Grand North Vietnam Motorcycle Adventures (12 Days – 11 Nights/2160Km)

If you’re looking for perfect Vietnam motorbike tours with beautiful routes and many stories about Vietnamese culture and history, this 12 day tour must be the one for you. It’s the great mixture of on and off-road ride that covering almost the beautiful landscapes in North Vietnam with Ba Be National Park, Ban Gioc waterfalls, Dong Van – Ha Giang Rock plateau, Sapa... and much more. The northern Vietnam part offers more off-road ride and culture discovery and the southern part on the Ho Chi Minh trail is easier ride offering more historical sites to learn more about the Vietnam history and the Vietnam war. 

Highlights:

Ha Giang / Spectacular scenery / Different Ethnic Minority Groups / Local Cuisine / Narrow windy roads

Day 1: Ha noi – Ba Be / 250km 

We leave Ha Noi avoid busy city road in the morning until Cho Chu town where we have luch. After lunch, we surely have enjoyable motorcycle ride to Ba Be because the roads have less traffic and offer a lot of green and peacful view of nature/mountains. At about 4 PM. We arrive Pac Ngoi – a beautiful village of Tay people which located peacefully at Ba Be lake’s side.

Diner and stay with the Tay’s family 

Day 2: BA Be lake boat trip – Cao Bang/  150km 

The sound from the Ba Be National Park or from the dogs, pigs and chickens in the villages may wake you up earlier than normal but that’s the chance to feel the morning fresh air and experience the new day in remote area of Vietnam. 

After breakfast with the Tay family, we take a short walk to the Babe lake pier to start the 2 hour boat cruise around the largest natural lake in Vietnam – Ba Be lake.  After another lunch in Pac Ngoi village, we will have easy motorcycle tour to Cao Bang. The ride is about 150 Km from the village and it is almost on the smooth road up and up to Cao Bang where we stay the second night. 

Day 3: Cao Bang – Quang Uyen via Ban Gioc waterfall / 200km 

This is another highlight of this Northern part, our guide will take on the scenic back – roads leading to the Chinese border, the ride is almost on-road offering amazing view of mountains and rice fields between villages of the ethnic people.

We’ll be at the Chinese border where we can see the biggest and most beautiful waterfall in Vietnam – Ban Gioc waterfall at the noon time. Stop riding for lunch and then spend the relaxing time to take pictures or swim at the waterfall. After the great time with the waterfall, we’ll be back to the beautiful roads and enjoy again the motorbike ride to little peaceful town of Quang Uyen. We’ll arrive at the family of the Tay people nearby the town, getting off the bikes then enjoy the relaxing time with the family. 

Day 4: Quang Uyen – Meo Vac / 200km 

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 Meo Vac 

Day 5: Meo vac – Ha Giang / 200km  

Today’s ride promises to be the highlight of this motorcycle trip in Vietnam as we will visit one of the most remote land in North Vietnam where we can see many ethnic groups with their unique cultures and imposing mountains such as : Pi Leng Pass – one of the 4 longest and most beautiful passes in North Vietnam, the Rock Plateau, the Vuong palace in Dong Van, The “Heaven Gate” in Quan Ba.

This is for sure the best motorbike ride in Vietnam with many interesting and amazing things in every meter of the road. Arrive Ha Giang in the late afternoon. 

Day 6: Ha Giang – Bac Ha /180km 

The Ha Giang roads are intrinsically difficult due to their winding and rocky terrain, but as we zoom in, we get to gaze on the majesty of the plateau. It is another highlight of Ha Giang Motorbike Touring. Then to Hoang Su Phi is among the most untouched areas of Ha Giang Province of Vietnam.

The area was separated from mainstream society until very recently. Passing Hoang Su Phi, you will be charmed by 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 stopping for lunch in the village of Xin Man, motor ride on the track to Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi on many of the small and scenic mountain views back roads. Xin Man is right on the border between Vietnam and China. It is, as of this writing, well-hidden and surrounded by wild mountains and forests. There's a single road from Hoang Su Phi to Xin Man take pictures before arriving in the city of Bac Ha 

Day 7: Bac Ha to Sapa / 160km 

This ride promises to be another highlights of this Vietnam motorbike tours, it offers a great view of mountain and rice fields. We continue the motorbike tour to Sapa, we will have a stop to visit the border to China, just to have a look at China from Vietnam.

