NORTHWEST RIDE VIETNAM

(Northwest Ride in 8 days & 7 nights)

The roads are better now but landslides in summer usually block parts of the ride. As a result, this area is probably the least popular for motorbike touring in Vietnam. However, the stunning landscape and friendly people make the tiring ride a worth visit. Northwest Ride of Vietnam is a faraway area. Come and join us to discover the wild Northwest Vietnam first hand.

Below is a video clip that has some portions of this Northwest Ride. In case you want to watch more videos please check our YouTube channel.

NORTHWEST RIDE DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau, ~200km, ~6h

Today is the first day of this 16 days Full North ride. To get out of Hanoi safely, we will have a short briefing to let you know about the rules. In addition, the guide will show you how to understand him by his body language. Finally, we start around 9.30am after the rush hour.

Once out of the Red River Delta, which brims with traditional farming activity, we pass through limestone monoliths and into foothills populated by Muong people. Then we head straight at the main range before breaching a high and beautiful forested pass, which descends into the hidden valley of Mai Chau where we spend the night with friends in a traditional Thai stilt house in a Thai village.

Day 2: Mai Chau – Son La, ~185km, ~9h

On good road looking high over distant mountains, we head up into a forested region populated by H’mong people before descending into a mountainous tea-growing region of Moc Chau plateau. Soon after we follow a long valley floor covered in a sea of rice surrounded by Black Thai villages all the way to Son La with its bargain-filled market. Sleep in a hotel.

Motorbike Vietnam Adventure Tours - Northwest Ride to Son La by Honda CRF250L dual enduro.

Day 3: Son La – Muong Lay, ~200km, ~10h

Today we ride across 15 passes. In fact, this is a very nice portion of this Full North with a stunning landscape. Probably the most beautiful journey of the whole trip even the road is in poor condition due to new hydroelectric plant construction. The whole town of former Lai Chau was relocated to a higher elevation and the old town was deep in water. Sleep in a hotel.

Day 4: Muong Lay – Lai Chau, ~120km, ~6h

The most demanding and remote section of the ride takes us upstream along the left side of a Black River tributary through the forest on a bumpy dirt road past isolated pockets of Tay, Thai, H’mong, and Man peoples before breaching a pass to enter the Tam Duong plain, which is covered in shark’s teeth-like limestone karst. We stay in a hotel.

Day 5: Lai Chau – Sapa, ~100km, ~4h

Visit a market in the morning. There are colourful Montagnard groups living in Lai Chau: Black H’mong and Dzao. Around 10 am we start a beautiful ride at a slow pace on a bumpy road toward Sapa. In reality, Tram Ton pass just before Sapa is one of the most spectacular places in the Northwest region. We stay in a hotel.

Day 6: Sapa – Bac Ha, ~120km, ~4h

The ride from Sapa to Bac Ha takes about 3 hours. We first ride down from Sapa to Lao Cai and then up to Bac Ha with a stunning landscape. We check in a hotel and have lunch. In the afternoon, we trek to Lung Phinh village. Stay overnight in Bac Ha.

Motorbike Vietnam Adventure Tours - Northwest Ride to Sa Pa by Honda CRF250L dual enduro.

Day 7: Bac Ha – Vu Linh, ~170km, ~6h

Descending from Bac Ha down to Luc Yen, then the small road skirting Thac Ba Lake to Vu Linh, a Dao village where we stay in a host house. In fact, the welcome of the host family is one of the highlights of this trip.

Day 8: Vu Linh – Hanoi, ~180km, ~6h. End of Northwest Ride.

Boating on Thac Ba lake in the morning. Then ride back to Hanoi via Son Duong to avoid the heavy traffic. Arrive in Hanoi before 4pm to avoid rush hours which start from 5pm till 7pm.

Contact us for more details and options of this Northwest ride in Vietnam.