Transcontinental Motorbike Expedition - Go West

From Mongolia to Turkey Motorbike Expedition: Transasia:

All adventure-loving motorbike riders who enjoy challenging rides, faraway countries, interesting people and foreign cultures should read on. Important: The tour officially ends in Ulaanbaatar on the 40th day. From here you have the option of flying home by plane or travelling overland with our tour guide. The motorbikes of the participants who fly back will be transported home.

Itinerary of the Transcontinental Motorbike Tour:

Day 1 to 4: From Ulaanbatar to the Russian border:

For four days we ride through western Mongolia to the Russian border. We ride past beautiful lakes, through vast steppes and over high mountains. This is the opportunity for all those who have not yet been to Mongolia to get to know this impressive expanse and for those who were there on the outward journey to say goodbye to it

Day 5 to 8: Russia border and the first kilometres in Kazakhstan:

From Mongolia's last major city, Ölgii, we head north to the Mongolian-Russian border. After our first, certainly lengthy border crossing, we drive into the Altai Mountains, one of the most beautiful places on earth. After the strenuous off-road passages in Mongolia, we enjoy the first tarmac kilometres here in a beautiful and largely uninhabited valley. Depending on whether our vehicles are already in need of a little repair or still in good shape, we will enjoy the Altai region or make our way to Kazakhstan relatively quickly to get our motorbikes ready to go.

Day 8 to 11: Through Kazakhstan to Bishkek:

From Altai Mountains we continue southwards to Kazakhstan. A rather corrupt police regime awaits us, which will prolong many a police check. Along the border with China, we will pass through the odd sandy passage and pothole-strewn roads - it will be adventurous! We cross the Altyn-Emel National Park and sleep in the sand of the Singing Dune. If we make good time, we will have the opportunity to take another detour further west, one of the most beautiful spots in Kazakhstan, and if not, we will head straight to the border with Kyrgyzstan. We reach Bishkek, the capital and cultural centre of the country. The city grew out of a caravan stadium on the Silk Road and is full of culture.

Day 11 to 14: From Bishkek on to the motorbike workshop in Osh:

After leaving Bishkek, we travel over three mountain ranges to Osh, which is said to be 3000 years old. There we have time to have our motorbikes overhauled in a well-equipped workshop, which is also responsible for our Kyrgyzstan motorbike tours.

Day 15 to 17: By motorbike up to 4655 metres:

From Osh, we set off on the legendary M41. The Pamir Highway, which the locals simply call ‘The Road’. Even though there are small settlements along the road that are only concerned with maintenance, the road is in a poor condition and there are always asphalt or bridges missing. Storms can also cause certain sections of the road to be closed - destroyed bridges and washed away villages are part of the annual order of the day in these parts. But by this time we will be specialists in river crossings and won't fall into the cold mountain water - hopefully. The Pamir Highway is the second highest mountain road in the world, offers us passes over 4000 metres in altitude and ends in Dushanbe in Tajikistan, an impressive city with the highest flagpole in the world.

Day 17 to 21: Only a small border crossing and a few kilometres:

Crossing the western border from Dushanbe, we head for one of the oldest royal cities in the world - Samarquand. For the first time, we will once again encounter large crowds of tourists. The city centre has been a World Heritage Site since 2001 and is breathtakingly beautiful. We will stay here for two nights before travelling on to Bukhara, the country's second major highlight. Uzbekistan is one of the biggest challenges of our trip. There are hardly any ATMs, we pay with suitcases full of soʻm (local currency) and we only get petrol with an octane rating of 80 - but it's definitely worth the trip!

Day 21 to 28: From Samarkand to Erzurum:

The journey takes us through Uzbekistan, on through Iran, where we pass through Tehran, and finally we reach Turkey, where our final destination is the historic city of Erzurum.

Once we arrive in Erzurum, we will have travelled a tremendous distance that we are sure to remember for a long time. All participants who will fly back from Erzurum will be taken to the airport, and those who wish to reach Germany by land are welcome to make their way home the next day in our support vehicle. Our last day of travelling is intended as a buffer day in case of any unforeseen events along the way.

Transfer journey from Erzurum, via Eastern Europe back to Germany

All those who would like to cover the last 5000 kilometres on their own bike are welcome to join the support vehicle. In 10 days, our guides will be travelling via Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria to Tübingen. But we'll have to put in the kilometres to get there in time for our welcome party ;)

*** This is the second time that the trip has been organised in this form as a pure motorbike expedition for long-distance riders!

Final word:

This motorbike tour is an expedition on which we ride NEW routes and explore new routes every year! IMPORTANT for every participant who is looking for adventure! This expedition is for motorcyclists who can take on new challenges EVERY day, think and act independently and, above all, can ride long distances on and off road. This trip is NOT for motorcyclists who are looking for an organised package tour with a motorbike guide who will point out any potholes on and off the road!