Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Mai Chau – 6 days

We begin the 1st day at 9 in the morning, after assembling the whole crew at our tour office for quick safety briefings. Instead of major and crowded routes, we’ll make tracks for back roads, smaller roads, and dirt tracks to uncover Vietnam at its rawest. Get out of Thang Long Boulevard, cross Nhat Tan Bridge, then head to Vinh Phuc. Get on a small raft to cross the Red River. Visit the temple whose gate covers a 500-year-old fig tree’s roots. Stop for a short break. Continue the journey by passing a short off-road trail, then turn into National Highway 2. At lunchtime, we stop for a meal at a huge stilt house with a river view.

After that, embark on a small raft to cross the river. Go along National Highway 37 to reach Ngoi Tu village in Yen Binh Commune abutting against idyllic Thac Ba Lake. Pass through tea hills and weave through villages—eventually, check in at White Yao’s homestay. Prepare for a boat cruise to Thac Ba Lake, and swim at the waterfall’s foot. Two hours later, take time to learn about the culture of local wine and customs while having dinner.

Summary:

Distance: 170km – 5 hours

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast with coffee, then go through Thac Ba Lake; forget not to admire the lake view and the halcyon life of villagers on its shore. Before going towards Yen The Township, checking on the daily life of the locals who are drying thin sheets of paper-wood on the sides of the road. Get through limestone and marble mountain range, palm tree hills, and vast rice paddies.

Renowned for gemstones, Yen The offers numerous souvenirs on a budget. Make tracks for Lao Cai City, then Sa Pa following a coffee break. Take the 4E for the free road instead of the dangerous route leading to the Vietnam – China border from Lao Cai City. Fantastic mountains embracing jungle and huge rice terraces are popping up on all sides.

After having lunch at Xuan Giao’s local restaurant, we will uncover Phu-Thanh Kim-Ban Ho valley, especially Y Linh Ho-Lao Chai Ta Van valley. Make your way to Sau Chua peak overlooking the best view of the day with the most charming rice terraces in Vietnam. When night falls, get ready to join activities in Sa Pa town center and appease your appetite with both local cuisine and Eastern and Western dishes.

Summary:

Distance: 210 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Get started to Cat Cat valley after breakfast time. In contrast with the poverty, the sceneries in Cat Cat and Sin Chai villages are the most magnificent and marvelous. Next is Ta Phin in Lao Cai Province, a place nestled in a beautiful and pristine valley. Pop in a roadside café for a break before riding through 10km narrow O Quy Ho Pass. The pass is one of the four most challenging in Vietnam, with an altitude of 2000m above sea level, which is covered by mist and clouds throughout the year. Spend time for a photo hunt to feed your Instagram.

Move forward to Mu Cang Chai by following National Highway 32. Its rice terrace was a national landscape with a rich natural environment. Stop for lunch in Than Uyen at midday. The pouring water season there creates splendid colors. After that, get out of the district; spectacular turns and more wonderful sights will leave you speechless. Let’s tuck into dinner at dusk to get back energy for the next day, leaving the land where the poor natives live in happiness and contentment.

Summary:

Distance: 180km – 5 hours of riding

Accommodation: Homestay

Wake up your new day with breakfast and coffee. Rolling into Khau Pha Pass, you will encounter picturesque rice terraces on its flank. The spectacle is photogenic, so don’t forget to take some snapshots. The pass is named one of Vietnam’sVietnam’s four most beautiful passes with its unremittingly winding and turning road of 50 km.

Enjoy your lunch at Tu Le Commune, famed for glutinous rice, where you can soak up the hot spring and see the tranquil setting of prosperous countryside. Get onto two wheels to Nghia Lo Township, all new roads adorned with red Ban flower trees. Challenge yourself by conquering one more rough yet enchanting pass: Lung Lo, the legendary beauty witnessing the heroic years of history. That’s why the government recognized the pass as a National historic landmark.

In short, on the 4th day of travel through the Northern loop trail, you have already discovered a series of natural wonders and experienced a rush of adrenaline. Stay overnight at the Standard hotel in Phu Yen.

Summary:

Distance: 190 – about 5-7 hours of riding

Accommodation: Standard hotel in Phu Yen

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start the whole new day as the previous days and choose between 2 following options:

Option 1:

Get on a dirt road to Da Pho – Bac Phong, cross Van Yen Ferry, then finally Moc Chau Town, a perfect combination between serenity and animation. After having lunch in Moc Chau City, we’re off to Pha Luong through the jungle, cross streams, and small villages. Take another off-road track before arriving in Mai Chau if the weather is nice. In the end, we reach our homestay in Mai Chau.

Option 2: 

Take the National Highway 43 to Van Yen ferry but turn into the light off-road National Highway 6 to reach Hua Tat Pass. Enjoy your lunch and visit Moc Chau Highland and Thai villages surrounded by forest trees. Go sightseeing at Tat Nang Waterfall, one of the most stunning waterfalls in Hoa Binh Province the stop for a short coffee break.

Arriving in Mai Chau for supper, a laid-back northern village of Thai people. It’s a part of a culture and a way of a different life. Enjoy local performances by night while tasting its specialty – “Can” wine.

Summary:

Distance: 152 km – 7 hours of riding

Accommodation: Homestay

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today is the last day of our journey. To not miss “Little Ha Long” amid Hoa Binh, we’ll pass by the popular route. On the flip side, drop in Go Lao Waterfall for some shots. Cross along Da River to Ba Khan Lake, or Little Ha Long in Hoa Binh. Enjoy its breathtaking views of the lake while sipping some coffee. Keep riding across lovely valleys, into the forest, weave through small villages, and subdue some off-road tracks.

Have lunch at a local restaurant at Thung Khe Pass’s foot. The last interesting off-road trail leads us to Luong Son Commune, then onto Quoc Oai Commune to see Thang Long Boulevard again. That trail is without dispute to bring you a raw experience in the whole tour. End the entire Northwest Vietnam Motorbike Tour by rolling into our tour office before returning to your accommodation.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km, 5 hours of riding

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Tour Ends.