8 DAYS HA GIANG MOTORBIKE TOURS

Booking code of 8 Days Ha Giang motorbike tours: OV49

This is the shorter version of Ha Giang motorbike tours. In fact, we design two options for this route that works with any level of skills. If you want to ride the longer (extended version) in 11 days please follow this link.

Offroad Vietnam Motorbike Adventures - 8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours: Scenic Ha Giang of Vietnam off road motorbike tour. Dirt biking on rough roads in Dong Van

Day 1: Hanoi – Vu Linh (~180 km, ~7 h). L, D

Hanoi traffic is busy, but that’s not a worry because we start after the rush hour. Once out of town, you ride through a farming area to escape Hanoi and this is really the best way to do it. Then an easy ride on the sealed road to Thac Ba Lake and follow the little road to Vu Linh. Vu Linh is a Dzao village by the side of the lake, very friendly people and the welcome is exceptional.

Day 2: Vu Linh – Ha Giang (~180 km, ~6 h). B, L, D

After breakfast, ride along the Thac Ba lake on a small road lined with palm trees and scenic mountain views to join the main road heading up to Ha Giang where we stop for the night and apply for a permit.

Day 3: Ha Giang – Dong Van (~180 km, ~6 h). B, L, D

After getting the permit to ride in border areas at Ha Giang’s Immigration Police, we ride on small challenging mountain roads (but incredibly beautiful) on the land of colourful mountain hill tribes.

Head up the Ma Pi Leng Pass. Here is yet another amazing place, with cloudy mountain ranges and the poetic Nho Que river winding off in the distance. Ride on a zig-zag track until Dong Van, a remote area, and meet the hard-working local people here. It is inspiring to see how they survive as they manage to live in the rocks. When we reach town we will have some extra time to wander the ancient streets lined with H’mong homes of clay bricks and tiles roofs built centuries ago. Honestly, this is the best day of this 8 days Ha Giang motorbike tours.

8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours: Scenic Ha Giang of Vietnam off road motorbike tour. Dirt biking on rough roads in Dong Van

Day 4: Dong Van – Bao Lac (~80 km, ~4 h). B, L, D

This part offers some of the best views of the whole trip. Honestly, the landscape is among the most beautiful of Vietnam, and therefore the slow tempo is only more appreciable.

While riding, you cross the wild regions of the mythical province of Ha Giang. Then you stop for the night at Bao Lac, the ethnic crossroad of North-east Vietnam. Right here, many other ethnic groups on the two sides of the border meet at the market every Sunday.

Day 5: Bao Lac – Cao Bang (~150 km, ~5 h). B, L, D

This is a beautiful ride down to Cao Bang province. There are a few passes from where you can dominate the area. The road is easy but there are many blind curves. While riding, we can stop very often for photos. Altogether, stop for drinks and food it should be a 7-hour journey. Stay in a hotel.

Day 6: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc – Cao Bang (~200 km, ~5 h). B, L, D

From Cao Bang, we make our way through spectacular scenery to Vietnam’s most impressive waterfall, Ban Gioc Waterfalls, about 100km from Cao Bang. Weather permitting we can swim right up to where the 50m high falls hit the river.

In the afternoon, the ride back to Cao Bang takes around 2.5 hours and we can do some alternative roads. The second night in a hotel in Cao Bang.

8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours: Scenic Ha Giang of Vietnam off road motorbike tour. Ride in a stream in Ba Be.

Day 7: Cao Bang – Ba Be (~180 km, ~4 h). B, L, D

Today is a nice day that allows us to ride through different terrains. The first part is on the sealed mountain roads, then the small tracks through Ba Be National Park. The best part of the ride is the off-road riding in a stream in Ba Be that we suggest for riders from the intermediate level. It’s truly the highlight of today’s ride, lots of fun.

We stay in Pac Ngoi village in the core part of the National Park.

Day 8: Ba Be – Hanoi (~230 km, ~6 h). B, L

An easy day back to Hanoi on the small mountain roads and then the new Highway 3. You can wake up late in the morning as we guess you can be tired after 7 long riding days.

Arrive in Hanoi around 3 pm, before rush hours.

B: Breakfast.
L: Lunch.
D: Dinner.

 


An alternative route for riders who don’t want off-road riding

Note that 8 days Ha Giang motorbike tour has many versions for different weather conditions. If you are not keen on off-roading like bumpy tracks, streams, and dirt roads then we have an easier version for you. The first 5 days are still the same, but the last three days are in a different direction.

Day 6: Cao Bang – Quang Uyen (~140 km, ~5 h). B, L, D

Ride in 1 hour and a half to reach the beautiful village of Quang Uyen, in the middle of a mountain cirque. This is the territory of Nung An people. Homestay with a host family and the hostess is a great cook.

We make our way through spectacular scenery to Vietnam’s most impressive waterfall, Ban Gioc Waterfalls, 50km from Quang Uyen. Weather permitting we can swim right up to where the 50m high falls hit the river.

