Ha Giang Loop on a Motorbike - 3 Days / 2 Nights
Ha Giang, Vietnam
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🚗P
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Ha Giang
Parking
189$/person
3 days
8/10. Very busy
Website
9/10
Introduction
Ha Giang is a region renowned for its natural beauty and is recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. One of the best ways to explore this area is by motorbike. The region is well-known for its scenic routes, which can be undertaken on your own or with the help of an easy rider, who would take you on their motorbike.
Many companies offer motorbike rental and accessible rider services, but Kiki's House Hostel deserves special mention, so it’s the one we will discuss in this post. They work with smaller groups compared to other companies, providing a closer interaction with the guides, a more authentic experience , and avoiding being in endless lines of motorbikes.
Typically, groups consist of 6 to 8 visitors, each accompanied by a motorbike rider, with at least one English-speaking driver that will be your guide. Additionally, Kiki's House is among the most affordable options.
Price
The price for the 3-day and 2-night easy rider tour is $189 per person (May 2023). This includes a sleeper bus from Hanoi to Ha Giang (round trip). You can negotiate and get a deal if you are coming from SaPa, Ninh Binh, Ha Long, or Cat Ba. Although you may arrive at night, the hostel staff will have a bed ready for you in a shared room so you can rest for a few hours before the tour starts. The price also includes accommodation during the trip, with the first night in a private hotel room and the second night in a homestay. However, if you pay by card, you will also have to pay a fee of 3%, like in many places in Vietna. In the motorbike, you can carry a backpack, and anything you don't need can be left at the hostel for free.
Meals
All meals during the trip are also included, and everyday they will give you a 1.5L bottle of water. You can choose from Vietnamese Pho, omelets, or pancakes with fruit for breakfast. A series of dishes, such as Vietnamese spring rolls, rice, noodles, salad, fried chicken or pork, tofu, and omelets, will be ordered to share for lunch and dinner. You might also have a Vietnamese cù lao (hot pot). The meal selection is diverse and can be adapted to vegetarian and vegan diets. You will be offered "Happy Water" after every meal, especially in the evening. We will not give you further information regarding this particular water. Any other drink that you order won't be included.
Climate
Remember that the weather might be very different depending on the season you go and can change very quickly. It can get pouring and cold as a mountainous region, so bringing extra layersis recommended. Before starting the trip, your guides will provide you with a full raincoat suit, including shoe covers, pants, and a sweater with a hood, which is very helpful for staying dry and protects you from the wind. Be aware that it can also get very foggy, which may affect the visibility, and you could see absolutely nothing of the landscape during hours.
You will spend a significant part of the day on the motorbike. The exciting spots along the route are well spread out, so you will stop at least every 45 minutes. The road trip typically begins around 09:00 AM and lasts until nighttime. The stops at night are predetermined as the organizer has agreements with some hotels and homestays.
All companies' groups stop at the exact locations along the way, so be aware that large groups may suddenly appear.
ITINERARY:
- Day 0
- Bus to Ha Giang
- Night at Kiki's House Hostel
- Day 1
- Rice fields
- Quan Ba Heaven gate and Twin Mountains
- Can Ty Pass
- Tham Ma Pass
- Hmong King’s Palace
- Night at Đồng Văn
- Day 2
- Ma Pi Leng Pass
- Sa Li Pass
- Lung Phin Valley
- Di tích đồn Pháp
- Miradeor de Lũng Hồ
- Night at Du Già
- Day 3
- Du Già Waterfall
- Du Già Market
- Lung Tam Town
- Ha Giang
- Bus to your next destination
Day 1: Ha Giang – Đồng Văn (150 km ~ 4h 30’ on the motorbike)
Starting from Kiki’s House Hostel around 09:00 AM, you will head North. Soon you will make the first stop to take pictures of the first rice fields of the trip. After that, you will continue to a café to enjoy the views of one of the most popular spots of the itinerary, the Quan Ba Heaven Gate and Twin Mountains. You will then head to Tam Sơn for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will continue your trip stopping in some more terraced rice fields viewpoints (Lao vao chai) and karstic landscapes (Sách Đá Vần Chải) through meandering roads such as Can Ty Pass or Tham Ma pass. The limestone karst peaks permeated with flat valleys make for an out-of-this-world landscape.
The last spot you will visit on the first day is Dinh Vua Meo, a remarkably well-preserved palace built in 1921 for he Hmong king. Your guide will show you the place and tell you about the monument’s history. After this, you will reach Đồng Văn, where you will have dinner and spend the night in a comfortable hotel (private room).
Road day 1
Day 2: Đồng Văn - Du Già (150 km ~ 4h 30’ on the motorbike)
On the second dy of the trip, after having breakfast in a cafe in Đồng Văn, you will head towards the Ma Pi Leng Pass. This pass is considered one of the most beautiful mountain passes in Vietnam. You will stop several times to take in the outstanding views of the road, the turquoise river, the ravine, and the mountains.
After passing the village of Mia Xu, the road will be under construction, and you will travel on a dirt road along the Sa Li Pass. This part of the trip is the trickiest, but the scenic beauty of the passes and Lung Phin Valley makes it all worthwhile.
As you continue, you will come across more rice fields and stop at fantastic spots to take photos (for example here). You will also visit the Di tích đồn Pháp, which are the ruins of a French colonial castle..
The last stop before reaching the village is the stunning viewpoint of Lũng Hồ. You will stop here and have a chance to enjoy the breathtaking views of the village in the valley surrounded by karst mountains.
Finally, you will arrive at Du Già, which is a village full of homestays. You will spend the night here in a homestay of the Tay ethnic group along with other travelers. If you are a couple, you will have a separate space. Otherwise, you will share a big room with other people. You will be served a traditional Vietnamese dinner; some homestays even have karaoke parties. There is electricity available in the homestay and you can also take a shower.
Remember that the homestays are traditional wood constructions and that meals will be eaten on a terrace outside, where it can get pretty cold in the evening (the bedding is adapted to low temperatures).
Road day 2
Day 3: Du Già - Ha Giang (130 km ~ 4h 20’ on the motorbike)
On the last day of the tour, after having breakfast at the homestay in Du Gia village, the group will visit Du Gia waterfall, which is located nearby. This stunning waterfall has a pond where you can swim and jump in, so don’t forget your swimsuit and towel.
During the weekends, there is a big market in the village where you can see the trade of animals, fabrics, and food, among other things.
After the market, you will head to Lung Tam Village, passing by the Lung Ho viewpoint again and making several stops along the way to take pictures of the incredible landscape. Lung Tam is a weaving village, where you will visit a weaving market and learn about the traditional techniques for fabric processing.
Afterwards, you will head to Tan Son town for lunch before returning to Ha Giang, making several stops.
The tour ends around 16:00, and the reception at your hostel will have already booked a bus to your next destination (Hanoi, SaPa, Ninh Binh, Ha Long, or Cat Ba), based on your previous arrangements with them.
Note that all the stops of the trip could vary depending on the time..
Homestay Du Gia
On the motorbike tour around Ha Giang, you will enjoy the stunning scenery and discover some Vietnamese traditional customs and practices. The Hmong ethnicity is distinct from the rest of the country and maintains a humble, rural lifestyle. You will see tiny and remote villages, how the locals work in the fields, how they walk on the road with large quantities of grass for livestock, kids walking alone several km on the road heading to school or helping their parents. The tour only became popular recently (the first travelers came in 2016 to the region), and it remains an authentic, unique experience (even though we can see that it is becoming a mass tourism destination like the rest of the country). Enjoy this jewel before it gets lost and treat everyone with respect!!
Comment if you have any question!
