Northern Europe, including Scandinavia and the Baltic states offers some of the most dramatic riding in the whole of Europe, if not the world.

This Explorer Tour is designed to be just that – a tour with a true sense of exploration, as over 45 days we ride to the top of Europe and back again, taking in some of Northern Europe’s best roads, scenery and sights. We will cover over 6,000 miles and pass through 16 countries: UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Luxembourg.

Dates: Friday 24th July to Sunday 6th September 2026

Highlights include:

The bridge too far at Arnhem, the John Frost Bridge
The UNESCO World Heritage site and architectural wonder of the Speicherstadt in Hamburg
Copenhagen and the Little Mermaid
The 5-mile Øresund Bridge and 2.5 mile Drogden Tunnel that cross the Øresund straight between Denmark and Sweden
The canals and leafy boulevards of the ancient city of Gothenburg
The largest lake in the EU, Lake Vänern of Sweden on the road to Oslo
The lakes, forests and mountains of south-western Norway, including the Tindvegen Pass (as featured on Long Way Home), Old Strynefjell Mountain Rd and the Dalsnibba viewpoint
The epic mountain scenery and roads of Trollstigen and the gorge of Gudbrandsjuvet
A chance to ride the Golden Train – voted Europe’s most scenic railway by Lonely Planet – or take the Romsdalen cable car for some truly epic views of the Norwegian fjords
Ride the epic Atlanterhavsvegen or Atlantic Road – over the bridges that featured in the last James Bond film, “No Time to Die”
The architectural splendor of Gothic Nidaros Cathedral in the lively city of Trondheim
Cross the Arctic Circle and enter the land of the midnight sun
Take the ferry to the Lofoten archipelago and visit the Lofotr Viking museum
Ride to the most northerly point in Europe at Nordkapp (in time for Paul’s birthday!)
Cross into Finland and ride some of the Trans-Euro Trail route through the forests
Visit Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland and home to Santa Claus!
Say “Hei” to the Silent People at Suomussalmi, before visiting the Winter War Museum close to the Russian border
Wonder at Puijo’s ancient forest, which grows in the middle of the city of Kuopio
Explore Helsinki, the capital of Finland
On to Tallin and visit the moving memorial to the late Joey Dunlop, who died at a road race just outside the city
Ride through the Estonian countryside before crossing into Latvia
Into Lithuania where we visit the Hill of Crosses and the Ninth Fort and on to the old city of Kaunas
Explore the city of Vilnius with its baroque architecture and 16^th century Gate of Dawn
Marvel at Warsaw, a city reborn and meticulously rebuilt after WW2 to revive centuries of Polish culture
On to Krakow and an opportunity to take an unforgettable and moving tour of Auschwitz
Back to riding as we cross the Tatra Mountains and skirt through Slovakia
The fantastic countryside of the Czech Republic and to the beautiful city of Prague
More great riding across Germany, visiting the Eder, Sorpe and Möhne dams as made famous by 617 squadron “The Dambusters”
Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium, the largest and best-preserved underground fortress from the Second World War

Itinerary

Week 1

Our first week starts on the Friday with us gathering for an overnight stay near the Eurotunnel terminal in Folkestone ready for an early morning crossing to the continent. Our first riding day takes us across Belgium and into the Netherlands to our hotel on the banks of the river in Arnhem, close to the infamous John Frost Bridge (rebuilt in 1948) and the Airbourne Museum.

A relatively early start in the morning will see us head deep into Northern Germany and on to Hamburg for our next stop in the centre of the city. The following day we have a ferry to catch from Puttgarden to Rødby in Denmark from where we ride across country and over the Farø Bridge to reach the capital, Copenhagen, where we can visit the Little Mermaid before heading to our hotel in the city.

