Day 1: Hanoi to Phú Yên (Son La), off-road motorbike tour over rice paddies and local villages, 160 kilometers / 100 miles
You will start your motorbike tour by leaving Hanoi on dike roads to avoid the heavy traffic and breaking out of the delta plains. You will head out of Hanoi skirting along Red River to Sơn Tây and then ride through the peaceful countryside to Phú Yên, a small mountain town in Son La Province, as a stopover for a night. You will stay in a guesthouse.
Day 2: Phú Yên to Than Uyên (Lai Chau), off-road motorbike tour to tribal villages, 210 kilometers / 131 miles
In the morning, you will motorcycle across Lung Lo Pass before heading up on Road 32. During the First Indochina War, the 15-kilometer-long Lung Lo Pass, used by the Vietnamese resistance force to transport weapons, goods, and food during the Dien Bien Phu campaign of 1954, was heavily bombed by the French in order to sever the front lines from the rear.
Lung Lo Pass, situated in the northern province of Yen Bai, was also recognized as a national heritage by the ministry. After lunch, you will ride through the Mù Cang Chải massif, almost as high as the Fansipan Mountain. From the top, it offers one of the most beautiful views of North Vietnam. The ride is challenging but very rewarding. Afterward, you will stay overnight at a hotel.
Day 3: From Than Uyên to Sa Pa (Lào Cai), Sa Pa motorbike tour to villages, 110 kilometers / 69 miles
You will motorcycle head straight toward the main Fansipan Mountain range. There is also the option for a very challenging back route which takes you through several river crossings. The massive mountain range dominates the road until finally, you must make a splendid climb up from Bình Lư and up to the top of the highest road pass in Vietnam (Tram Ton Pass).
Crossing into Lào Cai Province at over 2,000 meters, the views look out over the main range for miles and miles, before you descend to the mountainous Sa Pa valley. Sa Pa is located in Lào Cai Province, Northwest Vietnam, and 350 kilometers northwest of Hanoi, close to the border with China. Sa Pa is famous both for its fine, rugged scenery and for its rich cultural diversity.
The French used to consider Sa Pa as the summer capital of Northern Vietnam in the early decades of the 20th century. Its naturally gifted beauty keeps attracting more and more people to spend their vacation there since then. Particularly, the place is the foremost choice for honeymoon couples! Afterward, you will stay overnight at a hotel.
Day 4: Sa Pa to Lào Cai City and night train back to Hanoi
Free time in Sa Pa, spending the time to visit the town, shop handicrafts for souvenirs or chat with locals who speak very good English and will tell you lovely stories about their traditions. In the afternoon, you will ride down to the train station in Lào Cai city, catching the night train back to Hanoi. You will be arriving in Hanoi by the next early morning.
Day 5: Arrival back in Hanoi
After you arrive back in Hanoi, you can fly back to your home country or to your next destinations.
Skill level(s) required for this tour:
Beginner
- Can ride for 2-3 hours
- Minimal riding experience
- Assistance required
- Comfortable with curves and leans
- Basic experience with unsurfaced roads
- Short distance ascents and descents
Intermediate
- Can ride for 3-4 hours
- Average riding experience
- Little assistance required
- Comfortable with extreme curves and leans
- Average experience with unsurfaced roads
- Steep ascents and descents
Advanced
- Can ride for 5-6 hours
- Extensive riding experience
- Assistance on demand (if required)
- Experienced with riding a variety of motorcycles
- Comfortable with any terrain and weather conditions