Puna Motorbike Adventure –
The Desert Adventure in Argentina
Argentina
Now All Inclusive*
DURATION
12 days / 11 nights
PARTICIPANTS
4 – 8 Riders
DISTANCE
2.500 km
Hop on your bike and go for it!
This 12 days BMW Desert Motorbike Adventure Motorcycle Tour is as adventurous as it can get! It will challenge not only your riding skills but also your acceptance for loneliness, remoteness and altitude.
You’ll get everything: Riding your motorbike through the Atacama over salt flats, barely visible tracks, nearly 5000m high passes, steep gravel passes, sand dunes, twisty tarmac mountain roads, beautiful and spectacular landscapes and remote desert villages is an unforgettable adventure.
The best Motorcycle choice
This motorbike adventure is suitable only for experienced motor-biker with good off-road experience. People having lung, heart or blood circulation problems should consult their doctor for the altitude.
BMW F700GS
798cc
75 hp
210 kg
820 mm seat hight
19” front wheel
All inclusive*
7.900 US$
Low seat hight, good handling on road, suitable for gravel.
BMW F800GS
798 cc
85 hp
220 kg
880 mm seat hight
21” front wheel
All inclusive*
8.400 US$
Best for gravel, good handling, not heavy, high seat.
BMW F850GS
853cc
95 hp
233 kg
835 mm seat hight
19” front wheel
All inclusive*
8.600 US$
Good handling, recommended for riding with passenger.
BMW R1200GS
1.170cc
115 hp
240 kg
850 mm seat hight
19” front wheel
All inclusive*
8.900 US$
Good handling, recommended for riding with passenger.
BMW R1300GS
1.300cc
145 hp
237 kg
870 mm seat hight
19” front wheel
All inclusive*
9.500 US$
Powerfull, good handling, not heavy, high seat.
PILLION / PASSENGER
All inclusive*
4.200 US$
SINGLE ROOM SURCHARGE
1.000 US$
- Motorbike rental
- Third party insurance
- Comprehensive insurance (4.000US$ deductible)
- Border permissions
- Multilingual guides
- 4×4 support vehicle
- Airport transfers
- Mechanical support
- Satellite phone
- Petrol for the whole trip
- Road toll fees
- Ferries
- Maps
- Entry fees
- Double rooms
- Breakfasts
- Snacks, eventual lunches and water
- Soft drinks
- All dinners, some gourmet
- Luggage storage
- Flights
- Additional transportation - (taxi, train, bus, etc.)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Comprehensive insurance (0US$ deductible)
- Tips
- Travel, health, accident insurances
Travel itinerary
This Desert Motorbike Adventure Motorcycle Tour starts at the airport in Salta where you will be picked up and brought in the Hotel from where your motorbike adventure tour starts the next day. After an introduction to the motorbikes and the tour and some general information about Salta, you have the rest of the day at your free disposal.
We leave Salta southwards through the fertile Lerma Valley, which narrows into the canyon of the Quebrada de Cafayate. This beautiful canyon is striking for its red sandstone formations, weathered by wind and water to bizarre shapes.
Through the sandy planes of the Calchaqui Valley we ride through Cafayate to the Quilmes Ruins.
Bordering the Belen River we ride north deeper into the desert of Catamarca, through the Rondolfo Canyon to the nature reserve of Laguna Blanca. Riding through the open spaces of the Pumice Planes and the Carachi Pampa we finally reach the town of Antofagasta.
Heading deep into the lonely mountains of the Puna desert we ride through the Calalaste Valley to Las Quinuas and carry on along the saltpan to Antofalla, crossing the Arizaro saltpan we get to the friendly town of Tolar Grande.
Riding through bizarre desert landscapes, we follow the railway lines of the legendary “Train to the Clouds” before taking a ride through the Pastos Grandes mountain range. After crossing underneath the Viaduct La Polvorilla we border the Volcano Quehuar to get to a hidden volcanic valley.
Following the Susques River we reach the more fertile areas of the Puna desert and will pass several small villages where self sufficient agriculture and lama herding is still the only way of surviving since hundreds of years on our way to the town of Abra Pampa.
