VIETNAM MOTORBIKE RENTAL INQUIRIES REPLY
Below you can find our standard reply to common Vietnam motorbike rental inquiries. If you need more details or have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Hello,
Thank you for contacting us.
Bike Rental Conditions
Offroad Vietnam has only one office in Hanoi, and below are our main motorbike rental conditions:
- Collect and return in Hanoi: We currently only offer bike rentals starting and ending in Hanoi. Sadly, we do not offer one-way rentals or rentals from other cities. If you are looking to retrace the Top Gear Vietnam route, you may want to consider buying a bike or taking one of our semi-guided motorbike tours.
- Riding experience: Our rental bikes are available only to intermediate and experienced riders who understand basic motorcycle mechanics and can handle minor problems on the road.
- Payment: A 50% rental deposit is required before collecting the bike(s), with the remaining 50% balance payable when you collect the bike(s). Without a deposit, we cannot guarantee that the bikes will be held for you. When you arrive, we may no longer have the model or type of bike you originally wanted to rent.
- Your own route and schedule: With an unguided rental, you are responsible for your own timing, route, and navigation. At a minimum, you should have a reasonable idea of the areas you want to ride through. We generally recommend sticking to the main roads unless you are confident with navigation and local conditions, as it is easy to get lost and some remote areas may not be suitable for independent foreign riders without a local guide.
- Free advice and support: When you collect your bike(s) from our Hanoi office, we provide free riding advice, maps, a phrasebook, a bike troubleshooter, and practical tips for traveling around Vietnam. We are passionate about this amazing country and enjoy sharing our experience with independent riders. In fact, even a flat tire can become an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. Some of our customers have actually been disappointed because they never had one!
Bike Models And Prices
For our current motorbike rental models and prices, please see below. In general, larger bikes offer more power and better suspension, while newer bikes tend to be more reliable. All our rental bikes come with electric starters.
- Honda Winner 150 touring bike, model years 2016-2018: US$ 15/bike/day.
- Honda XR150L, model years 2016-2017: US$ 20/bike/day.
- Honda CRF150L, model year 2019: US$ 25/bike/day.
- Honda CRF250L, off-road dual-sport/enduro, model years 2013-2017: US$ 40/bike/day.
Riding gear is available for US$ 5/person/day. A typical set includes an HJC 3/4 helmet, a pair of Scoyco fingerless gloves, and knee and elbow protection pads, which you can see at this link. However, for the best quality, fit, and personal comfort, we always recommend bringing your own riding gear whenever possible.
Driving License
First of all, your foreign driving license alone is not valid for riding legally in Vietnam. There are many conflicting reports about this online, but this is an important point to understand before renting a motorcycle.
The good news is that a 1968 Convention International Driving Permit (IDP) is recognized in Vietnam. Vietnam implemented the relevant regulations under Decree 46/2016/ND-CP, effective from August 1, 2016. In practice, police may accept different IDP formats, but we strongly recommend obtaining the 1968 Convention IDP, rather than relying on the 1949 Convention version.
If you have a 1968 Convention IDP, you should also bring your original home-country driving license with the appropriate motorcycle endorsement. Having the correct documents is also important when purchasing travel or medical insurance, as insurance companies may require you to hold a legally recognized motorcycle license for the type of bike you are riding.
You can check e-ita.org as one possible source for an international driving permit. They state that their permits comply with the 1968 Convention, but please check the details carefully yourself before applying. Offroad Vietnam is not affiliated with or associated with this website.
If you do not have an IDP or Vietnamese motorcycle license, you may still be able to ride without being stopped by the police, as license checks are not necessarily common unless you have a traffic problem. However, the bigger concern is personal medical and travel insurance. If you are involved in an accident, your insurance company may require you to have the correct legal license for the motorcycle you were riding.
It is possible for foreigners to apply for a Vietnamese driving license, but the process can be complicated. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to have your passport, visa, and existing driving license notarized and then submit the required documents to the relevant local transport authority. Processing times can vary.
