10-DAY AMAZING NORTHERN VIETNAM OFFROAD MOTORBIKE TOUR

Itinerary:

* Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake – BRIEF ITINERARY:

Day 1: Hanoi Motorcycle Tours to Mai Chau (Hoa Binh)

Day 2: Mai Chau Motorcycle Tours to Phu Yen (Son La) – Offroad Motorcycle Tours to Tribal Villages

Day 3: Phu Yen Motorcycle Tours to Than Uyen (Lai Chau)

Day 4: Than Uyen Motorcycle Tours to Sapa (Lao Cai)

Day 5: Sapa Motorcycle Tour to Bac Ha (Lao Cai)

Day 6: Bac Ha Motorcycle Tours to Ha Giang City

Day 7: Ha Giang Motorcycle Tours to Dong Van (Ha Giang)

Day 8: Dong Van Motorcycle Tours to Bao Lac (110 km)

Day 9: Bao Lac Off-Road Motorbike Tour to Ba Be Lake (150 km)

Day 10: Ba Be Lake Motorbike Ride Back to Hanoi (240 km)

Day 1: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Hanoi Motorcycle Tours to Mai Chau (Hoa Binh) 

We begin the tour at about 9 o’clock, after somewhere 40 minutes in the busy streets of Hanoi you will hit Highway No8, from here, the traffic is much better as we head straight to the countryside. Stop for a quick coffee and we keep rolling on some backroads through rice fields to Hoa Binh province where the terrain becomes mountainous, from here the sceneries are much greener and decorated with charismatic karst mountains. After a nice lunch in Ky Son town, we will have chance to do some challenging offroad via local farms in the mountains. In the afternoon, from National road 6 we take a turn to Road 450 for a backroad ride to a spectacular view to the majestic Hoa Binh lake, one of the largest man-made lakes in Vietnam, formed when the dam blocked the water to build the Hoa Binh hydroelectric power station. We arrive Mai Chau – our destination at about 4 or 5 o’clock.

Nestled in a peaceful valley, Mai Chau is an ideal escape place for nature lovers. Here, small ethnic minority villages sit among a patchwork of paddy fields surrounded by green mountains. Mai Chau is a village of ethnic Thai people, one of 54 different tribes in Vietnam. The Thai women are masterful weavers who ensure that there is plenty of traditional-style clothing to buy in the village centre.You will see women weaving on looms under or inside their houses in the village, we can buy some souvenirs here such as handmade traditional-style clothings, knife or cross-bow. We spend a night here immersing in Vietnam’s rural culture, dining on delicious home-cooked cuisine, and learning about the traditions of the local Thai people.

Summary:
Distance: 160-190 km
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

Day 2: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Mai Chau Motorcycle Tours to Phu Yen (Son La)

The ride today will begin from 8 to 8:30 o’clock, before leaving, we can have a little walk around to enjoy the peaceful vibe of the village, breath some fresh air on the beautiful rice fields near our homestay. After saying goodbye to the homestay hosts, we hop on the bikes to continue our adventure, in the morning we will explore some ethnic villages on the forgotten Old Road No6. This road used to be the most important main road of the North West Vietnam, now it lies silently along mountains and some small farms of local people, you will see almost no truck or car here, just a remarkable silent vibe and peaceful sceneries of nature. This route ends when we hit National road 43 in Moc Chau district, where we stop for lunch. Moc Chau boasts a pioneering dairy industry that started in the late 1970s with Australian (and, later, UN) assistance, we can see several milk cow farms on the way.

After lunch in Moc Chau, we keep riding 40 kilometers more to Van Yen ferry terminal where we cross the epic Da river, from here we will have a beautiful ride along Da river heading to Phu Yen. We stay in a hotel for this night.

Summary:
Distance: 170 km
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 3: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Bac Kan: Phu Yen Motorcycle Tours to Mu Cang Chai (Yen Bai)

In the morning, we pay a visit to the monument of the historic Lung Lo pass before heading back to National Road 32. During the First Indochina War, the 15km-long Lung Lo Pass, used by the Vietnamese resistance force to transport weapons, goods and food during the Dien Bien Phu campaign of 1954, was heavily bombed by the French in order to sever the front lines from the rear. Lung Lo Pass, situated in the northern province of Yen Bai, was also recognised as a national heritage by the ministry.

Keep riding for 50 kilometers more then we stop for lunch in Nghia Lo, a lovely place which is well-known for the charming Xoe Thai dance, from Nghia Lo we head to a lovely little commune named Tu Le, which is famous for producing one of the best sticky rice strains in Vietnam. FYI, sticky rice plays an important part in Vietnam’s agri-based culture, it appears in almost every family’s meals on our traditional holidays. Steamed sticky rice, salt,…are common offerings that we Vietnamese dedicate to our ancestors following our belief in veneration of the dead.

