“Get ready to ride to freedom”
5 Day Awesome Hanoi Loop Guided Motorbike Tour in Northwest Vietnam via Sa Pa
Phu Yen, Son La Provice, Vietnam
Motorbike Tour in Northwestern Vietnam
This motorbike tour is the perfect way to discover the northern part of Vietnam. Thanks to the availability of panoramic views of the scenery, the coast roads, twisted valleys, and mountain passes, you will have an unforgettable and thrilling riding experience. Immerse yourself in the local ethnic people’s culture by staying with them and sharing meals, and go back home with memories that will last forever.
Key information
- Bike: rental bike (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki brands)
- Terrain: mix of asphalt and off-road
- Mileage: 860 kilometers / 534 miles
- Daily rides: 110 - 210 kilometers / 68 - 130 miles
- Riding gear: included: helmet, knee and elbow pads, gloves
- Meals: all meals
Highlights
- Starts and ends in Hanoi
- Incredible view of the delta plains
- Boat ride on the lovely Thac Ba Lake
- Honda and Yamaha bikes available for rental
- Ride through the Mu Cang Chai Massif
- Off-road rides into remote villages
- 4 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
5 days with instruction
Accommodation
During this tour, you will stay in either a private or a shared room in standard hotels and homestay accommodations. Vietnam Motorbike Tour has endeavored to select a combination of good quality hotels that reflect the character of the local area, as well as being as centrally located as possible, while striving to keep the cost affordable. Please be aware that some hotel rooms, especially those in major urban centers or older cities, may be smaller than what you are used to in other parts of the world.
Standards and ratings may also be different from your home country. The rooms are en-suite and the options are twin or triple shared, depending on what you have booked. If you are a solo traveler, you will be sharing a room with someone of the same sex. Otherwise, you can pay a supplement to stay in a single room.
If you are traveling as a couple and would prefer to have a double bed, please request a double room. Vietnam Motorbike Tour never presumes that two people traveling together are a couple, even if you share the same surname unless informed the contrary. In Hanoi, you will be sleeping in a guest house and in Vu Linh, you will be accommodated at the home of a local family. For the rest of the tour, you will be accommodated in various hotels. You may have an option to have a single supplement at 100 USD for groups having three or five people.
Program
Day 1: Hanoi to Phu Yen, Son La (160 kilometers / 99 miles)
In the morning, you will start the motorbiking tour by leaving Hanoi through dyke roads, in order to avoid the heavy traffic, and break out of the delta plains. You will head out of Hanoi skirting along the Red River to Son Tay and then ride through the peaceful countryside to the mountain town of Phu Yen, a district of Son La Province in the Northwestern region of Vietnam, where you will spend the night in a guest house. Today, lunch and dinner are included.
Day 2: Phu Yen to Than Uyen via Mu Can Chai, Lai Chau (210 kilometers / 130 miles)
In the morning, you will keep motorbiking across the Lung Lo pass before heading up on Road 32. During the first Indochina war, the 15-kilometer long Lung Lo Pass, which was 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 Mu Cang Chai Massif, which is almost as high as the Fansipan. From the top, it offers one of the most beautiful views of North Vietnam. The ride is challenging but very rewarding. You will spend the night in a hotel. Today, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Day 3: Than Uyen to Sa Pa, Lao Cai (110 kilometers / 68 miles)
Today, you will motorbike straight toward the main Fansipan Mountain range, with the option to go on a very challenging back route, which will take you through several river crossings. The massive mountain range dominates the road until, finally, you make a splendid climb up from Binh Lu and the top of the highest road pass in Vietnam: Tram Ton Pass.