For more information about preparing for an unguided motorbike trip in Vietnam, please follow this link.
If you have any further questions or if anything in this reply about Vietnam motorbike rental is unclear, please feel free to contact us by email or phone.
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards,
Anh Wu
Sales Manager
More Standard Email Replies
- General Vietnam Motorbike Tour Inquiries
- Used (Second Hand) Bike Purchase Inquiries
- Hiring A Car In Vietnam, Self-Driving?
- Multi-country Tours Crossing The Border?
- Tour Feedback Form
To find out which motorbike or scooter is best for your Vietnam trip, please watch the video below. For more videos about motorbike riding in Vietnam, you can also visit our YouTube channel.
please can i hire a cb500x for 1 week 21st Jan, then crf250 or similar for 2 weeks afterwards?
ho chi minh
Hello Peter. Sadly, we don’t have Honda CB500X. Our current biggest bike is Honda CRF300L. And in addition, we are fully booked until the end of March at the moment. Therefore, we are not able to assist this time :(
Hello offroadvietnam,
I would like two rent a Honda CGL125’s for a month trip to Ha Giang. I plan on coming to Vietnam in March 2020.
Can you give me the total cost of rental for a month and the deposit and how much would it be to reserve?
I think this bike would be perfect for riding in Vietnam as it is a simple, no nonsense bike.
What is your opinion?
Hello Marcellus,
Thank you for contacting us.
You need to collect and return the bike in our Hanoi office because we have no office anywhere in Vietnam. The price to rent it for a month is 300$US (discounted rate).
We require 50% deposit now and the rest 50% you pay when you collect the bike. This policy applies for a booking made long ahead only.
Hi, we would like to hire 2x CRF 250 bikes for 15 days anytime between 25th June and 18th July 2019. We are very experienced riders from Australia. Please work out your best price. Thanks, Bryan.
Dear Bryan. Please check your email for our detailed reply. Let us know your thoughts after you read it. Thanks.
Hi,
Do you have offroad moto (at least 250cc) available to rent from the 26/27th of April until the 3rd of May?
Best regards.
Hello Alessandro,
Yes, we do have some Honda CRF250L dual enduro at the moment. To make sure you have bikes when you come, we would like to have bikes booked and paid for before they are not available. If you wait until you arrive in Hanoi then there is no guarantee that the bikes you want are available and we usually have our bikes booked up most of the time. We will send instructions if you agree to proceed. You can pay with credit cards online, Western Union cash transfer or even a traditional bank transfer.
How do we proceed for the reservation? Do you have 450cc available also?
Please check your email for more details. Thanks.
Visiting Hanoi and wishing to rent 2 Honda CRF250L’s for my friend and I. We are travelling to Ninh Binh. We wish to book for 2 days. Pick up early Thursday April 12th and return early Saturday 14th.
Please let me know how to proceed. We have read the policies and your reviews and are quite happy.
Mike F.
Sorry, all of our Honda CRF250s are booked until April 14th and therefore we are not able to provide any bike until then. You can check your email we sent with other options.
Hello
Looking at renting 5 xr250 for 6 days beginning of October with a guide can you please message me back if possible and details eg price deposit etc.
Thanks,
Jamie.
Dear Jamie. We have Honda dirt bike 2003-2006 XR250 250cc for 35$US/day/bike and the newer
Honda dirt bike 2015-2017 CRF250L for 50$US/day/bike. In addition to bike rental costs, if you can have a Vietnamese/English speaking local who is a guide, a mechanic and a translator. He also takes care of the routes and helps with food and hotel arrangement. He’s a real bonus to the whole experience. His salary + his bike is 100$US/day and this cost will be shared among riders in your group. You pay him fuel, accommodation, and food during the trip.
We are two guys (60+) who would like to tour Northern Vietnam from March 14 to 22, 2018 and need bikes and advice, and maybe guidance. I have been to Vietnam before and have some experience (but do not speak your language). Would we be able to rent the 250 cc Honda’s by you? More discussions on details once we have contact.
