Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Thac Ba – 10 days

Depart from the hotel in Hanoi at 9.30 am. Then, our guide will provide you with need-to-know rules when moving on Vietnamese roads to avoid unexpected accidents or risks. Mai Chau, which is 160 km from Hanoi, is the first destination in our journey. It will take around 5 hours to ride your motorbike from Hanoi to Mai Chau. Before reaching Hoa Binh province, you will experience a smooth ride along Highway 6, which is covered with stunning mountainous scenery.

After that, you cross Cao Phong, Tan Lac, and Thung Khe Pass, from which you move a distance of 6 km along Highway 15 to Mai Chau. If you prefer conquering challenging roads, it is advisable to select Bai Lang street rather than Highway 6. Keep in mind that this road includes a lot of dangerous turns; therefore, you should be careful. After arriving at Mai Chau, you check in the hotel here and spend time relaxing.

Summary

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Distance: 160 km

From Mai Chau, you will ride through Moc Chau and Road No.43 to reach Phu Yen. You will pass Hoa Binh Dam- one of the largest hydroelectric constructions in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. After visiting this gigantic construction with surrounding landscapes, you continue the journey to Van Yen ferry before getting to Phu Yen in the evening. A guest house in Phu Yen will be the place for you to stay overnight. Here you also have to taste local foods like buffalo meat.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: guest-house

Distances: 140 km

Following the itinerary, your third day will be a ride to Son La. Depart Phu Yen; then you will get across Road 37, which is surrounded by the area of mountains and hills as the residence of Black Thai people. While riding your motorcycle, you may cope with some difficult roads. After going through a sugar cane farm, you travel a short distance to Son La. Finally, you will stop at a hotel and rest at night here.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner                                                                         

Accommodation: Hotel

Distance: 160 km

For the fourth day, your ultimate destination will be Tuan Giao. The road from Son La to Tuan Giao crosses Pha Din Pass, which is one of the most stunning passes in the Northwest region. Despite getting glorious feelings while seeing landscapes from the pass, you must be a top-level rider to conquer it. With a height of 1000km, Pha Din has cold weather in the early morning; therefore, you need to wear warm clothes during the trip. After riding through the pass, you go along a sloping road to Tuan Giao, where we will stay overnight.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Distance: 140 km

The fifth day will be the most memorable time of this journey. You cannot finish this excursion if you are not excellent at riding. Starting the trip in Tuan Giao, you get on the motorbike and move through the villages of Thai and Hmong people until your motorcycle reaches a small stream. Stop here for lunch before having a bumpy ride over the 25-km pass called Sa Tong. This pass includes long and desolate slopes and is extremely ragged, with the abyss on one side and cliffs on the other side. Therefore, you need a great deal of concentration all the way.

Going through this pass, you will get to Muong Lay town, which is now in flooding conditions. Therefore, Sin Ho town will be the destination for you to take overnight. Around 5 p.m, you will come here.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Distance: 180 km

After leaving Sin Ho, you begin the journey to Sapa. You can choose the off-road route that passes several rivers for more fascinating experiences. Following the itinerary, you will go to Binh Lu commune and reach Tram Ton pass, from which you can admire the spectacular scenery of Fansipan, encompassed by green valleys and towering mountains. Going through the pass, you take a ride to Lao Cai province, then move to Sapa valley. After checking in a hotel, you spend one night here before starting to explore the beauty of Sapa the next day.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Distances: 120 km

You certainly gain exhilarating experiences when discovering Sapa all day long. You take a trip from the hotel to Cat Cat village, one of the most worth-visiting destinations in Sapa. Go around the village to commune with Hmong people and better understand the local cultures. Coming to the next beauty spot in the itinerary, you get maximum excitement when immersing yourself in the picturesque landscape of Rose Valley.

Departing from Sapa town, you move a distance of 18 km to the north, then pass the winding road named Tram Ton to reach Cổng Trời (Sky Gate). Besides, you can take advantage of your free time to visit other tourist attractions in Sapa. At the end of the day, you go back to the hotel and take some rest.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

After one day of enjoying Sapa, you take a 180-km road through a palm forest on your motorbike to experience the next amazing place, Luc Yen. It will take you around 6 hours to reach this attraction. Coming here, you will ride around to take in limestone mountains, go up rolling hills, and admire the poetic beauty of wide valleys. Besides, you can go somewhere to enjoy local specialties.

When the night falls, you will stay at the homestay of a Tay family. You will be invited to eat delicious foods before crawling into bed to drift into a restful sleep.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Distance: 180 km

You spend half a day in Luc Yen, taking pleasure in tasting your favorite dishes and drinks and learning more about the traditional habits and customs here. After that, you go on a journey to Vu Linh village, which is home to Dzao people. The most special thing here is that you will get a chance to enjoy folk songs and dances.

If you are eager for an exploration travel, you can make the trek across Yen mountain and Cao Bien mountain or cycle around the village to discover Dzao’s cultures. After getting tired of various activities, you will have a rest at the homestay of a Dzao family.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Distance: 80 km

After having a full breakfast in Vu Linh, you prepare for the journey back to Hanoi. You ride your motorbike to the southeast of Vu Linh along Highway 2 before joining the road of Phu Tho province. Go along the Red river dike until you reach the intersection point between the Red River and the Black River. You cross the bridge spanning Black River to follow the highway and return to Hanoi. The 10-day motorbike journey to Northwest Vietnam will end at 3 pm.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Distance: 180 km

End of Tours