Vietnam Dirt Bike Loop Tour to Son La, Sapa, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Ha Long Bay

7:30am – Pick up from your hotel in Hanoi. Departure drive to Son La, stop in Mai Chau for a short walk and have lunch, after lunch, keep going to Son La. Overnight in Son La.

Son La has an old French prison and museum, perfect for a small walk to visit in the morning before your departure to Dien Bien Phu . You’ll enjoy the picturesque scenery as you pass the villages of Black Thai, White Thai, Meo and Muong peoples. Overnight in a hotel.

From Muong Lay, the drive is stunning with tiered tea plantations and verdant rice terraces carved into the landscape. Continue to Lai Chau (formerly Tam Duong) for the night. If you happen to be in Lai Chau on a Sunday morning, the town is bustling with activity as the local hill tribes gather for their weekly market day. Overnight in a hotel or guesthouse.

From Lai Chau to Sa Pa you pass through Tam Duong (formerly Binh Lu), and over the 1900 meter Tram Ton pass, Viet Nam’s highest mountain pass and considered the most beautiful stretch of road in the country. Sa Pa is nestled at over 1600 meters in the breathtaking Hoang Lien Son Mountains. After lunch, take a short 3-hour trek down this stunning valley sculpted with steep rice terraces to Ta Van village for a home stay. Enjoy the savoury food and the hospitality of your Dzay hosts.

Today is dedicated to one of the 3 remarkable hill tribe markets of the region(Can Cau, Coc Ly, Bac Ha) where the Flower H’mong ethnic minority people is the major! The Flower H’mong girls dressing like colorful like butterflies filling up all the markets making a really really impressive scenery. Beside the Flower H’mong people, the markets are also attended by a dozen of other tribes namely Chinese, Nhang, Dzao, Nung, Phu La, Thai and King (or Viet).

The markets which take place once a week are really a cross culture communication of ethnic minority groups. They are really worth visiting. After lunch time at the markets, you can follow the hill tribes to their villages or take a drive to the further villages. Back to Bac Ha in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at hotel in Bac Ha.

Upon leaving Bac Ha we set off on a full day journey through Sin Man and Hoang Su Phi to Ha Giang Town. The rough but scenic route traverse a dense jungle before crossing over a pass and dropping down to Sin Man. This day is a real challenge for our driver as we travel by winding roads with many uphill and down hill drives. Along the way we may encounter the Nung Ing, Tay, Red Dao, Dao Ao Dai, La Chi and Co Lao, just some of the many hill tribe groups who have settled there. O/N in Ha Giang.

The remote region of Dong Van and Meo Vac is a land of rugged mountains and beautiful hill villages which are unchanged for centuries. Today we head north west out of Ha Giang Town towards this northernmost tip of Vietnam.

The former H’mong royal house at Sa Phin is a primary attraction of the region but the blend of hill tribe people’s colorful costumes and the majestic mountainous scenery make this long and bumpy trip an unforgettable experience.

O/N in Dong Van.

The ethnic minority people are frequently seen in this hill town and small vendors along the street sell local textiles and handicraft. We have time to visit Dong Van Town before continuing to Meo Vac which is conquered by the Lo Lo and Pu Peo ethnic minority people. They still retain their age old cultural traditions and are recognisably distinct from each other by their dress. The remoteness and the simple lifestyle of local people are a highlight of Meo Vac although conditions are very basic. We return to Ha Giang via Yen Minh, using a shortcut way.

O/N in Ha Giang.

An early morning start to drive through the rolling hills and the picturesque scenery to Ba Be National Park.

The roads are very bumpy and zigzagging however we will have a chance to meet the Hmong, Dao, Tay and Nung ethnic minorities who make for the main population of this region. We are sure to attract their attention as this part of the country receive very few visitors. Depending on road and traffic conditions we arrive in Ba Be by late afternoon or early evening, but it is till an interesting day. Dinner with a family of Tay at homestay in Bac Ngoi village. O/N at homestay in Bac Ngoi village.

The legendary lake of Ba Be is just one continuous water body although the name means” three lakes”. Today we embark on a boat cruising down the Nang River which is the main water source of the lake. This exciting river trip will give us a taste of the tranquil countryside and an enjoyable exploration of the Ba Be National Park. We traverse en route the Poong Grotto before stopping at some nearby hill tribe villages and getting off the beaten track to the scenic Dau Dang Waterfalls. Dinner with a family of Tay at homestay in Bac Ngoi village. O/N at homestay in Bac Ngoi village.

The following destination of our trip is Cao Bang Town. After breakfast we set off on our half day journey past the spectacular mountainous landscapes, with a mixture of steep terraced rice field and hill villages. Along the way, we can made stops at our pleasure, to stretch our legs and shoot some wonderful photographs. The remainder of the day will be free to explore the town or simply to relax. O/N in Cao Bang.

Heading out of town , we make our way north to the historical cave of Pac Po where Ho Chi Minh set up the headquarter for the August Vietnamese Revolution in 1945. After seeing this vestige site we continue our journey past the many hill villages and the tranquil town of Dong Khe and That Khe. The drive will deliver us into Lang Son by late afternoon. This border town had been all destroyed during the recent Sino – Vietnamese war, but was rebuilt to become an important trade center in north eastern region. O/N in Lang Son.

The lively central market of Lang Son and depart for Halong bay, truly one of Vietnam’s most impressive scenic sights. Upon arriving in Ha Long City, take all stuff we move to our junk, check in private cabin with A/C, following fresh seafood lunch while boat cruising through amazing landscape of cliff stone mountains emerge from green crystal water, spend the afternoon time for visiting biggest cave in Halong Bay, swimming, relaxing at the beach other enjoy kayaking to explore lagoon, dinner and overnight on boat.

After breakfast we check out our cabin move transit boat enjoy almost a full day on the calm waters of Ha Long Bay to explore Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay with thousands of lime-stone mountains. In the afternoon we arrive in Cat Ba Island. Our vehicle is waiting for us in the wharf; we transfer to the hotel and relax. Or we spend our time at the beautiful beach on the island.

After having breakfast we visit the Cat Ba National Park with the old Military Hospital cave that was used by the North Vietnamese Army during the American war. We will return to Cat Ba Township before boarding on speed boat for more than an hour riding to Vietnam’s largest sea port and third largest city, Hai Phong. Arriving in Hai Phong we transfer to Tam Coc in Ninh Binh province via Hai Phong city. Check in hotel upon arrival. Dinner at local restaurant. Overnight in Tam Coc.

Breakfast at hotel. Have a boat trip to visit Tam Coc which is used to be called “a terrestrial Ha Long Bay” by locals. After finish the boat trip, take another trip by bicycle to expore Bich Dong. Lunch at local restaurant. Heading ho Hoa Lu to visit the first imperial capital in Vietnam with the two temples of king Dinh and Le remained intact over the years. Drive back to Hanoi. Dinner at local restaurant. Finish trip at you hotel in Hanoi.