Tuesday has a real highlight in store as we head across the 5-mile Øresund Bridge and through the 2.5-mile Drogden Tunnel that cross the Øresund straight between Denmark and Sweden, before riding up the coast to ancient seaport city of Gotheburg. Here we will have our first non-riding day to explore this wonderful city, taking in it’s sights and sounds, from the famous fish market at Feskekörka, to the serenity of the Botanical gardens or the lush green of Slottsskogen park with its zoo and moose enclosure, and the excitement of Liseberg, one of Europe’s largest and most popular amusement parks.

Our first week concludes with a ride the along the shore of Lake Vänern, the largest in Sweden, before crossing into Norway and on to the vibrant city of Oslo.

Week 2

Week two begins with a ride north west into the stunningly beautiful south-western region of Norway, with it’s large lakes, forests and mountains to our overnight stay on the banks of the Sognefjord at Ardalstangen.

The following day things start to get even more spectacular, as we ride the mountain roads – including the Tindvegen Pass (as featured on Long Way Home), the Old Strynefjell Mountain Rd – and visit the Dalsnibba viewpoint on the way to the village of Geiranger on the banks of the Geirangerfjord. The epic scenery continues the following day – as does the superb riding – as we ride through the Gudbrandsjuvet gorge, to the viewpoint on the Trollstigen road (closed at time of writing, but due to open in July 2025, which if so, this part of the route will be changed so we ride the whole road!). From here we ride along the coast marvelling at the beauty of the fjiords to the town of Åndalsnes, on the shore of Isfjorden, at the mouth of the river Rauma, at the north end of the Romsdalen valley.

Monday is our second non-riding day, and offers a choice of adventures should you wish – there’s the 3-hour trip on the Golden Train which was voted Europe’s most scenic railway by Lonely Planet, the Romsdalen Gondola which takes you 708 metres above sea level up the Nesaksla Mountain, during which you will get epic views of the surrounding peaks and across the nearby deep fjords – at the top you can explore the hiking paths and dine above the clouds at Eggen Restaurant.

Leaving Åndalsnes on Tuesday morning we take a spectacular ride around the coast to the start of the Atlanterhavsvegen or Atlantic Road – and over the bridges that featured in the last James Bond film, “No Time to Die”. Our overnight stop is the city of Kristiansund, with the traditional wooden houses of Posebyen (the old town), the neo-Gothic Kristiansand Cathedral, Bystranda beach, the 17th-century Christiansholm Fortress rotunda and Fiskebrygga quay, lined with fishmongers selling their catch.

Our second week concludes with the ride east to city of Trondheim where we will have the Thursday off the bikes so we can explore the sights. These include the 11th century gothic Nidaros Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace Museum, the Ringve Museum (a music museum in a former manor house and barn), as well as lively pubs, cafes and shops of the waterfront area and the trendy area of the Bakklandet district with its cobbled streets, well-tended gardens and rows of colourful, old wooden houses overlooking the Nidelven River.

Week 3

Our third week starts with more great riding alongside spectacular fjords with an overnight stop in Overhalla, before we have a day of ferry-hopping as we head further up the coast to the geographic centre of the Helgeland coast at Sandnessjøen.

Sunday will see us cross into the Arctic Circle, visiting the Arctic Circle centre at Mo I Rana before continuing to our stop in Bodø, a European Capital of Culture in 2024. From here we catch the Bodø to Moskenes ferry onto the Lofoten archipelago, where we have a chance to visit the Lofotr Viking museum on our way to Svolvær on the island of Austvågøya and our hotel. Another day of island-hopping takes us to Narvik, a real gem set between the mountain peaks and the deep fjords of the Arctic, and famous for the Battles of Narvik during WWII.

We will have day off the bikes to relax and explore Narvik, perhaps visiting Narvik War Museum (watch the 2023 Netflix film “Narvik” for the story of the battles here), or taking a dog-sledding tour, or a cable-car trip / hike to the lookout at the Mountain Restaurant, which at 656 meters above sea level in Narvikfjellet, delivers a breathtaking panorama.

