50th Anniversary Easyrider Movie Tour

Information

Package overview

2019 marks the 50th Anniversary of a movie that inspired generations of riders by making the freedom of the open road synonymous with motorcycle riding. To celebrate this iconic movie we are is bringing back the popular Easyrider Movie Tour for two select dates in 2019. Space will be very limited, and spots will fill up fast, so be sure to reserve your spot today as we trace the route that “Captain America” and “Billy” rode from Los Angeles to New Orleans, and all parts between

Included in this package

All hotel accommodation
Late model motorcycle rental
Unlimited mileage
Free fuel and oil
“Welcome” and “Farewell” dinners
Helmets for driver and passenger
Daily breakfast
Professional tour leaders
Support vehicle equipped with spare bike and room for additional luggage
All taxes, fees and environmental surcharges
National park entrance fees
Hotel parking fees
Discounted activities
One Way Transfer fees (when applicable)
Transportation between the hotel and the EagleRider location
Custom riding jacket

NOT included in this package

Flights
Personal souvenirs
Beverages
Food and snacks (except welcome and farewell meals, as described)
Tips
Personal travel insurance (see below)
EVIP insurance (see below)
Supplemental Liability Insurance (see below)

Additional info

If a person decides to travel without any travel insurance cover, they do so explicitly at their own risk, against our advice, and are deemed to absolve Celtic Horizon Tours Ltd, its employees, agents, suppliers and various affiliates of all and any responsibility and/or liability.
The prices shown are in respect of 2 pax + 1 bike sharing a twin / double room. Prices are also available on request for 2 pax + 2 bikes sharing a twin / double room, or 1 pax + 1 bike staying in a single room.

Extras

2 persons / 1 bike / 1 room from €3,799 pps
2 persons / 2 bikes / 1 room from €4,999 pps
1 person / 1 bike / 1 room from €6,799

Insurance is a very important matter for everybody travelling by motorcycle. We feel therefore, that it is important that you clearly understand matters and set out the relevant information below.

1. Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI)

All packages include a basic insurance for which the amount of cover varies from State to State. We strongly recommend that you give very serious consideration to taking the optional SLI as this increases your Liability Insurance Benefit up to US$1million. This insurance protects the renter against claims made by a Third Party for bodily injury and/or property damage sustained as a result of an accident.

2. EVIP Insurance

This policy is applicable to the motorcycle ONLY. It limits the liability of the renter:

in the event of any and all accidental damage to the motorcycle and its accessories.
the loss/theft of the vehicle provided the motorcycle was locked with all locks provided by the rental company.
in the event of mechanical breakdown requiring repair for more than 12 hours, the renter is provide with up to $75/day for a replacement rental + refund of daily rate.
covers the cost of tire repair/labour, but towing is NOT covered.
A Security Deposit of $300 will be taken upon collection of the motorcycle

IMPORTANT: A police report is required for all damages or accidents. All damages to rented motorcycle without a police report is considered the Renter’s fault.

3. Personal Travel Insurance

Your travel insurance policy must include repatriation to Ireland of patients by Air Ambulance or other medically approved means of transportation where it is deemed as preferable by the Medical Adviser of the Insurance Underwriters.

Please check closely the terms of cover provided by any travel insurance policy that you are offered or already hold. In our experience, most policies only provide cover for motorcycles up to 125cc which is not sufficient as most motorcycle models in use on the EagleRider tours range between 1200cc and 1800cc.

Celtic Horizon Tours will be happy to assist in obtaining quotations for suitable travel insurance cover should you require our assistance in this matter.

What to Bring

Warm Weather Riding Gear

* Mesh Riding Jacket
* Neck Cooler/ Bandana
* Hydration Pack

Cold Weather Riding Gear

* Leather Jacket
* Wind Proof Jacket
* Wind Proof Pants

Wet Weather Riding Gear

* Waterproof Jacket
* Waterproof Pants

Protective Riding Gear

* Goggles
* Sun Glasses
* Riding Boots
* Riding Gloves

FAQ

How many people are in a group?

We allow a maximum of 15 bikes per group. At rare occasions there can be a few more bikes but if the number exceeds 15 we may add a second tour guide on a motorcycle to the group.

Will I receive some kind of information about my tour before I arrive?

A road book for each specific tour will be sent to you via email as a pdf file; the book contains all important and necessary information about your tour, route, general information, etc.