Crossing into Lao Cai Province at over 2,000 meters, the view looks out over the main range for miles and miles before you descend to the mountainous Sa Pa valley. Sa Pa is located in Lao Cai Province in north-west Vietnam; 350 kilometers north-west 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. You will spend the night in a hotel. Today, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Day 4: Sa Pa to Thac Ba Lake in Vu Lin, Yen Bai (200 kilometers / 124 miles)
Take your motorbike down from Sa Pa to Lao Cai City and then have a coffee stop on the banks of the Nam Thi River, the border between Vietnam and China. Enjoy your coffee while taking the view to China before you get back on the road to take a ride to Vietnam Motorbike Tour's Dao friends’ village of Vu Linh, which is located by the side of Thac Ba Lake, the biggest man-made lake in Vietnam.
This artificial lake has an area of 23,400 hectares and 1,331 islands and hills with diverse ecological environments. The water in the lake is blue and clear and imprinted with the reflections of the surrounding ancient forest. The thousands of hills and islands feature caves such as the Hum, Cau Cuoi and Bach Xa. You will take a boat ride, stop by an island for swimming, and discover the particularities of this area, which include the way villagers paddle their boats, the exotic and odd animals living around, the quiet and peaceful beauty of this huge lake, and the lifestyle of the Dao among the thousands of islets.
Finally, there will be an unforgettable dinner with the hosts, who are really big drinkers and party every day. The welcome is exceptional and Vietnam Motorbike Tours hopes you survive! Homestay accommodation will be offered for tonight. Today, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Day 5: Vu Linh Village to Hanoi (180 kilometers / 112 miles)
After breakfast, you will ride southeast on Highway 2 and then branch off to the sleepy town of Phu Tho. You will follow the edge of the Red River along the dyke, almost to the point where it merges with the Black River and where they flow together to Hanoi.
By now, you will be in the lowlands of the delta plains and the north’s main agricultural areas. Harvest time here is really active. Crossing the Black River by a bridge, you will pass Vu Linh through Son Tay and then return to Hanoi on the highway. You should be back in Hanoi before rush-hour, which is at 4 p.m. because traffic only getting busier and busier. Today, breakfast and lunch are included.
Rentals
The price is based on using 125cc manual bikes, Honda or Yamaha. Other types of bikes, such as 150cc or 250cc, are available upon request.
Skill level required for this tour: 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
Included excursions
On day four, a boat ride in Thac Ba Lake is included in the price.
Location
This tour will take place in Northwest Vietnam.
Food
During this tour, all meals are included starting and ending with lunch on the first and last day. Breakfasts are usually continental, which are typical in most countries.
A typical breakfast may consist of cereals with milk or yogurt, bread, croissants, cold meats, cheese, and a range of spreads, with fruit juice, tea, or coffee to drink. It is rare to get a hot breakfast in Asia, though on some occasions there may be some hot food available as well.
Included evening meals are in local restaurants or accommodation places and are either two or three courses. In most cases, table water is provided with meals. If you wish to purchase additional drinks, you can do so at your own expense.
If you have any dietary requirements, Vietnam Motorbike Tour will make every effort to cater to your specific needs as long as you let them know before you set out. Please be aware that although Vietnam Motorbike Tour will do everything in their power to arrange it, it is not guaranteed that every restaurant will be able to cater to all dietary needs, particularly in Asia. Vietnam Motorbike Tour also cannot cater to tastes or dislikes, as most of the included evening meals feature a set menu. Chicken, pork, beef, eggs, fish, vegetables, and tofu may be used in local foods.
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)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- 1 boat trip on Thac Ba Lake
- 4 nights accommodation
- Daily meals
- Driving gears
- English-speaking guide
- Entrance and sightseeing fees
- Gasoline on tour
- Helmet
- Honda, Yamaha, or Suzuki motorbike rental
What's not included
- Airfare
- Personal expenses
- Tips
- Travel insurance
- Visa
- Personal expenses
How to get there
Recommended Airports
HAN
Noi Bai International Airport
114 km
Transfer not provided
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Noi Bai International Airport (HAN).
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid 7 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through Tripaneer.com. All major credit cards supported.
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