Useful Tips for The Best Off-road Motorcycle Trip to Ta Xua Vietnam 2024

Ta Xua is a highland commune in the Bac Yen district, which shares borders with two of its neighbors, Tram Tau (Yen Bai) and Bac Yen (Son La). A new road connecting these two districts was opened in 2011. Since then, traveling plans to Ta Xua, Vietnam, have grown in number, making it more and more of a notable place amongst globetrotter communities.

Ta Xua Peak (21°26’01.58″N, 104°18’13.96″E) is considered by trekking lovers to be one of the ten highest mountains in Vietnam. At an elevation of 2875m above sea level, it is accessible through a path that runs through Ta Xua village of Ban Cong commune – Tram Tau district.

But the Ta Xua that travelers keep mentioning lately is on a smaller mountain range inside Bac Yen district. Surrounded by high peaks, the valley of Ta Xua has ever-changing clouds, billowing in its bright sun as towering waves against the green cliffs, a marvelous white sea up above. Let’s explore Ta Xua village with Vietnam motorbike tours!

The best time to travel to Ta Xua Vietnam by motorbike

To go cloud-hunting in Ta Xua, you can consider the time from October to April. You also should study other factors like temperature, which varies a lot between night and day, drizzle weather, etc. And the clouds look best on sunny days.

Planning your route to Ta Xua

Departing Hanoi, you can take the National road No. 32 from Nhon to the township of Son Tay, pass Trung Ha bridge to head to Thanh Son, Thu Cuc. At the Thu Cuc intersection, take the road to Phu Yen and continue until you get to Bac Yen. You’ll have 15km of the remaining leg from Bac Yen to Ta Xua.

If you don’t want to take the old route to get back from Ta Xua, you can always go to the Tram Tau district and bypass Bac Yen completely. The terrain is more sloping but manageable since you’re descending. This route comes through Nghia Lo, a place worth spending a day exploring, if you have the time, before getting back to Hanoi.

Check out: Traveling to Nghia Lo Vietnam By Motorbike – Best Time to Visit and Detailed Itineraries

Guesthouses and home-stay lodging in Ta Xua Vietnam

Depending on your departure time from Hanoi, you can choose to stay at Bac Yen for the night if you start late (Friday afternoon, for example), or you can go without stopping to Ta Xua and make a camp or rest at a homestay guesthouse there.

There are many hotels and guesthouses in Bac Yen with room prices of 200,000 to 250,000 VND (about 10USD). Large groups can negotiate with the landlords for common rooms, which can cut down your expenses.

If you can come straight to Ta Xua and stay there for the night, you will have a great start for cloud-hunting the next morning as no time will be wasted traveling up from Bac Yen. Ta Xua now has many guest houses built in the middle of the commune to accommodate its tourists.

Check out: Top Hotels, Resorts, Homestays in North Vietnam selected by BM Travel Adventure

What to eat in Ta Xua Vietnam

While recently becoming increasingly popular as a tourist attraction, Ta Xua is still a far-flung highland commune with none of the various services enjoyable in other places. So you wouldn’t have many choices for food.

But on a different note, as you would spend most of the day chasing clouds, cold food such as bread and sausages can be a great picnic lunch amidst the stunning panorama of the wild.

Schedules for your journey to Ta Xua Vietnam

You can combine this exciting trip of cloud-hunting with tours to places like Moc Chau and other attractions of Son La province.

Motorbike Route 1: Hanoi – Bac Yen – Ta Xua – Bac Yen – Hanoi

Day 1: Hanoi – Bac Yen – Ta Xua

Start on Saturday afternoon, evening, or earlier if you have the time. Depart Hanoi on National road No.32; after going through the Trung Ha bridge in Son Tay township, take the road to Thanh Son – Thu Cuc. This route would be familiar if you had ever made a motorbike trip to Mu Cang Chai. At the Thu Cuc intersection (in Tan Son, PhuTho), you will find signposts that point the way to Phu Yen. Turn that way, and you will arrive at Bac Yen after getting past Phu Yen.