Will there be enough photo stops on a guided tour?

While one just likes to ride and is hardly to be kept off his bike another may want to stop every five minutes to get this very special photo shot. We try to find a good average of stops to accommodate everyone’s needs.

Can I book additional nights before or after the tour through Celtic Horizon Tours?

Yes, we are happy to book additional accommodation before or after the tour for you. Please be aware that once an additional reservation has been made any changes or cancellation will result in a €50 handling fee per occurrence. Reservations for additional nights must be made at time of booking.

What is the weather going to be like?

If you’ve all been good the weather will be too…honestly, we can never be certain; this is one factor on our tours that we still haven’t been able to influence. In general you can say that during mid summer months you have a 90% chance of staying dry and hot weather on any of our tours. It’ll always be a little cool along the west coast and you can always expect some rain along Route 66. Please come prepared, bring your raingear and a variety of clothing to be armed for all weather conditions.

Do I have to wear a helmet?

For your own safety we require you to wear a helmet at all times when you ride a motorcycle.

Do all bikes have a windshield?

The only models that are equipped with a windshield are Electra Glide, Road Glide, Road King and Heritage Softail, and BMW. Especially during mid summer you will face very hot temperatures on your rides. A windshield will not only hold off dust and stones but also keep away direct hot air to your body.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Los Angeles CA - Arrival 0 mls

Departure Dates:

22nd May, 2019
18th Sept, 2019

No of touring days: 15 days
No of nights in package: 14 nights
Arriving airport: Los Angeles CA
Departing airport: New Orleans LA

Please note you arrive back in Ireland the day after the last day of the tour.

Welcome to Los Angeles, the City of Angels. Take some time to enjoy a relaxing afternoon by the pool and enjoy the sights of L.A. before meeting up with your fellow riders at 4pm in the hotel lobby. We’ll crack our first cold drink together before heading to our favorite local watering holes for a bite to eat and a few cold drinks. There is simply no better way to get to know the people you will be sharing the road with for the next two weeks than by breaking bread and twisting a few caps together. Wyatt and Billy wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Day 2 - Los Angeles CA - Death Valley CA 292 mls

Today we burn a lot of miles, but they fly by with anticipation of what lies ahead. After picking up our bikes in Los Angeles, we’ll ride just one mile down the road to the spot near LAX where the infamous drug deal that funded their journey was filmed. From there, we point our bikes north, toward the vast, unforgiving expanse of Death Valley. The high deserts and low valleys of California hold a lot of Easy Rider secrets, and you’ll experience them all. This is where Billy and Wyatt started their trip, and there are stories to tell and buildings still standing that look like they did in the movie more than forty years ago. Tonight we will enjoy a bonfire at our hotel, as we share a drink, tell a few wild stories, and pass around the guitar under a blanket of the thickest stars you have ever seen. There is nothing quite like spending the night in Death Valley.

Day 3 - Death Valley, CA - Needles CA 178 mls

In the cool of the Death Valley morning we will start our ride towards the famous Route 66 town of Barstow like Billy and Wyatt did in the movie. For those of you who want to give yourselves fully to the Easy Rider experience, we’ll stop along a lonely stretch of road in front of a very familiar building outside of Ballarat, California just long enough for you to have one last look at your watch before you leave it forever in a cloud of dust on the roadside as you rumble away towards the Mojave Desert. Between Death Valley and Needles lies the vast expanse of the Mojave Desert—one of the loneliest places on the planet, and still dotted by remnants of small Route 66 towns that struggle to cling to life long after the great Western Migration of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression subsided. We continue our journey with Wyatt and Captain America along one of the most desolate stretches of Route 66 in America. This part of America looks just like it did in 1969, as we past abandoned motels, old gas stations, and roadside mailboxes without a home in sight. You are in the heart of the Mojave today, and you can almost feel Easy Rider in your blood. The feeling of freedom is washing over you like desert rain as you roar down a road so long and straight that your eyes won’t let you see the end. We’ll end our day with a swim in the warm waters of the Colorado River before finding some mischief to get into in town. Needles was an overnight for the crew during the filming of the movie, and our Easy Rider historians will share some behind the scenes knowledge as we make our way on foot through town.

