Women Who Ride the Rockies: Female-Only Motorcycle Tours in Canada
In many Indigenous cultures, relationships between women have long been a source of strength, guidance, and community connection. While every Nation has its own traditions, women have often played central roles as caregivers, leaders, knowledge keepers, aunties, grandmothers, and cultural anchors.
Our founder, Shelley, is a Métis woman who has been riding through these mountains for almost her whole life. Over the years, she noticed something important: when women ride together, the experience creates a different kind of connection.
But sometimes you want to be surrounded by other women. You want to feel relaxed, comfortable, and completely yourself within the group. You want a ride where the pace feels natural, the conversations flow easily, and everyone feels like they belong. That is why we created our women-only motorcycle tours.
The Rise of Women in Motorcycling
So why create tours specifically for women?
The numbers tell part of the story. Women are the fastest-growing segment of new motorcycle riders in North America. In the United States alone, women now represent nearly 20% of all motorcycle owners — a figure that has roughly doubled over the past two decades.
But the numbers don’t tell you why it’s happening.
The why is simpler than most marketing articles make it sound. Women ride for the same reasons anyone rides: freedom, focus, adventure, the particular kind of presence that a motorcycle demands.
When you're leaned into a sweeping curve on the Icefields Parkway with glacier-fed waterfalls on your left and the Columbia Icefield on your right, the only thing that matters is how you feel.
So why create tours specifically for women? Because the riding experience is universal, but the touring experience doesn't have to be.
Why Women-Only Tours
Women who ride together through wild country develop a companionship that's hard to replicate elsewhere.
The pace relaxes. Free of the unspoken pressure to keep up or prove something. The group finds its own rhythm, and that rhythm leaves room for everyone.
The stories come out over dinner. After a long riding day, soaking in a hot spring or sitting around a table, people share the fears, the breakthroughs, the unforgettable moments — and they land in a space of recognition rather than surprise. Everyone at the table knows exactly what it took.
A specific kind of bond forms.
Women who ride together through wild country develop a companionship that's hard to replicate elsewhere. For many riders — especially those who are the only woman in their riding group back home, or who are saddling up for the first time without a partner — that bond turns out to be the most lasting part of the trip.
Why Askiwa Fosters This Environment
Women-only tours were baked in from day one.
We foster this environment because we've seen what it unlocks. Women who ride in a space free of performance pressure grow faster as riders, take on terrain they'd otherwise skip, and form friendships that outlast the tour by years. Askiwa Motorcycle Tours was founded by Shelley — a Métis woman, a trained nurse, and a lifelong rider who grew up in the Canadian Rockies. She built the company from the ground up around the things she believes matter most: safety, inclusivity, genuine connection to the land, and the kind of riding experience where every guest — regardless of gender, skill level, or background — feels fully supported. That ethos runs through everything we do. But it shows up in specific, practical ways that matter on a women-only tour:
A Female Founder Who Rides Routs She Sends You Down
Shelley knows where the gravel gets loose on Highwood Pass, where the wind picks up on the Golden Trail, where the best coffee stop is between Canmore and Lake Louise. She designs tours from direct experience.
A Support Vehicle on Every Tour
Every Askiwa tour travels with a fully equipped support vehicle. Your luggage rides in the vehicle, not on your bike. If you need a break, you can ride in the vehicle for a stretch without anyone making a thing of it. If a non-riding friend or partner wants to join the trip, they can travel comfortably alongside the group all day and join for every stop, every meal, every hot spring. For women travelling solo — and many of our guests do — the support vehicle means you're never truly alone, even on the most remote stretches of highway.
A Medical Professional on Every Ride
Shelley is a trained nurse, it means that every Askiwa tour includes a medical professional. This isn't common in the touring industry. For many riders, particularly those pushing into new terrain or returning to riding after time away, knowing that medical expertise is present — not in a hospital an hour away, but right there in the group — provides a layer of confidence for all riders.
