Inspiring Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest – 14 Days

Itinerary:

Day 1: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Hanoi Motorcycle Tour to Vu Linh village (Thac Ba lake, Yen Bai)

On the first day, after leaving the busy city of Hanoi, we hit the countryside, roaming through peaceful villages, rice fields and backroads. In the afternoon, we ride along the Red River heading to Vu Linh, a peaceful village of Dao ethinic people in Yen Bai province. Depending on your demand, we can do some light dirt track before and after lunch to warm up your a bodies for the next challenging days. We finish the day on a boat trip on Thac Ba Lake – one of the biggest lakes in Vietnam.

Located in the north west of the country, formed in 1971 on Chay river to be the water supplier for the operation of Thac Ba hydropower plant. Thac Ba Lake has nearly 23,500 hectares in width with over 1,300 large and small green islands, the system of  beautiful caves hidden deeply in the limestone mountain ranges, boating on the Thac Ba lake is a lovely way to commune with nature. Relax yourself by a nice swim in the fresh and clean water here before a fancy dinner at the homestay of a Dao family. The Dao ethnic group in Vietnam has a total population of nearly 1 million people. They live mainly in the northern mountain provinces of Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau and Tuyen Quang and the midland provinces of Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, and Hoa Binh.

Summary:
Distance: 160 km
Meals: Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Home-stay

Day 2: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Thac Ba Motorcycle Tour to Ba Be National Park (Bac Kan)

Say good bye to the Dzao family in the village after breakfast, It’s a beautiful North Vietnam motorbike tour through the highlands, through the jungle and pass by some interesting historical sites in Tan Trao district, Tuyen Quang province.

After lunch in Cho Chu town we have enjoyable motorcycle riding on the winding roads to the Ba Be lake. We arrive the Pac Ngoi village that is located nearby the largest natural lake in Vietnam – Ba Be lake. Leave the bike in the village and have a boat tour around Ba Be lake for 1 and half hour. We stay with the Tay people in Pac Ngoi village and enjoy a great dinner with them.

Summary:
Distance: 180 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Home-stay

Day 3: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Ba Be Motorcycle Tour to Cao Bang City

Beautiful motor ride down to Cao Bang province. Few passes from where you can dominate the area. The road is easy but there are many blind curves. We can stop very often for photos in Nguyen Binh and Tinh Tuc.

Good hotel in Cao Bang Town, where we can relax to be ready for next imaging day.

Summary:
Distance: 130 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 4: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Cao Bang Motorcycle Tours to Ban Gioc waterfall (Cao Bang)

Get out of town, we ride up to Ma Phuc Pass of Cao Bang Province. It is on the way between Cao Bang Town and the Ban Gioc Waterfall. The pass is not famous with the elevation or the danger like some others in Vietnam, but with the natural beauty that one could capture from the top of the pass.

Keep riding to Ban Gioc waterfall, one of Vietnam’s best-known waterfalls. It’s a very scenic spot, marking the border with China, but sees very few visitors. The name Ban Gioc is derived from the Montagnard languages spoken in the area, and is sometimes spelt Ban Doc.

The waterfall is the largest, although not the highest, in the country. The vertical drop is 53m, but it has an impressive 300m span; one end of the falls is in China, the other is in Vietnam. The falls have three levels, creating a sort of giant staircase, and there’s enough water any time, most years, to make the trip worthwhile.

Lunch in local restaurant before we get an other way back to Quang Uyen. This is the territory of Nung An people. Home stay in a host family and the hostess is a great cook.

This could be the best ride ever.

Overnight in Quang Uyen.

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

Day 5: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Quang Uyen Motorbike Tour to Bao Lac

After enjoying a simple but friendly breakfast at a local family, we’ll say goodbye to villagers. We ride to the historic Pac Bo.

Passing a hill where the Ho Chi Minh Museum located, you will see the historical area of Pac Bo. The main historical relics in this area consist of Pac Bo, Coc Bo, Bo Bam Cave, Lenin Stream, Karl Marx Mountain, Co Rac Ground and Khuoi Nam. The famous Coc Bo Cave is where President Ho Chi Minh established his residence and worked on Vietnam revolutionary course after returning from 30 years abroad.

