Route Map: Hanoi to Da Bac by Motorbike

Updated 26/01/2025
Honda XR 150 parked up in front of Hoa Binh Lake

The beautiful area of Da Bac is a scenic area situated Southwest of Hanoi in Hoa Binh. You quickly get out of Hanoi on the CT03 and are in the countryside before you know it. It is a great way to escape Hanoi for the weekend.

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Route Map: Hanoi to Da Bac by Motorbike

Hanoi to Da Bac is about 130km direct. It can be driven by motorbike in around 3.5 – 4 hrs using the main roads. However, there are one or two detours that will slow you down but increase your enjoyment of the journey immensely. Let us show you.

Hanoi - Da Bac - Direct Route

This route totals around 125km and will take around 4 hrs. You can choose to do this direct if you are in a rush, or take a couple of detours that we show you below.

Morning: Hanoi to Hoa Binh / 80km – 2- 2.5 hrs

Hanoi to Da Bac AM

Afternoon: Hoa Binh to Da Bac / 45km – 2 hrs

Hanoi to Da Bac PM

Hanoi - Da Bac (Detours)

Hanoi to Da Bac is a nice, easy ride. The first half of the journey gets you out of Hanoi quite quickly and you then have several options for detours.

Detour 1

This route is 20km, and may even be shorter than the direct route, but it will take longer as the road is smaller and also not in great condition nowadays on account of not being maintained. It will take you through some small villages and is quite scenic.

Detour 1 Google Map

Detour 2

This route is also around 20km and will be slower but much more interesting. It does start of with some bumpy road and there is construction on the first section, but it will soon get you to some small villages and then follow along the Black River. You may decide to take a ferry to the opposite bank of the river, which is Detour 3 below.

Detour 2 Google Map

Detour 3

You might fancy taking the opposite bank of the Black River as it is a little quieter and will lead you into Hoa Binh dam a bit more directly. It is only 15km and a quick, easy route.

Detour 3 Google Map

Detour 4

This is a winding little route that is actually quite remote in a sense. It can also be a bit hard to follow so take care. However, you will be rewarded with a quiet and peaceful ride.

Detour 4 Google Map

Detour 5

This is a great ride that takes you along the shores and over the hills next to Hoa Binh Lake. You pass through a lot of villages and on a few bumpy roads but it is not too hard. well worth taking this route.

Detour 5 Google Map

Where to stay in Da Bac

In Da Bac we usually stay in:

This is a great family run homestay which has the traditional stilt house shared dorm room and no private rooms.

There are plenty of other homestays in the are if there is no space here. Such as:

Remember it is important to book a bed and also dinner well before showing up here.

Where to next.

From Da Bac you can head across the lake to Mai Chau Hideaway and then on to either Mai Chau or Moc Chau. You can also head towards Xuan Son National Park and up to Ta Xua.

What type of bike to choose

We would advise you to choose between a manual or a semi automatic bike. These are the best bikes for a long trip like this and also for when you get into the mountains of northern Vietnam. You have more control and they are less prone to overheating or break down.

Honda XR150

The XR150 is a great budget option that will perform well on the road and in the dirt on the small tracks of Ha Giang. The bike is lightweight, even if a little underpowered. There is plenty of room to fit a 40l bag on the rear, which should hold more than enough for a trip. The 12l tank and great fuel economy mean that this bike has a huge range of over 300km on a tank.

If you plan to ride two up, it might be a bit of a squeeze and you will have to pack very lightly or risk overloading the bike and making it quite rear weighted.

Honda CB500x

The CB500x is a great bike for the long haul drive up to Ha Giang. It is big enough and powerful enough to overtake trucks on the highway and carry two people with ease. Using a rear box and side panniers will give you plenty of room for gear. The 17l tank means you will have enough range for a day’s ride with ease.

The only concern would be taking some of the smaller tracks off road as our bikes have road tyres and the bike itself is quite big and heavy. However, there are plenty of small, interesting tracks that have concrete and are wide enough for the CB500x.

