Epic Vietnam Motorbike Tour from South to North -14 Days

In this morning, we will start our ride straight to Cat Tien National Park.This trip is not so long but is a big day as traffic is very crazy when we get out of city. At noon, we ride to Cat Tien National Park. This forest area used to be the head quarter of Vietnamese army during the war.

The park suffered historically during the Vietnam War when it was extensively sprayed with herbicides like the defoliant Agent Orange. To this day these areas have extensive bamboo and grassland cover and trees have not yet grown back.

Right here, you will have a chance to experience off-road rides through jungles with dirty roads to explore the diversity of fauna & flora of National Park

Summary
Distance:  190 km
Accommodation: Guest House in Nam Cat Tien
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

In this morning, after having breakfast at guesthouse in Cat Tien National park, we will set off our funny motorcycle trip by a long ride down on road 20 to Da Lat known as an “internal spring city” located on Central Highland.  En route, we’ll get by so many mountains & valleys cum the local villages so that you sometimes have chances to enjoy the off-road ridings via forests or plantations or stop by to get communications with friendly locals.

Summary
Distance:  200 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Da Lat
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Dalat is known as “The City of Love” and is a favorite holiday resort for Vietnamese as well as the French. With evergreen forests, waterfalls, beautiful lakes, the country’s best flower gardens, and delicious fresh produce, Dalat has always provided a welcome respite from the heat of the lowlands. We can spend the day riding to visit the highlights of Dalat with Lang Biang plateau, its gardens, cathedral, waterfalls, market, Valley of Love, convent, university and key pagodas.

Overnight in Da Lat.

Summary
Accommodation: Hotel in Dalat
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning, after having breakfast we’ll continue riding onward to Buon Ma Thuot.  The road is narrow, winding, but not busy.  We have three passes to cross – Krong No, Chuoi,  and Phu Son. The drive itself is quite beautiful and lined with dense forests

After having lunch in Lak Lake, we’ll take an offroad motor-ride to Lak Lake on Road 27, a small paved road with poor surfacing and quite busy. Here we can have a break for refreshment and troll around the by the lake. There are said to be about 31 different ethnic groups in Dac Lac, each with their own traditional dress and customs.  Some of the villages are known for elephant hunting and taming, some for weaving and other arts. Finally, we’ll ride back to Buon Ma Thuot city for an overnight

Summary
Distance:  200 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Buon Ma Thuot
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After having breakfast at hotel, we need a time to stop by a coffee shop or bar to drink a cup of the best coffee in Vietnam before setting off another ride to Pleiku because Buon Ma Thuot is so well-known as a Kingdom of coffee not only in Vietnam but also in the world.

We then will follow the Highway 14 to ride straight to Kon Tum via Pleiku. Along the road, we’ll keep on viewing endless coffee plantations on the Central Highland with peaceful villages located on the roadsides.

Lunch at Pleiku, From here, we ride along the Tun River and up over a pass to Kon Tum. Along the way are coffee plantations and the stilt houses of the Central Highland’s largest ethnic group of the Gia Rai.

In Kon Tum we can visit the Catholic church and the orphanage, based behind the Catholic Church in town and run by a group of French nuns. If time permits, you can also visit a beautiful Bahnar village near town.

Summary
Distance:  240 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Kon Tum
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast in local restaurant we continue riding north on Highway 14 today on a bit of a bumpy section of the road to Kham Duc.

Today is really a day to visit different minority villages. We will ride over Lo Xo Pass, making lots of stops along the way to meet De and Trieng minorities, who live along the Dak Po Ko river. Along the river are many amazing hanging bridges, built by the local people to cross to the opposite shore.  Lunch will be in Tan Canh, and we can visit a village of Se Dang

After having lunch, we’ll keep on rolling on the highway to Hoi An and on the way, we’ll stop by to visit My Son, a world heritage site that is the Cham version of Angkor Wat. Most of the temples are dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva, considered by the Cham as the founder and protector of their dynasties.

