork and insurance
Ask your insurer in writing whether your policy covers you as the rider of a motorcycle of the size on the tour. The GOV.UK guidance is written for UK travelers, but the exclusions it warns about are a useful checklist anywhere.
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Licence class | Your licence has to cover motorcycles. In New Zealand, for example, the conditions on your home licence still apply |
| International Driving Permit | AAA issues IDPs for US licences. The fee is $20, and AAA won't issue one more than six months before the trip. Some countries require one, such as Japan |
| Travel insurance | UK government guidance tells travelers to buy cover for every activity they'll do and to read the exclusions. It notes that quad bikes and mopeds usually aren't covered, and that you should check your cover when you hire a vehicle |
| Travel advice | Insurance may be invalid if the government advises against travel to your destination |
A checklist for any operator
- What surface, and how many miles each day?
- How many riders are there per guide, and is there a support vehicle?
- Which bike will I ride, how old is it, and what happens if it breaks down?
- What does the price include: fuel, rooms, meals, ferries, park fees?
- What insurance comes with the bike, and what's the excess?
- Which licence and permits do I need?
- What's the cancellation policy if a road or border closes?
Gear the tour won't supply
Boots have to fit your own feet, so bring a pair rather than relying on what an operator can lend. Leather Collection's motorcycle boots come in hand-stitched cowhide for men and women, in styles from racing and touring boots to ankle boots, made to order. Break them in before the trip.
Related guides
- Some countries require a guide by law; see planning a motorcycle trip in Bhutan.
FAQ
What are some of the best motorcycle vacation destinations in the US?
We haven't ranked them here. See best motorcycle road trips in the United States and planning a motorcycle road trip on Route 66.
What is the best motorcycle tour in Europe?
We haven't tested European tours, so we don't name one. Start with our guide to motorcycle touring in Europe, then run each operator through the checklist above.
What is the 12-second rule for motorcycles?
It's a scanning habit: look well ahead. The California motorcycle handbook says to look at least 10 to 15 seconds ahead. On gravel, that gives you time to pick a line.
What does an adventure motorcycle cost?
That question is about buying a bike, and this page is about choosing a tour, so we don't cover bike prices here.
margumi Editorial Team
margumi articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.