Premium, Well-Maintained Bikes That Fit
Our fleet includes the BMW F 800 GS and F 900 GS, the Yamaha Ténéré 700, the Honda Transalp, the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, and the Aprilia Tuareg 660. Every one of these bikes was chosen for its capability on mountain roads, its comfort on long days, and its accessibility across different rider sizes and experience levels. The Honda Transalp and Aprilia Tuareg 660, in particular, have lower seat heights and approachable power curves that many women find immediately confidence-inspiring. The Ténéré 700 rewards riders who want a more engaged, connected feel. And the BMW GS is the benchmark for a reason. You choose your bike before the tour, and we'll make sure it's set up for you.
Typical Day on a Women-Only Tour
No alarms at 5 a.m. No rush.
Morning
The day starts with coffee and a relaxed breakfast at your accommodation. No alarms at 5 a.m. No rush. Over breakfast, there's a group briefing: today's route, what to expect from the terrain and weather, where the fuel stops are, where you'll break for photos and stretching.
If it's a mixed-skills group the briefing includes a clear plan for pacing. Faster riders know where to wait. Newer riders know there's no pressure. Everyone knows the support vehicle is behind them.
On the Road
Then you ride. And what you ride through is extraordinary. On our Buffalo Path 5-Day Tour, that might mean climbing through Kananaskis Country toward Highwood Pass — Canada's highest paved mountain pass at 2,206 metres — where the road curves through alpine meadows with snow-capped peaks in every direction and almost no traffic. On the Sacred Circle 10-Day Tour, it could be the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper: 232 kilometres of glaciers, turquoise lakes, and the kind of scenery that makes you pull over just to stand there and breathe. You'll stop frequently. The stops are as much a part of the experience as the riding. A waterfall nobody else is at. A viewpoint where you can see three mountain ranges. A spot where elk are grazing twenty metres from the road.
Afternoon
Mid-afternoon often brings the day's most memorable moment. Maybe it's arriving at Ainsworth Hot Springs in the Kootenays and soaking in a cave-fed mineral pool after a morning of mountain switchbacks. Maybe it's pulling into Waterton National Park and seeing the mountains rise straight out of the prairie with no warning. Maybe it's standing at the top of Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — and learning the 6,000-year history of the Blackfoot people on this land.
Evening
Evenings on an Askiwa tour are unhurried. Dinner together at a local restaurant in a small mountain town followed by the fellowship conversations. The stories come out. The "I didn't think I could do that" moments become the highlight of the trip. And then rest, early enough, because tomorrow you ride again.
The Routes You'll Ride
Here's what you'll see on our women-only tours
The Canadian Rockies aren't one landscape. They're dozens, stacked on top of each other, changing with every pass and every valley. Here's what you'll see on our women-only departures:
- The Icefields Parkway(Hwy 93 North) — Banff to Jasper, 232 km of what many riders consider the greatest road in North America. Glaciers, waterfalls, turquoise lakes, and wildlife everywhere. Featured on the Sacred Circle 10-Day and Iron & Stone 6-Day.
- Highwood Pass (Hwy 40) — Canada's highest paved pass. Alpine meadows, big-sky views, minimal traffic. A highlight of the Buffalo Path 5-Day.
- Kananaskis Country — Alberta's quieter alternative to Banff. Sweeping valleys, gravel forestry roads, and the kind of emptiness that feeds the soul.
- Lake Louise & the Bow Valley Parkway (Hwy 1A) — The scenic back road between Banff and Lake Louise. Winding through old-growth forest with the Bow River below.
- The Cowboy Trail (Hwy 22) — 600 kilometres of rolling ranch country through Alberta's foothills. Wide-open prairie skies, the Rockies watching from the west. A different kind of beautiful.
- The Kootenays & Hot Springs — Ainsworth Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs, Highway 3A, and Highway 31A through the Selkirk and Purcell mountain ranges. Featured on the Wild West Passage 9-Day tour.
