Day 1, Hanoi – Phu yen, 180 km, ~5 h.
First day of our loop. We go North West direction Son Tay. Discover step by step the countryside and the traditional farming activities.
Very nice road in medium mountain, tea fields and rice paddies.
- B,L,D.
- Hoang Gia Hotel
Day 2, Phu Yen – Mu Cang Chai, ~160 km, ~4 h
Ride along 2kms of dirt road on the Lung Lo mountain passes wild through forest, follow Hoang Lien Son mountain ranges heading up North on road 32.
Visit our friend villages of Dao, H’mong and Thai ethnic
- B,L,D
- People Community Guesthouse
Day 3, Mu Cang Chai – Sapa, ~170 km, ~4 h
Ride along Muong Kim Stream to Than Uyen, where we will make a short riding to villages of Black Thai people dirt road through green tea field.
Explore the most beautiful landscape in the Northwest of Vietnam - Tram Ton passes - walking to visit Sapa.
- B,L,D
- Hoang Long Hotel
Day 4, Sapa – Xin Man, 140 km, ~4 hrs.
We go down hill to Lao Cai to visit Lao Cai international trading border and Red river with mark the nature border between Vietnam and China. Visit the temple right at the border and listen to the story of a heavy war with Black-Flag Chinese army.
After the lunch in Ba Ha town we make our journey to Sin Man. On the way we make some stops to walk through villages of Flower Mong, Nung…ethnic.
- B,L,D
- Gia Long hotel
Day 5, Xin Man – Luc Yen, 170 km, ~ 4-5 h (Morning market)
One special day begins by heading South direction on the bumpy, dirty, and muddy road. Luckily, we climb up to top hill on a good condition road, enjoy your riding down hill with beautiful scenery of rice paddies on the mountain sides toward Xin Man which seems to be impossible in the rain. Stop at many villages to chat and talk with local people and discover their culture.
After about 3 hours riding, we reach a good road, but still small and wild. That would be great for rolling a bike through rice fields, limestone mountain karsts of Luc Yen.
Sapa was founded in the early years of the last century as a hill resort for the French administration at the time. It soon became famous in Indochina for its ideal climate. Nowadays, Sapa’s breathtaking scenery is some of the best in ASEAN.
- B,L,D
- Tay family
Day 6, Luc Yen – Ha Giang, 140km ~3h
Quite easy day on flat road, driving in the magic land of limestone karts surrounding villages heading to the national road No2. From here we continue riding along Lo River to Ha Giang.
- B,L,D
- Huy Hoan Hotel 2**
Day 7, Ha Giang – Meo Vac,165 km, ~4h
Rise and shine for a few hours trek to many of the Heaven Gates such as Quan Ba, Yen Binh, Dong Van. They are called so because one gets the feeling of touching the sky, the heaven gates. This is the best time and place to enjoy the wonderful sightseeing of the vast limestone mountain range and perpendicular walls of rock, which brings one a feeling of adventure while being lost in a magic land. Here we are surrounded by many rocks of all shapes and sizes. After lunch at Yen Minh town, the scenic route climbs over a pass before arriving to Pho Bang, also called Pho Bang Street, which was built a long many centuries ago and features multi-storey houses made of clay bricks and tile roofs. Then we continue our trip to visit the infamous Vuong Palace, a H’mong family of high rank during French colonial rule. This palace attracts keen interest from architecturally minded visitors due to it mixed style of European and Chinese architecture. After bidding farewell, we take use of time to climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass from which we can see and enjoy a beautiful view of sunset overlooking the Nho Que river. Visiting these remote areas, we will bear witness to how hard the local people struggle with their environment for their survival and development. Because the living conditions are extremely harsh, there is barely any arable land within the rocky mountains; the people who live there survive on a diet of corn, which is about the only crop able to grow in the rocky soil. Even through this hard ship, the local people are very friendly, simple yet have develop a strong attachment to other people. They are the soul of this remote area.
- B,L,D + Permit
- Nho Que guesthouse
8, Meo Vac – Nguyen Binh, 170km ~5h
After bidding farewell, we climb over the Ma Pi Leng Pass from which we can see and enjoy a beautiful view of sunset overlooking the Nho Que river.