Back on the bikes on Thursday we have a long riding day to Alta on Norway’s northern coast, at the head of Alta Fjord. The town is known for views of the Northern Lights, which inspired the cascading architecture of the Northern Lights Cathedral, built in 2013.

Week 4

Week four begins with us reaching the top of Europe, as we ride to Nordkapp on Paul’s birthday (14^th August) where we will take a lot of photographs before heading slightly south to our hotel In Honningsvåg.

Saturday will see us start the long ride south, crossing the border into Finland and staying in the village of Karigasniemi at the foot of Mount Ailigás. From here we will pick up parts of the Trans-Euro Trail as we head on easy gravel roads through the forests of northern Finland, via an overnight stop in Tunturitie to Rovaniemi in Lapland. Rovaniemi is famous as the home of Santa Claus, and we will have a rest day here to explore the city and maybe have our first Finnish sauna or visit Arktikum, a museum and science center exploring the Arctic region and the history of Finnish Lapland.

Back on the road again we cut east across Finland to visit the Silent People (don’t Google this or you’ll spoil the surprise!) and on to Suomussalmi, close to the Russian border. The following morning we can visit the Winter War Museum before heading back west towards the Finnish lakes and on to Kuopio, with Puijo Tower in the middle of the forest with its spectacular views and revolving restaurant.

A stunning ride amongst the Finnish lakes takes us via the Ace Corner Finland (the first Ace Café outside of London) to our hotel in Lahti, set amongst an ice-age landscape.

Week 5

Our fifth week begins with a short ride into the Finnish capital, Helsinki, where we will have the afternoon to explore the city. On Sunday morning we take an early ferry to the capital of Estonia, Tallin, where we can visit the memorial to Joey Dunlop, who was sadly killed in practice for a road-race at the Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa circuit on 2^nd July 2000, before heading into the city in time for a little exploring.

On Monday we will ride along the Baltic coast before entering Latvia and making our way to the capital, Riga. A late departure will give us a bit of time to explore the city before making our way into Lithuania, where we will visit the Hill of Crosses and the Night Fort on our way to the old city of Kuanas. We will have another late start so we can explore Kuanas before the short ride to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.

Thursday will be a rest day, giving us time to unwind and explore the city of Vilnius, with its Museum of Occupations and Freedom Struggles, Lukiškės Prison, Gediminas Castle Tower and the Gate of Dawn, or Sharp Gate, a major site of Catholic pilgrimage in Lithuania and one of its most important religious, historical and cultural monuments.

Week 6

Our final full week begins with a long riding day as we head into Poland and on to Warsaw, where we will stay in the city before continuing south-west to Krakow.

A day off here will allow the opportunity for an excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a truly memorable experience that will move you in ways you won’t expect.

Monday will lift your mood again, as we head over the Tatra Mountains and into Slovakia before heading further west into the Czech Republic and our overnight stop in Štramberk, famous for Štramberk ears, an ear-shaped cone of baked gingerbread dough with a bloody history (during the 13^th century, the Tartars invaded the area and cut the ears off their Christian victims to prove to their Khan how many people they had slain).

Tuesday sees more great riding as we make our way to Prague, where we will have our final rest day to explore this beautiful city and the sample its many bars!

Leaving our hangovers behind, we make our way back into Germany and to the picturesque town of Bad Kissingen, where we can visit the thermal baths complex, KissSalis Therme, with its indoor and outdoor pools, a perfect way to conclude the week.

Week 7

Our final few days on the road will see us visit the 3 dams, Eder, Sorne and Möhne, made famous by the exploits of RAF 617 squadron, better known as the Dambusters. An overnight stop at Dortmund sets us up for the ride into Belgium, where we will visit Fort Eben-Amael, the largest underground fort in Europe) before making our way to Lille for our final night together.

A short ride one Sunday takes us to the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais, where we will catch our train back to the UK, where we will say our goodbyes and head home.

