Route Map: Hanoi to Ninh Binh by Motorbike

Updated 26/01/2025
Trang An Grottoes Boat Tour

Ninh Binh is one of the most popular tourist areas in the whole of Vietnam. There is plenty to see and do both near and around the city. Taking a trip there by motorbike allows you the freedom to travel as you wish and also connect to other great places closeby.

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Route Map: Hanoi to Ninh Binh by Motorbike

Hanoi to Ninh Binh is about 140km direct. It can be driven by motorbike in around 3 – 3.5 hrs using the main roads. However, the direct route is full of heavy traffic so it is better to take the route along the Red River and through Nam Dinh, unless you really are in a hurry.

Hanoi - Ninh Binh - Route

This route totals around 150km and will take around 4 hrs. We choose this over the faster direct route (black) along QL1 because there is a lot less traffic.

Morning: Hanoi to Hung Yen / 60km – 1.5 – 2 hrs

Hanoi to Ninh Binh AM

Afternoon: Hung Yen to Ninh Binh / 80km – 2 – 2.5 hrs

Hanoi to Ninh Binh PM

Hanoi - Ninh Binh (Detours)

Hanoi to Ninh Binh can be a very nice ride along the the dyke road on the Red River for the first part and then if you need to make up a little time you can get on to the main road from there on.

Detour 1

This route is 70km, and will take around 1.5 to 2hrs. It is a main route and really quite dull but it will save you a little bit of time. It is really a last resort.

Detour 1 Google Map

Where to stay in Ninh Binh

In Ninh Binh we usually stay in:

As you will see, though, there are a LOT of accommodation options in the area that you can choose from.

Where to next.

From Ninh Binh you can head further South on a one way rental to Danang or HCM City. You could also head westards to Cuc Phuong or Mai Chau and begin a northern loop back to Hanoi.

There are also those who like to head over to Cat Ba Island or Ha Long Bay, which is also possible.

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 Ninh Binh by Motorbike

Ninh Binh is well worth visiting and can easily be added to a larger northern loop or a one way rental heading South. Whatever, you decide not taking the main road is key to your enjoyment so check out our route and the detours.

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)