8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours: Scenic Ha Giang of Vietnam off road motorbike tour. Dirt biking to Ban Gioc waterfalls

Day 7: Quang Uyen – Lang Son (~180 km, ~6 h). B, L, D

Ride from Quang Uyen to Lang Son on the famous historical Highway 4. We will have time to discover this city which has become a big trading post between China and Vietnam. You can shop for cheap Chinese products at the nearby Dong Kinh market.

Overnight in a hotel.

Day 8: Lang Son – Hanoi (~150 km, ~3 h). B, L

An easy day back to Hanoi on the new Highway 1B. You can wake up late in the morning as we guess you can be tired after 10 long riding days.

Arrive in Hanoi around 3 pm, before rush hours.

B: Breakfast.
L: Lunch.
D: Dinner.

 


Want Videos?

To have some idea about a Ha Giang & Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour that our company provides, please watch the below video.

 

In case you want to watch more videos please check our YouTube channel.

More Typical Vietnam Motorbike Tours Itineraries

Ha Giang & Northeast 11 days
Central North Roof Roads
Northeast
Northwest
Big North Loop
– 9 days Ho Chi Minh Trail/Road
– 11 days Ho Chi Minh Trail/Road
– 13 days Ho Chi Minh Trail/Road
– 16 days Ho Chi Minh Trail/Road
Around Hanoi One Day
Tours For Women Only
South Vietnam Itinerary 1
South Vietnam Itinerary 2
Vespa Scooter Tours
Custom Tours

More itineraries


DETAILS OF DESTINATIONS

Ha Giang

The most beautiful province in North Vietnam and probably of the whole of Vietnam. It’s roughly 320km North of Hanoi. Once there, you take in stunning mountain scenery and meet friendly people. In addition, the Sunday market is colourful. 8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours tells why we picked up this name for the tour.

Dong Van

~200km from Ha Giang city, ~500km from Hanoi. Perhaps it’s the most beautiful place in Northern Vietnam and also the best day of 8 days Ha Giang motorbike tours. Dong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark is located in the northeastern province of Vietnam, Ha Giang. It is the first Geopark in Vietnam and the second one in Southeast Asia to be recognized by UNESCO. The Geopark formed about 550 million years ago and now is home to 17 ethnic groups which creates the unique and rich cultural heritage of this area. In addition, the Sunday market is probably the most colourful one in North Vietnam.

Bao Lac

~400km from Hanoi, located in the very north of Vietnam, in a mountainous area at the border with China. Local people live mainly in remote small villages with no waterworks or other infrastructure. In fact, this area is among the poorest in Vietnam. The town itself is small and there is nothing special rather than the only stop with basic accommodation in this area.

Cao Bang

A big town in Northeast Vietnam, the capital city of a province with the same name, ~180km from Lang Son, or ~400km from Hanoi. The city is also known for the Battle of Cao Bang, the first major decisive victory of the Viet Minh against the French Army along Highway 4. We use this town as a base because there is no better accommodation in the surrounding areas.

Lang Son – an optional destination of 8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours

A major trading post in Northeast Vietnam, possibly the largest border gates between Vietnam and China, ~150km from Hanoi in the far North. Lang Son and its ancient citadel have been in the path of many invasions and were the site of three French defeats during the colonial era. The city was the centre of fighting during the Sino-Vietnamese War of 1979 and sustained extensive damage. However, with a surprisingly fast recovery, there is almost no trace of the war but a prosperous trading town. A chance to buy cheap Chinese electronic items, fakes that cost from 1/10 of the original products.

We can only include this city if we return to Hanoi via Highway 4 and skip Ba Ba lake, the place where we can do stream riding.

Quang Hoa

A commune of mainly Nung people in Quang Uyen district, Cao Bang province, ~400km North of Hanoi via Lang Son or ~500km via Cao Bang. The village is one of the first to offer homestay experiences to foreigners who travel there on two wheels. The host house is basic but cozy. The nearby Ban Gioc waterfalls is a scenic site, however, with the booming trade at Po Peo border gate, the road to this place is usually in bad conditions, either dusty or muddy.

Ba Be

Ba Be (means Three Lakes) is the largest natural freshwater lake, stretching about 8 kilometres in the north-south direction. Unlike many lakes in Karst limestone areas, Ba Be Lake never falls dry. The name “Three Lakes” refers to the three parts of the lake named Pe Leng, Pe Lu, and Pe Lam. All these three parts are connected into a single continuous body of water, however. A boat trip is the only way to see this beautiful complex. In addition, homestays offer a real insight into the local Tay people.

Vu Linh

A commune of mainly Dao people in Yen Binh district, Yen Bai province, 180km North of Hanoi. The village is on the lower end of Thac Ba lake. The homestay we use is not far from the lake where we could have a boat ride and swim in the clear water. In the late 1990s Ngoi Tu village started to welcome the first foreigners but now it’s a popular place for homestay. However, Ngoi Tu faces a garbage disposal problem and this is evident in the diminishing quality of water sources and a gradual influx of tourists puts a strain on the local environment.

Contact us at [email protected] in case you need more details of 8 days Ha Giang motorbike tours of Vietnam.

Top of page Offroad Vietnam Motorbike Adventures - 8 Days Ha Giang Motorbike Tours