Route Map (approx)

Key Facts

Duration	44 days
Distance	6500 miles (approx)
Riding Difficulty	Easy / Moderate
Unpaved Roads	5% (approx. 500 miles)

Accommodation

All accommodation on this tour is booked on a bed & breakfast basis, with all rooms having en-suite bathroom facilities. All hotels are 3* or 4* and we seek out accommodation that is in keeping with the area we are travelling through. As this is a motorcycle tour, our priority is the security of your motorcycle whilst staying at the hotel, and so we prioritise hotels with their own on-site parking.

Rooms are booked on a shared-occupancy basis, but single-occupancy rooms are available for those paying the single-occupancy supplement.

Most hotels will have wi-fi and TV available in the rooms, and many will have a bar and/or restaurant on-site.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

You have the benefit of booking your motorcycle tour with a tour operator with Financial Payment Protection Insurance with Evolution
Insurance Company Limited and your money paid to us in advance is protected in accordance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

Please see our full Tour Terms and Conditions prior to booking.

Before you go

The assurance of booking with a fully insured UK tour operator, acting in accordance with The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, ensuring your money paid in advance is protected.
Participant’s Handbook with all tour information, including route notes, information about the hotels, the roads and the points of interest on the route.
Pre-departure online tour briefing and ongoing access to the Inner Circle Training team.
Loan SD Card with the full .gpx file containing routes and waypoints, suitable for Garmin units (standard Garmin European mapping required)
An electronic copy of the .gpx file for importing into alternative navigation units (routes also available via MyRouteApp if required)

En Route

Hotel bed and breakfast accommodation on a shared basis (unless Single Occupancy Supplement booked).
Standard of accommodation is mainly 3* or 4* hotels. All rooms have private bathrooms. Most hotels have restaurants and bars.
6 evening meals, including your Welcome & Farewell Meal.
Local overnight hotel parking charges, subject to hotels terms and conditions.
Team Tour T-Shirt

Support Crew

Motorcycle Tour Manager on motorcycle, with motorcycle mechanical experience, advanced riding and first aid qualifications

Not Included

Return passenger airline flights, airport transfers or motorcycle freight to get to the start and from the finish point for the tour.
Personal travel, accident and medical insurance (covering matters such as medical expenses, repatriation, cancellation, curtailment, loss or damage to property)
Entrance fees to sights and parks, optional excursions, meals (all except where stated).
Personal spending money, tips, souvenirs or other extras.
Personal documentation (e.g. visas, passport), vaccinations, motorcycle documentation
Fuel, oil & other motorcycle consumables
Toll road fees, traffic fines or other charges relating to breach of the law
Any other item not specifically included in the price.

Flights and Freight

For clarity, this tour starts and finishes in the UK. We do not include your passenger flights or freight of your motorcycle to/from the UK. It is your responsibility to organise your own flights and freight to and from the UK. However, do not book your flights until the tour is designated as a Guaranteed Departure, and you have received email confirmation of this from Inner Circle Training.

Please also refer to our Booking Conditions.

Dates & Prices

Start Date

Friday, 24^th July 2026 (Folkestone, UK)

Finish Date

Sunday, 6^th September 2026 (Folkestone, UK)

Prices:

Rider, Shared Room	£10,995
Rider, Single Room	£14,995
Rider and Passenger, Shared Room	£16,995

Useful Information

What type of bike / tyres do I need?
We recommend that you use a dual purpose / adventure style bike, as the route includes a few days on good quality gravel roads in Finland. Our Tour Manager normally rides a BMW R1250GS and this type of bike is ideal for this tour. What is important is that you have a reliable and robust bike that you are comfortable and confident riding and that it has been properly prepared and fully serviced prior to the start and has new tyres.

