Ha Giang Motorbike Loop – Memories of a Lifetime for Daring Travelers

Category: Blog

Vietnammotorbiketoursclub has been a home gathering of leading experts in motorbike tourism in Indochina. Ha Giang loop is the northernmost province of Vietnam that boasts some of the most astounding sceneries with rough trails, rugged mountainscapes, and authentic hospitality of local ethnic people. Wild and serene, Ha Giang is among the hidden gems of Vietnam and well intact and unspoiled by mass tourism.

The Ha Giang motorbike loop never disappoints danger-loving tourists and hardcore drivers with freaky tracks and gorgeous landscapes. A 6-day Ha Giang motorbike loop tourwill leave tourists with experiences and memories they can’t find anywhere else in the world. Our guide will include general information about the Ha Giang road trip, our detailed itinerary with the Ha Giang loop map, and recommendations for places to visit and where to eat and stay.

Table of Contents

Overall information about Ha Giang Motorbike Loop

Best time to visit Ha Giang Loop

The best time for the Ha Giang motorbike loop tour is from March to May and September to October when the weather is warm, the sky is clear (it can be very misty in winter), and there is not much rain.

The time to complete a Ha Giang motorbike loop tour from Hanoi is six days if you want to fully discover the majestic Ha Giang landscape with its stunning stretches of road.

Road Conditions and Safety for Motorbikers to conquer Ha Giang Loop

Road conditions may vary in different parts of Ha Giang. There are decent roads in some sections, but drivers should expect frightening and freaky routes where the road is barely the width of one vehicle or some rocky, muddy sections and suffer from the landslide.

Be prepared for some road challenges once arriving in Ha Giang, such as poor road conditions, steep slopes, and sharp turns. We witnessed a few accidents on the road in Ha Giang, especially in sharp bends. Most of the accidents were due to the driver’s speeding. Fortunately, nothing too serious.

If you do not have much experience riding a motorbike, especially on off-road terrain, the wise option is to hire an experienced driving guide or book a guided motorbike tour with tour guides and support teams. Therefore, you have to do nothing but enjoy your Ha Giang motorbike tour safely and incredibly.

How to get to Ha Giang

One can get from Hanoi to Ha Giang by bus. There are many buses at an affordable price departing daily from Hanoi to Ha Giang. Each journey takes from 6 to 8 hours. As in our itinerary below, one can also choose to travel from Hanoi to Ha Giang by motorbike.

Six-day Ha Giang Motorbike Loop Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Hanoi – Thac Ba (Yen Bai)

This is the first day of our Ha Giang motorbike loop tour. Instead of Highway 2C, we choose a rather unusual route, suitable for dirt bikes, enduro sportbikes, and dual-sport from 150cc. Traveling on this route will take a longer time to get to Ha Giang, but we have the opportunity to explore the beauty of the scenery along the way.

From Hanoi’s center, we take an off-road route – driving along the Red River dike through the lush banana gardens with makeshift houses on the two sides of the road. We then take a ferry to cross the Red River, the largest one in northern Vietnam, continuing to drive on the white sand offroad road where we feel like we are driving in a desert.

Ha Giang Motorcycle Tours

We stop for lunch in Phu Tho city, then continue to Viet Tri Bridge, from which we take another 40km off-road trail. With this route, we have the chance to drive through some peaceful rural villages that we wouldn’t encounter if we didn’t take this route. We arrive at Thac Ba Lake and stay at Vu Linh village, where local ethnic Dao people live and still well-preserve their unique culture and customs for thousands of years.

It is a pleasant surprise for us to join the exciting music performance with the local people. The first day with an easy route, peaceful landscape, and fun experience with locals is the perfect intro for our upcoming adventure.

Day 2: Thac Ba Lake (Yen Bai) – Ha Giang City

We start our second day in a six-day Ha Giang motorbike loop tour with a hearty breakfast which includes local cake served with locally made forest honey and homegrown banana along with tea and coffee. Off-road trails account for 70 percent of our trip on this second day, and this route is for those who used to/ are familiar with driving off-roads but not for beginners.

Leaving the homestay, we drive on the off-road route, which crosses the dense forest near Thac Ba lake with a rough single-track road. It is the first challenge in our Ha Giang motorbike loop, given that our first day is quite easy and light. Bikers enjoy the road and scenery with various species of trees and flowers.

After leaving the forest, we stopped in a nice coffee shop with a stunning view decorated with lots of orchids and beautiful bonsai. The coffee shop shows Thac Ba Lake – Ha Long Bay in the mountain of Yen Bai, with thousands of islands.

We then take a smooth, easy off-road drive through small villages hidden behind palm forests, a specialty of Yen The town. With this route, we pass by gem quarries where stone paintings are made and sold, the vast rice fields lying under the spectacular mountain ranges; the bamboo bridges spanning small ditches; and the splashing streams of water.

Spending lunch with local Thai people is such an enjoyable experience after riding on a motorbike for the whole morning. The next route starts with the tranquil and untouched local villages, so remote that you can’t find them in our Ha Giang loop map and google maps. Head to another bamboo bridge over the river to get to Highway 279 and Highway 2, and get to the resort in Ha Giang to enjoy dinner. We end the day by enthusiastically recounting the trail, the beautiful landscape, and the peaceful villages we cross throughout the day.

Off-road Vietnam Dirt Bike Tour from Hanoi to Vu Linh – 7 days

Day 3: Ha Giang – Meo Vac

So if you get here, you are almost in the middle of the exciting Ha Giang motorbike loop and are about to experience the most stunning stretches of roads that are more beautiful than the ones you have seen in movies or any advertisement. Like any other destination, Ha Giang is slowly becoming the spotlight and being advertised more, attracting more tourists. Some touristy places like Cong Troi (Heaven Gate) are crowded and busy.