Best regards
Jørgen
Dear Mr Jørgen. Please check your email for a detailed reply. It’s just tô long to reply here :)
Hi from Sydney Australia.
My son and I are looking at hiring 2 off-road bikes (XR250) from February 18 to March 8, 2018. We would like to be independent however me being a father I am happy to pay for a guide to come with us. We are both experienced riders and my son likes to adventure to out of the way places. We would like to head up the mountains to Sapa then across the top of Vietnam (Ha Giang) around the Chinese Border back to the coast. We have already booked flights and arrive in Hanoi on Saturday, February 17. Have you bikes available and a guide that will come with us? Looking forward to your reply.
Dear David,
We have two bikes available, but the dates are from February 21st to March 6th (XR250) or March 8th (XR150). The reason is Vietnamese New Year (Tet) and we are closed until February 20th. Therefore, nothing is possible until February 21st.
On a semi-guided trip, in addition to bike rental costs (35$US/day for XR250 or 25$US for XR150) you have a Vietnamese local who is an English-speaking guide, a mechanic and a translator. He also takes care of the routes and helps with food and hotel arrangement if you request. He’s a real bonus to the whole experience. His salary + his bike is 100$US/day and this cost will be shared between riders in your group. You pay him fuel, accommodation and food during the trip.
Is this okay for you?
Hello, planning to arrive in Ho Chi Minh City July 5-12. I’d like to arrange the rental. Of two XR 250 bikes.
Regards, David.
Dear David. We are based in Hanoi, Northern Vietnam and sadly couldn’t rent motorbikes in HCMC. Just do some research and contact companies down there, we don’t know anyone who rents this bike in HCMC.
Hi,
I am looking to hire three vehicles – two scooters/mopeds and one trail bike for 4 days, from 25th July 2017 night to 29th July 2017 morning. I would like to know the availability and costs for the same.
Dear Siddhant Ghalla. Our office hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Sadly, you couldn’t collect bikes later than 5pm on July 25th. The prices are 10$US/day for each semi-automatic scooter and 25/35$US per day for 150/250cc each dirt bike respectively. A booking with a pre-paid payment is required to rent our bikes.
Hi,
Are there any CGL125’s available for rent next week? I’ll be wanting it for one week on April 26, or 27 if that makes a difference in availability. Just one bike for one person. I’ve been driving in Vietnam for a little over a year.
Thanks
Kevin
Hello Kevin. yes, we currently have one bike available for you. If you are in Hanoi just drop by and pay for the rental between 9am and 5pm everyday (except Sunday). Do you have any safety riding gear?
Great. I’ll be flying from HCMC so I’ll need a helmet.
Kevin, you could come between 9am and 12.30pm and 2pm to 5.30pm to collect the bike. Which date (26 or 27) do you collect? Our office details are at this link. Call me on 0913047509 if you have any problem finding us. Do you have a Vietnamese mobile number? Have a great weekend.
We are Portuguese and we are thinking rent a bike for a 16 days in Vietnam.
this is possible? what do you recommend?
we will travel through Ho Chi Minh.
Hello Joana. We are based in Hanoi only and unfortunately haven’t provided one-way motorbike hire yet. There are some companies who offer one-way rentals but sadly they don’t use same quality or bikes like our fleet so unfortunately we can’t recommend. You could easily find them through Google. Let us know if we could assist you in any other way.
Hi, could you please email me if you have 4 bikes available for rent (which ones would be available and at what cost) from the 28th of August (this week) to the 4th of September? Thank you, regards, Florian
Hello Florian. We have two of Honda CGL125 (15$US/day/bike) only and the dirt bikes (XR125 – 25$US/bike/day or XR250 – 35$US/day/bike) are enough for your group. We will need a deposit to book the bikes (you send through a Vietnamese bank which is cheap and costs only 50 cents). Please advise your thoughts.
Hello there!
I would like to ask you for a recommendation regarding which motorbike I should rent.
