Epic 8-Day Motorbike Journey Through Northern Vietnam

Hanoi – Ba Be Lake

The Northern Vietnam motorcycle tour begins at 8 AM. We will do our best to avoid the busy city roads in the morning until reaching Cho Chu town in Thai Nguyen province, where we will have lunch. After lunch, the ride to Ba Be Lake will be an enjoyable journey with minimal traffic and breathtaking mountain views. At around 4 PM, we will arrive at Pac Ngoi, a peaceful village of the Tay people located by Ba Be Lake. Dinner and overnight stay with a Tay family.

Ba Be Lake (Vietnamese: Hồ Ba Bể – “Ba” means “Three,” and “Bể” comes from the Tay language, meaning “lake”) is the largest natural lake in Vietnam. Located in Nam Mẫu commune, Bắc Kạn district, Bắc Kạn province, it is part of Ba Be National Park. Formed approximately 200 million years ago, the lake is surrounded by limestone cliffs covered in primary forests. The lake consists of three zones: Pé Lầm, Pé Lù, and Pé Lèng, with three main inflows: Năng River, Tả Han, and Nam Cường. It is home to diverse flora and fauna, making it a significant ecological site.

After saying goodbye to our host family, we will ride through back roads, passing rustic villages and dense jungles. Along the way, we will cross streams, making it a perfect day for off-road motorbike touring. Lunch will be in Bao Lac town before continuing on scenic mountain roads to Meo Vac, passing breathtaking passes and the Nho Que River. We will arrive in Meo Vac by 5 PM, where we will have dinner and stay overnight at a hotel.

Meo Vac is situated in the heart of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, a UNESCO Global Geopark since 2009. The town is known for its unique old quarter with traditional architecture and is a must-visit destination for motorcyclists exploring Ha Giang and Dong Van.

Today’s ride will be one of the highlights of the trip as we explore some of Vietnam’s most remote areas, encountering various ethnic groups and stunning landscapes. Highlights of the day include Pi Leng Pass (one of Vietnam’s four most spectacular passes), the Rock Plateau, Vuong Palace in Dong Van, and the “Heaven Gate” in Quan Ba. Every stretch of the road offers incredible scenery, making this one of the best motorcycle rides in Vietnam. We will arrive in Ha Giang in the late afternoon.

Dinner and overnight stay with a Tay family or at a hotel in Ha Giang city.

The journey continues towards the northwestern mountains, dominated by the Fansipan Mountain range. The road is smooth, offering stunning views of green mountains and rice fields in charming hill tribe villages. We will have a short break in Lao Cai to see the Chinese border before enjoying a beautiful motorbike ride up to Sapa. The ascent reaches 1,600 meters above sea level, providing breathtaking views of terraced rice fields.

Arrival in Sapa is expected around 5 PM. Overnight stay at a hotel in Sapa

You will have free time to explore Sapa until 1 PM, after which we continue our ride to Than Uyen. The journey includes a spectacular climb over Tram Ton Pass, Vietnam’s highest road pass at over 2,000 meters above sea level. This short but scenic ride offers magnificent views of the Hoang Lien mountain range.

We will arrive in Mu Cang Chai by 5 PM, where we will have dinner and either stay at a hotel or with a Tay family in a homestay.

We continue riding through high mountain regions populated by H’mong people, crossing a challenging mountain pass before descending into a picturesque tea-growing area. The journey follows a valley filled with endless rice fields and H’mong and Thai villages. After lunch in Tu Le, a region famous for its stunning terraced rice fields, we continue riding through picturesque landscapes, making this another highlight of our Northern Vietnam motorbike tour.

We will arrive in Phu Yen at around 5 PM. Overnight stay at a hotel.

Although this is a short ride, it is one of the most enjoyable. Right after leaving Phu Yen town, we will ride along the Da River on a winding road between the mountains and water, offering views similar to coastal rides in central Vietnam. After crossing the Da River by ferry, we will ascend to Moc Chau Plateau for lunch. In the afternoon, we take a scenic mountain road named Hua Tat, built by the French during wartime, which today feels like a forgotten path, adding to the adventure.

We will arrive in Mai Chau at 4:30 PM and stay in Poom Coong village with the Thai ethnic community in a homestay.

In the morning, we will take a short walk around the Thai villages to experience their peaceful way of life before starting our ride back to Hanoi at 9 AM. The route includes two scenic mountain passes, Thung Khe and Doc Cun, before lunch. Afterward, we will take the highway to Hanoi, ensuring we arrive before rush hour.

The tour ends at around 4:30 PM. A taxi or bus will take you back to your hotel in Hanoi. Farewell to the Vietnam Motorbike Tour Expert team!