Accommodation

Check-in Time:

08:00

Check-out Time:

17:00

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)

You will depart at 07:30 a.m. from your hotel. Before you kick off, you will spend about 30 minutes to check over the bikes and ensure that you have all the necessary tools and equipment to guarantee maximum fun. On day one, there is not much to see en-route, although it will be a great opportunity for you to test your biking abilities and get a feel for your bike.

You will drive through Thai Nguyen City and 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. That is your first glimpse of rural Vietnam and that will set the tone for the days ahead.

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.

From Ba Be Lake, tourists can also visit other neighboring attractions such as Dau Dang Fall, Puong Cave, and Tien Pond. You will take a local boat trip to explore one part of Ba Be Lake, visit Goa and Han Ma Island then, you will cruise around the village.

After arriving at the homestay in Bo Lu village, you will be welcomed by the host family of the Tay people. You will have free time to shower and walk around the village. Dinner and the overnight stay will be in Ba Be. Lunch and dinner will be provided.

Day 2: Ba Be Lake - Tinh Tuc - Bao Lac (178 kilometers / 111 miles)

On day two, you will go with a medium drive through more slopes but you will soon be enjoying the wonderful sightseeing of mountains and the ride through villages. Lunch will be served on the way at a local restaurant then, you will continue your journey to Bao Lac.

You will arrive at the town in the late afternoon. Check-in to the hotel and free time will be given to spend at your own leisure. You can have a refreshing shower and rest. Dinner and the overnight stay will be in Bao Lac. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided.

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.

Meal plan: breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Dong Van - Yen Minh - Quan Ba - Ha Giang (150 kilometers / 93 miles)

You will have a leisurely drive from Dong Van back to Yen Minh and Quan Ba. Day four will bring your itinerary at a good pace and not in a rush. You will visit the infamous Vuong Palace, the residence of a H'mong family in high rank during French colonial rule.

The palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to its mixed style of European and Chinese architecture. You will then hit the road back to Quan Ba and downhill to Ha Giang for the night. The Quan Ba Sunday market is worth an arrangement! Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided.

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

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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

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

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

HAN

Noi Bai International Airport

133 km

Transfer available for additional US$ 26 per person

Arrival by airplane

Please book your flight to Noi Bai International Airport (HAN). Airport transfer is available at an additional cost of 26 USD.

Airport: Noi Bai International Airport Airport transfer available: Noi Bai International Airport (US$ 26 per person) Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.

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.

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