Should you depart Hanoi early, you might have enough time to finish the final leg from Bac Yen to Ta Xua. The road slows and has some dangerous curves, but it is also a quick way (15km). If the journey starts late, you should consider spending your night at Bac Yen.

Day 2: Ta Xua – Bac Yen – Hanoi

Get up early, have coffee, and go off chasing clouds. At noon, make a trip to Bac Yen for lunch and refresh, then start backtracking to Hanoi.

Check out: Off-road Vietnam Dirt Bike Tour from Hanoi to Ta Xua – 2 days

Motorbike Route 2: Hanoi – Bac Yen – Ta Xua – Tram Tau – Nghia Lo – Hanoi

This schedule is for people who like riding off-road. It has different routes for depart and returns legs, with sections interlaced. The Tram Tau – Bac Yen section is a rough road longer than the original route. But for compensation, you’ll have awesome off-road riding experiences, and the hot spring of Nghia Lo is awaiting your visit.

Day 1:  Hanoi – Bac Yen (Tram Tau)

Start in the late afternoon from Hanoi, spend the night at Bac Yen, or go straight to Ta Xua if you like living on the edge. Stay for the night at Bac Yen (or Ta Xua)

Day 2: (Ta Xua) Bac Yen – Tram Tau – Nghia Lo

Start your cloud hunting trip on Saturday morning and photograph the best-view places on Ta Xua. You can set up a camp with an adequate kit and serve yourself a coffee and a cookout meal on the mountain ridge.

At noon, move to Tram Tau, and from Tram Tau, get to Nghia Lo. Rest there for the night. You can use your time there and enjoy the hot springs located some 3 km away from the center of Nghia Lo township, in the direction of Mu Cang Chai. 

Day 3: Nghia Lo – National road 32 (QL 32) – Thu Cuc – Hanoi

Have a leisurely morning with breakfast and coffee in Nghia Lo. Then you can take a look around the Muong Lo market and find some Yen Bai specialties for yourself. From Nghia Lo, make your way south via QL 32, through Khe pass to Thu Cuc, and back to Hanoi, concluding the journey there.

Also, if you find enough time, have a detour to Lung Lo pass before returning to National road 32 (QL 32) for Hanoi. This pass is the natural borderline of three provinces Son La, Yen Bai, and Phu Tho.

Motorbike Route 3: Hanoi – Bac Yen – Ta Xua – Bac Yen – Moc Chau – Hanoi

Day 1: Hanoi – Bac Yen – Ta Xua

Start on Saturday afternoon, evening, or earlier if you have the time. Depart Hanoi on National road 32 (QL 32); after going through Trung Ha bridge in Son Tay township, take the road to Thanh Son – Thu Cuc. At the Thu Cuc intersection (in Tan Son, PhuTho), you will find signposts that point the way to Phu Yen. Turn that way, and you will arrive at Bac Yen after getting past Phu Yen.

If you can get to Bac Yen early, you can move to Ta Xua and, if not, rent a place to rest in Bac Yen.

Day 2: Ta Xua – Bac Yen – National road 37 (QL 37) – Van Yen ferry port – Moc Chau

Get up early for a free cloud-catching morning, taking photographs and exploring until noon. You should bring your picnic lunches and eat out at the viewpoints.

After rest, start backtracking to Bac Yen via the previous Phu Yen – Bac Yen route. When arriving at the intersection of National road 37 and 43 in Gia Phu commune (Phu Yen), take the way of National road 43 along the river to get to Van Yen ferry port, take the ferry to the other side and continue to ride along road 43 to Moc Chau. Rest at Moc Chau for a night.

Day 3: Moc Chau – Hanoi

Break your day early and visit the tea hills. Take your time to go around Moc Chau, then get back to Hanoi afternoon.

Notes to take when riding

• Ride carefully. You should not ride at night if not experienced. Do not exceed the speed limit. Do not ride in too crowded a group.
• Check weather forecasts carefully before the trip to maximize your chance of catching beautiful clouds. It is advisable to find a local contact for accurate weather information.