On the West Route by enduro to Cape Town

Motorcycle trips · Africa

Transafrica Expedition West: Enduro to Cape Town

This motorcycle expedition crosses roughly 15,000 kilometres across Africa. On the West Route you ride from Southern Europe through Morocco and Senegal to Cape Town. The route links desert, Sahel and rainforest into one of the most demandin...


How long?
55 days
When?
Winter
Price
€ 17.199 / person

At a glance

The key facts of this tour

Duration
55 days
Distance
15.000 km
Terrain
On- & off-road
Guiding
Guided
Start
Southern Europe
Finish
Cape Town
Group
8–12
Support vehicle
Yes

Character of the trip

  • Nature 5/5
  • Culture 4/5
  • Riding difficulty 4/5
Motorcycle
Own travel enduro or Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally (rental)

On the West Route by enduro to Cape Town

Two routes cross Africa by motorcycle: the East Route mostly follows built-up roads, while the West Route forces you through regions where fuel, infrastructure and border formalities change by the day. From Southern Europe you cross the High Atlas into the Sahara, then follow the Atlantic coast through the Sahel and the rainforests of West Africa. In the Congo Basin you cross the world's second-largest rainforest, before Angola and Namibia open the drier, faster stretch to Cape Town. You ride your own travel enduro or a rented Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally, as a one-way trip.

Highlights

West Route through Africa

About 15,000 kilometres lead from Southern Europe through Morocco, Mauritania and Nigeria to Cape Town, linking the Atlantic coast, Sahara and rainforest into one long line across the continent.

Enduro to Cape Town

Twenty countries, desert tracks and countless border crossings lie between the start and Table Mountain. Rider and machine are challenged anew every day, all the way to the southern tip of Africa.

Own enduro or rental

For the crossing of Africa you start with your own travel enduro or rent a fully equipped Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally, including luggage system and navigation, as a one-way trip all the way to Cape Town.

Guide and satellite link

An experienced expedition leader accompanies you on site and online. Via a satellite tracker you stay permanently connected, and relatives receive a weekly status of the group on request.

Visas and border logistics

On this expedition the team supports you with visas, the Carnet de Passage and the many border crossings, so the paperwork stays manageable while you focus on the track and the terrain ahead.

01 / 05

Transparently calculated

Services

All services of this motorcycle trip at a glance — a transparent breakdown of what is and isn't included in the tour price.

Included in the price

11
  • Pre-trip meeting to prepare for the expedition
  • Online tour guide, reachable via satellite tracker
  • Use of a satellite phone or guide's phone en route
  • Location and status updates for relatives (on request)
  • Maps for the crossing of Africa
  • Support with visa questions including a checklist
  • Tour folder with travel information for preparation
  • Equipment and packing list
  • Post-trip meeting of the expedition
  • Support with the Carnet de Passage
  • Expedition entry fee

Not included

5
  • Hotel or camping accommodation
  • All-in package of PR Services (optional, 2,999 euros)
  • Restaurant and bar visits, and drinks
  • Return transport of the vehicle, Carnet de Passage, visas
  • Anything not explicitly listed as a service

Included are the pre-trip meeting, an online tour guide reachable via satellite tracker, use of a satellite phone en route, location and status updates for relatives, maps, support with visa questions, a tour folder, equipment and packing list, the post-trip meeting, support with the Carnet de Passage, and the expedition entry fee. Not included are accommodation, restaurant and bar visits, return transport of the vehicle, and the Carnet de Passage and visa fees themselves.

On the road

Who leads this tour

An experienced expedition leader accompanies the group on site throughout, backed by an online guide reachable via satellite tracker. Excluded from the continuous connection are individual regions such as Congo, DR Congo and Angola.

Meet our team

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No, transporting your own motorcycle from southern Germany to Spain costs an extra 500 euros or so.

You get support with organising it; visas are available in Dakar, Senegal, among other places.

Yes, this expedition is inherently dangerous. Read the Foreign Office travel warnings before booking.

Unofficially, this is possible depending on space, but at your own risk, since the vehicle carries diesel and petrol.

Well suited are the Yamaha Ténéré 700, the KTM 890 Adventure R, or the Honda Africa Twin.
Motourismo rider on a travel enduro

Start in Südeuropa, Ziel Kapstadt: Auf der West-Route bleibt das Ankommen selbst Teil der Herausforderung.

Keep travelling

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