Motorcycle trip

Indonesia

We run one tour in Indonesia, From Bali to Java on the Volcanoes Trail: 12 days, 9 of them in the saddle, on a loop from Ubud. It links two very different islands, Hindu Bali and its rice terraces, Muslim Java and its active volcanoes, with a ferry crossing in between. Lombok, Komodo and Sumatra are not on the route. For other rides in South-East Asia, see our tours in Thailand, Vietnam or Laos.

£3,490 (€3,790) per rider and £2,890 (€3,190) per pillion, for 12 days on the ground. That covers the motorcycle and petrol, the team and support vehicle, hotels, all meals on riding days, the Bromo park entrance and your Bali airport transfers. Budget on top for your international flights, the visa, drinks, tips, and a £31 (€35) registration fee if it is your first tour with us. The tour page gives the full list.

The dry season, from May to October, on Bali as on Java: that is our tour season, and the departures published for 2027 run from May to September. From November to March, the rainy season makes the roads slippery. Expect around 30°C in the daytime, but dawn is cold on the volcanoes, at about 2,000 metres: pack a warm layer.

The tour is rated Intermediate. You need a full motorcycle licence, regular riding and a good tolerance of heat, as the stages follow one another on a dense web of small roads, with plenty of scooters around the towns. Off-road riding is limited, but the descent into the Bromo caldera is on sand, so some first experience off tarmac helps. Riding two-up is possible if the rider is used to it.

Both a visa and an International Driving Permit, for UK and EU passport holders. The paid tourist visa is issued on arrival at Denpasar airport for stays under 30 days, with a passport valid for more than six months; an arrival declaration is filled in online and Bali charges a tourist levy. The permit, from the Post Office in the UK, goes with your full motorcycle licence: bring both. Up-to-date list: Preparing your trip to Indonesia, in our help centre.

Through Denpasar international airport, in the south of Bali, where the tour starts and ends. You book your own flights: there is no direct flight from the UK, so allow at least one connection, often in the Gulf or in Asia. Our team meets you on arrival for the drive to Ubud and takes you back to the airport on the last day, according to your flight time. To stay on, talk to your travel advisor.

The main risk is the traffic: swarms of scooters, lorries and buses overtaking wide, animals on the road, especially near towns and ports. Our English-speaking tour leader opens the road with a local guide; a mechanic and a support vehicle follow the group. Ijen and Bromo are active volcanoes, and the authorities can close access to them. Before you go, read the FCDO travel advice for Indonesia, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe.

Yes, on Bali as on Java, traffic keeps to the left, as in the UK and Ireland, so British riders feel at home from the first mile. Riders from continental Europe adjust within a few hours behind the tour leader; stay focused at junctions and roundabouts. We do not rent motorcycles without a guide in Bali or anywhere in Indonesia: every departure is a guided tour of 10 motorcycles at most.