5 Day Northeast Vietnam Guided Off-Road Motorbike Tour to Ban Gioc, Cao Bang, Lang Son

Scenic Vietnam Motorcycle Tour

This motorcycle tour will give you an opportunity to get to very well-known sites in northeastern Vietnam including Ba Bể National Park and Ban Gioc Waterfall just for 5 days. You will start the tour from Hanoi and continue to Ba Bể National Park, Cao Bằng City, Ban Gioc Waterfalls, Lang Son City then back to Hanoi. Explore the wild beauties of Ba Bể National Park and the grandeur of Ban Gioc Waterfall, the most beautiful in Northern Vietnam with Indochina Motorbike Tours!

Key information

Bike: rental
Terrain: mix of tarmac, gravels, curves, steep passes, muddy, rocky, and off-road
Mileage: 780 kilometers / 485 miles
Daily rides: 130 - 210 kilometers / 81 - 130 miles
Riding gear: included: helmets, elbow, knee pads and gloves; not included: jackets, boots, goggles, glasses and raincoats
Meals: 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Highlights

Starts and ends in Hanoi
Ride to Ban Gioc Waterfall
Half-day boat ride on the lake
Ride through Ba Be National Park
Explore Dau Dang Waterfall on Nang River
Discover the lovely city of Lang Son
English or French speaking guide
4 nights accommodation

Skill level

Intermediate
Advanced

5 days with instruction in English

The organizer also speaks: French

Program

Day 1: Hanoi to Ba Bể National Park (Bắc Kạn Province), 210 kilometers / 130 miles

You will start the northeast Vietnam motorbike tour by getting out of Hanoi to head up Road 3. You will have a busy motor ride in the morning until lunch. Then, you will turn into the emptiest road passing peaceful villages and rice fields before through Ba Bể National Park.

Ba Bể National Park is an abundant bio-reserve area containing the world’s only fresh-water karst lake and several rare species of fauna and flora. The Ba Bể Lake is a biodiverse 10,048-hectare park, home to 1,268 species of flora and fauna, a series of caves and a gigantic fresh water lake. It was established in 1992 by the Vietnamese Government to preserve forest ecosystems in the northeast.

Ba Bể is also a home to over 3,000 people from the ethnic minorities of Tay, Nung, Dao and Mong who live in 13 villages within the park. The Tay people have inhabited Ba Bể area for centuries and make up 58% of the population within the park’s boundaries. You will ride into Pac Ngoi village which is located inside Ba Bể National Park. The homestay will be in Tay's family and right by the side of Ba Bể lake with a wonderful and peaceful view.

Day 2: Ba Bể National Park to Cao Bằng City, 130 kilometers / 81 miles

You will have a half-day boat ride on the lake to the other side where you can explore Dau Dang Waterfall on Nang River. As one of the 27 ASEAN heritage gardens, Ba Bể National Park has the potential to attract nature lovers with its 450-hectare natural fresh water lake as well as 553 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

According to a survey from the Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, over 11,000 years ago an earthquake caused a collapse of the subterranean Nang River creating a natural dam which led to the formation of Ba Bể Lake. After the boat ride, you will get out to Cho Ra for lunch before ride up to Cao Bằng City.

Cao Bằng is a province of the northeast region of Vietnam as well as home to many people belonging to Vietnam's ethnic minority groups. The most notable of these are the Tày, Nùng, Dao, and Hmong. The province has borders with Hà Giang, Tuyên Quang, Bắc Kạn, and Lạng Sơn provinces within Vietnam. Cao Bằng also has a common international border with Guangxi Province of the People's Republic of China.

Cao Bằng has several points of historical interest as well as many natural features such as the Pac Bo (at the mouth of the confluence of two rivers, the Bằng Giang and Hien rivers) where Hồ Chí Minh in January 1941 established a revolutionary force at Cốc Bó cave, the Mạc King's Temple, the Kỳ Sầm Temple, Coi Bin Church, the Bản Giốc waterfall area at the international border between Vietnam and China and the Thang Hen Mountain Lake. You will stay overnight in Cao Bằng.

