Border-Crossing Motorbike Tour From Vietnam To Laos In 12 Days

After leaving the bustling city of Hanoi, you go along the Red River Delta to reach Son Tay before paying a visit to the peaceful land of Phu Yen. On the way, you will have opportunities to admire the natural scenery with forests, mountains, and valleys. After following the off-road track through picturesque villages and paddy fields, you will arrive at the hotel in Phu Yen. Check-in at the hotel and stay overnight here before going on the trip to Mai Chau.

Your morning will start with a light breakfast at the hotel. After that, you get on the motorbike and ride through National Route 43 and 46 to reach Mai Chau. While being on the move, you take a ferry along Da River and cross Sông Đà Reservoir (Black River Reservoir), which is the main supply of water to Hoa Binh Dam, to admire the magnificent landscape of mountains and forests. 

After getting to Van Yen port, you will go through tortuous roads that are surrounded by mountains, forests, and terraced fields to reach Moc Chau before having lunch here. After that, you continue the journey on Road No.6 and experience the off-road ride through Van Ho, Hang Kia, and Pa Co, where you have an occasion to immerse yourself in the peaceful space covered with small villages on the hillsides before coming to Mai Chau.  

One of the experiences you cannot miss on the trip to Mai Chau is walking around this lovely village to discover the life of the locals. Right when the sun comes up, the locals take part in numerous daily activities, such as weaving thread into cloth. Their traditional products will be sold in the village center. Most interestingly, a musical show will take place in the evening. Here you will have an opportunity to watch the performance of the local artists and get more understanding of the local cultures, habits, and traditions.

Today, you will have to the 190-km stretch of road to get to Sam Neua. Say goodbye to Mai Chau and head towards Thanh Hoa province on the National Route 15. Then, you follow the beautiful trail along the Ma River to reach Nameo Town and start the journey to explore the beauty of Laos. You will be surprised to realize that the landscape is quite different from Vietnam when it is covered with the scenery of majestic mountains, primeval forests standing out under the blue color of the sky, and large and small rocks spreading out on the stream with clear blue water. Coming here, you also get a chance to show the talent for riding through mountain passes. After riding along the long road, you will have dinner in the town before moving to Sam Neua and stay overnight at a mini guesthouse here.

This trip will take you through many hills and passes. You should spend time visiting some small Hmong villages along the way. After going a distance of 210 kilometers, you pay a visit to the Plain Of Jars, which is one of the must-visit megalithic archaeological sites in Xieng Khouang, Laos. This plan features thousands of stone jars scattered around the upper valleys and the lower foothills. The jars here are mostly arranged in different clusters. After the excursion to the Plain of Jars, you enjoy dinner in the town and take overnight at the hotel here.

You should begin your trip in the early morning. The length of the road is up to 230 kilometers; therefore, it will take you a lot of time to pass hills and mountains before getting to Luang Prabang. Along the way, you can stop at some places to take nice photos of breathtaking landscapes. During this journey, you will get involved in riding through the paved roads to discover the natural beauty of majestic waterfalls and jungles and learn more about the daily life of the Laotians. You will arrive in Luang Prabang in the late afternoon. After that, you have dinner here and take some rest at the hotel.

After having breakfast at the hotel, you will be taken to the National Museum, which is located at the Old Royal Palace. Here you will see a collection of cultural artifacts that help you understand more about the cultural richness in the reign of Lao kings. Coming here, you also should miss the opportunity to go around the Central Market and admire impressive constructions, including Wat Visoun and  Wat Aham and Wat Mai. Then, you can climb up to the top of Mount Phousi for enjoyable experiences of the gilded stupa and the spectacular sunset. This site also gives you a chance to take in the Night Market, where you can find several handmade textiles produced by the local people in Luang Prabang. After a day of experiencing Luang Prabang, you spend a night staying overnight here.

You go on the journey to discover Luang Prabang with a short trip to Wat Sene and Wat Xiengthong for more knowledge of the classical architectural style of Laos. After that, you get across the Mekong River, where you can enjoy the tranquil scene of rural life. Along the way, you also pay a visit to Pak Ou Caves, which consists of the lower cave of Tham Ting and the upper cave of Tham Theung. While exploring the caves, you will see thousands of large and small golden Buddha statues. 

After visiting Pak Ou caves, you have a stop at Ban Xanghai village, also known as Whisky village, which is the production base of local wine. Here you can witness the process of making Lao-Lao, a type of wine made from rice grown in Laos. On the way back to Luang Prabang, you also visit another village called Ban Phanom, which gives you a chance to see numerous woven products. You can buy them as gifts for your family members and friends. After returning to Luang Prabang, you can spend time taking a stroll around ancient streets before taking overnight here.

From Luang Prabang, you move a distance of 230 kilometers to get to Muang Khua, which is located near the northwestern region of Vietnam. If you desire to conquer off-road tracks, it is really a valuable opportunity. You will get awesome riding experiences when going through mountainous roads embraced by majestic scenery. On the trip to Muang Khua, you can visit H’mong and Thai villages and explore their cultural features. Here you have dinner and stay overnight at a guesthouse. 

After following the 175-kilometer road with rice fields and tree lines to the east, you will cross the border to get back to Vietnam. Continue to keep riding downhill; you will go through the residential area of Thai people. Finally, you arrive in Dien Bien Phu, which stands out due to the spectacular valley. Here you will stop for dinner and stay overnight at a hotel.

You enjoy the trip to Dien Bien Phu by a visit to the historical remnants during the Indochina War. After that, you have a 180-kilometer ride to the south to reach Son La. Along the way are many high passes, including Pha Din mountain pass, where you can stop for hunting photos and visiting the village of Black Thai and Hmong people. At the end of the day, you will have dinner in the town before getting some rest at a hotel.

You start your morning with a light breakfast before following the National Route 6 to get to Moc Chau. After riding through the 150-kilometer road, you reach the region that specializes in producing famous kinds of tea and milk in Vietnam. This land is also home to ethnic minorities such as Green H’mong, Dzao, Thai, and Muong. You spend the whole afternoon riding up the hills for the discovery of the tea plantations and visiting some beauty spots such as Bauhinia variegata Hill (Đồi Ban), Pike Hill, and Das Yen Waterfall. After a day of exploring Moc Chau, you finally spend your night at a hotel in Moc Chau.

It is the last day of the journey. You prepare to leave Moc Chau and return to Hanoi after enjoying your breakfast. On the way, you can have some stops to take beautiful photos and take a coffee break. At around 4 p.m, you will reach Hanoi for check-in at the hotel.