Yellowstone, the Volcano Route 

Breakfast included. Free day in San Francisco, the most European of American cities!

Frisco is a delightfully cosmopolitan city. Like Rome, it is built on hills, but can easily be explored on foot or by public transport. Stroll through the Mission and Castro neighborhoods, near Dolores Mission Park, which offers a splendid view of the San Francisco skyline. Continue to the famous Painted Ladies, the colorful Victorian houses at Alamo Square. Enjoy a coffee with a view over the landscaped rooftops of the recent Salesforce Park.

Hop on a cable car, or walk through Nob Hill and Russian Hill, with the famous hairpin turns of Lombard Street. Stroll on Telegraph Hill, home to Coit Tower, which offers great views over the bay and the Bay Bridge.

Optional: excursion to Alcatraz, the famous rock that housed the prison until 1963 and welcomed inmates such as Al Capone.

PM: transfer to the rental company. Free evening. Overnight in San Francisco.

Breakfast included. 

You head for the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, which separates San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. We cross the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, with a stop at the viewpoint offering a splendid panorama of the bridge, the bay and the city.

The road winds pleasantly along the heights before reaching the coast near Muir Beach.

You follow the beautiful Shoreline Hwy (also known as Coast Hwy, or Route 1), which runs along the wild Pacific coast via Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay with its Scottish-loch feel, then Bodega Bay and Mendocino, a lovely town popular with Californians. There are quite a few lighthouses along the northern California coast.

Arrival in Fort Bragg. Hotel check-in.

Free evening. Overnight in Fort Bragg (or nearby).

Breakfast included. 

The jouney continues along the magnificent coastal road, then join Highway 101, the Redwood Highway. You ride one of the most beautiful California routes: the famous Avenue of the Giants. This narrow scenic road is lined with sequoias and runs through Humboldt Redwoods State Park, renowned for its immense Redwood forest. It is magical!

You take a lovely small winding road through the forest: Mattole Rd. It reaches the Lost Coast, offering splendid ocean views before heading inland again.

Stop in Ferndale, a remote little town that has preserved beautiful Victorian houses. Stroll along Main Street with its great small shops and “Gingerbread houses”.

Arrival in Fortuna. Hotel check-in.

Free evening. Overnight in Fortuna (or Ferndale, subject to availability).

Breakfast included. 

Head to Eureka, a former fishing port with more than 800 19th-century buildings, including beautiful Victorian homes such as the exuberant Carson Mansion.

To connect the coast to the Cascade Range, your destination today, you take a winding route through Trinity National Forest. The quiet road often follows the Trinity River. Stop in Weaverville, a typical town nestled in the heart of the Trinity Alps.

Weaverville reached its peak during the California Gold Rush in the 1850s, when around 2,000 Chinese gold seekers lived here. After passing south of Redding, we reach Mineral, at the gates of Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Free evening. Overnight in Mineral (or nearby, around Mill Creek or Chester).

Breakfast included. 

You take the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, the “Volcano Route”, and climb toward Lassen Volcanic National Park. It is a “mini Yellowstone”, sharing strong volcanic activity (like the whole Cascade Range).

You then reach the fabulous McArthur-Burney Falls, one of our favorite spots! They are not the most impressive, but the setting makes them unique. You continue through Modoc National Forest and toward Medicine Lake, a still-active volcano. Mount Shasta (4,317m), the second-highest peak in the Cascades, appears on our left. Along this section of the byway, you will see nothing but remnants of molten lava. Mordor is not far…

You reach Lava Beds, home to more than 700 caves, some formed as cooled lava tubes.

Shortly after, welcome to Oregon ! Arrival on the shores of the large Upper Klamath Lake.

Free evening. Overnight on Upper Klamath Lake.

Breakfast included. 

Head to Crater Lake National Park. The spectacle is grandiose: a deep lake with intensely blue waters, sheer cliffs rising more than 600m, and Wizard Island in the middle, as if spared from the wrath of Vulcan.

Continue to Bend via the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway. At 106 km, it is one of the most beautiful roads in Oregon. It crosses Deschutes National Forest and passes below Mt Bachelor (2,764m), whose long-snowy summit reflects in the lake. There is a large ski area.

Arrival in Bend on the Deschutes River. We love the atmosphere of Old Bend—only a few blocks, but very pleasant! The Old Mill District, recognizable by its three giant chimneys, is a successful redevelopment of former sawmills. For beer lovers: Bend has several great breweries, including the excellent Deschutes Brewery. Hotel check-in.

Free evening. Overnight in Bend.

Breakfast included. No luggage to pack or unpack today.

Free day in Bend, to enjoy the friendly atmosphere of Old Bend, the most European-feeling town in Oregon. Take a stroll in Drake Park along Mirror Pond, or in the Old Mill District, a large open-air mall on the river. You can try kayaking, canoeing, or floating in an inner tube on the Deschutes River.

10 minutes from Bend, the High Desert Museum recreates the landscapes and natural environment of the High Desert. A bit further south, the relatively little-known Newberry National Volcanic Monument features the crater of Newberry Volcano, solidified lava flows, volcanic cones, and alpine lakes. You can walk through a gigantic lava tube (like at Lava Beds), or hike up to the top of Big Obsidian Flow for a view over the vast obsidian lava flow, as if abruptly stopped by the forest and the lake.

Free diner. Overnight in Bend.

Breakfast included. 

