Motorcycle touring and cruiser tour Route 66 self guided

Day 1 - Chicago

Chicago is the biggest and liveliest among the Great Lake cities. Once you get from the airport to your hotel (please transfer on your own), you will be greeted with an impressive skyline view. As any big city, Chicago is full of entertainment locals such as restaurants, museums, nightclubs, bars and cafes. There is also a big influence of jazz and blues in the city, which you'll be able to enjoy.

Day 2 Springfield - 201 m./324 km.

On your first morning you'll pick up your motorcycle and start the legendary American road trip. Route 66 begins right next to l-55, crossing the state before ending up at the other side of the country, on the Pacific Coast. During the ride you will see the typical American diners and shops that are still proudly standing. You'll head to the south, passing the old truck stop town of McLean, travelling through the coal-mining area of Illinois — along the Pontiac

Trail towards Springfield, the Illinois state capital.

Day 3 Springfield - Rolla Place - 200 m./322 km.

You'll continue riding south toward St. Louis and you'll have everything ready to sleep in Rolla. There are several Highway towns along the way, which are a perfect spot for a resting break. Allow us to recommend seeing the Dixie truck stop, “Our Lady of the Highway Statue”, Litchfield and the “Paris Stop Café”. While heading to the Mississippi river, you'll have the opportunity to visit the Memramec Caverns and the “Chain of Rocks Bridge”. You have crossed to Missouri, famous for its green meadows and prairies. It is also where the Mississippi River coincide with the Missouri River. Don't miss the short ride to "Gateway to the West", St. Louis. The city is located along the shores of the Mississippi River and it is famous for its live music and BBQ ribs. You can head now to Rolla, Missouri, also known as “The Middle of Everywhere”, where you'll spend the night.

Day 4 Rolla - Tulsa - 281 m./452 km.

Leaving Rolla you’ll ride until the Ozaark Mountains, which sits on most of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas. Until the 19th century, the area was considered frontier territory, but it changed with the appearance of timber companies. Ozark Peaks are not particularly high, but the roads are a great chance to swerve through the landscape and ride up and down the climbs that will gift you with astonishing views of steep hillsides thick with oak, elm, hickory, and redbud – which are specially beautiful in the fall. Your ride adventure can take you to Levanon, Conway and even make a stop in Carthage where a beautiful courthouse is built. Joplin is a great place to stop before entering the state of Oklahoma. This is the state that has the most miles of the old highway. As a biker, you’ll find yourself at home, specially if you are an old-road fan. Today you’ll get to Tusla, the second biggest city in Oklahoma, also considered the cultural and arts centre of the state.

Day 5 Tulsa - Clinton - 199 m./320 km.

Next, it is time to head West through Oklahoma until you reach Clinton. You’ll ride through miles and miles of the Old West’s Indian country when you travel from Tusla to Oklahoma City. The land that you will cross was originally rendered useless in the 1830’s and given as Indian Territory by the British government to the indigenous American tribes. All territory was united after the American Revolutionary War. The Choctaw and the Chickasaw of Mississippi, the Seminole of Florida, and the Creek of Alabama were each assigned a share, while the rest was given to the Cherokee from Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. Today, the state has a large Native American Indian population – “Oklahoma” means “red man” in Choctaw. You’ll keep going West until you cross El Reno with your motorcycle- a bridge near Bridgeport that goes for over a mile. Once you’ve ridden through the bridge, you’ll arrive to Oklahoma City, the heart and soul of Route 66 country! The overnight stay will be in Clinton.

Day 6 Clinton - Amarillo - 175 m/282 km.

This morning you should rise early for your journey into the Panhandle, the southernmost portion of the Great Plains, often called “the real Texas”. It certainly fulfills the fantasy of what Texas should look like. Once the buffalo – and the natives – had been driven away from what was seen as perilous and uninhabitable frontier country, the Panhandle began to yield great natural resources in the 1870’s. Helium, oil as well as agriculture, brought wealth to the region and is home to some of the world’s largest ranches. Amarillo may seem cut off from the rest of Texas, but it stands on one of the great American cross-country routes – I-40 (once legendary Route 66), roughly 300 miles from Albuquerque and 250 miles west of Oklahoma City. Amarillo takes its name from Spanish and it means “yellow”, the color that is so characteristic to this region. Why don’t you enjoy dinner tonight at "The Big Texan Steakhouse".

Day 7 Amarillo - Santa Fe - 270 m./435 km.

