Military March | 10 Days
Tour Info
- Hanoi
- 10 Days, 9 Nights
- 1,065 km
- pillions welcome
- moderate difficulty
- CRF 250, XR 150, Future 125
Highlights
Itinerary
- 180 km
- 6 hours
- Hoa Binh Dam; Hoa Binh back roads; Pu Luong Nature Reserve
We get out of town as quickly as possible and then we take the smaller back roads and ATK roads to get to the beautiful Pu Luong valley. This is not a hard day but concentration is needed as you become acclimatised to the the bike and the traffic conditions.
- 160 km
- 6 hours
- the old Highway 6; Pu Luong back roads; Moc Chau back roads
We have quite along way to go today but it doesn’t stop us taking the back roads out of Pu Luong and also the old French highway up to Moc Chau. It is noticeably cooler up on the Moc Chau Plateau and this is perfect for the plum, peach and strawberry crops that are grown up here. You will also see millions of bees in thousands of hives. This evening we rest in a small homestay a way out of town so as to be in the peace and quiet.
- 160 km
- 6 hours
- Son La back roads; Son La Prison
We choose our routes today and it all depends on how adventurous we are feeling. The easy option is to follow the main road to Son La and the more exciting one is to skirt the border with Laos and take the mountainous route ending up in Son La. The choice is yours.
- 235 km
- 8 hours
- Pha Din Pass; Dien Bien back roads; military history
Once again we have the choice of taking the low road or the high road. The main road will take us up and over the beautiful Pha Din Pass but the alternative route will take us over lesser used roads through some pretty remote country and, hopefully, to Dien Bien Phu in time for tea.
- optional
- –
- Victory Museum; A2 bunker; General’s Bunker; decomissioned tanks
This is a day where you get to hang out and wind down after some long riding days. You can visit the battlefields, Victory Museum, Hill A1 and the Commander’s Bunker to name but a few places. There are also tanks, bombs and guns dotted about the place that make for great selfies. Don’t forget to pick up some dried buffalo, which is very much a delicacy of these parts.
- 160 km
- 6 hours
- DT128 road up to Sin Ho
This is a very easy run up North to the small town of Sin Ho nestled in the hills of Lai Chau. We follow the river and then head up the escarpment to the town. A nice easy day meaning a late start isn’t a big problem and we can take it easy on the road stopping at every opportunity.
- 90 km
- 5 hours
- Sin Ho back roads
Again, we do not have far to go today but no matter as we are in the heart of the hills and there is plenty to see along the road. We can take our time and stop for views and decide if we’d like to take detours on smaller roads to get to our destination.
- 80 km
- 4 hours
- O Quy Ho Pass; Fansipan Mountain
We climb the fabulous O Quy Ho Pass today on our way to the French hill station. We get off the main road for the first part of the trip to avoid the crowds and traffic but then have to join it again as there is only one way over. We have time to stop and gaze back down the pass and hopefully get a look at Fansipan, if the weather is clear.
- optional
- –
- Fansipan cable car; Sa Pa Valley
Today is a day for hanging out in the valley. We can take a short trip around the area or even a loop out past Bat Xat and back. If we decide to, we can take the cable car to the top of Fansipan, the highest mountain in SE Asia.
- 80 km
- 4 hours
- 6 hours
- coming soon
We take the back route down to Lao Cai where we drop off our bikes and take our private VIP bus back to Hanoi. We can stop off on route for lunch and be back in plenty of time to get to our hotel and meet up for our farewell dinner.
Motorcycles
The Honda XR 150 is the most popular dual sport in Vietnam for a reason: whether you’re riding a highway, a country road or a single track through the jungle, it’s built to handle anything the region has to throw at it.
- comfortable seat, even carrying a pillion
- huge fuel tank gives the XR fantastic range
- very capable off road
| Displacement | 149 cc | Fuel Capacity | 12 litres |
| Starter | electric/kick | Fuel System | carburettor |
| Dry Weight | 129 kg | Front Brake | disc |
| Seat Height | 825 mm | Rear Brake | drum |
| Transmission | manual (5 speed) |
*Please bear in mind that, because we stock a few different models of each bike, your model’s specifications may differ slightly from those shown above.