The last 40 km of motorbike ride to Sapa must be a highlight of the Vietnam motorbike tour today because we will hit the road up and up to the level of 1600 meters above the sea where the Sapa town located. A must-see location on North Vietnam motorbike tours, the mountain town in the mist draws both domestic and international visitors to explore.  Sa Pa is famous both for its fine, rugged scenery and for its rich cultural diversity. In the early decades of the 20th century the French used to consider SaPa as the summer capital of Northern Vietnam. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there. Particularly, the place is the foremost choice for honeymoon couples!

Overnight at Hotel! 

Day 8: Day rest in Sapa 

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 high east 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 Hotel in Sapa. 

Day 9: Sapa – Mu Cang Chai/ 190km 

After leaving Sapa, we will have a great motorbike ride down to Mu Cang Chai. Is another highlight of this Vietnam Motorbike Tour because we will cross the O Qui Ho pass – one of the longest and most beautiful passes in Northern Vietnam. After the mountain pass,  

we will motorbike on smooth sealed road through green tea fields, and some off-road it is almost on mountain road with amazing view of terrace fields and cross a lot of rustic villages of hill tribes. This is a typical motorcycle tour Northern Vietnam, we are just winding with the mountain back-roads and stop every half an hour to take pictures or chat with colorful local people. 

Day 10: Mu Cang Chai – Phu Yen: 200km 

We keep riding up and down into a forested and high mountain region populated by H’mong peoples. We will hike up a very high mountain pass before descending into a mountainous tea-growing region.

Soon after we follow a long the valley floor covered in a sea of rice surrounded by Hmong North Vietnam Motorcycle Adventures and Thai’s villages all the way to Phu Yen. Especially, after lunch in Tu Le – a famous land for terrace fields so the ride through the villages and rice terraces. This is another highlight of this Motorcycle tour North Vietnam. 

Day 11: Phu Yen – Mai Chau/ 170km 

It is a short motorbike tour to Mai Chau valley, but it’s also really enjoyable motorbike ride! It offers some different views from the days before with different hill tribes. Right after Phu Yen town, we will have great ride along the Da River lake on the winding road between the river lake and mountains. it is likely a motorcycle tour on the coastline in the central Vietnam. 

After crossing the Da river by a ferry, we will motorcycle up and up to Moc Chau plateau where we stop for lunch. After lunch, we’ll make a turn to the quiet mountain road named Hua Tat – it’s built by the French during the war time and nowadays, it seems like a forgotten so the short ride to Mai Chau is also the best part of the Northern Vietnam Motorbike Tour. 

Day 12: Mai Chau – Ha Noi / 160km 

In the last day of our adventures, having a short walk around the villages of the Thai people in the morning, feel the peaceful life of the local by walking around the valley and then start the motorbike ride back to Hanoi at around 9 AM. After 2 beautiful mountain passes – Thung Khe and Doc Cun we will have lunch and then join the high way back to Hanoi.

We will be back to the hotel before rush hours in order to end the 12 Day motorbike tour in north Vietnam safely. 

• Experienced English Speaking Guide
• Motorbike for self-riding (licence required)
• Fuel
• 11 x Breakfast, 12 x Lunch, 12 x Dinner
• 11 Nights’ Accommodation in twin share room (single rooms available at surcharge)
• Entry Fees and Ferry Crossings
• International Safety Standard Helmet
• Drinking Water on the Road
• Saddle Bags, Gloves & Rain Ponchos (if needed)
• If more than 6 riders there will also be a tour mechanic coming
• If more than 10 riders there will also be a 2nd guide and support van for luggage coming along

• Alcohol / Minibar Drinks
• Drinks (after travel time on the road / during dinner)
• Personal & Motorbike Insurance (for motorcycle accident)
• Personal Expenses / Laundry / Tips
• Damages to Motorcycle/ Tour Equipment