Leaving Tu Le behind we get to the highlight of today, the majestic Khau Pha pass, this is one of the four great passes in North Vietnam which connects Mu Cang Chai district and Van Chan district. Riding on the pass, either by motorbike or car, you will have the chance to see the magnificent sceneries of nature. The peak of the pass is 1,200m high above sea level and it is covered in fog most of the time. A climb up to the pass offers a perfect place for beautiful views and the most striking moments are found when the rice terraces are flooded for the coming rice crop and when the rice ripens. We continue riding on some backroads through a beatiful place with a great view to a valley of rice terrace called Mam Xoi hill for some memorable pictures and then head straight to our destination tonight, Mu Cang Chai.

Mu Cang Chai is home to some of Asia’s most magnificent cultivated topography. Rice terraces coil in ribbons around the hills to spectacular effect, luring photographers, hikers, and avid motorbikers. Mu Cang Chai is mainly populated by the Black Hmong, a subgroup of one of Vietnam’s largest ethnicities. Pretty Hmong villages are dotted around the district. Each one offers a glimpse into a rich culture. There are many chances for us to conquer nice dirt tracks on this day, both in the morning and the afternoon.

Distance: 170 km

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 4: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Mu Cang Chai Motorcycle Tours to Sapa (Lao Cai) 

Saying goodbye to Mu Cang Chai, we get in some nice moutain dirt tracks in the morning through villages, rice fields and forests. On the way, we will have chances to see local people working on their farms, stop by to learn about their daily lifestyle.

After a lunch break in Than Uyen, on a road full of tea farms and rice fields we head to Sapa via the epic O Quy Ho pass. O Quy Ho Pass is one of the most impressive and challenging mountain passes in the northern region of Vietnam. It is approximately 10 kilometers away from the town of Sapa and 60 kilometers away from the city of Lai Chau.

O Quy Ho Pass winds through Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range. Running alongside National Road 4D, the pass stretches for nearly 50 kilometers, with the peak of the pass marking the boundary between the two provinces of Lao Cai and Lai Chau. And when you feel the air getting cooler, see the mist coming from the mountain ranges, that’s when we arrive in Sapa, where we spend the night. Located at the altitude of 1600 meters above sea level, Sapa is famous for its cool weather, breathtaking scenery and culture diversity with 6 different tribes of people living together. This is also a big town comparing to other destinations on the tour so you can spend your time here for casual entertainment activities like bars, pubs… We stay in a hotel for this night.

Summary:
Distance: 140 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 5: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Sapa Motorcycle Tour to Bac Ha (Lao Cai) 

We have two options for the distance today, a short ride of 100 kilometers and a longer one of 180 kilometers.

With the first option, you have more time to relax in Sapa or do a cable car trip to Fansipan mountain-the highest mountain of Indochina. Depart at 10 or 11 o’clock down from Sapa to Lao Cai City, we will stop at an interesting checkpoint near Vietnamese – Chinese border where you can see China right beyond a river and enjoy a nice coffee, it’s 30 kilometers from Sapa. From here. We head to Road 70 before turn to Bac Ha on Road 153.

The second option offers you a different route with longer distance. From Sapa we follow Road 43d through Lao Cai city to Muong Khuong province, where we can see rice fields surrounded by majestic limestone mountains. From Muong Khuong we roll on the winding road 153 through small villages and plum farms to Bac Ha.

Challenging offroad and dirt tracks are available for both two options

Long touted as the weekend alternative to Sapa, this small highland town doesn’t have the same dramatic location of its more illustrious neighbour, but it is calmer when Saturday comes. Comparing to Sapa, tourism is still in its infancy here and during the week the town has a deserted feel. Bac Ha is a good base to explore the surrounding highlands. Around 900m above sea level, it is noticeably warmer than Sapa.

Overnight in hotel.

Summary:
Distance: 100-170 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

Day 6: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Bac Ha Motorcycle Tours to Ha Giang City

After breakfast, we take a motor ride on the track to Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi on many small backroads with scenic mountain views. Xin Man is right on the border between Vietnam and China. It is, as of this writing, well hidden and completely surrounded by wild mountains and forests. There are a bunch good photo spots on the way from Bac Ha to Xin Man, we will stop for good view down to valleys and rice terraces. We will have lunch in Hoang Su Phi, this place is among the most untouched area of Ha Giang Province of Vietnam and was separated from the mainstream society until very recently. From Hoang Su Phi we take a winding backroad and immese ourselves in the pristine beauty of the wild mountains and the authentic culture of the local ethnic groups which include: the Nung, the Flower H’mong, the Tay and the Ha Nhi People…After lunch, we join the main road heading up to Ha Giang City,

Summary:
Distance: 170 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 7: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Ha Giang Motorcycle Tours to Dong Van (Ha Giang) 

After a nice breakfast at 8 o’clock, we get on our iron horses again at about 9 o’clock, the ride today could be both relaxing and challenging since we can enjoy breathtaking landscapes literally on every kilometer of the road. It’s difficult to describe the epic beauty of Ha Giang, it just overwhelms us!

