Welcome to Las Vegas! We recommend arriving at the hotel a day early to explore Las Vegas and relax a bit before meeting your Tour Leaders. We will arrange a meeting time and place at the hotel for an orientation, and then it is off to pick up your bikes! Tonight you will have a chance to meet the rest of the group at the Welcome Dinner. Get some rest tonight, as tomorrow we start our journey through some of the most amazing scenery in the Wild West!

Today your adventure starts! From Las Vegas we head west and our ride will take us across Death Valley – the hottest place on earth! It’s almost entirely devoid of shade and its sculpted rock layers form deeply shadowed, eroded crevices at the foot of sharply silhouetted hills, their exotic mineral content turning ancient mudflats into rainbows of sunlit iridescence. After riding a series of mountain curves, you’ve fallen hundreds of feet below sea level and find yourself right in the basin of Death Valley. From here we continue west, riding amazing roads that wind up and out of the Valley and onto the foothills of the magnificent Sierra Nevada Mountains. Today we will have ridden from the lowest point in the United States, over 100’ below sea level, to the ski town of Mammoth Lakes at over 7000 feet. What a day! 315.0 mi / 504.0 km

Zabriskie Point, Death Valley

Death Valley Sand Dunes

Death Valley

Leaving Mammoth Lakes we continue our trip a little further north and then take the infamous Tioga Pass to cross Yosemite National Park. You push your Harley through the winding granite canyons…muscle flexing turns are rampant for the first several miles, and the road demands attention as you enter the mother of the mother of all National Parks. Yosemite conjures up thousands of images and raises expectations to dizzying heights and when you are there it is just as beautiful, wild, tame, rich, and sublime as you’d expect. We ride over to El Portal, where we overnight. 150.0 mi / 240.0 km

Yosemite Entrance

Yosemite

Today we head west towards San Francisco. Leaving Yosemite National Park, we descend through California Gold Rush country. We’ll pass through small mining towns such as Groveland, before descending the winding roads of Old Priest Grade. Leaving Gold Rush country, we set our sights on the coastal regions of Marin County, an unabashed introduction to Californian self-indulgence: a pleasure zone of conspicuous luxury and abundant natural beauty, with sunshine, sandy beaches, high mountains, and thick redwood forests, often ranked the wealthiest county in the US. From here, we catch our first glimpse of this city’s most famous landmark – the Golden Gate – and traverse one of San Francisco’s great bridges to enter the city! A ride along the Marina and we are dropped into the heart of the city where we’ll spend the next two days exploring all that San Francisco has to offer. 200.0 mi / 320.0 km

San Francisco

San Francisco

This day is at leisure to enjoy the unique flavor and character of San Francisco, a funky, individualistic, and influential city, like none other in the US. San Francisco has a European flair and lots of opportunities for sightseeing. We’ll begin with an included group excursion to the infamous prison island of Alcatraz (a $33 value!), followed by an afternoon of exploring on your own. Feel free to take a city bus tour, grab a ride on a Cable Car, or stroll around North Beach, Chinatown, and Union Square. Whatever your pleasure, be sure to soak up the culture, art, architecture, and views that make up this amazing city.

San Francisco

Golden Gate Bridge

Today we head south on the legendary Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) which hugs the rugged California coast of the Pacific Ocean – one of the best motorcycle rides in the world! The coastline here is simply spectacular and there are plenty of opportunities for great photo stops. Breathtaking views of the coves and inlets of the Pacific are yours en route to the seaside town of Monterey and its famous “Cannery Row.” Monterey is home to the world famous Laguna Seca Automobile and Motorcycle Racetrack and the spectacular “Aquarium of the Sea.” 118.0 mi / 188.8 km

The Lone Cypress Monterey

Bixby Bridge

We continue our ride on scenic Hwy 1, along the edge of the cliffs of the Big Sur Coast – 90 wild and undeveloped miles of rocky cliffs form a sublime landscape where redwood groves line river canyons and the Santa Lucia Mountains rise out of the blue-green Pacific. Roughly midway along the Big Sur Coast you come to Esalen, which is named for the long gone native tribes who once enjoyed its natural hot spring, situated on a cliff top high above the raging Pacific surf. We cruise past San Simeon, stop to see the Elephant Seal Rookery, wind through Cambria and Morro Bay until we get to Pismo Beach. 152.0 mi / 243.2 km

Today we take Hwy 101 and head towards Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean to our right, and the coastal mountains to our left. After a stop in Santa Barbara for a coffee, we get back on Hwy 101 and cruise straight into Malibu, the infamous beach colony. Santa Monica is LA’s oldest and biggest resort – once a wild beachfront playground, it’s now a self-consciously liberal and healthy community. Venice Beach is probably the reason why most people come to Venice – nowhere else does LA parade itself quite so openly as along the wide pathway of Venice Boardwalk. From here we will ride over to Hawthorne, where the headquarters are located. Now it’s time to return your motorcycles and transfer back to our hotel to get ready for a recap of this great adventure at our “Good-bye” dinner. 225.0 mi / 360.0 km

Los Angeles Aerial View

Los Angeles Skyline

Santa Monica

You will be transferred to the airport for your return flight. You could also choose to extend your journey with a few nights in Los Angeles before your departure.