Day 3: Cao Bằng to Ban Gioc Waterfall, 140 kilometers / 87 miles

You will get out of town and ride up to Ma Phuc Pass of Cao Bằng Province. It is on the way between Cao Bằng Town and the Ban Gioc Waterfall. The pass is not famous with the elevation or the danger like some others in Vietnam but with the natural beauty that one could capture from the top of the pass. You will keep riding to Ban Gioc Waterfall, one of Vietnam’s best-known waterfalls. It is a very scenic spot marking the border with China but sees very few visitors.

The name Ban Gioc is derived from the Montagnard languages spoken in the area and is sometimes spelled Ban Doc. The waterfall is the largest although not the highest in the country. The vertical drop is 53 meters, but it has an impressive 300 meters span which one end of the falls is in China and the other is in Vietnam.

The falls have three levels creating a sort of giant staircase and there is enough water anytime at most years to make the trip worthwhile. Lunch will be a served in a local restaurant before you get the other way back to Quang Uyen. This is the territory of Nung An people. You will stay overnight in Quang Uyen. The homestay will be with a host family whose hostess is a great cook. This could be your best ride ever.

Day 4: Quang Uyen to Lang Son City, 140 kilometers / 87 miles

You will ride from Quang Uyen to Lang Son City on the famous historical Highway 4 and pass Dong Khe Town, Battle of Route Coloniale 4. The Battle of Dong Khe was a major battle of the first Indochina war. The fight began on September 15, 1950 and ended on September 18 with a French defeat. It took place in Dong Khe in the Province of Tonkin, Vietnam from September 15 to September 18, 1950 ending with a Viet Minh victory.

Then, you will arrive at Lang Son City at noon and have a late lunch before time to discover this city which has become a big trading post between China and Vietnam. Lạng Sơn City is 155 kilometers (96 miles) to the northwest of Hanoi as well as National Highways 1 and 1 A which passes the Chi Lang pass (the site of Lê Lợi's victory over 100,000 Ming invaders from China in 1427) as well as Bắc Giang on National Highway 1A.

Lạng Sơn is also 135 kilometers from Cao Bằng on the National Highway No 4. You can shop for cheap Chinese products at the nearby Dong Kinh Market. You will stay overnight in a hotel.

Day 5: Lang Son City to Hanoi, 160 kilometers / 99 miles

You will have an easy day back to Hanoi from Lang Son City on the new Highway 1B. You can wake up late or do some more shopping in Dong Kinh Market in the morning as you can be tired after long riding days. You will arrive at Hanoi before rush hour at around 15:00.

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

Food

During this motorcycle tour, you will be served 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners. Fruits and coffee will be provided on roads every day. On day 2 after the boat ride, you will get out to Cho Ra for lunch before you ride up to Cao Bằng Town.

The following meals are included:

Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Drinks

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

Regular (typically includes meat and fish)

If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

Check availability and plan your dream trip!

The organizer has discretion over price and availability for each inquiry.

First name

Please provide your first name

Last name

Please provide your last name

Please provide a valid email address.

Phone (optional)

Arrival date

Change date

No dates yet

Select arrival date

Your message for Indochina Motorbike Tours by DNQ Travel (optional)

Message can't be empty when no date is selected

I would like to receive the Tripaneer email newsletter, including special Holidays offers and giveaways.

Best Price Guaranteed

Fast Response

Explore

Hello there. Glad to have you!

Day 1: Hanoi to Ba Bể National Park (Bắc Kạn Province), 210 kilometers / 130 miles

Day 2: Ba Bể National Park to Cao Bằng City, 130 kilometers / 81 miles

Day 3: Cao Bằng to Ban Gioc Waterfall, 140 kilometers / 87 miles

Day 4: Quang Uyen to Lang Son City, 140 kilometers / 87 miles