Hi, I have just brought a new RE Himalayan, added hard panniers and hot grips, and am planning to leave Medellin, Colombia towards the end of July, riding solo through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Argentina, to arrive in Santiago de Chile early September 2023.
Anyone else done this trip recently or about to do it during these dates? Any tips etc, e.g border crossings, insurance, routes, or maybe we will cross paths on the way?
Thanks for reading
Andrew
Postscript:
I made it to Santiago de Chile, and you can read a summary of the trip with map and captioned photos by clicking on this web link: http://www.ttms999.com/southamerica2023.html
I am returning to South America at the end of January to continue the trip from Santiago to Tierra del Fuego and then start heading back to Colombia via Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil and Venezuela.

Hi BunburyAndrew,

Insurance may or may not be available at the border. In the case where there isn't a salesperson or office at the border, in some cases, you'll be allowed to ride to the nearest town and buy insurance, then go back to the border to complete the importation paperwork.
Coming into Peru from Bolivia the border officials processed my paperwork and trusted me to buy insurance in Puno. Entering into Ecuador from Peru we had to go into town for insurance, then return to the border to complete the paperwork.
Peru famously has checkpoints scattered around the country where the only purpose is to confirm you have the required SOAT/insurance paperwork. DO NOT, I'll say it twice, DO NOT keep the bike a single day over the date on the issued temporary vehicle importation permit (TVIP) or your motorcycle will be confiscated and the chances are VERY high that you will not get the bike back. A friend lost his bike after staying in Peru for one or two days too long. A lawyer could not get it back. May sure you're aware of the end date of the TVIP, which might be different than your visa end date. It was "trip over" for my friend. I understand the government collects the confiscated bikes in a warehouse and auctions them off a year or so later.
I can't give the latest insurance requirements for Chile and Bolivia. Let me say this, short-term liability insurance does cost much. If you get into an accident, you may be held up and not allowed to leave until blame has been determined and associated costs worked out. My advice, if you are at fault, negotiate a cash number to satisfy the damages quickly, before the police are involved.

I'm headed clockwise from Peru through the interior of Brazil, then south to TdF before heading north through Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, probably after you have reached Santiago. If you see an adventure rider headed in the opposite direction, it's great to stop and chat with your fellow rider. How will you know it's an adventure rider? Usually, we stick out due to the size of the bike, riding gear, and luggage. There is no hiding the fact or blending in with the locals.

__________________
Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Its probably not what you want to hear but still - you plan to ride through 6 countries in 2 months? An average traveller would probably spend 2 months in each country. Whats the hurry? Yes I know time is not unlimited but still. I would spent 2 months in Colombia. I could sell the bike easily and I wouldnt have any problem getting insurance and all other problems at bordercrossings….

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Thanks for the reply.
We are all on different trips, and in different circumstances, mine is basically a road trip of about 6 weeks from Medellin to Santiago. My son has lived in Medellin for 5/6 years and my wife and i have been over from Australia every year except during Covid times, so we have been to a lot of places in Colombia during that time.
I have also in another era ie 1979 been to all these countries, and even worked in Bolivia for 3 months in 2006, on a mining project.
I’ve done a lot of solo motorcycling in Europe and have always found that 6 weeks is long enough on the road for me. I had a Ducati in Europe for ten years so a Himalayan in South America is a bit of a change.
The trip is also dictated somewhat by my wife, who is doing something different (walking in France), and we have flights back to Australia on 22nd September booked out of Santiago. I’m planning to leave the bike there and return early next year, and continue down to TdF in February.
Anyway SnakeBoy that’s my trip, how about you?
Cheers
Andrew

Hi Peter,
Thanks for all that valuable info. I am brand new to this website, and for some reason I was able to reply to SnakeBoy, but seems I can only reply to you via quote.
I sort of gave an explanation to SnakeBoy about my trip, soi I won’t repeat myself again. I had a look on your website, and WOW that is some trip you have planned, but it seems it’s not the first one.
In case your interested I also have a website, which was originally for my business (metallurgical consulting) but has slowly morphed into a record of various trips, including moto ones. Driving motorbike around Australia in 2006 is a link to them.
Your route and timing is vastly different to mine, so I doubt if I’ll cross paths, but you never know, stranger things have happened
Cheers and remember stay upright !
Andrew

Even though its true that we are all different and at different stages in life and have different pov for this and that I have problems understanding that someone would like to ride through 6 quite huge countries with heaps of stuff to see and lots of interesting points of interest. But maybe its just me….

