Day 1: Arrival in Chicago
Today is your arrival in Chicago. You will be taken to your comfortable hotel.
Day 2: Chicago (free day)
To start off, you will spend a day in Chicago, home to Al Capone (in his day) and Oprah Winfrey (currently). 'Shop till you drop' on the famous shopping street 'Magnificent Mile'; visit the Sky Deck from Sears Tower or visit Navy Pier. There is a lot to see.
Day 3: Chicago - Lincoln, 190 miles / 306 kilometers
Today, you will leave the city behind the team on your two-wheelers and carry on along country lanes, passing plenty of farms, and typical country houses. The first few old-school petrol stations of Route 66 will start to pop up, and in McLean, you will see the first few big grain silos.
Day 4: Lincoln - St. Louis, 140 miles / 226 kilometers
In the state of Alabama, you will pass through Mount Olive, which houses many old mines, and you will stop to visit a typical roadhouse and hamburgers galore! Then on to the Mississippi River and St. Louis, where you will take your time to have a nosey around.
Day 5: St. Louis - Lebanon, 200 miles / 322 kilometers
Today you will ride on Interstate 44, passing numerous typical American in-the-middle-of-nowhere towns. Now and then, you will ride down bits of the highway, yeehaw! You will stay the night in Lebanon in the state of Missouri.
Day 6: Lebanon - Miami, 165 miles / 266 kilometers
Via Springfield and Joplin, you will reach Miami (Oklahoma). It is a small town in Oklahoma named after the Indian Myaamia tribe. Taking in parts of Kansas too, you will pass plenty of typical Route 66 souvenir shops along the way, where you will have ample opportunity to haggle.
Day 7: Miami - Oklahoma City, 220 miles / 355 kilometers
Heading through the middle of the state, you will visit Tulsa, the former Indian territory, which before it was taken by the Texans, was well-known for its wealth in oil wells. The most famous resident of Tulsa is the musician JJ Cale, known for his contributions to the Eric Clapton songs After Midnight and Cocaine. Crossing many old arch bridges you will rumble on to the state capital.
Day 8: Oklahoma City - Amarillo, 260 miles / 419 kilometers
There will be no need to ask for directions, your team leader will show you the way to Amarillo. Riding down Highway 40, you will enter Texas via Elk City. There is a lot to see and do in this typical Texan city.
Day 9: Amarillo - Santa Fe, 260 miles / 419 kilometers
Visiting the Cadillac Ranch, you will find out how Cadillac cars got an overwhelmingly more artistic and colorful treatment than other cars. Afterward, you will enter New Mexico and reach your destination at Santa Fe with its adobe-style houses.
Day 10: Santa Fe - Gallup, 220 miles / 355 kilometers
Be sure to take plenty of water with you today as, via Albuquerque, you will enter the New Mexico desert. Your lodging for the night will be in Gallup, also known as ‘the Indian capital of the world’ because of its wide range of tribal descendants, such as the Hopi, Zuni, and Navajo Indian tribes.
Day 11: Gallup - Flagstaff, 210 miles / 338 kilometers
Today, reaching the area belonging to Navajo Indians, you will visit the petrified forest in the state of Arizona. The ‘forest’ takes its name from the many petrified trees and fossils, but nowadays it is mainly desert. You will stay the night at the accommodation alongside the old Route 66.
Day 12: Flagstaff - Williams, 35-220 miles / 56-354 kilometers
A relaxing day, ideal for enjoying the Grand Canyon (or driving the short distance to Williams independently - 35 miles). A drive of about two hours takes you to the South Rim, where you can immortalize yourself with the miles of the gorge. It can even be recognized from the moon. An exciting helicopter tour and a performance in the IMAX theater are recommended.
Day 13: Flagstaff - Kingman, 160 miles / 258 kilometers
After breakfast, you will cruise on towards Seligman via Williams. The takers can get a shave at the well-known Angels barbershop.
Day 14: Kingman - Las Vegas, 150 miles / 242 kilometers
Via Ed’s Camp and Oatman, you will enter the state of Nevada, where you will temporarily leave Route 66 to spend the evening and night in the entertainment city of Las Vegas. Have great fun amidst the immense variety in music, casinos that big enough to fit entire villages, and the diversity of people who come from all over the world to experience Las Vegas. Boredom is not an option in the city that never sleeps!
Day 15: Las Vegas - Barstow, 160 miles / 258 kilometers
After a stop in Jerome to visit the open-air museum ‘Ghost Town’, you will arrive in sunny California and stay the night at the miners' town of Barstow, where you will once more pick up the mother road thread.
