Motorcycle trip

Argentina

It depends on the region and the time you have. Three loops start from Salta, in the north-west: The Highlights of North-West Argentina, the shortest, in 9 days; Raid in Andean Land, 13 days without leaving Argentina, with the most tracks; From Salta to Atacama, 13 days with a crossing into Chile. Volcanoes and Lakes of Patagonia starts from Bariloche for 14 days. To cross the continent in 46 days, the Transcontinental runs from Arequipa to Ushuaia or from Ushuaia to Arequipa.

£3,590 (€3,990) to £5,490 (€5,990) per rider for our 9 to 14-day tours, from The Highlights of North-West Argentina to Volcanoes and Lakes of Patagonia; Raid in Andean Land costs £4,490 (€4,990) and From Salta to Atacama £4,990 (€5,590). The motorcycle, fuel, hotels and meals are included. A pillion pays £2,990 (€3,290) to £4,490 (€5,040). The 46-day Transcontinental costs £11,990 (€13,290) per rider, without meals or fuel.

It depends on the region, and the seasons are the reverse of Europe’s. The north-west, around Salta, is ridden in the southern autumn, from mid-February to mid-May, and in spring, from mid-August to mid-December; our departures there fall mostly in March and April, and in October and November. Patagonia is ridden in the southern summer, from December to February. The Transcontinental leaves Arequipa in early January, or Ushuaia in late February. There are no departures in June and July, the southern winter.

All our Argentina tours are adventure tours: long stages, altitude, tracks that can be rough. The Highlights of North-West Argentina is the only one rated Intermediate, with fewer tracks, but it already calls for solid riding experience. The others are rated Sustained and are for experienced riders at ease off the tarmac; in Patagonia the tracks are smoother, but the stages are long. Our one-day off-road training in France is a good way to prepare.

UK and EU passport holders do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days; our help centre asks for a passport valid for at least six months after arrival. It also asks for an International Driving Permit, which is mandatory to ride into Chile, as four of our six tours do. It travels with your motorcycle licence. Other nationalities should check their situation before booking. Everything is in our help centre: Preparing your trip to Argentina.

By air, usually via Buenos Aires. Three of our tours start and finish in Salta, Volcanoes and Lakes of Patagonia in Bariloche; the Transcontinental links Arequipa, in Peru, and Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego. You book your own flights; on our loop tours, our team meets you at the airport on the first day and takes you back on the last. Domestic flights in Argentina often limit hold luggage to 15 kg: a soft bag is enough, as the support vehicle carries the luggage.

Our tours ride in the Andes of the north-west and in Patagonia, on routes our teams know well. The real risks come from the road and the terrain: remote tracks, altitude, stages far from medical help, patchy phone signal. Every group therefore rides with a tour leader, a mechanic and a support vehicle, and our team answers 24/7 in an emergency. Before you go, read the FCDO travel advice for Argentina, or your own government’s advice if you live elsewhere in Europe.

Take it seriously. The tours from Salta climb onto the Puna: you sleep as high as 3,750 m (12,300 ft), and Raid in Andean Land and From Salta to Atacama cross passes above 4,500 m (14,760 ft). The climb from Salta, at 1,200 m (3,940 ft), is gradual, and the support vehicle carries an oxygen bottle. Patagonia rides much lower. Talk to your doctor and read our health tips for Argentina.