In the morning we can do some ofroad tracks that lead us to beautiful rice terraces and forests. Along the tracks lie some small remote villages and local schools where we have chances stop to meet local people and lovely kids, we can also do some small charity in these places to share the hard ship with them, sharing is caring!

In the afternoon, we head to Tham Ma pass, a legendary pass in local H’mong culture of Ha Giang province, the view from the top of this pass is just spectacular!

The next interesting place to see today is the H’mong King’s Palace located 14 kilometers before Dong Van. A H’mong man named Vuong Chi Sinh was considered the King of the H’mong People in Dong Van, Ha Giang. Their residence was built in the scenic valley of Sa Phin with Chinese architecture. The whole house was built out of wood and rock only. The rocks for the buildings were imported from China. Vuong Family Residence is a masterpiece of man work in the valley of heavenly beauty of Sa Phin.

This is a remote area and we can meet the hard-working local people here. It is inspiring to see how they survive as they manage live in the rocks.When we reach Dong Van Town we will have some extra time to wonder the ancient streets lined with H’mong homes of clay bricks and tiles roofs built centuries ago.

Note: Dong Van, where we spend the night today is the most touristy town on this tour so you can spend a little time to find some bustling corners for entertainment if you want to.

Summary:
Distance: 140 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 8: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Bac Kan: Dong Van Motorcycle Tours to Bao Lac (110 km)

We begin riding at 9 o’clock today, head to Lung Cu flag pole, a prominent landmark located in Lung Cu Commune of Dong Van. The flag tower was built to mark Vietnam’s sovereignty and border protection efforts in the northernmost region. Due to its elevated position, the flag tower offers a panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes, including both Vietnam and China. We take a few steps to the top of the pole to enjoy a stunning view and take some good pictures. For it’s a short ride today and the sceneries on the route is extremely gorgeous so we have more chances to stop to relax and feast our eyes with stunning landscapes.

From the Flag pole we head back to Dong Van town, ride on a backroad where we can see China land over a majestic cliff then head to Ma Pi Leng pass – the highlight of the day. Ma Pi Leng pass is a breathtaking mountain pass located between Dong Van and Meo Vac Renowned for its awe-inspiring beauty, the pass cuts through the majestic limestone peaks of Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark, a UNESCO-recognized site. We stop for a nice coffee at the middle of the pass to immerse ourselves in stunning landscapes of Ma Pi Leng and experience its unique geological features.

We stop for lunch in Meo Vac town, from here we take a challenging hidden track where we have an eye-opening experience which is crossing the vibrant Nho Que river on a bamboo raft.

We overnight in Bao Lac, a peaceful town of Cao Bang province.

Distance: 100 kilometers

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 9: Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour to Sapa, Ha Giang, Ba Be lake: Bao Lac  Motorbike Tour to Ba Be Lake

Our journey starts at about 9 o’clock today after breakfast, from Bao Lac we can take a beautiful backroad through the bamboo forests of Lung Pan village, or challenge ourselves with some dirt trails nearby. After lunch we head straight to Ba Be lake to do a boat trip in the lake while enjoying nice, cold beers.

Ba Bể Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Ba Bể, Ba Bể meaning “Three Lakes” in the local Tay language) is the largest natural fresh water lake in Vietnam, stretching about 8 kilometers in the north-south direction. The surface area of the lake fluctuates between 3 and 5 km2 between dry and wet season. Unlike many lakes in Karst limestone areas, Ba Be Lake never falls dry. Its average depth varies between 17 and 23 meters, the maximum depth is 35 meters. The lake lies about 150 meters above sea level, making it also Vietnam’s highest. The name “Three Lakes” refers to the three parts of the lake named Pe Leng, Pe Lu, and Pe Lam. All these three parts are connected into a single continuous body of water, however.

We stay in a homestay of a local Tay family this night.

Summary:
Distance:  120 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

Day 10: Ba Be Lake Motorbike Ride Back to Hanoi (240 km)

One last big day to complete our trip of a lifetime, it’s a long way to go this day so we’d better depart early. An easy motor ride in the morning will take us through peaceful villages and rice fields before reaching very busy road in the afternoon. After our last meal in Thai Nguyen city, traffic will get worst on the way back to Hanoi, so we should be back before rush hour and finish our trip around 3 pm.

Summary:
Distance: 230 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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End of Services

Note: The itinerary above is very brief, and motorcycle tours are always flexible, therefore, depending on your riding experience, your demands and weather conditions, your tour guide will choose the most suitable roads for you. So please don’t hesitate to discuss with the guide about your needs every day on the trip since we want to bring you the best service that we can.

Best regards!