Visiting these remote areas, we will bear witness to how hard the local people struggle with their environment for their survival and development. Because the living conditions are extremely hard, there is barely any arable land within the rocky mountains; the people who live there survive on a diet of corn, which is about the only crop able to grow in the rocky soil. Even through this hardship, the local people are very friendly, simple yet have developed a strong attachment to other people. They are the soul of this remote area.
Keep following the river until we meet RC 4C, near China and cross Gam River on bamboo raft into the land of Cao Bang province, where you will meet many Lo Lo, Bo Y, Dao and Giay...and visit their villages just at the roadside on the way to Bao Lac town.
Good road on RC 4 with beautiful picturesque on the Pac Lung pass before the stop in Nguyen Binh valley with green colour of maize and rice fields.
- B,L,D
- Local Guesthouse
Day 9, Nguyen Binh – Quang Uyen,80km, ~3h
Keep rolling up wild mountain pass into Cao Bang town for lunch and a short walk to see traces from the French colonialism and many stories of 1940s
The national vestiges are some of this hill town’s major sights. We have a chance to visit these before we head out in the direction of Ma Phuc Pass to enter an area of innumerable vast steep limestone karsts and visit the North and North East’s district which is home to Nung and Tay ethnic people.
- B,L,D
- Nung family
Day 10, Quang Uyen – Ban Gioc – Quang Uyen,100km, ~3 - 4h
Today we will take the opportunity to explore the spectacular scenery and wonderful world of local ethnic minority people. Along the way we will visit Ban Gioc waterfalls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Vietnam, which form a natural border between Vietnam and China. The echo of the falls can be heard kilometers away. In rainy season, the waterfall makes the scenery even more magnificent. While here we will take a bamboo raft trip and have a picnic lunch. We also have a chance to visit China on the other river bank. Before the sun sets, we ride back to Quang Uyen and visit Phjia Chang village, settled by Nung An ethnic people 300 years ago. This village is famous for the traditional handicraft, such as basketware, weaving and so on. We will have dinner with our friends in the village.
Alternatively, in the afternoon we will return to Quang Uyen town to visit some villages of Tay and Nung An people where they make incense and local rough paper from mulberry trees to burn when praying to their ancestors.
- B,L,D + Permit + bamboo raft
- Nung family
Day 11, Quang Uyen – Bac Son, 130 km, ~4h
The most impressive landscape of Cao Bang is the riding from Quang Uyen to Dong Khe. The scenery of the road is unequalled with the steep limestone mountain and a green rows of sugar-cane fields. After seeing this scenic site, we continue our journey following the historical National Highway No 4 with the famous battles, such as Dong Khe, That Khe, Coc Xa or Lung Phay Pass…We stop for lunch in That Khe.
After lunch we continue riding on small dirt road and windy, very good fun.
- B,L,D
- People Community Guesthouse
Day 12, Bac Son – Hanoi, 170 km, ~4 hrs
Riding in small countryside road, limestone karts, bamboo, rice fields visiting villages of Tay and Nung people.
Then we will visit some war relics at the centre of Lang Son town or International Friendship border gate to buy a variety of Chinese goods. The return trip begins on National Highway No 1 with a possible visit to Chi Lang vestige surrounded by steep mountains.
- B,L
COST
* Including:
- Motorbike Minsk, all fuel;
- Tour guide / Translator;
- Motorbiking protective pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, rain gear, and other safety equipments;
- Sleeping bags, mosquito nets, sheets, pillows and accommodations;
- Third party motorbike insurance;
- All food;
- All entrance fees, permits, tickets, boat trips, ferries, bamboo rafts, etc...
- Voyage Vietnam assistance throughout your trip;
- We also love to celebrate our guests' birthday... well any excuse for a celebration on the open road.
* Personal expense (such as souvenirs), personal insurance, drinks, train or flight tickets, food and accommodation in Hanoi and tips are not included in our fee.
Contact us now to book this tour or to know about different itineraries.
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