- The Okanagan — Wine country on two wheels. Sun-soaked valleys, vineyards, and winding lakeside roads. Featured on Vines & Switchbacks 9-Day tour.
Riding Through Traditional Lands
Every road we ride passes through traditional Indigenous territories.
At Askiwa, our name comes from the Cree language. Our founder is Métis. And every road we ride passes through traditional Indigenous territories — lands that carry stories, histories, and relationships that go back thousands of years before the roads existed.
It shapes the way we guide, the places we stop, and the stories we share on the road. On our tours, you'll visit places like Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump — one of the oldest and best-preserved buffalo jumps in the world, where the Blackfoot people hunted for over 6,000 years.
You'll ride through territories of the Stoney Nakoda, the Ktunaxa, the Secwépemc, and the Syilx peoples. And you'll do it with guides who approach this land with respect and awareness, not as scenery to be consumed but as a place with living history.
For many of our women guests, this dimension of the tour — the cultural depth, the connection to something larger than the ride itself — is what stays with them longest.
Common Questions
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If you hold a valid motorcycle licence and can handle your bike confidently on public roads, you're experienced enough. Our tours are designed to accommodate a range of skill levels within the same group. We're not running track days or enduro events. We're touring — which means the pace is set by enjoyment, not ego.
If you're newer to riding and feeling uncertain, tell us. We'll help you choose the right bike, the right tour, and the right position in the group. And our support vehicle is always there if you need a break.
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Absolutely. A significant number of our guests travel solo — and many say it's the best way to do it. You arrive as a solo rider and leave with friends who understand the specific joy of what you've just done together. The group dynamic on women-only tours tends to be particularly welcoming to solo travellers.
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Welcome. Genuinely. Our shorter tours — the Sacred Waters 1-Day and the Stone & Sky 1-Day — are excellent starting points if a multi-day tour feels like a big step. And on multi-day tours, the Honda Transalp and Aprilia Tuareg 660 are outstanding machines for riders who want something approachable without sacrificing capability.
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Our full fleet includes:
- BMW F 800 GS / F 900 GS — the all-rounder benchmark
- Yamaha Ténéré 700 — lighter, more connected, rewards engaged riders
- Honda Transalp — smooth, accessible, confidence-inspiring
- Moto Guzzi V85 TT — character and soul in a touring package
- Aprilia Tuareg 660 — agile, modern, lower seat height
You choose your bike before the tour. If you're not sure, we'll help you decide based on your height, experience, and riding style. Read more about why we chose these specific machines in our guide to why ADV bikes are best for touring the Rockies.
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Every Askiwa tour includes your premium motorcycle of choice, the support vehicle (which can carry a non-riding companion), accommodations, guided routes, fuel, and a medical professional on every ride. The only things not included are your meals, personal gear, and the stories you'll tell afterward.
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Bring your own helmet, jacket, gloves, and boots — gear you know and trust. If you need recommendations for riding gear suited to Rocky Mountain conditions, reach out to us before your trip and we'll help.
You Already Belong on That Bike
Nobody here needs convincing.
Every woman who shows up to one of these tours already knows she belongs on a motorcycle. Nobody here needs convincing. They're here because they want to ride through some of the most beautiful terrain on earth, in the company of other women who get it, with the support and safety to do it right. They want the cold morning air on a mountain pass. The hot springs at the end of a long day. The conversation that only happens after everyone in the group has shared something real. They want to feel what the Rockies feel like from the seat of a motorcycle. And they want to do it their way. That's what we're here for.
Ride with us
Our women-only tour departures run from late May through early September, starting from our base in Canmore, Alberta — the gateway to the Canadian Rockies.
Whether you're looking for a single-day introduction or a ten-day journey through mountains, hot springs, wine country, and 6,000 years of Indigenous history, we have a tour that fits.
→ Browse all tour options at askiwarides.com
→ See the Buffalo Path 5-Day itinerary
→ See the Sacred Circle 10-Day itinerary
→ Get in touch about women-only tours