My only experience with motorbikes is from 2 years ago, when I first sat on a motorbike in Hanoi :)
I was using Honda Wave for a few days and then I bought Chinese Honda Win which was rebuilt into semi-automatic which I then rode up north through Ba Be and Ban Gioc, etc.
So considering this limited experience, which motorbike from your offer would you recommend to me?
I would like to share the bike with my girlfriend plus some luggage of course and would like to ride to Sapa, Ha Giang, etc, and also Central Vietnam.
Thank you ;)
Hello Jake. You probably noticed that Vietnam is one of the most dangerous places on earth for motorbiking. Around 27 people die on the road every day and most are motorbike riders.
If you hire a bike, we only deliver and collect it in Hanoi, sadly no one-way rental available.
About buying a bike, whatever bike you buy stay away from the Chinese copies (like Win). A decent used semi-automatic Honda Wave costs 400-800$US and an used manual clutch Japanese 125cc touring bike costs 500-2,000$US. Our current bikes for sale are Honda XR250 Baja dirt bike from 1,500$US to 2,500$US each depending on conditions. However, with your experience plus a girlfriend and bags we don’t really recommend you to ride this 250cc bike. We put safety on top of everything. You can try bikes and decide for yourself.
Good luck.
Thanks for the quick reply and sorry for not clarifying my request more.
I would ofcourse return back to Hanoi after the trip, so that’s why I am asking about the rental.
Would the Honda CGL125 be strong enough for us?
Yes, a Honda CGL125 is good enough. But they were all booked up until mid-July. What’s your dates?
I am arriving beginning of August ;)
That would be okay. What’s your dates please? How long do you need the bike for?
Hi,
Do you have 125 cc (3 pcs) for rental tomorrow, Wednesday, evening?
Can you deliver at International airport and we return at Your Office in Hanoi city on Saturday? (3 days rental)
What will the price be?
Thank you.
Hello Per. Unfortunately we were booked up. Our bikes are rarely available if you book at a short notice like this. Maybe next time and at a much earlier notice.
Hi,
4 of us Auzzies are planning a trip to Hanoi starting from about 27th of March 2015. I was hoping you would have 4 x super cub 50 for hire for a few weeks. Please can you let me know. Also What is the cost
Thanks Paul
Hello Paul. Unfortunately we were booked up for the dates you provided. Unfortunately, we usually can’t accommodate any booking in such a short notice. In addition, we don’t use small bikes for long trip, they just don’t work out well enough.
Hi,
I have a client who is looking to self drive / ride in Vietnam but looking for a 250 / 350cc road bike as opposed to off road. Can you please advise if you have. Also looking to hire in Ho Chi Minh and drop in Hanoi.
Please let me know appoximate costs and if can be done. Also will there be a one way fee.
Cheers
Colleen
Hello Colleen. Unfortunately, we don’t have any road bike larger than 125cc at the moment. In addition, we have only one office in Hanoi and are not able to offer one-way rental.Therefore, with much regret we are sorry we can’t accommodate your customer’s inquiry. Thanks.
I’m looking at renting a bike (125cc) for 3 week to go from Hanoi south to HCMC and back to Hanoi, I don’t have a full motorcycle license but can ride a 125cc on my car license in the UK, I have a lot of bike experience having raced moto-x for more than 10 years at expert level, so i’m fine with bike control. I want to do the trip unguided but would like to know a few things – do I have to leave my passport with you? also if i have an international driver’s license would this be ok for me to ride a honda xr125l?
Many thanks,
Paul
Hello Paul. You can hire a new Honda XR125L dirt bike to ride from Hanoi to HCMC and return. The cost of rental, including a tool kit and spare parts plus mechanical support is 25$US/day. We don’t keep your passport but your U.K license because no foreign license is fully valid in Vietnam. You can’t get a local license with a tourist visa. Even you have a business visa, you need 7-10 days after you arrive to have a local license with lots of paperwork. We don’t require a motorbike driving license to hire a bike but check with your insurance company if they accept your country license. Let us know if you still have more questions.