NORTHEAST VIETNAM THRILLING MOTORBIKE TOUR

This easy-paced 6-day motorbike tour covers around 1,000 km through Northeast Vietnam, taking you through some of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in northern Vietnam. The trip has been carefully designed for both experienced and inexperienced riders, with a comfortable pace, mostly easy roads, and plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and local culture.

Below is a video clip featuring some of the highlights of this Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour. If you would like to see more of our rides and adventures, please visit our YouTube channel.

NORTHEAST VIETNAM DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Bac Kan. (~180 km, ~6 h)

Today is the first day of our Northeast Vietnam motorbike adventure. Before setting off, we have a short riding briefing to explain the basic road rules, riding techniques, and safety guidelines for the trip. Your guide will also show you how to communicate with him through simple hand and body signals while riding, which is particularly useful on busy roads or when engine noise makes conversation difficult.

We leave Hanoi at around 9:30 am, after the morning rush hour, and ride northeast toward Bac Kan via Thai Nguyen. The journey takes approximately 6 hours, with most of the route following easy, well-paved roads. Along the way, we gradually leave the busy lowlands behind and begin to see the mountains of Northeast Vietnam.

We spend the night at a hotel in the centre of Bac Kan town. It is a relatively easy first day, allowing everyone to settle into the bikes and riding style before heading deeper into the higher mountains of Northeast Vietnam over the following days.

Day 2: Bac Kan – Ba Be. (~50 km, ~2 h)

Today is a much shorter riding day, giving us plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular scenery and explore Ba Be National Park. We leave Bac Kan and follow a winding mountain road toward Ba Be, passing through quiet countryside and increasingly rugged landscapes.

For lunch, we stop at the home of our Tay ethnic minority host family, where we enjoy a traditional local meal. We used to stay with Mr. Dang, whom we called Zi Dang. Sadly, he passed away in 2009, but his son has continued welcoming travellers and maintaining the family homestay tradition.

After lunch, we take an easy boat trip on Ba Be Lake and the surrounding river system, enjoying the peaceful scenery of limestone mountains, forests, and traditional villages. If the timing is right, we can also visit a local market and experience the lively atmosphere of rural Northeast Vietnam.

We continue to Dau Dang Waterfall, where there is time to relax, enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and, when conditions are suitable, take a refreshing swim. We may also visit a nearby village and a small local school, which has only a few pupils during the summer months.

Tonight, we stay in a traditional Tay stilt house, giving you the chance to experience local life and enjoy a relaxed evening in the mountains.

Day 3: Ba Be – Cao Bang. (~170 km, ~8 h)

We start the morning with a short boat trip on Ba Be Lake, one of the most beautiful natural attractions in northern Vietnam. Ba Be is the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, surrounded by limestone mountains, dense forests, and traditional Tay villages.

After the boat trip, we get back on our motorbikes and enjoy a beautiful ride toward Cao Bang Province. The route takes us through several mountain passes, offering spectacular panoramic views over the surrounding valleys, forests, and limestone peaks. The roads are generally easy to ride, although there are plenty of winding curves to keep things interesting.

This is a relaxed Northeast Vietnam motorcycle ride, and we can stop frequently along the way to take photographs, enjoy the scenery, and meet local people. With regular breaks for drinks, food, and sightseeing, the journey takes approximately 8 hours in total.

We arrive in Cao Bang City in the late afternoon and spend the night at a comfortable hotel, ready for another spectacular day in the mountains.

Day 4: Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfalls – Quang Uyen. (~130 km, ~2 h)

After obtaining the necessary permission from the border police, we leave Cao Bang and ride through some of the most spectacular scenery in Northeast Vietnam toward Ban Gioc Waterfalls, one of the country’s most impressive natural attractions.

Weather permitting, there is an opportunity to swim close to the base of the waterfall, where the water drops approximately 50 metres into the river. The combination of the enormous waterfall, limestone mountains, and surrounding countryside makes this one of the highlights of our Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour.

The road toward Ban Gioc has changed considerably in recent years. Following the opening of an international trading post between Vietnam and China at Po Peo in Trung Khanh, many large trucks now use this route. As a result, some sections have become rough and can feel more like a single dirt track, adding an unexpected adventure to the ride.

After visiting Ban Gioc Waterfalls, we ride for another hour toward Quang Hoa, a beautiful village located in the middle of a spectacular mountain cirque. This area is home to the Nung An people, and tonight we stay at the home of one of our local friends, giving us a chance to experience genuine Northeast Vietnam village life.

Day 5: Quang Hoa – Lang Son. (~150 km, ~5 h)

Today we ride from Quang Hoa to Lang Son, following scenic mountain roads through the countryside of northeastern Vietnam. Lang Son has long been one of the most important trading centres between Vietnam and China, partly because of its relatively close distance to Hanoi.

The city is also an interesting place to explore the local trading culture and busy markets. Depending on your interests, this can be a good opportunity to look for inexpensive Chinese electronics and everyday products, such as phone chargers, power banks, toys, and other items. You may also find a variety of replica products in the local markets.

After exploring the city and its markets, we check into our hotel for the night and have time to relax after another enjoyable day of riding.

Day 6: Lang Son – Hanoi. (~150 km, ~3 h) End of Northeast Vietnam ride.

If the weather is good, we begin our final day by riding south from Lang Son to Mau Son, a beautiful mountain resort approximately 30 km from Lang Son. Located at around 1,541 metres above sea level, Mau Son offers a cooler climate and spectacular views over the surrounding mountains.

In the morning, we explore the area around Mau Son and visit some of our Dao ethnic minority friends, learning more about their traditional lifestyle and culture. Afterward, we ride back down to Lang Son for lunch before starting the final leg of our Northeast Vietnam motorbike adventure.

On the road back to Hanoi, we pass through several traditional villages and rural areas. When time allows, we can stop to visit some of the Buddhist pagodas and other interesting local sites along the way.

We aim to arrive back in Hanoi at around 4:00 pm, before the evening rush hour. This marks the end of our 6-day Northeast Vietnam motorbike tour, after approximately 1,000 km of riding through spectacular mountains, remote villages, ethnic communities, waterfalls, lakes, and scenic backroads.

Contact us at [email protected] if you would like more information about this Northeast Vietnam 6-day motorbike tour or our other Northeast Vietnam motorcycle adventures.