Day 4 - Needles CA - Flagstaff AZ 216 mls

This morning we leave Needles, crossing the mighty Colorado River on Route 66. You’ll see the spot of the famous bridge crossing from Easy Rider. Later, we will ride through the “Old West” town of Oatman, Arizona, where the ghosts of gold miners past and their wild burrows still roam the streets. Then it is onto more Easy Rider movie locations as we climb into the pine trees of the Sacred Mountains, where Billy and Wyatt were denied a room for the night at the beginning of the movie. The Pine Breeze Inn, made famous from that opening scene in the movie still stands today, and we will stop there for some great stories and photos just before we arrive in Flagstaff. The neon “No Vacancy” sign that the owner of the Pine Breeze Inn switches on when he sees Billy and Wyatt is hanging in a small bar just down the street, which we will be sure to stop at for a cold one on the way. You’re going to experience a lot of scenes and locations from Easy Rider today so be sure to drop your camera in the hotel room, kick the dust off your boots, and splash some cold water on your face before we roam the streets of Flagstaff tonight.

Day 5 - Flagstaff AZ - Monument Valley (Kayenta AZ) 193 mls

om Flagstaff we head north, through Navajo Indian lands, where wide open spaces lend themselves to beautiful stretches riding. We’ll wind through the Wupatki National Monument and visit the Indian ruins where Billy and Wyatt camped in Easy Rider, as well as the Sacred Mountain location from the famous gas station scene. A few hours later you’ll ride between the majestic, thousand foot sandstone spires of Monument Valley. EagleRider has a long-standing relationship with the Navajo Tribe, and we will be treated to a private tour into the heart of Monument Valley with Navajo guides. You will enjoy a roaring bonfire, mystical Navajo music and dancing, as well as traditional “Navajo Tacos” under the shadow of the monuments at dusk. This is a mystical place, and the spirit of Billy and Wyatt has never been more alive than it is here today.

Day 6 - Monument Valley (Kayenta AZ) - Durango CO 140 mls

Your Easy Rider journey continues today as we follow Billy and Wyatt through one of the most famous landmarks in the Southwest—the Four Corners. You’ll stand in a spot that most motorcyclists dream of visiting. You might look a little funny with your feet in Colorado and New Mexico, and your hands in Utah and Arizona, but it will make for a great photo and lots of laughs with your friends and family back home. Later we follow the trail of Easy Rider into the sleepy Colorado town of Durango, known for its laid back people, amazing views, and “Old West” saloons.

Day 7 - Durango CO - 0 mls

Today is at your leisure to rest and enjoy the distinctive flavor of this wild west city. Perhaps you would like to take a ride along the famed Million Dollar Highway, enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride, or play cowboy for a day on a horseback ride along a mountain or canyon trail.

Day 8 - Durango CO - Taos NM 228 mls

The ride from Durango to Taos is, in a word, epic. The scenery is mind blowing and will have you feeling like you are shooting a scene from Easy Rider right out of the gate. Taos is a New Mexico mountain town that is rich in Native American history and culture, and also happens to have been the location for some of the most memorable scenes from Easy Rider. Parts of the hippie commune scenes, as well as all of the jail scenes were shot right in the heart of Taos. We will have a chance to visit both locations as part of this epic day.

Day 9 - Taos NM - Amarillo TX 300 mls

The only thing better than the ride from Farmington to Taos is the ride from Taos to Amarillo! Our first stop today is the Easy Rider town of Las Vegas, New Mexico. The exterior of the jailhouse scene was shot here and you couldn’t miss it if you tried! This is one of our favorite photo stops and we can usually catch an “old timer” local who was around when the movie was shot to tell stories about all of the biker hippies that were in town back in the late sixties. If you remember from the movie, this is the scene where Jack Nicholson’s character, “George,” takes his first snort of booze in the movie; “Nic Nic Nic…Fut Fut Fut…Indians!” Be sure to have a shot of Jim Beam and drink a toast to old DH Lawrence tonight when we get to Amarillo. If you are feeling crazy like the crew was when they shot the movie, you might want to camp out next to his grave in Taos. Our last New Mexico highlight today is just outside of the town of Coyote where the famous “If you wanna be a bird” sequence was shot. Tonight we will stay at our favorite hotel in Amarillo, Texas, The Ambassador. Our good friends from the Big Texan Steakhouse will pick us up at the hotel in a fleet of vintage Cadillac’s and cook us some of the biggest and finest steaks you will find in the great state of Texas!

