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The Last Great Adventure
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GlobeRiders World Tour 2008 - Tour is Now CLOSED - Next Tour in 2010!

 

 

Tour Begins Mon 12 May 2008, in Beijing, China
Tour Ends Fri 04 Jul 2008, in Munich, Germany
Duration 55 Days
Countries China (including Inner Mongolia), Russia (including Siberia), Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany
Distance 10,000 miles or 16,000 kilometers
Max. Group Size Limited to 15 riders and motorcycles. Pillion passengers (on motorcycle only) or passengers (in chase vehicle) are welcome.
Tour Leaders Mike M. Paull & Dan Townsley

 

Overview of the World Tour 2008

 

The GlobeRiders World Tour is being offered for its fifth iteration! We believe GlobeRiders is unique in offering a tour of this length and duration, journeying east to west across the vast Eurasian continent. Beginning in Beijing, this adventure travels through the rarely visited areas of northeastern China, through Inner Mongolia, crossing the Sino-Russian border at Manzhouli. Next comes a three-week ride across eight time zones of Russia, bringing you to the Black Sea resorts of Ukraine, then continuing West through the beauty of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, finally arriving at our endpoint, Munich, Germany.

 

 

And, if 55 days and 7 countries isn't enough for you, we are pleased to offer both pre-tour and post-tour add-ons for those who really want to make their ride a grand adventure.

 

 

Pre-Tour: Japan Hanami Tour 2008

 

(Note: The Japan Hanami Tour Pre-Tour Option is sold out, currently accepting waitlist reservations only.)

 

Join us for a 21-day pre-tour of Japan during Cherry Blossom (Hanami) season. Our tour will begin in Tokyo, then wend its way north through the main island of Honshu, heading up the east coast to Aomori.  From there, we'll board a ferry for the rugged beauty of Hokkaido, a motorcycle paradise for Japanese riders.  After circumnavigating Hokkaido, we'll board a different over-night ferry for Honshu, make our way back through Tokyo, then down to Kobe. In Kobe, we'll board a ferry for a 3-day voyage to Tianjin, China, then travel onwards to Beijing for the start of the World Tour.

 

 

Post Tour: BMW Motorrad Days 2008

 

(Note: BMW Mottorad Post-Tour is available to all participants.)

 

Formerly known as The Biker Meeting, BMW Motorrad Days is the reincarnation of the largest BMW rally on the planet. In previous years, over 30,000 riders have come from all parts of the world for this 3-day super-rally in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.  Although GlobeRiders will orgainze and conduct this post-tour, costs for lodging, meals and fuel will be at your expense, and are not included as part of the tour package fee.

 

Highlights of the World Tour
  • Containerized shipment of your motorcycle one-way from Seattle, WA to Beijing, China

    Cultural and historic tours in Beijing and other cities in China and en route

  • A full-day visit to the Great Wall of China

  • Cultural and historic tours in Russia, Ukraine and Poland

  • A special full-day tour in Ulan Ude, to include a visit and "home-stay dinner" with the Old Ritualists (also known as the Old Believers)

  • A day visit and boat ride on Lake Baikal, which contains one-fifth of the world’s fresh water!

  • A full day’s exploration and selected activities in Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Volgograd and Lviv

  • A visit and tour of the IMZ-Ural sidecar factory in Irbit, Russia

  • Several days in the Yalta/Odessa region, known as the Ukrainian Riviera

  • In and around Krakow, Poland, visits to museums of arts and sciences, castles, salt mines, and the somber and moving Auschwitz Holocaust site

  • Visit to the BMW Corporate Headquarters and remodeled Museum in Munich, Germany, where Helge’s original R80GS "Olga" is on permanent display

  • The best available accommodations each night, with most dinners and all breakfasts included

Although the World Tour is now being offered for the fifth time, the 2008 Tour will not be a simple cookie-cutter of previous tours. Each tour is unique, with changes and revisions being made from year to year.

 

 

To participate in the tour, you must be both experienced and comfortable riding in crowded urban traffic, and on relatively long distances on roads with varying surface conditions on a fully loaded motorcycle. You should own a rough-terrain capable "dual-purpose" type motorcycle, with sturdy, lockable panniers or saddlebags, and an approved handlebar-mounted portable Garmin GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver. Your bike must be equipped with spoked wheels.

 

 

The tour package fee DOES include: one-way containerized shipment of your motorcycle from our home port of Seattle, Washington, USA to Beijing, China, driving permits, processing and examination fees for your temporary Chinese driving license, registration and licensing fees for your temporary Chinese license plate, all accommodations, most dinners, all breakfasts, some lunches, fees for guides, drivers and lead or chase vehicles as required by Chinese and Russian authorities all the way to the border of Poland, bus transportation on sightseeing days, most en route museum or planned group activity charges, and the services of the Globeriders staff guides.

 

 

The tour package DOES NOT include: visa processing fees, motorcycle or shipping insurance, your airfare or transportation to Beijing, China, return airfare or transportation from Munich, Germany, transportation of your motorcycle to our home port of Seattle, Washington, USA, transportation of your motorcycle from Munich, Germany (see note below), or personal daily expenses such as fuel, consumables, lunch, or tips for local guides and drivers.

 

 

NOTE REGARDING RETURN MOTORCYCLE SHIPMENT: Many riders chose to extend their adventure after the tour’s official end in Munich. Since their bikes are already in Europe, the European, East European and Nordic countries are within easy reach. For this reason, only containerized shipment of your motorcycle from Seattle to Beijing is included in the tour package fee. This allows each rider to arrange his or her own transportation back home on a schedule best suited to their needs. Alternatively, some riders chose to leave a bike in Europe for another vacation at a later date. The storage costs are surprisingly low. We can recommend trusted partners who can arrange for either motorcycle shipment or storage.

 

 

 

Double-Occupancy Cost for Rider and Motorcycle USD$21,950
Single Room Supplement/Upgrade for Above USD$3,150
Double-Occupancy Cost for Pillion Passenger (Riding Two-Up): USD$20,450
Double-Occupancy Cost for Passenger in Chase Vehicle* (See Note Below USD$21,450

 

 

 

*NOTE - The tour package fee for a passenger in our chase vehicle includes a guaranteed seat for your partner in an upgraded vehicle, and stowage of a reasonable amount of luggage, with a dedicated driver and guide.

 

 

For additional information about our tours and processes, please visit our FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page by clicking here.

 

 

If you have questions, wish to make a no obligation reservation, or wish to place a deposit to secure your reservation, you may send us email by clicking here.

 

 

The Fine Print: Early planning is essential. Riders and passengers must be qualified by GlobeRiders and provide riding and character references. Tour participants are required to obtain a signed certification of good health from their physician. Only approved motorcycles with spoked wheels are allowed on our tours. An approved Garmin GPS receiver is required for all tours.  Participants must show proof of medical and medical evacuation insurance. Safety first; a full coverage or flip-up style full-coverage helmet, full-fingered gloves, full-coverage riding suit with protective armor and riding boots must be worn at all times when your motorbike is in motion.  Priority placement is always given to GlobeRiders clients who are return customers. Final pricing for any tour may be adjusted to reflect changes in foreign exchange rates and/or the final group size. A 10% deposit is required to confirm a reservation for any tour. Once paid, this deposit is non-refundable should you withdraw from the tour. Should GlobeRiders cancel the tour for any reason, any deposits or tour package fees paid will be refunded 100%.

 


 

 
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