Walking on the rocks along the side of the stream, where Uncle Ho used to work and fish, you reach a wooden bridge over Coc Bo rivulet where Lenin Stream starts. The water is clear, cool and so tranquil that one can see the fish and pebbles on its bed and the green watercress in the water. Beyond the bridge is the place where Uncle Ho often cooked soup with vegetable and bamboo shoots. By the side of a rugged rocky mountain is Pac Po Cave. Looking down into the cave from its mouth, you can see the words “February 8th, 1941” written by Uncle Ho on the wall. That was the day he came to live in this small cave, a wet and cold place lying deep in a mountain gorge that nobody paid much attention to.

It’s another big day ride but not so hard. The ride is mostly on paved roads with easy off-road. Offering some interesting visits to villages of the Tay, Dzao and H’Mong people…

End the day at the hotel in Bao Lac at around 5:00 pm

Overnight in Bao Lac.

Summary:
Distance: 150 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 6: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Bao Lac Motorbike Tour to Dong Van

We start riding at 9 o’clock today on small challenging mountain roads (but incredibly beautiful) on the land of colorful mountain hill-tribes. After 40 kilometers, we get to the first highlight of the day which is crossing the poetic Nho Que river on a bamboo raft in the middle of nowhere. We stop for a light lunch in the lovely town of Meo Vac, from here we ride to Ma Pi Leng pass, the most beautiful part of this day’s ride. 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. From here we head to Dong Van then get on a backroad where we can see China land over a majestic cliff, stop for some great pictures here then we head to the remarkable Lung Cu flag pole. This flag pole is 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.

From Lung cu we ride back to Dong Van town, where we spend the night.

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

Summary:
Distance: 100-120 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 7: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Dong Van Motorbike Tour to Ha Giang

We say good bye to Dong Van at 9 o’clocl after a nice breakfast heading to the first interesting place to visit of today’s ride, the H’mong King Palace. (or Vuong Family Palace) located 14 kilometers from Dong Van. In 19th century, a H’mong  family was considered the royal family of H’mong territory in Ha Giang – the Vuong family. Their residence was built in the scenic valley of Sa Phin with a mixed architecture influenced by H’mong, French and Chinese architecture. The whole palace was built out of wood and rock by the best builders and craftsmen, it costed a huge fortune at the time. Vuong family palace is a masterpiece of man work in the valley of heavenly beauty of Ha Giang, built in 1914, the palace survived 2 major wars: the Indochina war and the Vietnam war. As such, Vuong Palace is also treated as a symbol of the past glory of H’mong people.

From the H’mong King palce 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!.

After having lunch in Yen Minh or Quan Ba, we roll on some challenging dirt tracks through rice terraces and forests where the landscape is fascinating. 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 hardship with them, sharing is caring!

We spend the night in a hotel in Ha Giang city.

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

Day 8 Ha Giang Motorbike Tour to Bac Ha via Hoang Su Phi

Our trip continues at 8 o’clock today, after reaching Viet Lam town through a 30 kilometers ride, 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: Nung, Flower H’mong, Tay and Ha Nhi people…Lunch will be served 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. Hoang Su Phi district and its neighbor Xin Man are covered by lush green forests, tea farms and probably some of the most impressive terraced rice fields in Vietnam. The road winds its way high up the mountain sides and offers beautiful landscapes, in Xin Man, we stop for a spectacular view down to a fantastic valley of rice fields.

From Xin Man we take on some challenging dirt tracks heading to Bac Ha, our destination tonight. The town is famous for its cool climate and the remarkable “Bac Ha periodical market”, a unique event of this lovely place. Bac Ha Market is considered as the largest and most colorful market in the area. On weekends, throngs of villagers from the surrounding hill tribes walk to the market to purchase and exchange food, animals, clothes and household goods. The Bac Ha Market sees the attendance of variety different ethnic groups including Flower H’mong, Phu La, Black Dao, Tay and Nung minorities, who gather together to buy and sell their own products (ranging from everything made from hand-embroidered skirts to all manner of 4-legged animals) that cannot be found elsewhere. That’s why the market is frequently very crowded and bustling.

