FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

To confirm your place on a trip, we ask for a 20% of the total trip cost as a deposit.

Absolutely! Many of our riders do.

Yep! You can view our contract (which covers guided and self-guided tours) here:

• Rental Contract – English
• Rental Contract – Spanish

Our guided tours are led by a professional English-speaking local tour guide who takes care of any upcoming issues and ensures you can relax and enjoy the journey!

Depending on spending habits your budget for the trip should range from $250-500.

The local currency is the Bolivian Boliviano (BOB). Credit card payments are not very common in Bolivia, so we recommend that you bring cash (USD) with you, which you can exchange at the beginning of the trip and later in larger cities.

Each route is different but most are primarily tarmac with sections on dusty or dirt roads, some of which are of medium difficulty.

We understand that sometimes unexpected things happen and you may no longer be able to go on the trip you’ve booked. In this instance, your options are:

• Defer your deposit to a future trip
• Apply for a partial refund

Our policy for returning deposits is as follows:

• Cancellation more than 120 days before Day 1 of the trip = refund of 75% deposit
• Cancellation more than 90 days before Day 1 of the trip = refund of 50% deposit.
• Cancellation less than 90 days before Day 1 of the trip = no refund

Drinking tap water in Bolivia is not safe outside of Santa Cruz. Tap water is only recommended for showering and washing hands. To avoid health problems, only drink bottled water and use it for brushing your teeth as well. By following general health and hygiene rules, the chances of getting sick are very small.

Yes, it is included in the price and the group leaders will take care of it.

From time to time Bolivia faces fuel shortages. We do our best to avoid being impacted by carrying spare fuel with us but it is possible that we have to make adjustments to our plans due to fuel supply issues.

We cannot provide official information regarding vaccinations because of the specific medical history, physical condition, and other factors of each traveler determine the necessary vaccinations.

• Yellow Fever – please take special notice of sections pertaining to proof of yellow fever vaccination.
• Malaria – while there is a low-risk of malaria in some areas, infection is extremely rare.

For up to date information on health and vaccinations, please consult Travel Health Pro

 For up to date information on visa requirements, please go to: Bolivia Hop

We recommend using an altitude sickness prevention medication (e.g. Acetazolamide) in preparation for the higher altitudes we will experience in places such as Sucre, Potosi, Uyuni and La Paz.

Once symptoms of altitude sickness set-in it can be too late to treat them without hospitalization. As such, we recommend taking medication to prevent the onset of symptoms from the beginning of your tour in Santa Cruz.

Ordinarily, we require a minimum of two riders to go ahead with a scheduled trip. If you’ve paid a deposit on a trip and we haven’t gotten enough other people confirmed, we’ll refund the deposit in full, or we can reschedule your trip to another date. However, if you would prefer a private trip, let us know and we can arrange a custom price to go ahead with a smaller tour.

We are fully transparent with our costs for trips. To join us on a trip, you are expected to pay:

• The full cost of the trip as displayed on the website
• A one-off cash $1,000 (USD) damage deposit per motorcycle at the beginning of a trip.

Full details of our damage deposit policy are included in the rental contract:

• Rental Contract – English
• Rental Contract – Spanish

Yep! You need to have a motorcycle driving license valid for a 500cc motorbike (at least).

Please ensure you always carry your ID and motorcycle license with you on the trip. We recommend having a photo of your passport, ID, and license on your phone in case of loss.

Usually, we require a minimum of two customer to go ahead with a scheduled trip, but the total number on any given trip can be up to 10.

Where we two riders or less we may decide to run the trip without support truck. If so, we will ensure you have plenty of notice. When riding unsupported we carry tools and vital spares on our guide bike and provide you with plenty of luggage to transport your belongings.

Novo has two kinds of insurance:

• SOATs (the government mandated 3rd party liability insurance for vehicles in Bolivia).
• Private insurance for all its motorcycles (for collisions, accidents, damage to the bike, hospitalisation, etc. above the minimal SOAT coverage).