The 4000m high pass Abra del Condor takes us to the remote mountain town of Iruya, lying in a narrow part of a deep valley, surrounded by colourful mountains and bizarrely eroded rock walls.
Crossing the Abra del Condor again, we reach the picturesque Quebrada de Humahuaca and visit the church of Uquia, the Tropic of Capricorn Monument, the Pucara de Tilcara Ruins and the 7 Color Mountain. Climbing up the black toped Lipan Pass through 99 corners we get to the Salinas Grandes, and reach the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres after having lunch in a traditional family house.
We leave the plains of the Puna and descend into the colourful valley Quebrada del Toro to reach Salta.
Do you have any question?
Our Tours are suitable for any experienced motorbike rider. You should have a riding experience of at least 10.000 km altogether and some 2.000 km over the last year. Off-Road experience is only necessary for as “difficult” marked tours, although some off-road riding experience of course is advisable.
Usually from all over the world you first have to fly to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. From there you go on a local flight to your starting destination. Depending on the tour you chose this would be Salta, San Carlos de Bariloche, Ushuaia or Mendoza.
There are two airports in Buenos Aires: The international airport Ezeiza (EZE) and the city airport Aeroparque (AEP). Usually you will arrive in Ezeiza, go through immigration, get your bags, go through customs. Then you probably have to change to the local airport Aeroparque to go on your local flight. You need to have 3-4 hours minimum between the arrival and take off if you change Airports in Buenos Aires
The tour begins with your arrival at the starting location. E.g. if the tour is dated 1.1.2025 – 10.1.2025, we meet in the evening of the 1st of January for briefing, handover of the motorbikes, welcome dinner, and you can catch a flight back on the 10th of January to fly back home.
You can take your flight back home on the date indicated as ending date. That is the day after the last riding day
It is recommended to get to the starting location one day earlier, we happily make a reservation for the room extension for you.
All the hotel nights with breakfast on the tour are included. Starting with the night of the meeting, handover of motorbikes and welcome dinner, ending with the hotel night of the last riding day.
You will need a decent riding gear, clothing for all kinds of weather and moderate temperatures, sun protection, personal items.
- Paperwork: It is necessary that you have a passport valid for at least another 6 months, a valid drivers license for big motorcycles, vaccination documents, credit card with min. 4.000US$ credit for the guarantee deposit.
- Money: Cash US$ Dollars is the best to have. You can change US$ cash dollars in most towns, but they will not be taken as payment. Everything you want to purchase during your stay will have to be paid in local currency.
ATMs are found in bigger towns and cities, but you will be restricted to extract a small amount of cash each transaction, but you will be charged high bank fees.
Credit cards are useless outside big hotels and restaurants, most shops don’t accept credit or debit cards.
Apart from the big cities, South America is safer than expected. It is very safe to travel in the countries we go to. In the mayor cities you have to take care of pick pocketers and scams as everywhere, but no violent crimes are to be expected.
The official language in all South America is Spanish, except for Brazil. English is understood and rudimentary spoken in Hotels, Restaurants and other touristic locations. Anywhere else you would need to speak and understand Spanish to communicate.
You need an international health insurance that does not exclude motorcycling. It has to cover any possible hospitalisation, surgery, medicine and/or repatriation costs. It also has to cover explicitly COVID 19.
- Vaccination: For Chile and Argentina there are no obligations for vaccinations expect Covid 19.
Bolivia has an obligation for yellow fever vaccination but it is not controlled in the mountain areas where we are entering the country.
COVID 19: Travel rules due to the Covid 19 Pandemic are different from country to country and are changing frequently. With an internationally accepted vaccination proof it is possible to travel in most countries lately.
Due to the ongoing SarsCov2 Pandemic we are frequently adjusting to the changing rules worldwide and in Argentina. It is very important that you check the travel rules of your home country but also the ones you are traveling to.
If travel rules of the affected countries by your travel will make it impossible to participate on a tour with us, we will refund any payments you have made to us.
Available dates
Only for groups on special request
Got some question?
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