Cycling from the Arctic Ocean to Panama City, the North American Epic, will take you through 9 countries and countless variations in landscape, culture, language, cuisine and roads. We’ll experience Inuit culture in the far north, the hospitality of the indigenous people of Chiapas state in Mexico, the vast tundra of the Arctic and the endless beaches of El Salvador’s Pacific Coast.
Type | Tour bike |
Duration | 166 days |
Level | Moderate to Challenging |
Support | Guided |
Total distance | 8647 mi / 13915 km |
Group size | Min.10 max. 45 |
Lodging | Camping, hotels |
Bicycle | Bring your own |
Month | July, August, September, October, November, December 2025 |
Start | Tuktoyaktuk |
Finish | Panama City |
States or country | Canada, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama |
Airport start | Inuvik Airport YEV |
Airport finish | Tocumen International Airport PTY |
*Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability *
Starting on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, the riders of the North American Epic will head across the expansive tundra, with a chance to spot moose, caribou, grizzly bears, peregrine falcons and golden eagles. They will ferry across the mighty MacKenzie, one of the world’s longest rivers. Pedal across the Arctic Circle and visit the historic Gold Rush town of Dawson City. This section ends in Whitehorse alongside the Yukon River where thousands of fortune hunters trekked and sailed north during the 1890s.
The second section of this epic ride follows close to 1400 km of the scenic Alaska Highway. This road was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous USA to Alaska. Riders can also expect more opportunities to see large wildlife, such as buffalo and moose, as they head to a relaxing rest day in Fort Nelson.
In Fort St. John the second section ends and the third begins with riders pushing towards the resort towns of Jasper, and a little further down the road, Banff. Riding the world-famous Icefields Parkway past Mt Edith Cavell, the Columbia Icefields and serene Lake Louise. It will be hard for cyclists not to stop every kilometer or so to stand in awe of their surroundings.
After some rest the group heads out from Banff towards the Canada-USA border. It’s time to seek more open space, more wildlife and less human population. Montana, one of the least-densely populated states, is next on the trip as riders pedal on to Helena.
From Helena to Moab, from the forests of the north to the deserts of the south. Riders will watch the landscape change as they begin their ride along the continental divide. The next 2 sections, The Great Divide & Canyonlands, will take riders down the middle of the United States and across the paths of multiple national parks and bucket-list monuments.
The route takes you along fabled highways and through stunning vistas. The tour is scheduled so that riders spend their well-deserved rest days near amazing national parks where they can wander among the fins, spires, pinnacles, arches, and balanced rocks that make the area so unique.
Carved over the years by the wind and water, Arches National Park & Canyonland National Park inspire a sense of wonder among all who visit. Additional rest days provide the opportunity to visit Yellowstone Park where riders will likely see herds of bison, fields of hot springs and the world’s most renowned geyser, Old Faithful.
The cyclists’ time in the USA is almost over by the time they reach Yuma, Arizona and suddenly it will be time for another border crossing. Welcome to Mexico and welcome to the beach! Margaritas, sun and some beach camping will make a fine change for weary riders. A couple weeks down the Baja California peninsula ends at the beautiful beaches of Cabo San Lucas.
From there, riders fly to Puerto Vallarta to begin the next section of the tour, Conquistadores. Over the next two weeks riders will pedal deeper into the culture of Mexico. As they make their way towards the capital there are plenty of opportunities to explore the country’s history. Such as the colonial towns of Guanajuato State, including rest days at the heritage sites of old Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. The historic monument zone of Queretaro city is worth a visit, before we cycle as a Convoy de los Conquistadores y Cyclistas into Mexico City.
A couple days later the riders will continue their Mexican cycling experience, passing through Oaxaca, one of the country’s most fascinating cities and on into the State of Chiapas, renown for the 1994 Zapatista uprising.
The tourist mecca of San Cristobal de las Casas will provide a last taste of Mexican culture before the cyclists cross the border into Guatemala and a rest day at the incomparably beautiful Lake Atitlan. The final stretch will see the riders pedal into El Salvador and the end of the section on the windswept beaches of the Pacific Coast.
The last section of this incredible cycling expedition sees the riders dragging themselves away from El Salvador’s world famous surf for a one day stop on Honduras’ Tiger Island. Next up is Nicaragua with stops in Leon and Granada, two stunning colonial towns.
