21-DAY TRANS ANDES EXPRESS – Peru to Chile

The Trans-Andes Express is our fast track through the greatest hits of the central Andes. In three weeks the route connects the Andean Altiplano, the Bolivian salt flats, the Chilean Atacama and the acclaimed wine valleys of Argentina — Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina in a single continuous ride, with every border crossing authorized and arranged for the rental motorcycle as part of the tour.

The sequence is deliberate. We open in Cusco, the historic Inca capital and gateway to Machu Picchu, with two full exploration days — and the Machu Picchu day trip is included in the tour price. From there the ride climbs across the Altiplano to Puno on Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake at 3,810 m, where a reed boat carries the group out to the floating Uros Islands: hand-woven totora platforms where families have lived for centuries. Then comes La Paz, the world's highest capital with its cable-car skyline; the blinding 11,000-km² salt desert of Salar de Uyuni; the Ollagüe high-Andes border crossing into Chile; Valle de la Luna and the Geysers del Tatio outside San Pedro de Atacama; the 4,800 m Paso de Jama into Argentina; historic Salta and the Quebrada de las Flechas; Catamarca's cactus-lined desert roads; the wine country of San Juan; the iconic switchbacks of Ruta 40; Mendoza's Malbec vineyards beneath Aconcagua; and finally the ride across the Andes one last time into Santiago's cosmopolitan finish.

Few motorcycle routes anywhere pack that much contrast into 21 days: Inca ruins and colonial silver cities, a salt flat that mirrors the sky, the driest non-polar desert on Earth, and two of South America's great wine regions — all connected by your own front wheel rather than an airport lounge.

We publish a terrain profile for every tour so you can match the route to your skills before you book. The Trans-Andes Express rates 10% off-road, 75% comfort and 100% fun. In plain words: roads are 90% sealed — ranging from silky Chilean asphalt to patched Bolivian byways — and 10% hard-packed salt or gravel, mainly the Salar de Uyuni access and short detours. This is a route for confident street riders with a taste for adventure, not an enduro test.

What does that 10% actually feel like? The signature stretch is the salt itself. Riding onto the crust of the Salar de Uyuni feels like launching onto another planet — no horizon, no reference points — and at sunrise or after rare rains the surface mirrors the sky, turning your motorcycle into a spaceship floating between worlds. The perspective photos and the visit to the "Cactus" Island are part of the ritual. The rest of the expedition rolls on pavement through terrain that changes character almost daily: the 387 km Altiplano crossing from Cusco to Puno, the border-crossing run into La Paz, the long 540 km haul south to Uyuni, the desert legs through Calama and San Pedro, the high-altitude crossing to Susques and the descent into colonial Salta, the red rock canyons on the way to the Cafayate wine region, and the 450 km run into Mendoza before the final Andes crossing to Santiago.

Daily distances average 230–350 km, and rest days are built into the rhythm — two in Cusco at the start, one in Puno for Lake Titicaca, one in Uyuni for the salt flats, one around El Chiflón's natural parks, and two in Santiago at the end — so the expedition breathes instead of grinding. A support 4×4 carries luggage and spares the entire way, while our bilingual lead and sweep riders handle borders, tolls and mechanical contingencies. We cap groups at 12 riders precisely to keep the convoy nimble on Andean hairpins.

This is high-Andes riding, and we plan it that way. Expect temperature swings from –5 °C pre-dawn at 4,500 m passes to 30 °C in sun-baked desert basins — sometimes within the same riding day. High UV and dry air mean hydration and layered gear are essential, and our pre-tour preparation guide covers exactly what to pack.

Altitude is managed by design, not luck. The itinerary front-loads acclimatisation: the tour begins with two non-riding days in Cusco before the first big Altiplano stage, and further exploration days follow at altitude before the route tackles its highest crossings, including the 4,800 m Paso de Jama into Argentina. By the time you line up for the big passes, your body has had days at elevation — which is the difference between suffering the Andes and savoring them.

Accommodation follows the same comfort-first logic that earns the route its 75% comfort score: 22 nights in a mix of boutique colonial inns in Cusco, Potosí and Salta, desert eco-lodges in Uyuni and the Atacama, and modern city hotels — shared rooms included, single-room upgrade available. All breakfasts are covered, so every riding day starts fueled.