Semi Automatic

The Semi Automatic bikes are a much more budget option. We can offer the Honda Wave, Honda Blade or the Honda Future and they are all quite similar. it is really best to ride single on this kind of bike as this will leave room for a backpack and also not overlaod the bike in the hills. They are very fuel efficient but only have a 4l fuel tank so will need filling more regularly than the manual options.

Hanoi to Da Bac by Motorbike

This is one of the best ways to escape Hanoi City for the weekend. It is an easy drive and it takes you through some stunning landscapes along the shores of the Hoa Binh Lake. Try out the detours we suggest.

This is part of our Black River Loop tour for good reason and the added bonus is that you are unlikely to meet other tourists along the way or when you get to the lake itself.

BMW 1250 GS

Engine Type

air-liquid cooled, twin cylinder, DOHC, boxer engine

Displacement

1255 cc

Bore X Stroke

102.5 mm x 76 mm

Ignition

FI

Fuel System

fuel injection

Compression Ratio

12.5:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

6-speed

Front Suspension

BMW Motorrad Telelever; stanchion diameter 37 mm

Rear Suspension

single-sided swing arm with BMW Motorrad Paralever

Front Brakes

dual disc brake, floating brake discs, diameter 305 mm, 4-piston radial calipers

Rear Brakes

single disc brake, diameter 276 mm, double-piston floating caliper

Front Tyres

120/70 R19

Rear Tyres

170/60 R17

Wheelbase

1514 mm

Seat Height

850 mm

Ground Clearance

790 mm

Kerb Weight

249 kg

Fuel Capacity

20 litres

Dimensions

2207 mm (L) x 952.5mm (W) x 1430 mm (H)

Honda XR 150 motorcycle rental

Engine Type

air cooled, OHC, single cylinder

Displacement

149 cc

Bore X Stroke

57.3 mm x 57.8 mm

Ignition

CDI

Fuel System

20 mm piston valve carburettor

Compression Ratio

9.5:1

Starter

electric with kick starter backup

Gearbox

5-speed

Front Suspension

telescopic fork, 180 mm axle travel

Rear Suspension

single shock swing arm, 150 mm axle travel

Front Brakes

dual piston caliper, 240 mm disc

Rear Brakes

mechanical drum

Front Tyres

90/90 19

Rear Tyres

110/90 17

Wheelbase

1362 mm

Seat Height

825 mm

Ground Clearance

243 mm

Kerb Weight

129 kg

Fuel Capacity

12 litres

Dimensions

2091 mm (L) x 811 mm (W) x 1125 mm (H)

Honda CB 500X motorcycle rental

Engine Type

liquid cooled parallel-twin four stroke

Displacement

470 cc

Bore X Stroke

67 mm x 66.8 mm

Ignition

PGMI – FI

Fuel System

fuel injection

Compression Ratio

10.7:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

6-speed

Front Suspension

41 mm SFF-BP USD Forks

Rear Suspension

Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster

Front Brakes

dual 296 mm discs with 4 piston calipers; ABS

Rear Brakes

240 mm disc; ABS

Front Tyres

110/80R19M/C (59H)

Rear Tyres

160/60R17M/C

Wheelbase

1445 mm

Seat Height

830 mm

Ground Clearance

180 mm

Kerb Weight

199 kg

Fuel Capacity

17.7 litres

Dimensions

2,155 mm (L) x 830 mm (W) x 1,410 mm (H)

Honda CRF 300 motorcycle rental

Engine Type

single cylinder, DOHC, liquid cooled

Displacement

286 cc

Bore X Stroke

76 mm x 63 mm

Ignition

Full Transistor Digital

Fuel System

PGM-FI electronic fuel injection

Compression Ratio

10.7:1

Starter

electric

Gearbox

5-speed

Front Suspension

43 mm telescopic upside down

Rear Suspension

Prolink Mono with 5 stage pre load adjuster

Front Brakes

256 mm disc, 2 piston caliper

Rear Brakes

220 mm disc, single piston caliper

Front Tyres

80/100 21

Rear Tyres

120/80 18

Wheelbase

1455 mm

Seat Height

880 mm

Ground Clearance

285 mm

Kerb Weight

142 kg

Fuel Capacity

7.8 litres

Dimensions

2230 mm (L) x 820 mm (W) x 1200 mm (H)