Day 1: Hanoi - Ba Be Lake (240 kilometers / 149 miles)
07:30 am at your hotel. Before we kick off, we will spend about 30 minutes to check over the bikes and insure that we have all necessary tools and equipment to guarantee maximum fun all along the motorbike adventure tour. Today, there is not much to see en route, although this will be a great opportunity for you to test your biking abilities and get a feel for your bike (Russian Minsk).
You will drive through Thai Nguyen city, keep moving through many other timeless villages linked to the road, which is the main artery of trade between the Northeast region and the Hanoi Capital. This is our first glimpse of rural Vietnam and sets the tone for the days ahead. Lunch on the way.
Lunch will be served on the way. Depending on traffic conditions, you will arrive at Ba Be Lake about midday. You will discover Ba Be Lake which has a lot to offer, including waterfalls, rivers, valleys, lakes, and caves all set amidst picturesque landscapes.
Depending on traffic conditions, we will arrive at Ba Be Lake, in Ba Be National Park about midday. What is more to take a local boat trip to explore one part of Ba Be Lakes, visit Goa & Han Ma island then more cruise to the village. After arriving at our home stay in Bo Lu village, you are welcome by the host family of Tay people. Free time then to have shower, walk around the village. Dinner and overnight in Ba Be.
Day 2: Ba Be Lake - Tinh Tuc - Bao Lac (178 kilometers / 111 miles)
Today, with a medium drive with more slopes but we will soon be enjoying the wonderful sightseeing of mountain, riding through villages. Lunch will be served on the way at a local restaurant then continue our journey to Bao Lac.
Arrival at the town in the late afternoon. Check in hotel and free at your own leisure to have shower and rest. Dinner and stay overnight in Bao Lac.
Day 3: Bao Lac - Meo Vac - Dong Van (96 kilometers / 60 miles)
After breakfast, you leave Meo Vac to Ha Giang. Remember to prepare your camera for today since today will be hitting the Heaven - a more beautiful place, here you are surrounded by many rocks of all shapes and sizes and have chances to see and even visit the traditional houses of the hill tribes here.
The scenic route climbs over a pass, and then you descend down to Meo Vac valley, a beautiful valley situated very close to the Chinese border. Have lunch in Meo Vac then take time to climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass where you can enjoy beautiful mountain ranges and the Nho Que river – just an amazing place to be!
Keep hitting the zigzag roads to Dong Van, visiting these remote areas. You will witness how hard the locals struggle with their environment for survival and development. You will stay in town to get the chance to visit the ancient streets with old houses of the H’mong made of clay bricks and tile roofs, built centuries ago. Sleep in Dong Van town.
Day 4: Dong Van - Yen Minh - Quan Ba - Ha Giang (150 kilometers / 93 miles)
A leisurely drive from Dong Van, back to Yen Minh & Quan Ba, this day will make your itinerary a good pace, not in a rush. We will visit the infamous Vuong Palace, a H'mong family of high rank during French colonial rule - this palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to its mixed style of European and Chinese architecture.
You then hit the road back to Quan Ba and down hill to Ha Giang for the night.
Note: Quan Ba Sunday market is worth an arrangement!
Day 5: Ha Giang - Hoang Su Phi - Bac Ha (209 kilometers / 130 miles)
A long but stunning scenery along the zigzag road from Ha Giang to Bac Ha will make day five a little busier. Some parts of the road might be difficult to travel to so make sure that you depart early in the day from Ha Giang to arrive in Bac Ha in time before dark.
Dinner and the overnight stay will be in town. Note that the road from Ha Giang to Hoang Su Phi, then Xin Man to Bac Ha, can be bad and impossible to ride during the rainy season. However, a backup to travel to Bac Ha is already planned.
Drive to Hoang Su Phi and get a different taste with stunning rice terraces, an ideal destination for hiking tours, trekking tours, and photography tours with a homestay experience at local houses. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided.
Day 6: Bac Ha - Sa Pa (120 kilometers / 75 miles)
You will have the morning free to roam around in Bac Ha. If you are lucky, you can visit the Sunday market. In the afternoon, you will drive to Sa Pa for three hours. You will have free time to visit the tourist town. Later, you will stay overnight in town. Lunch will be provided.
Day 7: Explore around Sa Pa - night train to Hanoi
You are suggested to ride downhill to a village and leave your bike there then head out for some hours of trekking to Ta Phin or Ta Van village. In the afternoon, you will ride to Lao Cai train station for an hour and a half. The bikes will be then loaded on the train before your own dinner in Lao Cai. Your train will leave at 08:15 p.m. for Hanoi.
Meal plan: Breakfast
Skill level required for this tour: intermediate
Intermediate
- can ride for three to four hours
- average riding experience
- little assistance required
- comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- average experience with unsurfaced roads
- steep ascents and descents
International drivers license is required to attend this tour.