12 Day

North Vietnam Motorcycle Tour

Great Loop

Hanoi - That Khe - Quang Uyen - Pac Bo - Dong Van - Ha Giang - Hoang Su Phi - Sapa - Mu Cang Chai - Phu Yen - Pu Luong - Hanoi

Overview

A massive tour for those who want to see it all. This is a huge loop through north Vietnam, where you’ll ride the Chinese border through some of Asia’s most stunning landscapes. Cover more than 1,700km on tarmac, dirt, and single track, spending your evenings staying with and getting to know the ethnic highlanders who inhabit this remote region.

Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi - That Khe

We obviously need to get out of town today and we do that with minimal hassle but with some traffic. We get off the main highway as quickly as possible and then head for That Khe on the smaller back roads. Along the way, we will pass through small valleys, custard apple groves, and tiny hamlets. There is not much going on in That Khe but that is the charm of the countryside.

Day 2: That Khe - Quang Uyen

Today, we head into Cao Bang Province and take a visit to the Ban Gioc Waterfall before heading back down to our homestay which is tucked away from the madding crowd. Another peaceful night here means we are rested and ready for the next day.

Day 3: Quang Uyen - Pac Bo

We pass through the provincial capital of Cao Bang and head up to the Chinese border to visit Uncle Ho’s Cave (Pac Bo). It is a great drive on small country roads and we stay in a small homestay hear the cave ready to take the tricky road the next day.

Day 4: Pac Bo - Dong Van

We take the cross country route rather than backtrack on roads already travelled and head for Bao Lac. We get great views of China over the border and ride on some very remote roads. We can stop in Bao Lac, Bao Lam, Meo Vac or Dong Van depending on how we do for time. At each of these locations, we have homestays ready to greet us with hot food and warm beds.

Day 5: Dong Van - Ha Giang

We can make the choice to take the inner or outer roads today knowing that there will be more traffic on the outer loop. There are a lot of places to stop and hang out so we need to choose carefully as it may not look far but riding in the mountains takes a little more time. Once in Ha Giang we can rest up at a homestay a little way outside of town, which is more peaceful.

Day 6: Ha Giang - Hoang Su Phi

Today is not a difficult day and it is one of the most scenic. We enter the UNESCO world heritage site of Hoang Su Phi, which is known for its beautiful rice terracing, and can stop to take photos as we ascend the hills. We stay at a hilltop bungalow resort, which looks down on the beautiful valley. It is worth getting up early the next day to witness the sunrise.

Day 7: Hoang Su Phi - Sapa

This is a good long drive that takes us around the Kiou Leou Ti mountain and along the river valley bordering China to Bac Ha and then Sa Pa. There is a lot of good scenery and a few local markets on the route so we will definitely see some interesting things.

Day 8: Exploration Day

After a couple of hard days, it is good to have a rest so we take the opportunity to do so in Sa Pa. We can choose to stay in the main town which is useful if we plan to ascend Fansipan or to head down the valley to stay with the villagers. Either way, we will get some good western food and see some interesting sights.

Day 9: Sapa - Mu Cang Chai

We loop around Fansipan and down the O Quy Ho Pass, which drops down some 17km. We get stunning views of fansipan and the valley ahead and the road is relatively peaceful and easy to drive. After Than Uyen, we turn into the Mu Cang Chai Valley which has beautiful rice terracing and lots of fun places to stop and hang out.

Day 10: Mu Cang Chai - Phu Yen

We need to loop around Ta Xua Nature Reserve today as we can’t go over this mountain and we do that via Nghia Lo. The road is good, as it was yesterday and we can make good time, but we have a long way to go. We will still pass through a whole host of small villages and see lots of ethnic people on the road. However, things will start to get a little busier from now on.

Day 11: Phu Yen - Pu Luong

We head down to the BlacK River and take a ferry to get across before climbing up to the Moc Chau Plateau. We can take a stretch of the old Highway 4, built by the French to get to Dien Bien Phu before heading past Mai Chau and down intothe Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Once we are off the main highway and into the reserve it is plain sailing and we stay in a secluded bungalow away from the hubbub.

Day 12: Pu Luong - Hanoi

This is a journey of two halves. The first is quiet and scenic and we can amble along and really enjoy the ride. The second is busier as we are coming back into Hanoi and need to pay more attention. We can easily make it back to our hotel in time to wash up and be ready for our farewell meal.

Motorcycles

Honda XR 150

$140/day

Lightweight dual-sport

Honda CRF 300

$180/day

Powerful dual-sport

Honda CB 500X

$180/day

Capable mid-sized tourer

BMW GS 1250

$280/day

Iconic German tourer

Inclusions/Extras

Reviews

Karl TV 4 weeks ago

I want to thank the owner Dany for all the advices and recommendations he gave us during our motorcycle rentals. He told us which places to visit and routes to take for scenic views.
We also needed to use the assistance line for repairs and translation, and the service was really quick and efficient.

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Itachi Uchiha 1 month ago

Great place, lovely staff, got a nice bike and a good deal

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Hải Anh Phạm 1 month ago

Dịch vụ tốt ạ. Giá cả tốt lắm ạ

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Philippe Guitton 1 month ago

Motos en très bon état
Très bon accueil et pleins de conseils pour notre road trip
Les prix sont très corrects

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Jim Brandeau 1 month ago

Rented a Honda CB500 for 4 days as I wanted to do some longer distances. It was the perfect size for both city and country riding. Rental process was easy and quick. Bike was well maintained and I had no issues I put about 1500 kms on it in the 4 days. Great people to deal with. Jim, Napanee, Ontario, Canada

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Sơn Hồ 2 months ago