We recommend fitting a new set of adventure-style tyres (e.g. Michelin Anakee Adventure, Metzeler Tourance, Mitas Terra Force-R or Enduro Trail-SP) with an 80/20 or 90/10 road/off-road bias. Knobbly tyres are NOT RECOMMENDED as they will not last the distance. We will keep an eye on the weather conditions prior to the sections of gravel road in Finland and reserve the right to diver the route onto asphalt if the conditions are unsuitable (the gravel roads on this route are regularly graded and generally passable even on standard road tyres).

What riding experience do I need?
This is a paved road motorcycle tour, with a couple of days on good quality gravel roads through the forests of Finland totalling less than 500 miles. The tour is exclusively in Europe, where driving standards are generally good, with little traffic once we are in Scandinavia. This tour is suitable for anyone with experience of riding in the UK or Europe, however we recommend all riders take some form of advanced road riding training prior to the tour (contact us for advice).

Do I have to ride in a group?
No! We do not make you ride in convoy, nor do we want you to! We offer you the freedom to decide how you would like to ride. We give you a road book and GPS route files as well as GPS co-ordinates for points of interests and hotels, so you can self-navigate. If you prefer to ride with our Motorcycle Tour Manager, then you can do this – just let them know and be ready to ride at the leave time in the morning.

What is the average group size?
Our groups are a maximum of 16 riders (some riders will have passengers). Most customers are from the UK, but we also get riders from North America and other European countries.

Is this ride suitable for a passenger?
Absolutely. This is mainly a paved road motorcycle tour, with a good standard of accommodation.

Your passenger must ride the motorcycle each touring day, unless you arrange for a local hire car for them to use.

Is there a support vehicle?
No. This is a European-only tour and all riders MUST have European breakdown and recovery insurance. Our Tour Manager will carry basic tools including a puncture-repair kit, but this cannot be guaranteed to fix any issues you may have. You should carry basic spares such as brake and clutch levers (and tools to fit them), as well as a puncture repair kit and any bike-specific tools needed for wheel removal (in the event of punctures requiring wheel removal).

What will the weather be like?
This being a tour that travels from central Europe into the Arctic Circle, temperatures can be expected to vary widely, from high 30s to single-digit degrees C. It is also likely to rain at some point.

The following websites can offer more information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather
http://www.worldclimate.com/

What clothing should I wear on and off the bike?
Your riding kit should therefore use the layering principle, with several thin layers providing options for warmer and colder weather, underneath your motorcycle clothing. An outer waterproof layer is also desirable to keep your main riding jacket / trousers dry. Sturdy, adventure-style motorcycle boots are recommended to reduce the chance of a lower-limb injury in the event of a spill. We recommend you bring a couple of pairs of motorcycle gloves – a thin pair for hot weather and a waterproof pair for colder/wetter conditions.

Regarding clothing to wear off the bike, the old adage “to pack light is to pack right” is the way to go. You will not need posh dressing-up clothes! Outdoor clothes that pack light and dry quickly are ideal, as they can then be washed and dried in your hotel room overnight.

How expensive are the countries we pass through?
Denmark has the highest prices in the Europe, with prices some 45% higher than the EU average (only Iceland and Switzerland have higher prices). Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden are also all slightly above the UK, with the rest of the countries roughly comparable with the UK.

You should budget accordingly, allowing sufficient for your fuel (Norway and Denmark are currently 30p/litre more expensive than the UK) and meals (Denmark is 50% more expensive than the UK, the rest range from 15% cheaper to 15% more expensive). Beer is more expensive in Scandinavia than the UK, but cheaper in the Baltics, Poland, Czech Republic and Germany…

What documents do I need?
You will need your original documents as follows: Passport, Motorcycle Registration Document or Title, Driving Licence from the country of your residence, minimum 3^rd Party Motorcycle Liability Insurance (e.g. Green Card), Travel Insurance Certificate (see below).

You should note that we need to request copies of some of the above documentation, which we may need to refer to in the case of an incident. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.

