Eurasia Travel Report – 31 July 2026 Tour

CHAPTER 01

The Journey Begins

Our opening days took us through the changing landscapes and cultures of southeastern Europe. Evenings in Ljubljana and Belgrade offered the group time to explore, enjoy local food and get to know one another away from the motorcycles and expedition vehicles.

The European stages also delivered some excellent riding, with winding mountain roads, green hills and historic landmarks along the route. As the kilometres accumulated, the group began to settle into the rhythm of life on the road.

2–4 August 2026

CHAPTER 02

Riding East

Arriving in Istanbul marked one of the first major milestones. Few cities capture the spirit of a journey between continents quite like this one. Its mosques, bustling markets and lively streets provided a memorable contrast to our days on the road.

Crossing from Europe into Asia was more than a geographical milestone. Beyond Istanbul, Türkiye revealed another side of the expedition. The historic towns of Safranbolu and Amasya, followed by the varied landscapes of Anatolia, offered a mixture of cultural discoveries and rewarding riding.

This part of the journey was about more than covering distance. It was also about taking the time to experience the places we passed through.

7–9 August 2026

CHAPTER 03

Roadside Discoveries and Aktau

Continuing east, the expedition reached Georgia, with Tbilisi providing another memorable stop along the way. The Caucasus brought a change of scenery and a sense that the journey was entering an entirely new chapter.

Following the Caspian crossing, the group arrived in Aktau, Kazakhstan. While waiting for the expedition vehicles to arrive, everyone had the opportunity to explore the city, enjoy some sightseeing and discover more of the local culture. It was a welcome change of pace, with time to experience the destination and enjoy moments together before continuing the adventure across Central Asia.

10–19 August 2026

CHAPTER 04

Shared Moments and the Silk Road

Kazakhstan brought a dramatic change of scale. Open landscapes stretched toward the horizon, with horses and camels appearing beside the road. After the cities, mountains and busy roads of Europe and Türkiye, travelling through these vast spaces offered a completely different experience.

The journey continued toward the historic cities of the Silk Road, including Samarkand, where extraordinary architecture and centuries of history provided another contrast to the long riding days.

22–27 August 2026

Entering China: a first stop in Kashgar

Kashgar gave us plenty to explore once the vehicles were parked. In the old town, illuminated facades lit the streets after dark. Market stalls were piled with produce, enamel teacups crowded a stove, and pomegranates filled a shopfront. It was a city to enjoy on foot before returning to the road.

There were meals around a shared table, too, with dishes spread out between the group. After the miles through Central Asia, it was good to sit down and enjoy our first stop in China. For us, that is an important part of travelling together: making room for the places between the riding days.

Onto the Tibetan Plateau

Beyond Kashgar, the route led into open mountain country. Construction made a few days more demanding, but the group came through together and continued onto the Tibetan Plateau.

Snow lay beside the higher roads, prayer flags stretched across the passes, and yaks grazed close to the tarmac. Bare mountainsides gave way to bands of red and gold. Between the broad valleys and the peaks above them, there was a lot to take in from the saddle.

Tibet: Everest, monasteries and Lhasa

At Everest Base Camp, we were fortunate with the weather. Mount Everest stood clearly above the valley, its snow-covered face visible beneath a blue sky. Cloud can hide the mountain completely, so this was far from guaranteed. Seeing it so clearly was one of the great highlights of the expedition.

Our time in Tibet also brought us into its Buddhist culture through visits to monasteries. Painted doorways opened onto courtyards, and richly coloured decoration filled the buildings. There was detail everywhere, from the carved woodwork to the prayer flags outside.

In Lhasa, busy streets and squares brought a different rhythm to the days. People gathered around the temples, while the white and red walls of the Potala Palace rose above the city. After the open spaces of the plateau, there was pleasure in simply being among the life of the streets again.

Lhasa was where some participants completed their tour. After weeks on the same route, it was time to say goodbye to travelling companions. To everyone finishing here: thank you for sharing this stretch of Eurasia with us. The rest of the group continued south.

Into Yunnan: Shangri-La, the gorge and Dali

Yunnan brought greener valleys and a change of pace. In Shangri-La, we had time to explore a place with a sense of timelessness about it. After the long stretches across the plateau, it was good to slow down and enjoy being there before continuing towards Lijiang.

At Tiger Leaping Gorge, the mountainsides rose steeply around us, their slopes cut by deep folds and gullies. After the broad horizons of Tibet, this was a different kind of mountain scenery: greener, closer and filling the view ahead.

Dali brought us back to lively streets, with the tall pagodas rising against the mountains. It was also our second finishing point, where more participants completed their tour. For them, this was the last stop after a long stretch across the map. To everyone saying goodbye in Dali: thank you for being part of it.

For the remaining travellers, there were two routes ahead. One group continued towards Shanghai, with roughly another week on the road. The other headed towards Bangkok, with around three more weeks through northern Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Those were the plans as this stage came to a close. We will follow both groups as they continue.