Today you leave Texas and are on your way into “The Land of Enchantment”, New Mexico. Be sure to pass through the world famous Cadillac Ranch before leaving Texas. Stop at the ghost town of Glen Rio, where you can stand with one foot in New Mexico and the other one in Texas. With 4 states behind and 3 still ahead, you ride your bike through the land of Commanche Indians and into Tucumcari, the biggest town between Albuquerque and Amarillo. You head up into the high plains of Santa Fe in central New Mexico. Santa Fe is one of America’s oldest and most beautiful cities, and will be your base for the next two nights. Enjoy our hotel in Santa Fe close to the historic town square and mission.

Day 8 Santa Fe - Santa Fe - 0 m./ 0 km.

Today is at leisure to rest and enjoy the distinctive flavor of this nearly 400-year-old city. The blend of cultures here becomes evident in the southwestern architectural style so closely associated with New Mexico’s capital city. Perhaps you would like to take a ride along the river valley to the old Native American Indian town of Taos, enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride, or play cowboy for a day on a horseback ride along a mountain or canyon trail.

Day 9 Santa Fe - Gallup - 197 m./317 km.

This morning you head south, down to Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city, home to a third of the state’s population. Albuquerque is sprawling at the heart of New Mexico, where the main east - west road and rail routes cross both the Rio Grande and the old road south to Mexico. You cross the Rio Grande and head west out into the open country and the hues of the Navajo wilderness. Further on ride through Grants and along Cibola National Forest towards the famous Route 66 town of Gallup, an old railroad town and Indian stronghold. Enjoy your stay tonight with a host of fellow riders from around the world at one of the many biker friendly hotels in Gallup.

Day 10 Gallup - Flagstaff - 179 m./288 km.

From Gallup it’s only about half an hour to the Arizona border. Once you enter Arizona enjoy a very scenic ride through the Petrified Forest, a fossilized prehistoric forest of giant trees that has been unearthed by erosion. Just west of Petrified National Forest you get to Holbrook and Winslow, two old Route 66 towns that are kept alive by transcontinental truckers. Tonight we will stay in Flagstaff, the northern Arizona community on historic Route 66 and is the regions hub for visits to the Grand Canyon.

Day 11 Flagstaff - Williams - 145 m./233 km.

Today you will be able to visit one of the Natural Wonders of the World, the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon comprises of layered rocks, cliffs, hills, and valleys and is among the earth’s greatest on-going geological spectacles. Today you will have plenty of time to ride along the rim and stop for amazing vistas and photos. Tonight you will overnight in Williams where you can walk, dine and shop in this historic downtown on Route 66.

Day 12 Williams - Laughlin - 210 m / 338 Km.

Cruise down “Memory Lane” and head towards the town of Seligman, one of the longest surviving stretches of the “Mother Road”. From Seligman, Route 66 heads off on a northern loop through the Hualapai Indian Reservation and a dozens of quickly fading towns. From Seligman you stay on Route 66 all the way into Kingman. Leaving Kingman, stay on Route 66 via the Oatman Highway. Continue on Route 66 / Oatman Highway as you wind through the canyons surrounded by active and extinct gold mines. The town of Oatman is considered a living Ghost Town. Much of the village stays true to its heritage with staged gunfights and wild burros wandering the streets. Continue to the magical oasis in the dessert, Laughlin.

Day 13 Laughlin - Victorville - 220 m/354 km.

Today it’s off to California, the final state on your ride down legendary Route 66. Ride along the Mojave Desert, which offers some of the most dramatic scenery in Southern California…rolling with lush grasses, startling volcanic formations, large stands of Joshua trees, and even in some Pinyon pines. From the desert you get right into the cool pines of the San Gabriel Mountains. Head for Victorville, which is your base for tonight.

Day 14 Victorville - Los Angeles - 95 m./153 km.

Today you are on your way to the final destination of your legendary American road trip, Los Angeles. You head for the end of Route 66 at the Santa Monica Pier. Santa Monica is one of the oldest and largest LA’s resorts. Once a wild beachfront playground, it is now a self-consciously liberal and healthy community. Spend the afternoon sightseeing and enjoy Hollywood with the famous Chinese Theatre, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and much more. Riders always have mixed emotions as they stand at the "End of the Trail" sign on the Santa Monica Pier. There is a sense of joy and elation at having completed a journey most people only dream about, and a sense of sadness at the thought of the ride having come to an end. The great news is that next ride is just a dream away.

Day 15 Los Angeles -

Today your exciting trip will conclude in Los Angeles. Please be sure to let us know if you need an extra night or two in L.A. to enjoy the sights.