The Honda Future is our most powerful semi-automatic motorbike, and makes for a surprisingly capable tourer.
- fuel injected: easy to start and good throttle response
- storage space beneath the seat
- light and easy to maneuver
| Displacement | 124.9 cc | Fuel Capacity | 4.6 litres |
| Starter | electric/kick | Fuel System | fuel injection |
| Dry Weight | 106 kg | Front Brake | disc |
| Seat Height | 756 mm | Rear Brake | drum |
| Transmission | semi-automatic (4 speed) |
*Please bear in mind that, because we stock a few different models of each bike, your model’s specifications may differ slightly from those shown above.
(images coming soon)
The extra power provided by the CRF’s 250cc engine makes it an absolute joy to ride. Its enduro/off road pedigree means it was designed specifically with the gnarly roads Vietnam likes to throw at you in mind.
- front and rear disc brakes
- high riding position and excellent suspension
- our most powerful, capable motorcycle
| Displacement | 250 cc | Fuel Capacity | 7.6 litres |
| Starter | electric | Fuel System | fuel injection |
| Dry Weight | 130 kg | Front Brake | disc |
| Seat Height | 881 mm | Rear Brake | disc |
| Transmission | manual (6 speed) |
*Please bear in mind that, because we stock a few different models of each bike, your model’s specifications may differ slightly from those shown above.
Inclusions
The cost of motorcycle rental for the duration of your tour is included. Each rider on your tour can choose any of our three bikes:
- Honda CRF 250
- Honda XR 150
- Honda Future 125
See above section for images and specifications.
Your motorcycle is 3rd party insured. This is a legal requirement here in Vietnam, and protects you in the event that you injure another road user.
Additionally, we are responsible in the event your motorcycle breaks down or suffers a mechanical failure. However, if you damage your motorcycle by crashing it or through general misuse, you will be responsible for repair costs.
Naturally, you are also responsible for your own travel and medical insurance.
All the fuel you need for the duration of the trip is provided.
Your breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided and will be a mixture of European and Vietnamese food. Soft drinks and water are also provided and guides keep them stocked up at all times.
- Breakfast will be in your homestay or hotel and will generally be a mix of fried eggs and bread, noodles, pancakes and sticky rice, accompanied by fruit and coffee.
- Lunch will be in roadside restaurants (small eateries offering clean and delicious local food), or we’ll stop for picnics (sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese) when appropriate.
- Dinner will be in your hotel or homestay and will usually be a family cooked meal with a range of meat and vegetable dishes with some local specialties (all of which will be washed down with local fire water if requested!)
Vegetarian and vegan options may be limited in the countryside, but we always do our best to cater to our riders’ dietary requirements.
Beer in the evening is not included, but it’s cheap and in plentiful supply.
You will have one Western tour leader who will also act as translator, mechanic and route master. Larger groups will also be accompanied by an English speaking Vietnamese mechanic.
Your guide and support staff are all trained in first aid, and will be carrying first aid equipment.
We will arrange your visa invitation letter free of charge.
(Please note, though, that you will need to collect this take this to immigration yourself and pay a stamping fee of about $25 to receive your visa.)
We take it on ourselves to offer a covid guarantee. We offer a full refund/rescheduling of your tour should you be unable to fly due to having covid. All we ask is that you provide us with photo copies of a failed covid test taken less than 3 days prior to your flight departure date.
For every rider and pillion on the tour we donate 10 usd per day to our favourite charity: Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation. You can read more about the great work they do and why we’ve supported them for for so long here.
At the beginning and end of your tour, we’ll be happy to arrange transportation to and from the airport for you!
Extras
You are able to hire a support vehicle that will allow follow your group you to stow extra luggage that you do not want to carry on the bike, this is especially useful if you plan to take a pillion.
We will also have an extra pair of hands to help with the tour and back up in case of sickness / break down. we often put a spare bike on this vehicle. the charge fo rthis is 150$ per day, fuel included.
As stated above, accommodation is provided on a twin sharing basis. If you wish to have a single room we can arrange this at a small extra cost.
You can purchase this to exempt you from liability for any damage caused by accidents caused by you or a third party vehicle. we will cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle but not the third party. This is only 20usd per day per bike extra.