The Andes reward riders who get off the bike, and the itinerary builds that in. These are the cultural anchors of the expedition, in riding order:

• Cusco, Peru (days 1–3). The historic Inca capital opens the tour with two full days for its markets, ancient ruins and the Sacred Valley — plus the included day trip to Machu Picchu, the reason many riders book in the first place.
• Puno and Lake Titicaca, Peru (days 4–5). A rest day on the shores of the world's highest navigable lake, with the boat trip to the floating Uros Islands — a cultural time capsule of cold alpine wind, snow-dusted cordilleras and softly swaying reeds.
• La Paz, Bolivia (day 6). Across the border and into the world's highest capital, where the cable-car network strings the skyline together.
• Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia (days 7–8). The world's largest salt flat, with a full exploration day for the surreal white horizon, the perspective photos and Cactus Island.
• San Pedro de Atacama, Chile (days 9–10). The driest non-polar desert on Earth: Valle de la Luna's Martian ridges blushing crimson at sunset, the Geysers del Tatio for early risers, flamingos on the salt flats, and the funky, hippie-like dirt streets of San Pedro itself.
• Salta and Cafayate, Argentina (days 12–13). Down from the Paso de Jama into colonial Salta, then through the red rock canyons of the Quebrada de las Flechas to the Cafayate wine region.
• El Chiflón, Argentina (days 15–16). A short-ride day to explore the unique geological formations and natural parks of the Argentine Northwest.
• Mendoza, Argentina (day 17). The Malbec wine capital, with the Andes and Aconcagua standing over the vineyards.
• Santiago, Chile (days 18–21). One last crossing of the Andes, then two full days for the capital's culture, landmarks and nearby coast before the airport transfer home.

Group activities and entry fees for these stops — including the Machu Picchu day trip and the floating islands — are included in the tour price, so there is no ticket-counter arithmetic along the way.

The motorcycles. The base bike is the Honda NX500, included in the tour price. If you prefer more displacement, two upgrades are available: the Honda Transalp XL750 for +$899 or the Honda Africa Twin CRF1100 for +$1,299. All bikes are latest-model, professionally maintained machines, and the price covers the rental motorcycle with all costs involved — including the authorisation to cross borders and all shipping of the rental bike across the route. Mandatory third-party liability insurance is included; the mandatory motorcycle damage and theft liability reduction insurance is a separate +$525 option, and a refundable security deposit on your credit card is required to take the bike out, sized according to the rental bike you choose.

The group. We keep the Trans-Andes Express deliberately small: minimum 6 riders, maximum 12, led by a certified multilingual tour leader with a support team and vehicle alongside for the full 4,900 km. Riding two-up? The Add Pillion/Passenger option (+$5,499) covers your co-rider. Accommodation is in shared rooms by default, with a single-room upgrade available for +$1,399.

What the price covers. The expedition starts at $10,999 per rider on the Honda NX500 in a shared room. That includes 22 nights of accommodation, all breakfasts, fuel and road tolls, the support 4×4 and crew, group activities and entry fees (Machu Picchu day trip and floating islands included), airport transfers from Cusco (CUZ) and to Santiago (SCL) on official arrival and departure days, a pre-tour preparation guide and briefing, a MotoDreamer apparel gift, up to 25% discount on riding gear from our partners Klim, Giant Loop and Mosko Moto, and all taxes. Airfare, lunches, dinners and drinks, personal paperwork and visas, tips, and travel insurance are not included — for travel and evacuation cover with cancellation protection we point riders to Global Rescue.

Booking and payment. Hit Book Now, pick your date and pay the deposit; we accept bank transfer, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal and Bitcoin, and you can split the balance into monthly payments with no interest. Booking as a group is rewarded: when 5 riders pay, rider number 6 travels free. Every booking is backed by our price match and departure guarantees. The November 4 to 24, 2026 departure is sold out; the next scheduled departure runs November 4 to 24, 2028, and private or customized group dates are available on request.

Who can join. You need to be 20 or older with at least one year of experience on a 500cc-or-bigger motorcycle, hold a valid driver's license with motorcycle endorsement, and carry a passport with at least six months' validity at tour start. That is the whole bar: if you ride confidently at home, the Andes are within reach.

Seventeen-plus years of operating tours and over 5,000 riders have shaped how we run this expedition — from the acclimatisation days in Cusco to the sweep rider at the back of the convoy. The Andes do the rest.