Day 16: Barstow - Santa Monica, 165 miles / 266 kilometers
You will bring the 'get-your-kicks-on-route-66 feeling' to a close with a magnificent ride through the hills of California, ending up at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Do not be afraid to shed a tear when you say farewell to your trusted two-wheelers.
Day 17: Los Angeles - free day
You are free to do as you please on your last day here. There is a huge variety of tourist attractions to choose from. USA on Wheels recommends a day trip to Universal Studios, a limousine ride through Hollywood, or enjoying a lazy day at Venice Beach.
Day 18: Departure day
Transfer to the airport with the hotel shuttle for your return flight to Europe. Or maybe you want to extend your trip? USA on Wheels will of course book your extra requests.
Bike options
Category 1
- Honda Shadow 750 (V-twin engine, 745cc, 5 gears, 66 centimeters seat height, 251 kilograms, 14 liters fuel tank capacity, and windshield)
Category 2
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 883 (V-twin engine, 883cc, 5 gears, 68 centimeters seat height, 255 kilograms, 17 liters fuel tank capacity, and windshield)
- Yamaha 950 Tourer (V-twin engine, 950cc, 5 gears, 67 centimeters seat height, 298 kilograms, 17 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and suitcase)
- Indian Scout (V-twin engine, 1130cc, 5 gears, 64 centimeters seat height, 215 kg weight, tank capacity: 13 liters; windshield, saddlebags)
- Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200 (V-twin, 1200cc, 5 gears, 68 centimeters seat height, 255 kilograms, 17 liters fuel tank capacity, and windshield)
- BMW F800GT (Boxer engine, 2 cylinders, 798cc, 6 gears, 80 centimeters seat height, 213 kg weight, tank capacity: 15 liters; windshield, side case)
- Yamaha XVS 1300 (V-twin engine, 1300cc, 5 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 283 kilograms, 19 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, bags, and sissy bar)
Category 3
- Harley-Davidson Low Rider FXLR (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 67 centimeters seat height, 298 kilograms, 15 liters fuel tank capacity)
- Harley-Davidson Heritage (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 65 centimeters seat height, 326 kilograms, 19 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, luggage, bags, and sissy bar)
- Harley-Davidson Road King (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 355 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and luggage)
Category 4
- Harley-Davidson Street Glide (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 355 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and luggage)
- Harley-Davidson Road Glide (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 355 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and case)
- Indian Chief Vintage (V-twin engine, 1881cc, 6 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 355 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and case)
- Honda GL1800 Goldwing (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 72 centimeters seat height, 355 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and case)
Category 5
- Harley-Davidson Street Glide Grand Touring (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 73 centimeters seat height, 370 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and luggage)
Category 6
- Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide (V-twin engine, 1670cc, 6 gears, 73 centimeters seat height, 370 kilograms, 23 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and luggage)
- Indian Road Master (V-twin engine, 1881cc, 6 gears, 69 centimeters seat height, 360 kilograms, 21 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and case)
- BMW R1200RT (V-twin engine, 1170cc, 6 gears, 82 centimeters seat height, 263 kilograms, 25 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and luggage)
- BMW R1200GS (V-twin engine, 1170cc, 6 gears, 69 centimeters seat height, 360 kilograms, 21 liters fuel tank capacity, and windshield)
- Honda GL1800 Touring (V-twin engine, 1881cc, 6 gears, 69 centimeters seat height, 360 kilograms, 21 liters fuel tank capacity, windshield, and case)
Skill levels required for this tour: beginner and intermediate
Please note that the pace of the tour can be at a beginner's level as well as at an intermediate's level. It all depends on the group's experience and own pace. Please send an inquiry for more details.
Beginner:
- can ride for 2-3 hours
- minimal riding experience
- assistance required
- comfortable with curves and leans
- basic experience with unsurfaced roads
- short distance ascents and descents
Intermediate:
- can ride for 3-4 hours
- average riding experience
- little assistance required
- comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- average experience with unsurfaced roads
- steep ascents and descents
Tour information
- Roads in the USA are in good condition. Congestion is minimal, apart from in big cities, and the roads are very well signposted. There are a number of traffic regulations that differ from those in the UK. Your team leader will discuss the most important ones with you.
- In principle, you will ride in convoy. However, if you wish to ride part of the journey on your own, you can discuss this with your team leader.
- You will be riding at a reasonable pace, as the aim, of course, is to see as much as possible. However, you will frequently be riding down bendy roads, which will require some confidence.
- You are required to have a valid (motorbike) driving license. However, you will not need an international driving license.