Ha Giang Motorbike Loop - enduro Tour

As a professional Motorbike tours agency that aims to bring tourists the most authentic experience, we offer travelers far more experience than what’s included in our advertisement. With our itinerary, we travel to different corners of Ha Giang to make the best out of this loop tour. We hit the road as the dawn breaks, and the mist lingers in the sleepy mountain ranges. Instead of the usual route, we take the rocky path layered with Đá Tai Mèo (literally translated as rocks in the shape of a cat’s ears), well-known as a signature thing of Ha Giang Motorcycle Tours.

The trip is difficult, but it doesn’t prevent us from enjoying what Ha Giang offers – the scenery is truly breathtaking and more spectacular than one can imagine. From the top of the mountain, Lao Chai valley appears like a work of art – a wild and vast mountainscape that gives one a great sense of freedom. It is majestic, unspoiled. Words fail to describe the beauty of this stunning land.

Leaving Lao Chai, we explore the famous Lung Tam valley, home to the world-famous brocade weaving craft. The image of H’Mong women meticulously embroidering complex patterns into cloth still lingers in our minds when we leave the village. We then take another off-road route, get to the top of the mountain and have a panoramic view of the Lo River and Yen Minh pine forest.

After spending a little time for lunch in Yen Minh town, we head towards Meo Vac instead of Dong Van. We want to give tourists memories of their lifetime, so in our Ha Giang motorbike loop tour, we take the road that can’t be found on the tourist maps. Though it may take more time and the road is rocky, it is worth it when you see the magnificent mountain range and the golden rice terraced fields and meet some local ethnic people who are helpful and authentic. Back to Road DT 176, we drive through winding roads inside the valleys of the karst plateau and finally stop in Meo Vac.

Day 4: Meo Vac – Dong Van – Ma Pi Leng – Nho Que

Welcome to Day 4 with some of the toughest stretches of road. Today’s track also passes through the most spectacular landscape in Ha Giang, leaving tourists with memories of their lifetime. Dong Van Karst Plateau is our first destination. This freaky road is for daring bikers with upright mountains, dizzying elevations, and hairpin turns.

He thin layer of concrete on the road makes it a little bit easier for drivers, yet it is still a challenge for those afraid of heights and incompetent drivers. The trail from Meo Vac town to the mountain is a delight for adventure lovers. From the peak of the mountain range, tourists can look over the pristine natural landscape. Remember to capture some gorgeous views of this area before you leave.

Go further into the karst plateau, where rock and corn are the main crops and the only types of staple food that can grow in this area. We feel like we are getting lost in a surreal world, totally immersed in nature. Total concentration is required as one won’t want to miss the beauty of the track and its landscape.

Traveling through this track, one will fully understand why the Ha Giang motorbike loop is one of the most beautiful things to do and is becoming more and more popular among daring drivers. Exploring Dong Van town and the Vuong family’s legendary mansion, an architectural masterpiece of Mong ethnic people, highlights our Ha Giang motorbike loop tour.

Off-road Vietnam Dirt Bike Tour from Hanoi to Ha Giang – 5 days

After lunch in Dong Van, we continue on Highway 42 and drive on the famous Hanh Phuc (Happiness Road) road, which connects Dong Van and Meo Vac. This stunning road looks over the scenic Nho Que River and Ma Pi Leng Pass. In the afternoon, we drive to the Khau Vai market and finally get to Bao Lac town with impressive off-road

routes – muddy, narrow, steep roads with lots of bends. Day 4 in our Ha Giang motorbike loop tour ends with sweet memories of a long, exhausting road trip with freaky routes and gorgeous scenes.

Day 5: Bao Lac – Ba Be

We spend the whole day exploring the buffer and core zones of Ba Be National Park and Ba Be Lake, the largest freshwater one in Vietnam. Good sleep at night and a hearty breakfast give us energy and refreshment to conquer the rest of the route in the Ha Giang loop map. After leaving Bao Lac town for a while, we conquer our first 15 km off-road route to get to a rural village where the local Lo Lo ethnic people live. We then head to Highway 34, driving through Ba Be National Park’s buffer and core zones.

six day ha giang motorbike loop tour itinerary

If the track of day 4 wows tourists with the spectacular mountainscape, the drive-through park offers tourists the world of nature. Enjoying the tropical rain, hearing birds chirping and singing, and catching the sight of wild animals are among the highlights of day 5. After passing through two big streams and a 55 km jungle track, we reach Cho Ra town and have lunch here. We spent the afternoon exploring Ba Be Lake. Nothing is better and more relaxing than taking a boat around and swimming in the magnificent lake.

Compared to the previous day, Day 5 is more chilling as we stay in a homestay overlooking the lake. Enjoying some beers, having dinner with homegrown food, and watching the sunset in such a tranquil place are some luxurious moments tourists can afford in the Ha Giang motorbike loop tour.

Ha Giang Motorbike Tour to Ma Pi Leng Pass and Bao Lac – 5 days

Day 6: Ba Be – Hanoi

On this last day of the loop tour, we start earlier than usual to get back to Hanoi before peak hours. With the track on day 6, we drive through muddy roads, passing by small streams. Be careful if you drive in the rainy season to avoid any loop accidents. Leaving the national park, we head to Highway 279 and Highway 3 to get back to Hanoi, completing the six-day Ha Giang motorbike loop tour with tons of eye-opening experiences.

Driving motorbike on the death daring stretches of road, enjoying the panoramic view of the majestic mountain range and golden rice terraced fields, eating with the most hospitable local people, and watching the sunset in one of the most tranquil places on earth are what Ha Giang motorbike loop offers and what tourists treasure in their lifetime.

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