Absolutely! We ask each client to purchase their own private travel/medical insurance covering motorcycle usage, before the start of the tour. We also ask for contact details of a family member or friend in case of an incident.

Our motorcycles are inspected to the highest standard before the start of every tour. While on the trip, every day we carefully check for any possible problems to ensure the motorcycles are safe to ride for the next leg of the trip.

On every trip, we come equipped with two first aid kits – one in the support truck and one carried on the guide bike. We maintain a strict formation so that the guide is always at the front of the group and the support truck is always behind, ensuring staff are ready on either side of the group to aid when needed.

The support truck always has at least one passenger seat available, as well as the ability to carry a motorcycle in the unlikely event a rider is injured or is no longer able to ride that day.

We aim to stay in the best available accommodation in each location. In some places this is 4-star modern hotels. In others, authentic guest houses in the countryside, including (depending on your route) a hotel in the old telegraph house, where Che Guevara surrendered. There be one night on your trip where the only options is a simple, small-town hotel.

You shouldn’t worry, the back-up van with the mechanic is always the last one on the road, just park your bike on the side of the road, wait for him and enjoy the stunning scenery while he repairs your bike. Usually he can fix anything within 15 mins. The head of the group will wait for you at the next resting stop.

Between towns mobile internet access can be patchy. In towns and cities there is excellent mobile internet access. In almost all of the hotels you’ll have a proper wifi connection.

Unless stated otherwise, the trip includes all food and water from day 2 (the day after ‘arrival day’), to the day before ‘leaving day’. It covers gasoline, accommodation and any necessary flights within Bolivia. It also covers the motorcycle rental, access to the support truck & mechanic, and the trip guide.

We do not cover the cost of any alcohol because different clients will drink different amounts over the course of the trip. However, some trips choose to create a ‘drinks pool’, where everyone contributes an agreed amount at the beginning of the trip to cover any alcohol purchases throughout the tour.

We do not cover your flights to or from Bolivia but we’re happy to help you find the best deals!

We do not cover any food or drink on or before the ‘arrival day’ or on or after the ‘leaving day’ as specified in your trip itinerary. This is because the logistics are simply too difficult, with people arriving and leaving at different times.

Our tours are designed for our clients to see the most of Bolivia’s highlights possible, experiencing a great deal in just a couple of weeks.

We also offered a self-guided option. For this, we leave the planning of routes, hotels, food, and everything else up to you. We provide the motorcycles and a mechanic with a support truck.

We also organize custom tours for groups who have a specific itinerary in mind but would like us to take care of hotels, restaurants, etc.

All your luggage will be transported in our support truck, keeping it locked, safe, and dry at all times. You can relax on your motorcycle without worrying about strapping anything down.

However, if you want to carry a few odds & ends on your bike, we can provide bungee straps as required. We do not allow the use of tank bags, as they tend to scratch up the motorcycle tanks.

We recommend at least 2 bags. The big bag travels in or on the back-up van so don’t bring your expensive suitcases (you can pack them in and out every day at the accommodations) and bring a backpack that can hold a few extra layers of clothes, water, camera, and any personal items you need during the day.

As an absolute minimum, you will need to bring your own helmet (preferably ECE rated). However, we strongly recommend you also bring the following: riding boots (preferably with ankle & shin protection), riding gloves, reinforced jeans or riding trousers, and a motorcycle jacket. This is to ensure your safety throughout the tour.

In addition, it’s worth knowing that our trips cover a massive variety of terrains and climates, so having waterproof gear, warm layers, and the ability to strip down into breathable layers will be very beneficial.

Bolivia is a challenging country to traverse by motorcycle, but don’t let that put you off! We have had people with very little motorcycle experience come and successfully do tours and we feel confident our tours can be done and enjoyed by riders of all skill levels.

The Royal Enfield Himalayans are a great bike for both beginners and experienced riders, as they sit fairly low and have great stability, as well as a smaller engine that won’t run away from you with an accidental twist of the throttle.