Overwelming Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour – 8 Days

Itinerary:

North-East Vietnam Offroad Motorbike Tours to Ha Giang – Brief Itinerary

NIGHT 1: HANOI NIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI CITY

DAY 1: LAO CAI MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO SAPA AND BAC HA (LAO CAI)

DAY 2: BAC HA MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO HA GIANG CITY

DAY 3: HA GIANG MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO DONG VAN (HA GIANG)

DAY 4: DONG VAN MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO BAO LAC (CAO BANG)

DAY 5: BAO LAC MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO CAO BANG CITY

DAY 6: CAO BANG MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO BAN GIOC WATERFALL AND HOMESTAY IN QUANG UYEN (CAO BANG)

DAY 7: QUANG UYEN MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO LANG SON CITY

DAY 8: LANG SON MOTORCYCLE TOUR BACK HANOI

NIGHT 1:  HANOI NIGHT TRAIN TO LAO CAI CITY

We take a very short motor ride to Hanoi Train Station, put our motorbikes and jump on the night train up to Lao Cai.

DAY 1: LAO CAI MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO SAPA AND BAC HA (LAO CAI)

After breakfast, we jump on our motorbikes climbing up to Sapa, which is famous both for its fine, rugged scenery and for its rich cultural diversity. French used to consider Sapa as Summer Capital of Northern Vietnam in the early decades of the 20th century. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there since then. Particularly, the place is the foremost choice for honeymoon couples!

We have time to discover the town before lunch here. And then motorcycle down the same way back Lao Cai.
Head to Road 70 before turn to Bac Ha on Road 153.

Long touted as the weekend alternative to Sapa, this small highland town doesn’t have the same dramatic location of its more il-lustrious neighbour, but it is calmer when Saturday comes. It fills up to choking point on Sunday morning, when visitors flood in to meet the Flower H’mong at the morning market. Compared with 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.

One of Bac Ha’s main industries is she 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 market. Overnight in Bac Ha.

Summary:
Distance:  190 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Home-stay

DAY 2: BAC HA MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO HA GIANG CITY

After breakfast, we take a motor ride on the track to Xin Man and Hoang Su Phi on many small; back roads 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’s a single road from Xin Man to Hoang Su Phi.

Hoang Su Phi is among the most untouched area of Ha Giang Province of Vietnam. The area was separated from the mainstream society until very recently. Passing Hoang Su Phi, we 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 lunch, join the main road heading up to Ha Giang City, where we stop for the night and apply for a permit.

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

DAY 3: HA GIANG MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO DONG VAN (HA GIANG)

After getting the permit for motorbike tour in border areas at Ha Giang’s Immigration Police, we ride on small challenging mountain roads (but incredibly beautiful) on the land of colorful mountain hill-tribes.
Motorcycle head up the Ma Pi Leng Pass. Here is yet another amazing place, with cloudy mountain ranges and the poetic Nho Que river winding off in the distance.

It is really difficult to find the exact words to describe Ma Pi Leng Pass, located between Dong Van and Meo Vac, near the northernmost tip of Vietnam, as a painting of astonishing beauty and magnificence that captures the eyes of all viewers and nature lovers.

Ride on a zig-zag track until reaching Vuong Family’s Residence, 14 kms before Dong Van.
Vuong Family was considered the King of the Hmong 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.

Summary:
Distance:  160 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 4:  DONG VAN MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO BAO LAC (CAO BANG)

The road is still under construction and tracks what make the motor ride relatively long in spite of few kilometres. The landscape is among the most beautiful of Vietnam, and the slow tempo is only more appreciable.

We motorcycle across the wild regions of the mythical province of Ha Giang, Meo Vac is included. It shares the border with Dong Van District of Ha Giang Province and Bao Lam District of Cao Bang Province. Meo Vac has most of the terrain in the Rock Plateau of Dong Van and above 1000m above sea level.

Meo Vac has a harsh climate in the winter which is from November to April with dry and freezing cold weather. It is inhabited by different ethnic minorities including the H’mong, the King, Tay, Dzao…Most ethnic groups have maintained their culture untouched from the outside world.

We stop for the night at Bao Lac, the ethnic crossroad of Northeast Vietnam. Many other ethnic groups on the two sides of the border meet at the market every Sunday.

Summary:
Distance:  80 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel

DAY 5: North-East Vietnam Offroad Motorbike Tours to Ha Giang : BAO LAC 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 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 6: CAO BANG MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO BAN GIOC WATERFALL AND HOMESTAY IN QUANG UYEN (CAO BANG)

Get out of town, we motorcycle 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 motorbiking 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: Home-stay

DAY 7: QUANG UYEN MOTORCYCLE TOUR TO LANG SON CITY

Motorcycle from Quang Uyen to Lang Son on the famous historical Highway 4. Passing Dong Khe town, Battle of Route Coloniale 4. The Battle of Dong Khe was a major battle of the First Indochina War. The fight began on 15 September 1950 and ended on 18 September with a French defeat. It took place in Dong Khe, in the Province of Tonkin, Vietnam, from September 15 to September 18, 1950, ending with a Viet Minh victory.
Arriving Lang Son at noon. We have a late lunch before time to discover this city which has become a big trading post between China and Vietnam. You can shop for cheap Chinese products at the nearby Dong Kinh market. Overnight in hotel.

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

DAY 8: LANG SON MOTORCYCLE TOUR BACK HANOI

Easy day back to Hanoi on the new Highway 1B. You can wake up late or do some more shopping in Dong Kinh market in the morning as we guess you can be tired after long riding days.
Arrival at Hanoi before rush hour, around 3pm.

Summary:
Distance:  160 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

End of services

Note: We provide support truck (120$ per day) for emergency and for your safe riding in Vietnam – Most of other tour operators do not offer that. Contact us if you think it’s necessary.