7 Day 7 Nights Vietnam’s Great Motorbike Trails
Splendid Motorcycle Tour Vietnam
The Vietnam’s Great Motorbike Trails to the most splendid area of limestone mountains ranges and wonderful terraced paddy fields of Ba Be, Ha Giang and Sapa. Suitable to those who love adventure tours, and who prefer untouched areas and to explore customs of the hill tribes. Extremely attractive to picture-hunting travellers.
Key information
- Bike: rental (Honda XR150)
- Terrain: mix of asphalt and off-road
- Daily rides: 96 to 240 kilometers / 60 to 149 miles
- Riding gear: included: rain gear, helmets, motorbike jacket
- Meals: 5 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 5 dinners
Meet the instructors
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Highlights
- Starts and ends in Hanoi
- Bike through Ma Pi Leng Pass
- Boat trip in the enchanting Ba Be Lake
- Tours and sightseeing through lovely scenery
- Experience the local hill tribe culture
- Honda XR150 motorbike rental
- 6 nights accommodation
- Services of a guide
Skill level
- Intermediate
Noi Bai International Airport (US$ 26 per person)
Accommodation
- Ba Be Lake: Mr Linh's Homestay (1 night)
- Bao Lac: Song Gam Hotel (1 night)
- Dong Van: Tung Lam Hotel (1 night)
- Ha Giang: Homestay (1 night)
- Bac Ha: Ngan Nga Hotel (1 night)
- Sa Pa: Holiday Sapa Hotel (1 night)
Program
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.
Included excursions
On the first afternoon of your trip, you will take a local boat trip to explore one part of Ba Be Lake. You will visit Goa and Han Ma Island then cruise around the village. On day four, you will take a trip to the Vuong Palace.
Instructors
Tran Khac Cuong
Mr. Cuong is a local guide in the northern mountainous region in Vietnam since 2010. He is an expert in paths and passionate in conquering the most zigzag roads of Vietnam. He graduated in Tourism and has a deep local knowledge where he can take travelers to the off-the-beaten-tracks. He is also an expert in repairing motorcycles with skills to support travelers in dangerous situations, Mr. Cuong is confident in guiding international travelers who are passionate about off-road adventures.
Location
- Ba Be National Park - A wild treasure home to one of the biggest natural freshwater lakes in Asia
- Bac Ha - Home of colorful markets rich in several ethnic minority groups
- Ha Giang Province - Vietnam's final frontier rich with a multitude of ethnic cultures and stunning landscapes
- Hanoi - Bustling capital city of Northern Vietnam
- Sapa - Northwestern Vietnam's first trekking base through terraced rice fields
Food
During this tour, meals will be provided daily. The meals are noted concretely in the itinerary for each day. Rice and noodles are the staples of the Vietnamese diet. They are often served with meat, seasoned vegetables, pickled vegetables, and aromatic herbs.
The dishes are often served with broth, either as part of the dish or in a separate bowl. All the ingredients are not only fresh, seasonal, and healthy but also very traditional because they are planted and cooked by local people there. The regular meal typically includes meat, fish, and vegetables. If you have special dietary requirements, it is a good idea to communicate it to the organizer when making a reservation.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
- Other dietary requirements on request
Things to do (optional)
Driving to Ha Giang, remember to prepare your camera with lots of films for since you will be hitting the Heaven. You can visit the traditional houses of the hill tribes there. Certainly, you will capture once in a lifetime pictures there as well as on the scenic route to Meo Vac valley, the majestic and wild beauty of Ma Pi Leng Pass, and Nho Que River valley, one of the unique tectonic valleys in Vietnam and the source of inspiration for many writers and poets.
From Ba Be Lake, you can visit other neighboring attractions such as Dau Dang Fall, Puong Cave, and Tien Pond. You can also roam around in Bac Ha, go on a trip to the Quan Ba Sunday market, tour around Sa Pa, and trek to Ta Phin or Ta Van village.
What's included
- 6 nights accommodations
- Honda XR150 motorbike
- All petrol (gasoline)
- Rain gear, helmets, and a motorbike jacket
- Boat trip
- Daily meals
- Services of a local English-speaking guide
- All entrance fees and permits to visit the frontier area
What's not included
- Visa to Vietnam
- Any other transportation not mentioned in the itinerary
- Insurance
- Drinks
- Meals are not mentioned in the itinerary
- Tips for the guide
- Other personal expenses
- Airfare
How to get there
Recommended Airports
Noi Bai International Airport
133 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). Airport transfer is available at an additional cost of 26 USD.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 30% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.