Touring Destinations

Motorcycle Touring Destinations Around the World: Where to Ride and When

Match motorcycle touring destinations to your dates: seasons, road surfaces, helmet laws and border papers for Ireland, Alaska, California, Baja and more.

By margumi Editorial TeamSeptember 10, 2026

Motorcycle Touring Destinations Around the World: Where to Ride and When

The best motorcycle touring destination is one whose riding season matches your dates and whose roads suit your bike. Ireland, Alaska, California and Baja are four very different starting points: wet green coast, gravel and midnight sun, mountain passes and desert, and a long two-lane peninsula. This hub sums up how to choose, then lists every destination guide on Margumi by region.

To plan the trip itself (budget, route, bookings), start with our guide to how to plan a motorcycle trip.

Key takeaways- Pick the season first, then the place. Alaska's Dalton Highway can see snow and ice north of Coldfoot in any month; Death Valley's park service urges riders to come between October and April.- Rules change at every border: Ireland drives on the left, Alaska's helmet law covers passengers and riders under 18, and California's covers all riders.- Check paperwork early. Riding into Canada, carry a valid passport; riding into Baja, get an FMM tourist permit.- Pack riding gear for the worst weather on the route, not the average.

How to choose a touring destination

Start with three questions: when can you go, what can your bike handle, and how far are you willing to ship or rent. A road that is perfect in June can be shut, flooded or dangerous in another month.

The "best riding window" column is our planning reading of the cited season facts, not a rule set by any agency.

Not sure which style of trip suits you? Read how to find the best motorcycle trip for your riding style and how to choose a motorcycle adventure tour.

How to choose a touring destination
Destination	Best-documented riding window	Road surface to expect	Main planning issue
Ireland	April and May are the driest months	Coastal loops; Ring of Kerry roads are narrow enough that tour coaches all run one way	Riding on the left
Alaska	Late May to early September for Dalton campgrounds	Paved highways plus long gravel or unpaved roads	Remote stretches with few services
California	Yosemite's Tioga Road: late May or June to November; Death Valley: October to April	Paved, some tight sections	Desert heat in summer; lane-splitting rules
Baja, Mexico	Outside eastern Pacific hurricane season, May 15 to November 30	Mostly two-lane highway south of Ensenada	FMM, Mexican insurance

Rules that change from place to place

Three things catch touring riders out abroad: which side of the road, helmet law and documents.

Side of the road. The whole island of Ireland keeps left. The Republic signs speeds in km/h and Northern Ireland in mph.
Helmets. California requires helmets for all riders. Alaska's law covers passengers of all ages, operators under 18 and permit holders. In Ireland, rider and passenger must both wear one.
Documents. For Canada, the border agency recommends a valid passport. For Mexico's Baja peninsula, you need an FMM tourist permit, and US auto policies are not recognized there, according to a Mexican-insurance seller.

The guides below each list the rules for that place, with sources and dates.

Riding gear for the climate

Gear choice follows the climate, not the map. According to Met Éireann, Ireland's west gets 1,000 to 1,400 mm (39 to 55 in) of rain a year. Fairbanks averages lows around 36°F (2°C) in May. Death Valley's park service warns that protective gear makes heat illness more likely in summer.

If you need gear for the trip, Leather Collection's motorcycle riding gear covers jackets, pants, chaps, vests, gloves and boots in cowhide, made to order with custom sizes. Packing your luggage is covered in our motorcycle trip packing list; for nights under canvas, see the complete guide to motorcycle camping.

Riding gear for the climate
Climate on the route	What to prioritise	Read more
Wet and cool (Ireland, coastal Alaska)	Rain layer over your jacket, gloves that still grip wet	How to ride a motorcycle in the rain
Cold and remote (interior Alaska)	Layers, wind protection for the legs, warm gloves	Motorcycle touring gear
Hot and dry (desert California, Baja)	Vented jacket, summer gloves, water, early starts	Riding in different conditions

North America

Start with the four planning guides we have researched in depth: Alaska, California, the Pacific Coast Highway and Route 66.

Mexico and Latin America

Planning a Baja motorcycle trip covers the FMM, insurance and the hurricane season. Further south:

Europe

A guide to motorcycle touring in Ireland covers the Wild Atlantic Way, the Ring of Kerry and riding on the left. For the bookings side of an Irish trip, see planning a motorcycle trip in Ireland.

Asia

Africa and Oceania

Big journeys and ideas for your next ride

FAQ

Where is the best place to ride a motorcycle?

There is no single answer. The best place is the one in season when you can travel, with roads your bike and skills suit. Use the table at the top of this page to match dates to destinations, then read that destination's guide.

What is the 12-second rule on a motorcycle?

It is a scanning habit: look far enough up the road to spot hazards early. The California Motorcycle Handbook tells riders to look at least 10 to 15 seconds ahead along their path of travel, and a 12-second look falls within that range. Scanning matters more on unfamiliar touring roads.

Do I need a passport to ride to Alaska from the Lower 48?

The land route runs through Canada. Canada's border agency recommends that US citizens travel with a valid passport, and lists other documents it may accept.

margumi Editorial Team

margumi articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.