Overview

Ha Noi – Mai Chau – Son La – Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau – Phong Tho – Sa Pa –Can Cau – Bac Ha – Xin Man – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac – Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Ba Be National Park – Ha Noi

The Far North of Vietnam is characterized with rugged mountains, deep ravines and evergreen forests. The region is inhabited by various ethnic minorities, of which many retain a very traditional lifestyle, some live separately from the mainstream society. The local conditions are relatively poor for regular travellers, but for our adventure travellers the rewards are enormous. On this special motorbiking adventure, we'll set out to discover this remote area and all the mysteries it covers. The accommodation is either basic hotel or hill tribe homestay. All meals are included into the tour price and drinking water is provided. We'll travel mostly by motorbike, but our support vehicle is available at all time to make sure the tour is smooth.

Trip length: 16 days/15 nights
Trip grade: hard adventure
Accommodation: basic hotels and homestay
Times of trip: year round, best from September through April

Highlights:
traveling mountains and ravines by motorbike
Sapa hill station
Can Cau and Bac Ha weekend ethnic markets
Dien Bien Phu Battlefield
Dong Van Plateau
Ban Gioc Stunning Waterfall
Ba Be National Park
Roads-rarely-travelled

Hotel list
Ha Noi: 3*, centrally located
Mai Chau: house on stilt (homestay)
Son La: basic hotel
Lai Chau: 1-star hotel
Phong Tho: basic hotel
Sa Pa: 2-star hotel
Bac Ha: basic hotel
Ha Giang: basic hotel
Cao Bang: basic hotel
Ba Be: basic guest house
Meo Vac: basic guest house
 
The tour price includes
English-speaking guide
Support vehicle through the trip and Russian-made motorbikes
Boat cruise in Ba Be
Accommodation on twin-shared basis hotels and homestay as indicated on the tour program;
Meals as indicated on the tour program: B= Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner;
Drinking water during your motorcycling  tour
All admission fees during the guided times as indicated on the tour program;
 
The tour price doesn't include
Insurance of any types: The travellers must have insurance with emergency-covered policies;
International airfares and airport taxes;
Drinks or personal expenses for meals;
Others not clearly specified in the inclusions.

Itinerary

Day1 Arrive in Ha Noi (D)
Arriving at Noi Bai Airport, welcomed by our tour guided and transferred to the hotel. Overnight in Ha Noi.

Day2 Ha Noi – Mai Chau (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Set out on our adventure and head to Mai Chau Valley. Rice fields, rugged mountains and encounters with colorful ethnic people on the way. Lunch and dinner are at Mai Chau. Overnight with homestay in a house-on-stilt.

Day3 Mai Chau – Son La (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the family house.
Ride further into the mountains to Son La. Arrive in Son La, get relaxed at the local hotspring. Lunch enroute and dinner at a hotel in Son La.

Day4 Son La – Dien Bien Phu – Lai Chau (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Ride on one of the most sublime beauty of northwestern Vietnam. Most of the time, we'll be at over-1000m elevation. Both sides of the road are forests of peach and plums which offer blossoms in January and February. Visit Dien Bien Phu former battlefields and head on to Lai Chau. Arriving in Lai Chau in late afternoon, have a stroll on the river bank before dinner. Lunch and dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at a hotel in Lai Chau.

Day5 Lai Chau – Phong Tho (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Continue our adventure toward Phong Tho. This so-called town is only a valley surrounded by green mysterious mountains. There are plenty of photo opportunities on the way. Arriving at Phong Tho in late afternoon, we'll stroll out of town and get lost in the fresh surrounding nature. Lunch and dinner at local restaurant. Overnight at a hotel in Phong Tho.

Day6 Pho Tho – Sa Pa (B/L/D)  (80km)
Breakfast at the hotel.
The road today is just as stunning as you could imagine. There are many ethnic tribes here that can not be seen anywhere else in Vietnam. We'll climb up the gradients to the Gateway to Heaven and get rewarded with the breathtaking view of the Peak of Indochina. Then we'll descend the pass and ride out way to Sa Pa- a cloud-covered town. Overnight at a hotel in Sa Pa.

Day7 Sa Pa (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day at leisure for you to recover before more coming adventures. Still the bikes, our tour guide and support vehicle are all available for you to discover Sa Pa Valley. Overnight at a hotel in Sa Pa.

Day8 Sa Pa – Can Cau – Bac Ha (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Ride down the mountains and continue to the remote town of Bac Ha. We'll ride further into the mountains for the weekend market of Can Cau. Hill tribe markets are not markets in common sense; they are the places for socializing and making friends too. The local young boys and girls are very well-dressed and expecting to find the right partners. Be sure to get some souvenirs and the market or possible find some friends for your future here. We'll make our way back to Bac Ha for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy a bit of trekking to explore the ethnic villages around the town. Overnight at a hotel in Bac Ha.

Day9 Bac Ha – Xin Man – Hoang Su Phi – Ha Giang (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Ride further into the wild and head for the seldom-visited town of Ha Giang. The road conditions are poor compared to earlier. Most of the time, we'll travel close to the border between Vietnam and China. Arriving at Ha Giang Town in the afternoon, we'll check  into our hotel and enjoy free time at leisure. Lunch and dinner are at local restaurant. Overnight at a hotel in Ha Giang.

Day10 Ha Giang – Dong Van – Meo Vac (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Ride to the fabled world of Dong Van Plateau. The area is shrouded in legend and was not accessible to foreign travellers until very very recently. The plateau is characterized with towering rugged mountains in a wild settings. After lunch in Dong Van, we'll ride further to Meo Vac. Lunch and dinner are at local restaurants. Overnight at a  hotel in Meo Vac.

Day11 Meo Vac – Cao Bang (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Further ride along the border then we'll descend into the town of Cao Bang. Lunch and dinner are at local restaurants. Overnight at a hotel in Cao Bang.

Day12 Cao Bang – Ban Gioc Waterfall – Cao Bang (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day ride to visit the fabulous waterfall of Ban Gioc which is right on the border between Vietnam and China. Ride back to Cao Bang. Picnic lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight in Cao Bang.

Day13 Cao Bang – Ba Be National Park (B/L/D)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Ride down to Ba Be National Park. Arriving at the park, we'll enjoy free time at leisure for the rest of the day. Lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Overnight in Ba Be Guest House.

Day14 Ba Be National Park (B/L/D)
Full day exploring the lakes, waterfalls and forests of Ba Be National Park. Lunch and dinner at the park. Overnight in Ba Be Guest House.

Day15 Ba Be – Ha Noi (B/L)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Full day riding back to Ha Noi. Arriving at our hotel late in the afternoon, we'll enjoy free time at leisure for the rest of the day. Overnight in Ha Noi.

Day 16 Depart Ha Noi (B)
Breakfast at the hotel.
Have free time until we transfer you back to the airport for your departure. We hope with so many adventures, you come back home differently.