We then get to hotel in Hoi An for a check-in

Summary
Distance:  280 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Hoi An
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Hoi An, nestled on the banks of the Thu Bon River.  Before the river silted up, Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia, and a center for East-West exchange and trade. The rooftops of Hoian retain a magical old world Oriental feel and are a favorite subject for Vietnamese artists.  In the early 1980s Hoian’s ancient quarters and historical monuments came under the protection and restoration efforts of UNESCO and the Polish government.

Those who wish can ride up to Da Nang Beach, where US marines first landed, otherwise enjoy a free day to explore Hoi An by foot or by motorbike taxi. With fine wining and dining (including a range of Hoi An specialties), impressive architecture, fantastic tailoring, endless shopping, and a glorious beach, there is no shortage of activities to indulge in.

Summary
Accommodation:  Hotel in Hoian Town
Meals:   Breakfast

In this morning, we will keep on riding along the coastal line via Da Nang then Hai Van Pass, where we could look down from the top to view the splendid beauties of Lang Co beach and ocean then time to refresh yourself by a cup of coffee before heading straight to Hue

Upon arrival in Hue, you will have to time to ride around this ancient citadel to explore some highlights with Imperial Citadel and Royal Tombs.

Time to check in at hotels

Summary
Distance:  180 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Hue
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Departing from Hue we ride along highway 1 to Quang Tri town, visiting Long Hung Church and Quang Tri Old Citadel which was a battlefield in 1972 between North and South Vietnam for 81 days and nights.

Then, we will ride along the coast from Cua Viet Beach to Cua Tung Beach a long stretch of beautiful and peaceful coastline. Next we visit the Vinh Moc tunnels and explore the Demilitarised Zone, stopping for lunch at the Doc Mieu Firebase.

In the afternoon we will have short stop at Truong Son cemetary to pay respects to the soldiers who fought and died on the trail during the American War. Continuing west on highway 9, we will climb into the Truong Son foothills, pass the Rock Pile and stop at some villages and beautiful natural springs and waterfalls near the highway.

Approx 5pm we arrive in Khe Sanh which was established as a forward base by General Westmoreland near Laos to secure highway 9. Check in to hotel, free time at night.

Summary
Distance:  200 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Khe Sanh
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast visit the Khe Sanh combat base, then we ride the west Ho Chi Minh trail, today you have the chance to see the real trail with its mind-blowing, spectacular scenery – lots of jungle, mountains, waterfalls and villages of the Paco and Van Kieu Minorities.

We will ride through the Sa Mu pass, se pang heng river, Lang Ho village, U bo pass, areas made famous in the American war.

Tonight we stay in Son Trach village near the entrance to the Phong Na-Ke Bang National Park

Summary
Distance:  150 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Phong Nha
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we travel through beautiful countryside on the journey from Phong Nha to Tan Ky. Passing Tea plantations, rice fields, ethnic minority villages, mountains, valleys and streams before arriving in Tan Ky late afternoon.

Summary
Distance:  260 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Tan Ky – Nghe An
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Established in 1962, Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park in Vietnam. Cuc Phuong boasts engaging cultural and wildlife heritage and enchanting scenery. Magnificent limestone mountains rise up majestically from the green rice-terraces and traditional stilt houses of the Muong hill-tribe. Covered in a dense forest they form a habitat for some of Asia’s rarest species. It is no wonder that researchers, naturalists, enthusiasts and conservationists alike are drawn to this corner of the world.

Summary
Distance:  190 km
Accommodation: Hotel in Guesthouse in Cuc Phuong
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our destination today is Mai Chau, a chain of villages surrounded by a lush green valley with stilt houses bordering both sides of the roads. Many minorities, including the White Thai ethnic group, live in Mai Chau. Tonight we stay in a traditional Thai stilt house in one of the villages and you have the option of attending a Thai folk show.

Summary
Distance:  140 km
Accommodation: Home-stay in village of Mai Chau
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In this morning, after having breakfast at the local family, we’ll ride back to Hanoi. Along the road, we’ll stop by to take photos of mountains, valleys and rice paddies.

At around 16:00, we’ll get to Hanoi. End of the trip

Summary

Distance:  150 km
Accommodation: No included
Meals:   Breakfast, Lunch