All the countries on this tour –Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, and Sweden are all in the Schengen Zone and so travel between them is simple, with no formal border crossings.

Visas are not required for UK/EU, citizens. The European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is a new travel authorization system that will be implemented in the last quarter of 2026, requiring travellers from visa-exempt countries, including the UK and United States, to obtain an ETIAS before entering the Schengen area – we will keep you informed should this situation change, however, you are responsible for ensuring you have the necessary visa/ETIAS or other required documentation in order to enter the Schengen Zone. For other nationalities, please check with our preferred visa agency www.thevisamachine.com.

What about my health when I am abroad?
You need to be physically fit and healthy, and also take the necessary health precautions. It is essential for you to consult your doctor or travel clinic for up-to-date medical travel information prior of travel, particularly if you have a pre-existing medical condition. For up-to-date medical advice you may wish to use the Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad “MASTA” https://www.masta-travel-health.com/ , the NHS website http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx or NaTHNaC https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/ .

You will be obliged to disclose any medical condition or medication that you are taking to Inner Circle Training in advance and to your Tour Manager at the start of your Tour, for health and safety reasons. We will provide you with our Emergency Details Form for this purpose, and to collect information about who to contact for you in the event of an emergency.

Do I need Travel / Medical Insurance?
It is a condition of you travelling with us that you are adequately insured. Your insurance policy must cover you for the costs of any medical expenses, medical treatment or repatriation needed, due to injury or illness on this trip, including those that occur whilst motorcycle touring, either as the rider or a passenger. It is important that your insurance company understands that the MAIN PURPOSE of your trip is motorcycle touring, using your own large capacity cc motorcycle or a rental motorcycle. Your insurance must cover you for the full duration of the trip and for all countries we travel through.

In addition, we strongly recommend that your insurance policy has cover for loss or damage to your personal belongings, delay at your outward or homeward point of departure, personal liability, overseas legal expenses and cancellation and curtailment.

We also strongly recommend that you take out your travel insurance at the time of booking your trip as cover will commence for pre-departure cancellation from the policy issue date. This will therefore provide cover should you have to cancel your trip for an insured reason such as illness or serious injury. We do not refund your deposit simply because you failed to take out insurance in sufficient time.

Are all the countries on the tour safe?
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) (www.fco.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice ) monitors overseas destinations and provides destination travel advice for UK nationals. Inner Circle Training monitors the advice from the FCO in the interests of your safety and security, changes may be made to your Tour based on any FCO warnings given.

We strongly recommend that you read the information about the country you are planning to visit to be fully informed – each country has a summary and general information as well as advice on safety & security, local laws & customs, entry requirements and health, and road conditions.

There are currently no warnings or travel restrictions in place about travel to the countries listed in the itinerary.

If you are not a UK national please make sure you have checked your own country’s travel advice for your destination/s: The US Department of State: http://travel.state.gov Canadian Foreign Affairs: www.voyage.gc.ca Australian Government Travel Advice: www.smartraveller.gov.au NZ Government Travel Advice: www.safetravel.govt.nz .

What about local currency?
Most countries on the tour use the Euro (1£ = 1.17€ at time of writing), except for the following:

- - Denmark – Krone (currently 1£ = 8.74 Krone)
  - Czech Republic – Koruna (currently 1£ = 29.52 Koruna)
  - Norway – Krone (currently 1£ = 13.94 Krone)
  - Poland – Zloty (currently 1£ = 5.00 Zloty)
  - Sweden – Krona (currently 1£ = 12.80 Krona)

The latest exchange rates can be found at:

http://www.oanda.com/
http://www.travelex.co.uk/

Minimum Numbers
We require a minimum number of 6 riders on this tour. If we do not have this number of bookings, then we reserve the right to cancel the tour. If we have to cancel the tour we will provide you a minimum of 84 days notice prior to departure.

Booking

This tour is still being finalised, to register your interest or to discuss, please call Paul on 07747 761059.