I spent approx 2 years travelling around in south - America (minus Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and french Guiana) Some months waiting for spare parts though….

Anyhow - have a safe trip then and best of luck…

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Hi Andrew,

That sounds like a great trip! You'll often get a mixed response on this forum - there are lots of people on here with strong opinions, understandably, and it's easy to get disheartened. So I'm popping by to tell you that we've just done a slightly shorter route in reverse in just under 2 months. We went from Santiago, Chile to Quito, Ecuador and expect to be in Medellin in a week/10 days or so. We've had an absolute blast and seen lots along the way.

Here are some of the places we went to (this will give you an idea of our route):
- Chile: Santiago, Valparaiso, Mano del Desierto (short photo op), San Pedro de Atacama
- Argentina: Salta, Quebrada de Humahuaca [We didn't go South of Salta because lots of off-road and my broken shoulder was still healing but most riders head towards Cachi for some great rides]
- Bolivia: Salar de Uyuni, Potosi, Coroico and Death Road, Copacabana and Lake Titicaca
- Peru: Arequipa, Cañon del Colca, Cusco, Pisac and Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley), Machu Picchu, lots of twisties from Ollantaytambo to Ayacucho, Lima, Chan Chan, Cajamarca, the great road from Celendin to Leymabamba and Chachapoyas
- Ecuador: Vilcabamba, Cuenca, Baños, Quilotoa, Quito

No, we couldn't do everything but we've been travelling around the world for 15 months+ now, we've been to some of these countries before, and we've simply loved the last 2 months.

Note that:
- Kuelap Fortress in Peru remains shut but you can take the cable car up the mountain which is pretty cool, and the best road from Ecuador to Peru goes that way anyway.
- This is the road that goes via the border crossing at La Balsa (Zumba).
- The passes over the Andes between Chile and Argentina are often shut due to weather conditions. We nipped over from Santiago to Mendoza (before heading north) via Paso Los Libertadores and the pass was closed a week later.
- With winter approaching, we were cold for much of this trip, up until Ecuador!

If you have any follow-up questions, feel free to send me a private message, I'll try and check my inbox every so often!

Have a great trip!

__________________
"To sleep, perchance to dream... of having the self-belief of an adult man whose forum contributions need to be moderated." Unknown

Have a fantastic trip. Ignore the negative and insulting vibes you occasionally find on here (what even is an 'average traveller?). It's your trip, your timescale, your plan. Please post updates and feedback. Have fun

Ok Plodding, thanks for the reply, comments on negative comments, and will do!

Hi Pepper, thanks for the reply and all the tips on the routes you took. If you get to Medellin before 24th July, it would also be good to meet up and have a yarn about your trip.
Hope to see you then!
Regards
Andrew

Check the status in Peru.

I am not updated. But I was stranded there in Juliaca in February.
With no possibility to move.
See picture

This map is just an indication.
There is so much more things going on than you can see on this map.
But it gives you and idea. Or maybe not, until you have been there.
PROVIAS NACIONAL - SGCV - Visor de Emergencias Viales

A tour to central Bolivia was a great surprise for me.
Most people cross Bolivia close to La Paz, Titicaca and then to Argentina.
More to the east in Bolivia, I did not see a foreigner for several weeks.
But wonderful nature.

Approximate route is attached.


I will send you a link to my travel report/blog.

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There's no need to worry about Peru. We were there for most of the month of June and didn't have any issues, there was not one single roadblock.

__________________
"To sleep, perchance to dream... of having the self-belief of an adult man whose forum contributions need to be moderated." Unknown

Congratulations to a good bike.
It is an excellent travel bike for a trip like this.
Here with panniers from Koju

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Erik,
That route is something similar to part of what I had in mind. Where did you buy your Himalayan? It’s a lot slower than Ducatis I am used to, but I don’t want to go fast, and it seems to handle gravel roads and bumps ok. I only have side panniers as I want to keep the centre of gravity low. Got a waterproof duffel bag to sit between the panniers, and going to get a tank bag before I leave next Monday week.
Cheers
Andrew

I bought it in Bogota.

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