Before they know it, they will find themselves sunning themselves on the white sand beaches of Costa Rica. Refreshed they now head south along the coast before turning up into the Talamanca Mountain Range and a final rest day un the shadow of Panama’s highest peak, Volcan Baru.
Finally, the cyclists will spin toward, and then across, the amazing Panama Canal before and the end of this unbelievable two-wheeled journey. After celebrating with some cervezas it is time to say goodbye to the friends we have made, pack up our bikes and head for the airport enriched with memories to last a lifetime.
* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.
Bring you own bike
For this tour, we recommend a touring bike with one set of 35-40c tires and one set of 45-50c tires.
Bring your own bike
Make sure you bring a bicycle that is appropriate for your tour, and in excellent working order. If you intend to use your current bicycle, it needs to be fully tuned, cleaned and ready to go. Ideally, get your bike shop to do an overhaul of your entire bike three to four weeks before your departure. Have them inspect, and if necessary replace, the drive train, pedals and bottom bracket for wear.
Choosing a bicycle for long distance touring
This is the most common question we get asked by people contemplating a bicycle tour with us. For any cycle tourist – whether in a group or going solo, and cycling the smooth cycleways of western Europe or thru the rugged back roads of South America – choosing an appropriate bike for the tour is no easy task
Three Basic Types To help you make the right choice, we have broken down your options into the three most suitable options.
1. Mountain Bike with Front Suspension A ‘hard tail mountain bike’ is the most versatile choice for any bike tour. It provides suspension and relative comfort for the off roads, and with a thinner set of tires it provides a decent ride on paved roads. The drawback is that it will be a little slower, a little heavier, and a little less efficient than other bikes on pavement. Having locking front suspension is useful, as you can ‘lock out’ on the smooth roads and engage the suspension on the rougher roads. This bike is the most common choice on tours crossing rugged terrain.
PROS: versatility, durability, and comfort
CONS: less efficient on smooth roads, less mounts for panniers, more complicated parts
2. Cyclocross or Touring Bike Cyclocross bikes are becoming more and more popular among cycle travelers, as they combine the ruggedness of a mountain bike, with the speed and efficiency of a road bike. These are quite similar in style and form to classic touring bikes. While cyclocross/touring bikes do accommodate wider off road tires they do not have suspension, and riders may be seriously challenged on the rougher off-road sections. Touring bikes, moreso than cyclocross bikes will have excellent mounts for racks and extra water bottles. Both these bikes are a good choice for places with better roads or on any tour where speed is more important to you than comfort.
PROS: efficient on the smooth roads, while still rugged enough for the rougher roads
CONS: no suspension, less comfort
3 Hybrid Bicycle This bike has the same wheel size as a cyclocross bike, but with straight handlebars instead of road style drop bars. Hybrids sometimes have front suspension and suspension in the seatpost. Hybrids are designed more for comfort and leisure than for performance, and have more of an upright sitting position. This is a very popular style of bike for European cycling trips, that also works well in other places.
PROS: comfort, good mounts for racks and bottles
CONS: not always designed for rugged terrain
Consider your Riding Style: What type of rider are? Do you like to sit upright to have a full view and worry little about speed? Or do you like to be tucked into an aerodynamic position and go as fast as you can, and as efficiently as you can? This will help you narrow down your options very quickly.
North American Epic
105 Nights in hotels
61 Nights of camping, bring your own camping gear
129 riding day, 34 rest days, 2 travel day
Note:
We advise booking at least 1 additional night at tour accommodation before the tour, to be able to attend rider briefing and have assistance from tour bike mechanic in setting up your bike.
Tour price 2025: $ 33,050.- pp Single fee, double occupancy rooms on hotel nights, we pair each rider with others of same gender. Ask us for bookings details.
It is also possible to cycle one or more sections
Tour date 2025:
10 Jul – 21 Dec, limited space available
Next North American Epic will not take place until 2028!
Deposit $300.00
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price
Some long and tough days with shorter less challenging days mixed in. Environment (sometimes including wind and heat) and terrain (including some significant climbing) are more of a factor. Some unexpected challenges may creep in from time to time.
Gear / equipment:
Two duffel bags (max 110L each)
Basic spare bike parts
Tent and camp gear