One of Bac Ha’s main industries is the manufacture of alcoholic home brews (rice wine, cassava wine and corn liquor). The corn hooch produced by the Flower H’mong is so potent it can ignite! Bac Ha is the only place in Vietnam where you’ll find this particular moonshine; there’s an entire area devoted to it at the Sunday periodical market. This town is also famous for growing the best plums in the North of Vietnam.

We stay in a homestay tonight.

Summary:
Distance: 190 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Homestay

Day 9: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Bac Ha motorbike tour to Sapa

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, Depart at 9 or 10 o’clock from Bac Ha 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. From here we ride on National road 43 to Sapa. By arriving Sapa early in the afternoon, you have more time to relax in Sapa or do a cable car trip to Fansipan mountain-the highest mountain of Indochina.

The second option offers you a different route with longer distance. From Bac Ha we follow the winding Road 153 through plum farms and small villages to Muong Khuong district where we can see rice fields surrounded by majestic limestone mountains. From here we roll on Road 43d to Sapa via Lao Cai city. This route gives us more time of riding and doing challenging offroad tracks.

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.

Note: Challenging offroad and dirt tracks are available for both two options

Overnight in Sapa

Summary:
Distance: 100-180 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 10: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Sapa – Free

There are few options for the relaxed day in Sapa. We can have short walk around the town or take a cable car up to higheast peak of Vietnam – Fansipan or have another easy and short ride along the beautiful Muong Hoa valley to see some other villages of the H’Mong, Zay or Tay people. Stay in Holel in Sapa.

Summary:

Distance:

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

Day 11: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Sapa Motorbike Tour to Mu Cang Chai

Say goodbye to the fancy town of Sapa we head to O Quy Ho pass, this is one of the most impressive and challenging mountain passes in the northern region of Vietnam located 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. Leaving O Quy Ho pass behind, we hit the territory of Tan Uyen district where we could ride along poetic tea farms and rice terraces. After lunch we head to Mu Cang Chai, the lovely land which we will spend the night.

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.

Summary:
Distance: 150 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

Day 12: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Mu Cang Chai Motorbike Tour to Phu Yen

In the morning, we take a hilly backroad to La Pan Tan village via Mam Xoi Hill, this place is super famous for its fascinating rice terraces. Sculpted over centuries of small-scale cultivation, rice terraces here bring different charms during different seasons.

During the summer, the terraces bulge with ripening rice stems that blanket the hills in a vibrant green. By early autumn, the rice plants have turned a bewitching golden yellow, ready for the harvest. In wintertime, the lonely terraces fill with water, creating cascading rows of reflective infinity pools. Once spring comes, the terraces transform into anthills of activity, as the farmers plant a new crop.

Leave the poetry hills of La Pan Tan behind, we keep riding 20 kilometers more to Khau Pha Pass – the next highlight of the day, 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.

From the top of Khau Pha Pass we move downhill to Tu Le commune, 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.

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 Phu Yen town, where we spend the night.

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

Day 13: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Phu Yen motorbike tour to Mai Chau

We begin riding today at 9 o c’clock, after getting out of the town, we’ll have a beautiful  ride along the mighty Da river until we cross it on a ferry or a boat. From here we roll on National road 43 to Moc Chau for a lunch stop, . 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. From here we take a turn from National road 43 to the Old National 6. 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. After doing some cool offroad, we head back to National Road 6 to Mai Chau, where we spend the night.

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

Day 14: Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Northeast to Northwest : Mai Chau Motorbike Tour to Hanoi

We begin riding at 8:30 o’clock today, after leaving the town, 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 hydropower station. We ride on some light dirt tracks and backroads before stopping for lunch in Cao Phong or Ky Son. After lunch we head straight to Hanoi on a highway to avoid traffic jam of rush hour.

Summary:
Distance: 140 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch

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!