Route Map: Hanoi to Nghia Lo by Motorbike

Updated 25/01/2025
crazy mountains up in northern Vietnam

Nghia Lo is a fair distance from Hanoi so you will find you need to ride a fair bit of highway. However, there are one or two detours that get you onto the smaller roads and a few interesting things to see along the way.

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Route Map: Hanoi to Nghia Lo by Motorbike

Hanoi to Nghia Lo is a good long distance, around 200km and it will take over 4 hrs. However, once you have done this you are in the countryside and can really start to enjoy your trip.

There are a few little detours on the way but the real aim of today is to get to destination.

Hanoi - Nghia Lo - Direct Route

This route totals around 200km and will take around 4 hrs without stops. You can choose to do this direct if you are in a rush, or take a couple of detours that we show you below.

This is all tarmac and is quite an easy drive once you have become used to the traffic flow. Drive easy and leave some in the tank as it is your first day and there is no need to get cocky.

Morning: Hanoi to Nghia Lo / 120km – 3 – 3.5 hrs

Hanoi to Thanh Son AM

Afternoon: Hoa Binh to Nghia Lo / 80km – 2.5 hrs

Hanoi to Nghia Lo PM

Hanoi - Pu Luong (Detours)

Hanoi to Nghia Lo Is a fairly long ride and can be quite dull. It is nice road ‘n all but mainly highway. we try to get out of Hanoi on the quieter road and then, if you take one or both of these detours, you will get some even quieter routes.

Detour 1

This route is about 40km long and will take about 1hr without stops in the tea fields to take photos. It will take yo over to Long Coc which is a scenic little place and it is fun to drive in the tea fields. A welcome break from the highway.

Detour 1 Google Map

Detour 2

This route is about 40km and takes you on a smaller road and over the Lung Lo Pass. The way down is a fun winding route on good tarmac and the road is really quite empty. Another welcome break :)

Detour 2 Google Map

Where to stay in Nghia Lo

There are many places to stay in Nghia Lo as it is well situated between Ta Xua and Mu Cang Chai. It is a small undeveloped town so do not expect too much. We like:

These are good clean homestays with good food and friendly families that run them. They also provide Dinner and Breakfast.

Where to go next

From Nghia Lo, most people will be heading northwest on towards Mu Cang Chai and then, likely, Sa Pa. This takes you on the QL32, which is a great route.

You could be coming the other way and want to head over to Ta Xua and see the Dinosaur’s Spine Ridge. Then you would either be going up to Son La or back down to Moc Chau, Mai Chau.

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 on the small tracks, if you choose to find them. 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 highway. 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 overload 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 Nghia Lo by Motorbike

Hanoi to Nghia Lo is not the shortest drive so you need to make sure you leave in good time. It can be dull and only highway so you want to make sure you have time to take one or both of the detours.

Once across Trung Ha bridge you will find the traffic tends to calm down a little but still be on the look out for carzy drivers and trucks on the wrong side of the road.

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)