On the road to the Oregon Trail! The trail, starting in Missouri and ending in Oregon, was the main overland route to the Pacific between the 1840s and 1870s. Pioneers travelled it with their wagons, facing multiple dangers—until the railroad replaced it.

Stop at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. A radical change of scenery from the Cascades: the landscapes become more arid. The badlands of the Painted Hills sector somewhat recall South Dakota. The scene is more modest, but these fragile hills with surprising hues are worth admiring (if the sun is out).

The tiny hamlet of Mitchell, at the park’s gates, features a very “roots” Main Street. More typical is hard to find: a hotel, a store, a post office, a bakery, and a small microbrewery with a decor that fits the place perfectly.

Arrival in John Day, a small town frozen in time. Hotel check-in. Free evening. Overnight in John Day.

Breakfast included. 

Early departure today: the program is tempting and quite full. Head to Sumpter, a small town that peaked in the late 19th century after the discovery of gold nearby and the arrival of the railroad. You can visit one of the large dredges, the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge, which was used to extract gold from sand, gravel and soil from the riverbed.

The route reaches Baker City on the Oregon Trail, then the Snake River, which forms the natural border between Oregon and Idaho. You follow the scenic Hells Canyon Scenic Rd to the visitor center at Hells Canyon Creek, before turning back for the last part of the day’s route—with, for those who wish, the possibility to ride a section of track. You enter Idaho and reach McCall on the shores of Payette Lake. Hotel check-in.

Free evening. Overnight in McCall.

Breakfast included. 

You follow the Payette River, with a small detour through the hamlet of Crouch, another “roots” place we love. The Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway winds in harmony with the river until we reach the Boise National Forest, one of the most beautiful regions of Idaho! There are hot springs in the area, including Kirkham Hot Springs, where you can bathe (fee required). You are in the Sawtooth Mountains.

The Ponderosa Pine Scenic Route climbs gradually, surrounded by peaks rising above 3,000m. You pass several ski resorts, then reach Stanley and start the ascent to Galena Pass, a magnificent stretch of road with breathtaking views. You cross Galena Pass at 2,652m and descend toward Sun Valley, a renowned ski resort. Arrival in the charming town of Ketchum.

Hotel check-in. Free evening. Overnight in Ketchum (or Sun Valley).

Breakfast included. 

Today’s stage has fewer curves and crosses the vast expanses of Idaho. After Hailey and Bellevue, you reach the astonishing Craters of the Moon park, offering a surreal vision: an incredible lava field in the middle of the Snake River Plain, frozen for 2,000 years. You drive the 11 km Loop Drive, revealing an incredible variety of shapes, such as these burned trees encased in magma, preserving the imprint of their bark!

Head to Idaho Falls, a lovely “small” city on the banks of the Snake River. Stop in its pleasant Downtown, then continue to the beautiful Mesa Falls, impressive waterfalls on the Henrys Fork. A curtain of water, as tall as a 10-story building, plunges over the remnants of an ancient super volcanic eruption.

You continue north to West Yellowstone, the western gateway to the fabulous Yellowstone National Park. Welcome to Paradise!

Free evening. Overnight in West Yellowstone.

Breakfast included. 

Few places on Earth concentrate so many gems as Yellowstone: geysers, multicolored hot springs, a gigantic lake, waterfalls, an incredible Grand Canyon, and superb travertine terraces. All set in a unique environment, home to an exceptionally diverse wildlife. You will spot bisons, and probably bears—and maybe even a grizzly.

The splendid Mammoth Hot Springs travertine terraces are located on the north side of the park, on two levels. They unfold along a route dotted with boardwalks.

To the east lies the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a narrow gorge flanked by steep walls in improbable colors, where impressive falls plunge. You can enjoy magnificent viewpoints from both rims.

Free evening. Overnight in West Yellowstone.

Breakfast included. 

Drive to the south-west sector of the park. This is where most of the geysers are concentrated (Yellowstone is home to about 70% of the geysers listed on the planet) as well as hot springs with unreal colors. The two flagship attractions are the famously punctual Old Faithful geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring, one of the most beautiful sights we have ever had the chance to admire!

Allow a few hours to stroll along the network of wooden boardwalks that criss-cross the Upper Geyser Basin area—it's hard to know where to look first...

You leave this paradise to reach the neighboring southern park: Grand Teton National Park. More 'alpine' in character, it reveals magnificent views of the Teton Range, with its aligned peaks, set behind the meanders of the Snake River. Arrival in Jackson Hole, a lovely, popular mountain resort town with many shops and bars. Check-in at the hotel.

Overnight in Jackson Hole (or nearby).

Breakfast included. 

Drive the Teton Park Rd, which offers beautiful views of the lakes, the canyons, and the peaks of the Teton Range.

At Jenny Lake, board the boat that takes you to Inspiration Point and the lovely Hidden Falls. Return by boat or on foot. Go grab a drink with a view at the Jenny Lake Lodge...

Head back up to Signal Mountain, which boasts one of the park's most beautiful viewpoints!

Optional: Half-day rafting on the Snake River (subject to availability).

In the afternoon: meet at the rental company to return the motorcycles, then transfer to the hotel.

Free dinner. Overnight in Jackson Hole (or nearby).

Breakfast included (on site, or to-go, depending on your return flight schedule).

Transfer to Jackson Hole Airport (motorcyclists) and a short drive to the airport for the cars (car drop-off at the airport). Return flight to Europe.

Arrival the next day at Brussels National Airport.