Yes, a valid motorcycle driving license from your home country is mandatory to take part in any of our guided tours.
We hate to turn anybody away due to lack of experience, but for your own safety it’s important you feel comfortable with the skills required to ride 'off road and require appropriate experience. Some of our tours are more challenging than others and require longer periods standing on the pegs. Ask your specialist for details.
You have to be at least 21 years old to rent a motorcycle.
Obviously, weather can be unpredictable and changes all the time, we set our tour dates to give the best chance of good weather conditions. The best thing is to come prepared, to bring your rain gear and be ready for all conditions.
Passengers are very welcome to ride pillion on are 'tar only' tours and are priced with both single rider and pillion options. However our backroads 'Off Road' tours are not suitable for pillions.
Yes. For our guided tours only and booked more than 45 days before the start date, a minimum deposit of 10% is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance must be paid in full 45 days prior to the tour start date. Otherwise, a full payment is required at the time of booking. Deposit terms for bookings including flights and pre and/or post tour hotel arrangements will vary and be advised at the time of booking.
For tour only bookings if you cancel more than 45 days prior to departure, you’ll receive your money back by way of a future credit. Cancelling between 44 and 31 days out from your start date will carry a 50% cancellation fee and the remainder will be credit. Cancelling inside of 30 days would carry a 100% cancellation fee. Cancellation terms for bookings including flights and pre and/or post tour hotel arrangements will vary and be advised at the time of booking.
Book a Tread tour and we will endeavour to get your motorbike of choice. Our backroad 'Off Road' tours are based around the BMW GS range of motorcycles however we can supply other makes and models on request.
Yes, you can ride your own bike and the cost of your tour will be adjusted accordingly and quoted on an individual basis. That said, it’s much cheaper and easier to use our bikes than it is to ship or fly your own bike to Africa.
We highly recommend you take your own helmet. Whilst rental is available, being comfortable and familiar with your own riding gear is strongly advised.
It is essential that you have protective riding equipment suitable for the type of riding you will do on your tour. For our adventure tours we strongly recommend a vented adventure suit as well as gloves and riding boots suitable for off road riding.
Yes, a light set of rain gear is recommended, even if you’re riding in summer.
Each rider or passenger can bring one large travel bag and one carry-on size bag. These will be carried in the support vehicle and transported free of charge along the route.
Yes, fuel and oil for your bike are included on all scheduled riding days – a benefit that really demonstrates the great value of these tours.
Tour groups typically comprise around 8 to 12 bikes depending on the tour. We love these smaller group sizes as you get to make friends and really bond with your fellow riders.
Our guides are some of the best in the business. They quickly get a feel for the needs and desires of each group and will always do their best to accommodate special requests. They know the routes inside out and take joy in showing riders the best photo spots, restaurants, attractions and hidden roads along the way.
Our tour information provides day by day approximate mileage. As a rough guide expect between 150 miles and 250 miles per day.
Some tours include rest days but you will ride most days. We often stop to enjoy sights and attractions and to ensure riders are well rested and moving at a leisurely pace.
Yes, one of the main advantages of booking with Tread is the reassurance of a support vehicle accompanying every tour. This vehicle will not only carry the group’s luggage but also a spare bike.
While we will always try to accommodate the needs of guests, please be aware that these are motorcycle touring holidays so the expectation is to ride. However the support vehicle can accommodate up to 3 passengers and we can trailer 3 bikes so should there be a section that you feel uncomfortable with for safety we can trailer your bike until you feel happy to ride .
We have put a lot of thought into selecting accommodation that’s representative of where you’re riding through. Our accommodation is both 3* and 4* as it may not be possible in more remote areas to find those with 4* rating. All are motorcycle friendly and offer clean beds, hot showers and bags of character.
Yes, fuel and oil for your bike are included on all scheduled riding days – a benefit that really demonstrates the great value of these tours. If you choose to ride on a rest day, the cost of fuel is not covered.
A good servicing and preventative maintenance regime ensures all bikes are in excellent mechanical order before the start of each tour. Breakdowns and flat tyres are therefore extremely rare. But should the unlikely happen, the support team will endeavour to get you back on the road as soon as possible. Should they not be able to fix the problem roadside, a spare motorcycle, carried in the support vehicle, will be made available to you.
Flights are not included in the published tour price but because we’re also a fully licensed tour operator, we’ll happily book flights for you along with your tour. That way, you only need to deal with one person to arrange your whole holiday. What’s more, because we hold an Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (ATOL) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority, all our motorcycle tours booked in conjunction with flights are financially protected by ATOL.
One of the perks of booking though Tread is taking full advantage of our tour operator status. This includes allowing us to arrange private transfers from your arrival airport to your pre- tour hotel and from your final hotel to your departure airport.
We’ll happily recommend and book hotels for before or after your tour, often based on our first-hand experience of travelling in the region. A few nights at a luxury hotel can be a wonderful way to lift the whole experience, either as a means to acclimatise before a trip, or – better still – to celebrate after.
Of course. Riding through Africa might well be your dream, but it might not tick the boxes of your closest friends or family. So why not have them meet you at the end of your ride for a tailor-made holiday you can all enjoy together? We can arrange their flights and transfers and design a whole itinerary around the interests of the group.