Day 10 - Amarillo TX - Abilene TX 287 mls

The only real gap in the actual Easy Rider route exists between New Mexico and Louisiana. The story is that the cast and crew dispersed and all took different routes through Texas and Oklahoma to get to locations in Louisiana where the final scenes were shot. By all accounts, this approach was taken to give the cast and crew a much needed break from the tyrannical directorial style of Dennis Hopper. One crew had already quit in the middle of production as a result of his aggressive and brash style, so they thought it best to let the crew find their own way to New Orleans. Our Easy Rider route takes us through the heart of the Texas Panhandle and into the historic city if Abilene. This is a small, genuine Texas town that will leave you wishing we had more time to spend exploring.

Day 11 Abilene TX - Austin TX 220 mls

As we continue our hiatus with the cast and crew of Easy Rider on our way to New Orleans, there is simply no doubt that we have to include an overnight in our favourite Texas town, and the live music capital of the world, Austin. Our hotel is in the heart of the 6th Street music district, which enables you to walk from bar to bar all night long while enjoying some of the best live music in the country. If you are a music lover, you will not want to saddle up and ride out of town in the morning. If you are not a music lover, you will be by the end of our stay in Austin. Rumour has it that Peter Fonda spent a couple of days on 6th Street on his way to New Orleans and shut down two bars. That’s quite a feat considering most bars on 6th Street were open 24 hours a day back in the 60’s!

Day 12 - Austin TX - Lake Charles LA 290 mls

Some of the most famous and memorable scenes from Easy Rider were shot in the southern bayou state of Louisiana; today we start our ride East out of Texas and into the heart of the south. This is a bit of a long riding day, but the miles will fly by with anticipation of what lies ahead. Louisiana, with all of her southern charm, swamps, bayous, and interesting locals, will feel like a foreign land compared to the places we have been thus far. Outside of New Orleans, Lake Charles is one of our favorite cities in Louisiana. Tonight we will drink some local brew, and maybe even experience a little moonshine if the bayou spirits move you. Lake Charles comes alive at night and will give us all a taste of what lies ahead as we make our way with Billy and Wyatt towards the beckoning call of New Orleans.

Day 13 - Lake Charles LA - New Orleans LA 245 mls

One of the reasons that Easy Rider became such an instant hit and classic movie was that people were simply shocked and awed by the final scene when Billy and Wyatt are literally blown off the road by two locals with a shotgun. That scene was shot on an actual country road just outside of Krotz Springs, Louisiana. Today, we will ride that very same road and stop at the exact spot the scene was filmed to remember what a profound impact Easy Rider and that incredible final scene had on shaping our lives as motorcycle riders. Riding this road is an incredible experience, but sharing this road and this experience with one another is a feeling that only those of us lucky enough to live it will ever be able to understand. You would never guess that two fictional characters could ever feel as alive as they do in this place. Soak it in. We end our day with a short ride into New Orleans… That’s right, New Orleans. Need we say more?

Day 14 - New Orleans LA 0 mls

As you can imagine, New Orleans became a Mecca for bikers after Easy Rider debuted in 1969. The famous cathouse and cemetery scenes were the perfect marriage of the hippie drug culture and emerging biker culture of the late 60’s. Billy and Wyatt were living life on the edge and chasing true freedom, and New Orleans provided the perfect backdrop for some of the most iconic scenes from Easy Rider. Our experience in New Orleans may not be as “psychedelic,” but it will definitely be as memorable. We will visit the very spots in New Orleans that you have been experiencing on Easy Rider for years. New Orleans is like a living organism and this place becomes part of you with each passing hour. It doesn’t take long in the heart of the French Quarter to understand why New Orleans played such an important role in Easy Rider. Tonight is crawfish, gumbo and an epic celebration of what you have just accomplished with your fellow Easy Riders. We’ll drink a toast to Billy, Wyatt, George, and, of course, the man who started it all, the late Dennis Hopper.

Day 15 - New Orleans LA - Departure 0 mls

Congratulations on having actually lived a dream that most fans of Easy Rider will never realize. What’s next? Route 66? Wild West? Sturgis? Canada to Yellowstone? It’s just a matter of time before we will be sharing road again. Until then, keep the chrome up Easy Riders. Be sure to let us know if you want to hang around New Orleans for a few more days. We are happy to make the arrangements for you.